Keith McNally - Schillers Liquor Bar Cocktail Collection: Classic Cocktails, Artisanal Updates, Seasonal Drinks, Bartenders Guide

THE BARTENDERS GUIDE

With the right tools and practice, all the cocktails in these books are easy to make at home. Measuring, shaking, stirring, and straining are not difficult tasks in themselves, but performing them all correctly contributes to the quality of the cocktail. This guide explains it all. At Schillers we use the freshest ingredients possible, pureeing ripe peaches for our Bellinis, infusing our spirits with fresh herbs, and muddling seasonal fruits for our cocktails like the Uptown Martini, the Grand Street, and the Country Time. You can make your own simple syrupwith several flavor variationsfollowing the recipes in this book. However, its not imperative to do so.

What is imperative is that you enjoy the drinks you make. If, for some reason, you dont, please call me at (212) 966-6826 and Ill come over to your place and make the drinks for you, free of charge. I might charge for my subway fare, however.

Whiskey is the most common spirit served in tumbler glasses. 2. COCKTAIL GLASS This glass is sophisticated as well as functional. The stem keeps the heat from your hands off the bowl, keeping the cocktail chilled. The wide top allows aromatic compounds in the cocktail to waft delicately to your nose. 3.

STEM GLASS Wine is the most common drink served in a stem glass. There are several types of stem glasses for different kinds of wine (red, white, champagne, etc.). We serve only a small handful of cocktails in stem glassesthe most notable being a . 4. PINT A traditional beer glass, most ales and darker beers are served in pints. We serve the Schillers smoothie and our egg creams in pint glasses.

Drinks with several ingredients lend themselves to the larger pint glass. 5. , and other summer coolers. 6. TODDY GLASS Any hot beverage should go into a glass with a handlethis prevents you from burning your hands on the vessel. 7. 7.

HIGHBALL Taller than a rocks glass and shorter than a Collins glass, this medium-size slender glass holds about 8 ounces. The highball is a favorite for simple two- to three-ingredient mixed drinks. A vodka soda, for example, would be served in a highball. 8. ROCKS GLASS (OLD FASHIONED GLASS) A short, stout glass for serving a whiskey on the rocks or an Old Fashioned. Although a rocks glass can hold about 6 ounces, it normally contains about 2 to 4 ounces of liquor plus ice.

Any drink on the rocks can be served in this glass.

They are usually spiral-shaped to allow twisting the head of the spoon while stirring. A slight bend in the handle makes the stirring easier than regular spoons. 3. COCKTAIL SHAKER There are several types of cocktail shakers, but the Boston shaker is the one most commonly used in bars. The metallic cup is a little larger than a pint glass and is used in conjunction with a mixing glass to shake a drink. Always place your ingredients in the mixing glass first and then cover the glass with the Boston shaker and invert the two.

Make sure you have a tight seal before you begin shaking your drink. Another less commonly used shaker is a standard shaker. The Standard shaker is best used at home; its built-in cap strainer is a bit cumbersome for a busy bar but perfect for entertaining a few guests at home. 4. MIXING GLASS A thick, heavy pint glass, a mixing glass can be used on its own for stirring, or used with a Boston or Standard shaker if the cocktail is to be shaken. 5.

HAWTHORNE STRAINER A Hawthorne strainer is a circular metal disc-like cocktail strainer with a coiled spring around its periphery and small openings in its center. The spring allows the strainer to fit snugly into the metal portion of a Boston Shaker while trapping ice and other solids, and the center openings allow liquid to pass through. 6. JULEP STRAINER A julep strainer is a miniature bowl-shaped metal colander with a handle and small, evenly spaced holes. It is used instead of a Hawthorne strainer when straining cocktails straight from the mixing glass.
TEA STRAINER (NOT PICTURED) A few of our drinks require double straining. A Hawthorne strainer and a Julep strainer allow small bits of solids in the drink, so if you want the flavor of the mint or muddled fruit without any pieces, youll need to strain a second time with a fine mesh strainer.

A small tea strainer works wonderfully for this purpose.
POUR TOPS (NOT PICTURED) Once you have mastered the art of the perfect pour, you wont want to live without a speed pourer, also called a pour top. A metal spout with a smaller opening for air exchange, the speed pourer streamlines the flow of liquid from the bottle, prevents spills, and gives you control over how much liquid is released. Practice with a bottle of water and a pour top by pouring the water into a measuring cup with -ounce demarcations. Count as you pour, with one count equaling ounce. Memorize this rhythm and you will master the perfect pour.