Bartender terminology

Cocktails are drunken all over the globe and lots of recipes are world-famous. That's why most of the terminological expression and cocktails names became accepted in English by the international cocktail community.

After dinner cocktail

A dessert cocktail after a meal, also known as digestif.

Show all after dinner cocktails

Bar glass or mixing glass

A glass for preparing cocktails. The final drink will be served in another glass.

Bar Spoon

Bar spoons are multifunctional tools for bartenders. They are used for measuring, stirring, layering and even squeezing. Good bar spoons are long (20-30 cm) with a twisted handle for better stiffness. On the other end there could be a little pestle.

Bar-strainer

A bar strainer is an attachment for shakers to strain off wasted ice cubes.

Before dinner cocktail

A cocktail before eating as an appetiser, also know as aperitif. It should be appetising, light and activate taste buds.

Show all before dinner cocktails

Blend

A blend is a mix of different spirits. E.g. golden tequila is a blend of silver tequila and aged tequila (reposado).

Boston shaker

A Boston shaker is an American shaker consisting of a glass and metal part. More information about Boston shakers.

Brut

Brut is dry in french. The term is used much in conjunction with sparkling wine and wine.

Built in Glass

Cocktails which are prepared straight in the serving glass.

Chaser (filler)

A separate served soda to pour into the spirit. E.g. if they serve rum with a bottle of Coke, Coke is the chaser in that case.

Cocktail-shaker

The cocktail-shaker is the most important utensil for preparing drinks. Further information about shakers.

Crusta

Sugar or salt rim.

Decantation

Its used for wines with deposits. By slowly pouring it for one vessel into another deposits got removed.

Flavouring agent

Ingredients in small quantities with a great impact on the final taste.

Floating

Ingredients which are before serving carefully poured over the cocktail. It has a nice decorative effect.

Frosted Glass

A glass straight out of the freezer.

Highballs

Highballs is a drink category. All drinks with spirits and soda or water on ice. They are served in long-drink glasses. A famous example is Cuba Libre.

Julep

Julep is a drink category, all cocktails that are based on mint and spirits. A famous example is Mojito.

Long-drink

Drinks with more than 16 cl of liquid.

Magnum

A big bottle of sparkling wine (1.5 l).

Modifier

A cocktail is usually composed of a basis, modifiers and flavouring agents. Basis is the spirit with the biggest quantity or the biggest impact on taste. Modifiers are all other ingredients in huge quantities, like juices, sodas or sparkling water.

On the rocks

Served with ice cubes.

Proof

Proof is an old term for alcohol content. 100 Proof in America correspond to 50 % vol. (USA: Proof / % Vol = 2 / 1). 100 Proof in Great Britain is 57.1 % vol. (GB: Proof / % Vol = 7 / 4)

Salt rim

A salt crust on top of a glass.

Sec (Seco)

Sec is dry in french. The term is used much in conjunction with sparkling wine and wine.

Short-drink

Short-drinks are cocktails with 6-8 cl of liquid.

Shot

An alcoholic drink in a shot-glass with 2-4 cl which is drunken in one go.

Straight up

Spirits without ice, neat, undiluted.

Straining

Straining a cocktails means transferring the liquid throw a bar-sieve from the shaker to the serving glass. E.g. all wasted ice cubes remain in the strainer.