Variety of cocktails: classification and types

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

Variety of cocktails is a feature of the menu of any large restaurant. But a long list of names can lead an inexperienced person into a stupor. In this article we will talk about the variety of cocktails, classification and types of such drinks. After reading it, the reader will no longer waste his time studying a menu full of intricate foreign terms.

There are several classifications of cocktails. Only a professional bartender is perfectly versed in the variety of these drinks. It is not necessary for an ordinary visitor to know that "White Russian" refers to digestifs, and "Gin Fizz" - to long drinks. But the information below will help you sort through the rich variety of cocktails.

Classification by time of use

As you know, drinking cognac in the morning is a bad form. Just like any other alcohol. However, this is not the only rule regarding the time of drinking. There are other restrictions as well. Drinking culture is quite complex.

Non-alcoholic and alcoholicthere are cocktails. The variety of the latter is so great that the theorists of the restaurant business were not too lazy and created several classifications. According to one of them, alcoholic cocktails are divided into aperitifs and digestifs. The first should be ordered at the bar before eating. The second - after. There is also a third type - cocktails that can be drunk at any time of the day (Any Time Drinks).

Aperitifs

The meal begins with them. It is difficult to get confused in the variety of aperitif cocktails, because there are only a few popular drinks of this type. Namely:

• "Martini Dry".
• "Manhattan".
• "Negroni".
• "Dubonnet".
• "Kir-royal".

"Martini Dry" is a mixture of gin and dry vermouth. But, as is the case with any other cocktail, in the preparation of this aperitif, not only proportions are important, but also the quality of the ingredients. And of course, the skill level of the bartender. According to the classic recipe, "Martini Dry" includes 60 ml of vermouth and only 10 ml of gin. The glass must first be cooled by filling with ice. Pour in the ingredients, stir, then strain the drink through a strainer. It is customary to decorate "Martini Dry" with a slice of lemon, olives.

Without dwelling on aperitifs (because the variety of cocktails and recipes is a vast topic), we will briefly describe the composition of the other drinks listed above. "Manhattan" consists of vermouth and bourbon. "Negroni" - from gin, vermouth and campari. "Dubonnet" - cocktailFrench, and therefore is prepared on the basis of the favorite drink of the French - wine, and fortified. "Kir-royal" - a mixture of blackcurrant liqueur and white wine.

Digestifs

These drinks in a decent society are usually drunk during or after dinner. What is the composition of these cocktails? The variety of ingredients in the bar of a good restaurant allows not only to prepare a mixture according to the famous recipe, but also to create an original drink. Digestifs are, in fact, all cocktails that do not fall under the category of aperitifs. There is a boundary between After Dinner Cocktails (after a meal) and Any Time Drinks (at any time), but it is insignificant from the point of view of the layman. And therefore, let's move on to the classification according to the taste of drinks, each of which can be safely called a digestif.

Variety of cocktails

Sour cocktails are perhaps the most popular. An obligatory ingredient for each of them is lemon juice. Such cocktails are prepared in a shaker, much attention is paid to the decorative part.

Digestifs also include flip cocktails. The basis for such drinks can be different: liquor, wine, sherry. An obligatory component is an egg. The most popular cocktail of this family is Porto Flip. It is prepared from 45 ml of port wine, 15 ml of brandy and, of course, egg yolk. Digestives are also called smash cocktails, which are strong drinks that are usually served in glasses with a volume of no more than 75 ml and garnished with mint or basil. And finally, layered cocktails. ATthe composition of such drinks, as a rule, includes one or more liquors.

What more can you say about the variety of cocktails? The "B-52" recipe is described below. It is noteworthy that some theorists of bar art refer this cocktail to smashes, others to short drinks. In addition, according to one classification, smash drinks are digestifs. According to another - aperitifs. In order not to get lost in the dense forest of restaurant wisdom, we will tell you about the most popular drinks (perhaps no one has any doubts about their rich variety).

Cocktails: top 10

Before listing the most popular drinks, it is worth remembering two more terms that are found on the menu of drinking establishments. Namely: long drinks, short drinks. The first are cocktails, which are usually served in tall glasses. To the second - such as "B-52", "Black Russian", "Orgasm", "Kamikaze".

Shot drink is a small cocktail, its volume is 50-60 ml. But in the list below, there is only one of them. It's all about the strength of the shots, the way they are consumed (drink in one sip). "Kamikaze" and "B52" - cocktails that suggest a special mood, they are not drunk during a romantic date or a leisurely intellectual conversation. More about these drinks will be discussed below. And now it's time to name the most famous:

1. Mojito.
2. Margarita.
3. Long Island.
4. Pinacolada.
5. Tequila Boom.
6. Cosmopolitan.
7. B-52.
8. Blue Lagoon.
9. Daiquiri.
10. "Sex on the Beach".

Mojito

This cocktail is made with rum. The peculiarity of "Mojito" lies in the abundance of mint, which, in combination with lime, ice and sparkling water, creates a surprisingly refreshing effect.

This cocktail can also be non-alcoholic. And instead of sparkling water, Sprite is often added to it. Mojito with vodka is a phenomenon that can only be found in bars in Russia. The most famous Cuban cocktail cannot be without rum. Therefore, we can say with confidence that Mojito with vodka is no longer Mojito.

Margarita

The origin of this cocktail is shrouded in legends. Most likely, "Margarita" was first prepared in Mexico. After all, the basis of this cocktail is tequila. One serving contains 35 ml of cactus moonshine. Other Ingredients: Orange liqueur, lime juice. The cocktail is served in a wide glass with a high stem - the so-called daisy. Prepared in a shaker, the rim of the glass is dipped in s alt, after running a slice of lime over them.

Long Island Ice Tea

In the seventies, in a Long Island bar, a cocktail was invented, which included five types of alcohol: vodka, rum, gin, tequila, Cointreau. According to the classic recipe, these ingredients should be diluted with Coca-Cola, lemon juice and sugar syrup.

Pinacolada

The name of this cocktail is known not onlybar patrons. Pinacolada is a fairly popular drink, especially among the fair sex. The cocktail has a delicate, mild taste. Its ingredients are rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk, ice, cream.

Tequila Boom

The composition of this cocktail is quite simple. It includes tequila and lemon. However, the rituals of drinking Tequila Boom are somewhat intricate. The simplest: cover the glass with a napkin, hit it several times on the bar, then drink. There are also more creative ways, such as putting on a construction helmet and using a hammer. However, such methods are suitable for a close friendly company.

Cosmopolitan

To make this cocktail, you will need orange liqueur, cranberry juice, lemon, vodka. Cosmopolitan owes its popularity to the singer Madonna, who once appeared on the air with a martinka glass in her hands (this is the type of barware designed to serve a cocktail).

B-52

This cocktail belongs to the above shots. In general, "B-52", along with other drinks in this category, is most in demand in nightclubs. In elite restaurants, shot drinks are ordered less actively. These cocktails have the ability to make a person intoxicated in a matter of minutes.

Preparing "B-52" at home is quite difficult, without having the appropriate skill. A professional in his field in just two or three minutes creates thisa small masterpiece of bar art. The cocktail consists of Kalua, Cointreau and Belis. The layers of liqueurs should lie flat, and that is why the sequence of adding ingredients should not be violated. Then the cocktail is set on fire, a long straw is dipped into a shot (this word is also used to refer to the glass itself, in which small cocktails are prepared) and drunk.

Blue Lagoon

This long drink is usually ordered by girls. In rough male hands, a tall glass with blue liquid, decorated with pineapple, cherry and other elements of bartending decor, will look inharmonious. Cocktail composition: 50 ml vodka, blue curacao, Sprite, lime, ice.

Daiquiri

This cocktail is usually served in the same glass as the Margarita. The composition includes rum, sugar syrup and lime juice. The ingredients are thoroughly shaken in a shaker, then poured into a glass, the rim of which is decorated with fruit slices.

Sex on the Beach

The most "passionate" cocktail bartenders, like the previous ones, prepare in a shaker. Ingredients: vodka, peach liqueur, cranberry and pineapple juice, ice. Mixing these ingredients creates an extraordinary aesthetic effect, as, indeed, any combination of liqueurs with juice.

The article does not present the full variety of cocktails. In the world (only the most common drinks in the photo above) there are a myriad of them. But thanks to the information presented above, it will not be difficult to navigate the cocktail menu of a restaurant or bar.