Glossary
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Major Templates
Buck, Cobbler, Cocktail, Collins, Cooler, Crusta, Cup, Daisy, Eggnog, Fix, Fizz, Flip, Highball, Julep, Manhattan, Margarita, Martini, Negroni, Old-Fashioned, Punch, Rickey, Sangaree, Sling, Smash, Sour, Spritz, Swizzle, Toddy,
Tools
Atomizer, Bar spoon, Channel knife, Fine strainer, Flip-dog, Hawthorne strainer, Jigger, Julep strainer, Lewis bag, Loggerhead, Mallet, Microplane, Mixing glass, Muddler, Peeler, Shaker, Swizzle stick,
Glassware
Beer glass, Collins glass, Coupe, Footed glass, Highball glass, Julep cup, Lowball, Nick & Nora glass, Old-Fashioned glass, Rocks glass, Snifter, Tankard, Wine glass
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Atomizer, Bar spoon, Beer glass, Buck, Channel knife, Cobbler, Cocktail, Collins, Collins glass, Cooler, Coupe, Crusta, Cup, Daisy, Eggnog,
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Atomizer
a device used to create a fine spray of liquid, much like a perfume bottle. Typically used to distribute a tiny amount of a strongly flavored spirit or liqueur such as absinthe or pastis; often used for “rinsing” glasses.
Bar Spoon
a spoon with a long handle and featuring a shallow, wide bowl. The stem is typically twisted to make the spoon easier to manipulate. Longer bar spoons (36-40cm) aid in proper stirring technique.
Beer Glass
beer glassware comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some can double as vessels for cocktails, too, such as Footed glass or lager glasses.
Buck
a long drink that is typically built on spirit, citrus, and ginger beer or ale. Closely related to the Rickey. Dates to the late nineteenth century. The Dark ‘n’ Stormy is the most well-known example from this family.
Channel Knife
a tool featuring a small, triangular blade that is inserted into the peel of a citrus fruit. The resulting garnish is typically long and skinny, which gives the option of cascading the garnish over the edge of the glass.
Cobbler
a drink prepared by shaking fortified wine or spirit with sweetener and fruit, typically citrus; served over crushed ice. One of the first drinks to demand ice as part of its preparation; also one of the first to be served with straws. Namesake of the Cobbler shaker. The Sherry Cobbler is the most famous example and is one of the great American drinks of the pre-Civil War period.
Cocktail
originally this was the term for a mixture of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters. Defined in The Balance and Columbian Repository as a “bittered sling” in 1806, the first known published definition of the Cocktail. This original drink of sweetened, diluted spirit with bitters became known as the Old-Fashioned in the later nineteenth century. The word “Cocktail” has become a catch-all for most mixed drinks.
Collins
a shaken drink consisting of spirit, citrus and sugar, and topped with soda. Based on an early nineteenth-century Punch from Limmer’s Hotel, London. This family of drinks began with the John Collins, made with genever. The Tom Collins, which is more well-known, was initially made with Old Tom gin and, later, with London Dry gin.
Cooler
a catch-all term for a group of long drinks topped with something carbonated. The base usually contains wine and sometimes spirit, liqueur, or bitters.
Coupe
a stemmed cocktail glass with a shallow bowl. Usually 4-6 oz. Sometimes called an egg coupe; originally called a Champagne coupe or Champagne saucer.
Crusta
a Sour built on spirit, citrus, sugar, and bitters. Traditionally served in a sugar-rimmed glass with a very large piece of lemon peel. Dates to the 1840s or ‘50s. The Brandy Crusta is the best known version.
Cup
a drink prepared with spirit and/or wine, liqueur and/or sugar, fruit, and water or a carbonated source of dilution; often garnished with fruit and mint. Sometimes referred to as a Summer Cup or Fruit Cup, the best-known example is the Pimm’s Cup.
Daisy
a shaken drink consisting of spirit, citrus, liqueur (usually orange), and a small amount of soda. It is widely accepted that the Margarita sprang from this nineteenth-century drink, which dates to at least the 1870s. The gin and brandy versions were both very popular in the late nineteenth century.
Eggnog
a traditional beverage made from spirit and/or fortified wine, sugar, eggs, and cream and/or milk, topped with nutmeg. Its lineage goes back to medieval and early modern European drinks such as posset. Now usually presented as a large-format holiday drink, nineteenth-century bartenders often prepared individual servings to order.
Fine Strainer
a fine mesh strainer with a handle; the strainer portion may be conical (industry standard) or shallow and semi-spherical. Used in conjunction with a Hawthorne strainer when double straining drinks.
Fix
a Sour served over crushed ice. Traditionally decorated with fruits. Brandy, rye whisky, and genever would all have been common bases for this drink. Popular in the pre-Civil War era and through the end of the nineteenth century.
Fizz
a shaken drink consisting of spirit, citrus, sugar, and sometimes egg (white, yolk, or whole) and/or cream; it is topped with soda or other carbonated element in the glass and served without ice. May also contain fortified or aromatized wines or other spirituous ingredients. The Ramos Gin Fizz, a New Orleans drink, is the most famous example, but other examples, like the Sloe Gin Fizz and Elk’s Fizz, are also notable.
Flip
a mixture of spirit, wine, or beer, or some combination thereof, plus egg, sugar, spices and other ingredients.
Seventeenth and eighteenth-century style
a drink popular at sea and in taverns; prepared using a hot poker from the hearth called a Flip-dog or Loggerhead. Usually based on ale or cider (less common) and fortified with brandy or rum. Flavored with spices, sugar or molasses, and other ingredients like pumpkin or cream. The Hot Ale Flip would have been a common expression of this template.
Nineteenth-century style
a shaken drink made of spirit or fortified wine, a whole egg, and sugar. Usually garnished with nutmeg. The Sherry Flip is a well-known example.
Footed Glass
can come in many sizes and shapes; they are often Beer Glasses. Well-suited to serving pre-Civil War style drinks that are lavishly garnished, such as Cobblers and Smashes.
Hawthorne Strainer
a tool featuring a flat, circular body with a handle and fitted with a spring. Used for shaken drinks. First patented in
Highball
a built drink consisting of spirit and soda or other carbonated element. Older recipes may call for sweetener in the form of sugar or liqueurs. Whisk(e)y Highballs, made from Scotch, rye, or bourbon, are strongly associated with postwar American drinking culture. In recent years, the Japanese version of the Whiskey Highball has gained notoriety and influenced American bartender’s approach to the classic.
Highball Glass
a tall glass traditionally used for the classic mixture of spirit and soda (or other fizzy element). Usually 10-12 oz.
Jigger
a measuring device featuring two sides of different sizes and resembling an hourglass. Size and shape vary; some are conical while others are more rounded. Useful to have a standard jigger (2 oz. / 1 oz.) and one that does smaller measurements (¾ oz. / ½ oz.).
Julep
a built drink consisting of spirit, sugar, and mint. May contain liqueurs, fortified wines, or other spirituous ingredients. Originated as a medicinal drink in eighteenth-century Virginia; adopted crushed ice as part of its recipe in the early nineteenth century. The word Julep comes from the Arabic word julāb, which means rose water. Early versions employed brandy, rum, genever, or rye; bourbon became the more common base in the twentieth century. As a result, the title “Mint Julep” now typically refers to a Julep made with bourbon.
Julep Cup
a cup made of silver, pewter, or other metal used to serve Juleps. Usually 12-16 oz. They often feature beading or a hammered texture, and were traditionally engraved and given to honor a person or commemorate an occasion.
Julep Strainer
a tool that looks like a wide, shallow spoon with holes equally spaced throughout and fitted with a handle. Used for straining stirred drinks. Not actually used for Juleps these days.
Lewis Bag
a heavy canvas bag with a simple flap closure. Used for crushing ice with a wooden Mallet.
Loggerhead
a piece of iron with a bulbous or cylindrical end, commonly used for making Flips in eighteenth-century American taverns. Originally used as a blacksmith’s tool for heating pitch. Also called a flip-dog.
Manhattan
a stirred cocktail traditionally consisting of rye or bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters. Originated in 1870s New York City. Early versions usually featured equal parts rye and vermouth and were sweetened with syrup and/or liqueur. A favorite of early Cocktail Renaissance practitioners (circa 2000-present), many new variations exist.
Mallet
a wooden tool similar in shape to a hammer but usually featuring more surface area and shaped identically at either end of the head. Used for crushing ice with a Lewis bag.
Margarita
a Sour consisting of tequila, lime or other citrus, and sweetener, often in the form of orange liqueur. Descendent of the Daisy. First mentioned in print in the early twentieth century. The classic tequila Margarita with orange liqueur has been joined by the Tommy’s Margarita and Mezcal Margarita, which are now popular options.
Martini
a stirred cocktail consisting of gin, dry vermouth, and sometimes orange bitters; garnished with an olive (one or more) or a lemon twist. Early versions in the late nineteenth century employed Old Tom gin (a sweetened variety) and sweet vermouth; it got progressively less sweet in the twentieth century. Modern variations range from 50/50 to bone dry. A Dirty Martini typically features olive brine or another source of salinity. The word Martini (or simply the suffix “-tini”) was used as a catch-all for a variety of drinks in the 1980s and ‘90s that do not resemble the classic.
Microplane
a grater fitted with a handle. Used mainly for spices. Sometimes called a “rasp.”
Mixing Glass
a vessel used for stirred drinks, featuring straight sides and a heavy bottom; can also be footed. A good mixing glass will aid in proper stirring technique.
Muddler
a tool with a blunt or textured end. Used mainly for muddling herbs and fruit. Direct descendent of the toddy stick.
Negroni
a stirred cocktail consisting of equal parts London dry gin, sweet vermouth and Campari garnished with an orange twist. Invented around 1919 in Florence. A favorite of modern bartenders, many new variations exist employing a range of base spirits, amaro and other liqueurs, and wines.
Nick & Nora Glass
a stemmed cocktail glass with a similar bowl to that of a simple wine glass and not tapered inward at the rim. Usually 5-7 oz. Well-suited to serving stirred cocktails such as Martinis and Manhattans.
Punch
a large-format beverage consisting of spirit and/or wines, citrus, sugar, and spices. Well diluted with water or tea. May contain liqueurs or other spirituous ingredients, and fruit or non-citrus fruit juices. Dates to the seventeenth-century. Originally made with arrack. “Punch” is also a category for various mixed drinks of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it began appearing as single-serving drinks at bars.
Peeler
a kitchen tool used to take the peel off citrus fruit for garnishes a.k.a. “twists.” Y-shaped models are easiest to use.
Rickey
a built cocktail consisting of spirit, citrus, and soda. Originally a rye drink, it is now more closely associated with gin. Emerged in late nineteenth-century Washington D.C.
Rocks Glass
a glass tumbler, typically featuring a sturdy base; can be straight-sided or flare outward from the base. There are many different styles. Sometimes called a lowball glass or and Old-Fashioned glass.
Single
usually 6-10 oz.; smaller styles exist and have their uses, too.
Double
usually 12-16 oz.
Sangaree
a mixture of wine or fortified wine (or sometimes ale) and sugar, often topped with nutmeg. Dates to the eighteenth century. Comes from the Spanish sangre, referring to the deep red color of port or claret, which which it was often prepared. The Port Sangaree and Porter Sangaree were both popular pre-Civil War drinks.
Shaker
a device used to contain liquid and ice as they are shaken to incorporate, chill, and dilute the mixture. Used for drinks that contain citrus or other fruit juices or solids, egg, or cream.
Boston
a heavy glass fitted into a larger metal tin.
Cobbler
a three-piece shaker featuring a top with an integrated strainer and cap to keep it sealed during shaking. We recommend using a separate Hawthorne strainer if possible. Named after the Sherry Cobbler.
Parisian
a two-piece shaker; does not feature an integrated strainer. Less common in the U.S.
Shaking tins
a weighted metal tin fitted into a larger, weighted metal tin, typically 18-oz. and 28-oz., respectively; this shaker is the current industry standard.
Sling
sweetened, diluted spirit, usually topped with nutmeg. Dates to the eighteenth century. The Cocktail was defined as a “bittered sling” in 1806. “Sling” has sometimes been used as a synonym for “drink,” as in the title of the Singapore Sling.
Smash
originally a small version of the Julep. Popular inIn the modern era, it’s typically a shaken drink containing spirit, citrus, sugar, and herbs and/or fruit, served over ice, and garnished with herbs and/or fruit. Very popular in the pre-Civil War period; brandy, rye whiskey, and genever would all have been common bases for this drink.
Snifter
a footed, globe-shaped glass traditionally used for sipping spirits, mainly brandy. Most spirits experts no longer recommend tasting spirits this way. Volume varies quite a bit. These glasses make surprisingly good vessels for tropical drinks served over crushed ice.
Sour
a mixture of spirit, citrus, and sugar. It may contain liqueurs and other ingredients. The direct descendent of Punch, but with less dilution.
Spritz
a built drink from Italy typically containing bitter aperitivo liqueur, amaro, wine (such as vermouth), or a mix of these ingredients, topped with sparkling wine or other carbonated ingredient. Many modern variations exist.
Swizzle
a tropical drink built on spirit (traditionally rum) and sugar, often containing citrus and/or mint. Modern variations sometimes contain liqueurs or other spirituous ingredients. The Queen’s Park Swizzle is a well-known version of yore, while the Chartreuse Swizzle represents the modern expression of the template.
Swizzle Stick
a traditional Caribbean mixing device, called a bois lélé in Martinique, with a long handle and prongs coming off it at the bottom, in an irregular star shape. Made from the Quararibea turbinata tree. The stick is inserted with the pronged side at the bottom of the glass and rotated swiftly with one hand on either side of the handle. Used for making ‘Ti Punch and tropical drinks with crushed ice, known as Swizzles.
Tankard
a metal cup, usually made of pewter, fitted with a handle. May feature straight sides or taper toward the top; may feature a glass bottom. This type of vessels was a fixture in eighteenth-century taverns, used for ale and certain mixed drinks.
Toddy
a drink consisting of sweetened, diluted spirit. Sometimes contains citrus, tea and/or spices. Originally served hot or at room temperature, the toddy is most closely associated in modern times with the hot version. Various types of whisk(e)y are a favorite base for this template.
Wine Glass
a stemmed glass, often with a slight taper toward the lip. Volume varies, as does shape; some people still opt for different sizes and shapes for various types of wine.
