Methods for preparing cocktails (build, stir, shake, blend): description and purpose

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

What are the methods of making cocktails? There are a huge number of them, since each qualified bartender develops his own private technique over time. It just so happens that cocktail techniques were invented for a reason, and each of them has a specific reason.

These techniques have been shaped over the centuries, going back to the time when the bar industry was ruled by those very famous bartenders. It was their books that became the first sources of creative impulses for bartenders of all generations. What are the methods of making cocktails, find out below.

Tricks

There are 5 basic methods for making cocktails that include established techniques:

• build (build);
• shake (shake);
• stir (stir);
• blend (blend);
• frowling (throwling).

Shake

What is a cocktail shake? This is the most understandable and famous technique presented. Even if a person does not understand anything in the bar business, he will understand what they are talking about. Of course, here we are talking about a shaker. It's simple: the shake tactic is used to make a cocktail using a special bar tool called a "shaker". There are electric shakers on sale, which are often used to prepare sports nutrition.

This technique is used when it is necessary to combine difficult-to-mix components, such as syrup, puree, protein, liquor, and so on. Also, with the help of this technique, the drink is enriched with oxygen. The shake tactic consists of two mixing techniques: fine strain and shaking.

Fine strain tactics

The essence of the fine strain tactic is the use of an additional sieve, which is called the "fine strainer". This technique is used when tiny particles of ice, herbs, fruits and so on need to be separated from the drink, but other strainers can not cope with this.

Therefore, to make the cocktail "cleaner", use this method. Usually a fine strainer is used only after the shake tactic. It is worth adding that, as a rule, using this technique, cocktails are made that are served without ice.

Shaking tactics

What is the basic essence of shaking? It consists notonly in cooling and thorough mixing of the components, but also in diluting the drink. It is very important to properly dilute the cocktail: if you take a little ice, it will instantly melt and greatly dilute the drink. Therefore, it is customary to fill the shaker by 2/3 of the volume, and pour the components on ice from less strong to stronger.

Shake the drink shaker for no more than 20 seconds, moving the ice cubes from the bottom to the top zone of the shaker. The finished cocktail is filtered into a glass using a strainer (another bar tool). When shaking, the shaker must be held with both hands. It cannot be directed either in your direction or in the direction of the guests. Remember that it is forbidden to shake carbonated drinks in a shaker.

By the way, the shake method has its modifications. To be precise, these are dry shake, long shake and hard shake.

Long shake is a tactic for shaking a cocktail for longer. It is most often used when the drink contains whole berries, herbs or fruits. This allows you to extract a more subtle shade of the desired components in the taste, without losing richness.

Dry shake is a tactic for churning a drink that does not contain ice. It is mainly used for whipping heavy cream and eggs (in particular, protein). Its essence lies in the fact that at room temperature to achieve the formation of the same type of thick structure in the drink. With this method, a very gentle and rich cocktail is obtained. Often at the time of whipping the protein in a shaker to drinkthrow the spring from the hawthorne strainer, where it acts as a whisk. Sometimes, after using the “dry” whipping technique, a regular ice shake is performed to cool the cocktail.

Hard shake is a very intense cooking option compared to a simple shake. The cocktail is whipped for almost the same time, but the movements here are much sharper and more active. This technique is best used when you have colder, drier ice. Applying this method means making the drink more appetizing and rich.

Stir

What is the stir method for making cocktails? Translated from English, "stir" means "stir, mix" and is the most elegant way of cooking. This technique requires a mixing bowl that is cooled in advance.

Pour all easily mixed components of the drink into it, fill with ice up to 2/3 of the volume and stir with a bar spoon, rotating the ice cubes in a circle. After drinking, filter into a cocktail glass using a julep or hawthorne strainer.

Remember that the time of mixing the drink with ice should be limited. The fact is that ice has its own set temperature. As soon as the cocktail reaches a temperature identical to the temperature of ice, the ice will no longer cool the drink, but will melt and dilute it with water. This will negatively affect the drink you prepare.

Build

What does the build cocktail method look like? From English, this word is translated as "build". Everything is extremely simple here: all the components of the drink must be poured into the glass in which it will be served. This technique is very common in long drinks and shots. She has several tactics, which we will now look at.

Building (building) - a basic and very popular technique designed for preparing cocktails from easily stirred components such as juice, wine, water, strong alcohol. All ingredients are poured into a glass for serving on ice and mixed with a swizzle stick or a bar spoon.

Laying (layering) is a very attractive technique that involves layering components of different densities on top of each other, the layers do not mix with each other (previously this technique was called pousse-cafe). To prepare cocktails with this technique, you need to study the density of drinks in advance, be able to use a bar spoon and practice a lot.

What is Muddling? "Madl" is translated as "give". When during cooking you need to use berries, fruits, vegetables in such a way as to squeeze out essential oils or juice from them, this technique is used. The basic tool for extrusion is a muddler, otherwise called a pestle.

Flaming is a burning technique that adds elegance to the drink. To implement it, set fire to the upper layers of the cocktailor decorations. This technique serves as decoration and nothing more.

Blend

Blend is a technique for preparing a cocktail in a blender (a measuring cup is included). This is a device that is able to grind large pieces of almost any product that you need to create a drink.

This mixing tactic is mainly used for tropical smoothies, smoothies and milk drinks. It can be used to make a Pina Colada cocktail.

Frowling

"Frowling" is translated from English as "throw". This is a special stirring tactic that involves pouring a drink from one glass - with ice into another - without ice. Its essence consists in repeated transfusion at arm's length. As a result, the cocktail is saturated with oxygen (aeration occurs) when the contents lightly touch the ice. This gives the drink a richer and richer taste.

Rolling (rolling) allows you to make a drink almost the same as in the case of frowling, but there are still differences. The first is that there is no ice in the mixing containers, and the second is that the liquid overflows at a shorter distance. This technique allows you to get a drink that is more alcoholic and less oxygenated than in the case of frowling. But its taste here will be emphasized better.

Principles of making layered cocktails

The basic secret of making a cocktail in layers is the correct alternation of components, depending on theirdensity. So, the bottom layer should be the densest, and the top layer should be the lightest. The density is determined by the sugar content - the more sugar, the higher it is. For example:

• light drinks include cognac, vodka, whiskey;
• for drinks of moderate density - dessert drinks, milk, sweet tinctures, aperitifs;
• to dense (heavy) - grenadine, liqueurs, liqueurs, creams, syrups.

To obtain an aesthetic-looking drink, it is important that the colors of the selected components are combined with each other.

Cooking technique

So, you already know the methods of making cocktails. Layered drinks are prepared like this:

1. All layers are poured into a glass alternately over a bar spoon or a knife blade. Before adding the next layer, you need to wait for the previous one to take a calm state.
2. The glass must be transparent, otherwise the whole meaning of layering will disappear.
3. All components for a striped drink are usually taken in equal proportions.
4. If there is an egg yolk in the recipe, then carefully let it into the stack along the wall.
5. If the top layer of the drink is set on fire, then it is served with a straw. In other cases, without it.

Aphrodisiac Cocktail

You need to have:

• Baileys liqueur - 20 ml;
• Curaçao Blue liqueur - 20 ml;
• Kalua liqueur - 20 ml.

Cooking process: cool all the ingredients and pour into the glass in layers.

Green Mexican Cocktail

Take:

• lemon juice - 10 ml;
• tequila - 25 ml;
• Pizan ambon liqueur (based on green bananas) – 25 ml.

Follow these steps:

1. Pour the liquor into the glass, then the lemon juice. Pour in the third layer of tequila.
2. Mexican must be drunk in one gulp.

Hiroshima Cocktail

Take:

• absinthe - 15 ml;
• Baileys - 15 ml;
• sambucu (Italian anise flavored liqueur) - 15 ml;
• a couple of drops of grenadine.

Do the following:

1. Pour the sambuca into the tall glass, followed by the Baileys and absinthe.
2. Drip a little grenadine into the finished drink, which will sink to the bottom and give the effect of an explosion. This cocktail is served on fire.

A little about electric shakers

Electric shaker is a device for quick and easy mixing of meal replacements, protein mixes and protein-carbohydrate shakes. Inside it there is a small plastic mesh, which comes in different shapes, but has one function - to obtain the same type of mass and break up lumps of the mixture.

Safety plastic shakers are the most common on the market. The most popular are shakers up to 750 ml. The sports nutrition shaker is a compact, convenient device that does not requirespecial care. Very economical and easy to use in the gym.