Making Your Cocktail!

Making a cocktail is simple enough. Let's go over a few ground rules. And by ground rules, I mean a loose set of rules that you should feel free to break. First, if the drink is all booze, stir it. Second, if there is juice in it, shake that bad boy! No, you don't have to do it this way. James Bond ignored advice from the greatest bartenders in the world for years, and he got all the girls. But those are good rules of thumb.

Start with your base. What do you want? What do you like? What do you want to try? This will typically be your bourbon, gin, rum, tequila, etc ... What your base is will generally take you on a journey to many options of how you want to compliment the spirit. But just remember there is NOTHING wrong with putting Crown Royal over a handful of ice, or a glass of scotch neat. "No. Neat. As in ... no ice." Thank you, Dr. Green.

Move to what you want to mix. Where you go can be for a variety of reasons. It's summer, so go fruity. It's winter, so get some pine needle scent in there. It's Valentine's, let's go chocolatey. It's Friday, let's keep it boozy! Or more specifically, let's add some black licorice, strawberry, or mint flavor to this drink. When in doubt, if one of the standards isn't moving you, google "bourbon drinks" (or whatever you want) and see what you find. You may find something interesting, but you are missing an ingredient. Try it with a replacement, or even without it, or something totally different. You NEVER know when you will make your next favorite.

How much? Great question. Generally speaking you will see me start with 2 oz. of the base spirit. and for the most part you will end up putting 3-4 ounces of liquid in to your cup before you stir or shake. Any more than that, and you are likely overflowing the cup. But if that happens (and it will), pour a double!

Hopefully, as we get along with more and more recipes, you will start seeing some patterns that will let you experiment with your own stores. I've also never said no to a bottle. If someone gifts you something, use it! If you see something, try it!

Until now, my wife and daughter have written this entire blog. So this is my first official post. I hope it's ok. I hope they get better. I hope sometimes I am funny. I hope sometimes I am helpful. If I can ever be of service, drop me a line. Until then, have fun and stay creative!

#DWA #drinkswithandy #amateurbartender #professionalstoryteller #blogger #firsttimer