A Bartender's Guide to the Bartender Code

85, 86, 200. If you have spent an evening sitting at a busy bar top watching your favourite bartenders work, you have likely heard them shout these numbers - and more - to each other in service. But what are they actually talking about? These codes are for staff to communicate clearly and concisely about what needs to be done to maintain the standard of service, and occasionally, talk about the guests in the venue.

These codes can be numerical or short phrases that indicate a situation requiring attention, whether to restock a certain item, to let your team know you’re going for a quick bathroom break, or to ensure a patron's safety. The bartender code has been around as long as anyone can remember, so no one really knows how it all came to be, but we do know where certain phrases or codes have come from.

In fact, most of the phrases we’ll be taking a look at today, originate from prohibition-era soda jerks. Soda jerks were generally male teenagers, so their language of course comes from a perspective of childish playfulness. Darcy O’Neil’s book “Fix The Pumps” covers the history of soda jerk slang in depth, and some phrases still have homes in the bars, restaurants, and delis of today. A majority of them, however, are now defunct.

For the modern bartender, there are some phrases that I recommend not adopting, due to their nature of objectifying the guests. These codes are a sign of the times they come from. For example, the aforementioned title of O’Neil’s book is Old Soda Jerk Code for leaving your station to ogle a large-breasted female patron. On the other hand, some codes are necessary for a green bartender to learn if they want to ensure the safety of their guests.

It is also worth noting that not every bar uses bar codes, and some venues (mine included) use codes and shorthands that are not universal, so codes you may hear in your usual watering hole may not apply to the next venue you visit.

NUMERICAL BARTENDER CODES:

These numerical codes are for bartenders and waiters alike to communicate about what needs to be done, or what is happening in the bar:

85 - Almost out of stock on a product, also a quick way to request a restock on a certain item as a priority.

86 - Completely out of stock on a product, meaning there is none left in the back-of-house areas either. Suppose you hear “86 Agave!” while at the bar, you can kiss your Tommy’s Marg goodbye.

68 - A product is back in stock after being 85 or 86. If you hear “68 Agave!” you can now again resume your regular Tommy’s drinking. This call can also be used to request a restock; “Can I get a 68 on agave please!”

50 - If you hear this while sitting at the bar, be alert! You might see some bottles flying around! Originally coming from flair bartending culture, it essentially means “Catch!” right before tossing a colleague something instead of passing it to them, but has evolved over the years to mean that as well as a quick way to say “Could you please pass me the ____”. An example of this would be one bartender saying the other:

“I’m 86 agave in well, 50 me yours!”

100 - A quick way of saying clean-up is required, normally after a guest leaves the venue and the bartop or their table needs to be cleared and wiped down.

200 - This means a customer is waiting to be served, usually followed by a location. “200 on the door” means that a group has just walked into the venue and requires attention. It can also be used in conjunction with table numbers, so “200 on 9” means that table 9 requires service, whether that be taking an order, clearing empty plates and glasses, or just answering a question they have.

600s - The 600s codes are for members of staff to communicate with each other about breaks being taken, with each unit digit signifying what the break is for and for roughly how long they will be off the bar.

601 - Toilet break for a number 1

602 - Toilet break for a number 2

603 - Smoke break

608 - Break to eat some food

630 - Half an hour break for staff meals
P.S. This one is lesser used as (unfortunately) not many bars offer full half-hour breaks and meals on shift.

700 - If you have heard this number get called out and someone comes to your service, feel flattered! A 700 bar call means that an attractive customer requires attention.

While this bar call is a sly compliment, this is a call I do not use nor allow in my venue. Our guests choose to visit our venues because they feel safe imbibing in our care, and in my eyes, it is considered misconduct to breach that trust. Another implication is that in my experience, calling a 700 always receives more preferential service than a 200, when all guests in our venue should receive the same standard of immaculate care.

81 - This lesser-used code call is shorthand code for waters, and can be applied to specific tables or the whole venue. “81s on 101” means table 101 needs a top-up on water, while “Round of 81s” means to do a lap of the venue and refill waters wherever may be needed.

95 - Walk out! If a customer is leaving without paying, intentionally or otherwise, the first member of staff to notice this will call out “95 on 12!”, meaning that table 12 is leaving the venue without paying their bill. Not all 95s are intentional theft, in fact, in my current venue, a 95 is more often than not, an inebriated guest who has simply forgotten to pay, and upon being told is almost overly apologetic.

PHRASES AND WORDS in the bartender code:

These phrases and words serve the same purpose as the numerical codes and offer awareness of the current situation in the bar.

BACKS - More than likely the most used call in the hospitality industry, this means that someone is coming through the bar behind the back of someone. This serves to make people aware of your location if you are carrying a tray of drinks, a sharp object, a hot plate of food, or even just to avoid collisions.

CORNER - Serving the same purpose as “Backs!”, this is used when turning a blind corner to avoid collisions and spillages.

P.S. “Backs!” and “Corner!” can be used in conjunction with “Hot!” or “Sharp!” to indicate what the risk is.

ON THE FLY / ON FLY / OTF - This call normally follows a task to indicate urgency. A common example of this is you have forgotten to put through a drinks order for a table and remember 5 minutes later. In this scenario you go up to the bar, apologise to the bartender and ask for their drinks to be made “on the fly”. Another example of this is to request an urgent restock on a product; “Can I get a 68 on agave on the fly please!”

NO FLY - This call more often than not, is used following an 86 call, to signify that there is no urgency to restock the product/more urgent things to take care of before restocking it. For example “86 Agave, no fly!” means that the agave bottle in the well is empty, but it is not needed immediately, so finishing the current tasks is more important, and the bottle will be refilled upon completion of the current jobs.

IN THE WEEDS - If you hear your bartender call this on a busy day, it means that they are slammed. You can put good money on the fact that when you are in the weeds, everything that can go wrong, will.

“I was in the weeds, and then I broke a glass into the well and 86d it. I could have cried”

This has happened to me more times than I would care to admit but is part and parcel of the job.

ANGEL SHOT / ASK FOR ANGELA - The most important call for a young bartender to learn is the one that comes from the customer. If a customer comes to the bar and asks for an Angel Shot, or says “Can I Ask for Angela?”, it means that they feel unsafe in their current company, and would like to be escorted to safety by a member of staff.

There are certain specifications that a customer may ask for with their Angel Shot that bartenders and patrons alike should be familiar with.

ANGEL SHOT NEAT - The patron needs to be escorted to their vehicle.

ANGEL SHOT ON THE ROCKS - The patron would like the venue to order a taxi for them and be escorted to it upon its arrival.

ANGEL SHOT WITH A LIME WEDGE / WITH A TWIST - The patron is in immediate danger and the police need to be contacted.

It is of great importance, that bartenders and patrons be familiar with the protocol of an Angel Shot and its specifications, to ensure the safety of everyone in the venue.

VENUE SPECIFIC CODES AND SHORTHANDS:

As mentioned earlier, some venues have bar calls and codes that are specific to them. This may be because of a unique piece of equipment, language between two close friends in the venue that the rest of the team has adopted, or simple necessity.

Here are some of the ones that I have worked with over the years:

HANDS - This is a call I started using in my time working the bars of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, and have then taken it with me to my current venue, Bittersweet. The call means I have built all the drinks for this round, but I only have 2 hands, so I need an extra pair to shake and stir all of this. This is a call that came out of necessity, in a bar where people order 10 different cocktails for the same table, an extra set of hands to expedite the ticket time is always welcome help. Plus “Hands please!” is faster, and more precise communication than “Hey mate, would you please be able to shake this drink, and stir this one for me?”.

G&Gs - This is a call that a couple of bars use, but each one has a variation of the call. G&Gs stands for “glassware and garnishes”. Similar to “Hands!”, it asks for help finishing up a round of drinks, by prepping the glassware and garnishes required.

WAWAS - A personal favourite of mine that has followed me from my part-time pub tending days, coined by a former bartender, current software engineer, and good friend, Charlie Bryce. We used this in place of 81 at the Jolly Botanist and is still in use over there even though none of the members of the team that popularised it still work there.

By Fowwaz Ansari

Why Unfiltered Wine is The Hottest Discovery of 2024!

The team at DRINKLUSIVE have teamed up with the wonderful people from Fattoria La Vialla, a gorgeous family owned and operated, organic-biodynamic farm based in Tuscany, Italy. The team at the farm follows the motto of Nonna Caterina “Metti bon, cava bon!” which translates to “Put good in, get good out!”.

And good is indeed what these guys get out! The farm boasts an incredible portfolio of wines and on top of that, a rich selection of olive oil, cheese, sauces, pastas, vinegars, honey, biscuits and various antipasti!

As the world around us becomes increasingly fast-paced with a focus on mass production and profit margins, Fattoria La Vialla offers a refreshing reprieve with a strong focus on small batch, high quality wines and organic produce.

With consumers becoming more discerning day by day, turning their heads to sustainable, biodynamic produce, the portfolio of the farm is a great option for those who want to feel closer to the place their food and drink is coming from, and their unfiltered wines shine through as the star of the show!

What is Unfiltered Wine?

Without oversimplifying it, unfiltered wine is exactly what it says. Large batch, commercially produced wines often go through a double filtration process, the first run straining off lees and other particles, and the second “absolute” one to remove any yeast and microorganisms.

This does not mean, however, that unfiltered wine is always cloudy. Unfiltered wine is bottled in two ways: either the wine is bottled with its yeast, as is often the case with white wine, and the particles of sediment are willingly moved from the bottom of the tanks with a “battonage” before being bottled with the wine, or, for a clear, transparent “look” to the wine, which is often the case for red wines, instead of filtering, the wine is left to rest in tanks or oak barrels to allow the sediment to naturally settle at the bottom before it is “racked”, or syphoned, into a fresh vessel without disturbing the sediment, thereby removing the majority of the sediment in the wine. Racking a wine may seem like a complex process but it is deceptively simple and is a common practice for many a home brewer.

But what difference does not filtering a wine make? Scientifically, the remaining yeasts naturally protect the wine from oxidation, which gives the winemaker the ability to significantly lower the amount of added sulfites to keep the wine stable. In addition, not filtering leaves all the flavor components in the wine as the aromas are also not being filtered meaning the less you filter the more you taste. Finally, and as is more so the case when bottled “cloudy”, the yeast increases the wine’s body and smoothness, and the remaining mannoproteins create a ‘sweeter’ sensation. While this is what science dictates, how often does the human palate listen to science?

I personally found the unfiltered wines from Fattoria La Vialla to be more rich, complex, and layered when compared to their filtered counterparts from the same winery - not to say one is superior to the other, but they achieve different goals. In fact, the unfiltered wines in their portfolio always seemed to strike a perfect balance of zingy fresh notes and the more moody and complex flavours of nuts, leather, and mushrooms.

The omission of the filtration process may not remove yeast and microbacteria, but it as it prevents flavour compounds from being sifted out in the process, it definitely results in more robust, expressive wines.

While unfiltered wines are a great option for the discerning drinker, it is a slightly riskier game to play than imbibing on the filtered options. The reason is the lack of filtration itself. While racking the wine removes the majority of the sediment and often results in beautiful crystal-clear wines, racking cannot remove the micro-bacterial particles that the second run of filtration does, and hence can increase the risk of spoilage within the bottle.

Wineries can undertake various measures to ensure that this is prevented. Hygiene and extra care are paramount to making a clean unfiltered wine. An additional option is to subject the wine to a second fermentation, called Malolactic fermentation, in which winemakers can add, or as in La Vialla’s case, rely on the natural presence of, a bacteria called Oenococcus Oeni, which alongside other strains will eat the malic acid in the wine and transform it into milder, softer lactic acid in the process.

This might sound complicated, but it is quite simple to understand. Malic acid is primarily found in granny smith apples, peaches, and other orchard fruit, which enhances the zingy fruity flavours in wines. While lactic acid is found in creams, butters, cheeses, and soy products which generally have a more creamy, buttery profile.

This process often results in a change in flavour profile of the wine in accordance with the acid basket in the wine, going from bright and zingy, with notes of fresh apples, peaches and pears to almost notes of nuts and dried fruits.

The other option to prevent in-bottle spoilage for unfiltered wines is to dose the wine with sulphites as a stabiliser, but high levels of sulphites come with the risk of headaches and alienating those sensitive to sulphur. The organic biodynamic winemakers of La Vialla add the bare minimum necessary, keeping the amount of sulfites way under the Demeter requested limits, but enough to still enable the wine to be nice to drink in a couple of years.

How do you drink unfiltered wines?

As the majority of unfiltered wines are already clear at the time of bottling, you can drink them the same way you would drink your usual grape-based tipple. A nice trick a mentor informed me of is what she calls “the 20/20 rule”. Keep reds in the fridge 20 minutes prior to serving and remove whites and bubbles from the fridge 20 minutes before serving.

In the event of an unfiltered wine still having sediment (often by design), there are a couple of options: in the case of a white wine, if the sediment is very fine, lightly shake the bottom of the bottle to mix the yeast with the rest of the wine and enjoy the wine with its rich yeast. However, if the sediments are not that “smooth”, as is often the case with red wines, mixing them in the wine can lead to a slightly unpleasant texture to those not used to it. A great option, as old as time, is to decant the wine before serving. Pouring the bottle slowly into the decanter should allow the sediment to remain caught in the shoulder of the bottle, and then again, pouring slowly from the decanter into the glass should allow any residual sediment to remain in the decanter.

If you are planning your unfiltered wine drinking in advance, you can also leave your bottle upright for between 1 and 48 hours to ensure any sediment settles to the bottom of the bottle.

What food can you pair with unfiltered wines?

Pairing food with natural unfiltered wines, takes a slightly different approach to the traditional method. Unfiltered wines normally come with a spiked dose of acidity and more pronounced tannins, and these need to be accounted for, because as delicious as these characteristics can be, they can also serve as an obstacle when considering food pairings. Think of this not a hindrance however, but as an exciting challenge to try something unique, and to learn something new while you imbibe

When looking at pairing food and wine, or even just flavours in general, a good rule of thumb is what grows together, goes together. And what better winery to use this approach with than Fattoria La Vialla! Offering so much more than just wine, utilising their array of edible options to pair with their wine is a no-brainer!

On top of seasonality and locality allowing for flavours to complement and contrast each other excellently, I have always enjoyed the grows together goes together approach as it gives me a much deeper sense of closeness to the place from which I am eating and drinking produce!

When accounting for boosted acidity and tannins, one must look towards foods that balance out these elements. High acidity and tannic wines often pair brilliantly with foods high in acidity, and/or fattiness and creaminess. Good examples of this are the Casa Quaranta 2020 with its rich smooth tannin, which pairs beautifully with a hearty ragu pasta dish, or a slow cooked beef stew, and the Barriccato Bianco I.G.T. 2022 with its medium high acidity pairing incredibly well with pan fried fish, or even a rich spicy curry! (More on these very shortly!)

Great examples of unfiltered wines

Now that we have broken down what unfiltered wines are, what they taste like compared to their filtered companions, and why they taste different, we can focus on answering the really important questions, such as, which bottles should I get for myself?

Well, look no further! All of the wines that come out of this stunning farmland are knock-your-socks-off delicious, but here are my top picks!

Barriccato Bianco I.G.T. 2022

A mix of Chardonnay and Viognier, this wine was the first unfiltered wine by Fattoria La Vialla and is aged in oak with its yeasts, which make it all the way into the bottle. This golden-yellow wine has a rich nose, with aromas of fruit preserve, lingering tropical fruits such as passionfruit and pineapple, and all seasoned with vanilla. There is also a champagne-esque biscuity-ness to the nose which makes me imagine the most delicate fruit tart when sipping on this wine!

On the palate you are welcomed with a rich creaminess and full-bodied flavours reminiscent of a granola and yoghurt breakfast! This is a very well-rounded wine which is as delicious on its own as it is paired with a dish!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Price: £11.25

Torbolino Non Filtrato 2023

This bottle is a peach smoothie in a wine glass! What’s not to love? A beautiful straw-yellow that looks even better in the sunlight with a moody rust-orange colour the closer you get to the bottom of the bottle where the lees are sitting

The nose boasts peaches & cream on a summer day, with a hint of grassiness. There is also the trademark nuttiness and creaminess of the aforementioned malolactic fermentation. With a grape blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc, imagine a nose halfway between a Sauternes and an Amontillado.

On the palate, you are almost punched in the face with creamy peach, the ever-so-slightest touch of acidity and an essence of sweetness coming from the residual yeasts in the bottle.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13%
Price: £9.55

Casa Quaranta 2020

Being the largest, and most expensive bottle on this list, it is one to keep for an occasion, or to use as an excuse to host a dinner party!

This special bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is fermented in terracotta amphoras for 22 days with occasional manual crushing before being racked and undergoing malolactic fermentation. After this, it is then aged for 24 months in new oak barriques, then blended and bottled in magnums unfiltered

This wine reaches your glass in a deep just off opaque ruby red colour with a hint of purple you would see in a moody sunset. On the nose, the fresh oak offers a hint of vanilla which seasons a beautifully rich and complex bouquet. Sweet baking spice, stone fruits, and dark fruits dominate the aromas with hints of vegetality. The alcohol and cherry aromas marry together to remind me of whisky soaked cherries.

The palate has a little bit of a kick to it from the alcohol, but is balanced out by its silky texture, and smooth tannic finish. It lingers on the tongue almost stubbornly.

Size: 1500ml
ABV: 15%
Price: £46.80

Pinot Nero Casa Rossa I.G.T. 2017

Want a red that does not need a meal in accompaniment? This is your bottle! A beautiful clear, yet deep garnet colour with all your typical Pinot Nero aromas cranked up to the nines with extra surprises. Pronounced maraschino cherry, plum jam, and liquorice woodiness, with a bonus tahini earthiness and a mix of light vanilla and smoke that is reminiscent of very light tobacco.

The palate is super soft but creeps up on you the more you sip, with each sip being more expressive than the last! This can be attributed to its super-mild tannins and lingering quality, almost like it has not even left before it comes back again.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 15%
Price: £24.95

Barriccato 2020

If the Pinot Nero Casa Rossa was a wine to drink on its own, this Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon mix is one that shines its brightest when paired with a meal. This deep, rich, grippy wine comes out a deep purplish-red and moves in the glass almost like a syrup, with legs that look like raindrops trickling down a car window

The nose is a rich mix of cinnamon and clove spice, vanilla, and dark berry jam, and hugs the palate as you sip. The palate offers so much that a bite of a hearty dish in between sips even offers a reprieve! The rich tannins dry out your mouth amplifying the profile of the wine, with an aftertaste lingering so long that it feels like a guest that you do not want to leave as you are enjoying their company just that much!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.5%
Price: £12.75

Casal Duro I.G.T. 2019

This wine is one that I would serve to a large group of varying levels of experience in wine. Approachable enough for the novices to enjoy, with enough complexity for the intermediate to experts to unravel as they sip.

The wine sits in the glass clear at the top and opaquer as you look further towards the base of the glass. The nose opens up with a blend of spices you would find in subcontinental desserts, before moving into a green bell pepper vegetality and a lingering fruitiness of dark berries.

The palate is tannic and rich, but elegant at the same time. The body is well-structured, and a slight hint of oak just takes it up that extra notch. This wine would benefit from decantation and would not be out of place in the middle of a table atop which a Sunday roast beef is displayed.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 15%
Price: £16.55

If you’re looking for some ‘what grows together, goes together’ wine-food pairing ideas, look no further than these stunning wine and pasta pairings!

By Fowwaz Ansari

What is the Mother Cocktail Theory?

Did you know there is a theory that there have only ever been 5 uniquely created cocktails and that every other cocktail is simply a derivation of one of these 5? Well, this is partially correct as the actual number of mother cocktails is a matter of great debate within the community, purists argue that there are 5, while some modernists argue that there are 7.

Regardless of the number of mother cocktails, an indisputable fact is that they are foundational knowledge for every bartender and have inspired thousands of other cocktails since

The 5 original mother cocktails are:

• The Daiquiri

• The Daisy

• The Old Fashioned

• The Martini

• The Highball

While the 2 argued by modernists to be included are:

• The Negroni

• The Last Word

The Negroni is arguably derived from the Martini. In contrast, the Last Word is arguably derived from the Daisy, but to truly understand the issue, and to have an opinion on it, we must learn about these a little bit more deeply.

THE DAIQUIRI

The combination of rum, lime, and sugar being delicious is no secret, and is a cocktail that predates cocktail history itself. However, when we look at the Daiquiri through the lens of the Mother Cocktail Theory, we are not considering it as a stand-alone cocktail, but rather as a template for the sour cocktail consisting of:

Spirit | Citrus | Sweetening Syrup

When we look at this from this perspective and allow for modifications and additions instantly a couple of drinks come to mind; the Whisky Sour, is a great example! Whisky of choice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and optional addition of egg white or other vegan foamers fit within this bill perfectly.

Essentially, any cocktail that has a spirit base, an acidifying citrus component, and a syrup to sweeten it falls within this category, but when we look at possible additions, things start to look a little bit murky. Would you believe that the Pina Colada falls into the Daiquiri family tree?

Rum | Lime Juice | Cream of Coconut | Pineapple Juice

Spirit | Citrus | Sweetening Syrup | Additional Ingredient

It takes a bit of an understanding of what goes in each cocktail, but once you have that nailed down, realising which mother cocktail each drink comes from becomes a lot easier. Here are some other classic cocktails that stem from the Daiquiri mother cocktail

Caiprinha
Cachaca | Lime | Sugar

Mojito
Rum | Lime | Sugar | Mint

Bees Knees
Gin | Lemon | Honey

The Business
Gin | Lime | Honey

THE DAISY

Within the bar community, there is heated debate on which cocktail was the original in the Daisy format - The Margarita, or the Sidecar? Both are drinks that predate cocktail history and there is no clear correct answer. However, many people - including myself - are of the school of thought that it is the Margarita, as it is the Spanish word for Daisy.

Margarita
Tequila | Triple Sec | Lime

Sidecar
Brandy | Triple Sec | Lemon

The key difference between a Daisy variant and a Daiquiri variant is the kind of sweetener used in the drink. If it is made using syrup as a sweetener, it falls under the Daiquiri family tree, if it uses a liqueur as a sweetener, it falls under the Daisy family tree. Therefore, a Daisy-style cocktail will read as:

Spirit | Sweetening Liqueur | Citrus

This allows for even more customisability than drinks from the Daiquiri family tree, as the combination of spirits and liqueurs becomes endless, and once you incorporate possible additions into the mix, even more so!

There is a vast range of drinks under the Daisy family tree; some of them are cult classics, some are lesser known, and all of them are delicious. Some of my personal favourites are:

Cosmopolitan
Citron Vodka | Triple Sec | Lime | Cranberry Juice

White Lady
Gin | Triple Sec | Lemon | Egg White OR Vegan Foamer

Trader Vic’s Mai Tai
Aged Rum | White Rum | Triple Sec | Lime | Orgeat

Between The Sheets
Brandy | White Rum | Triple Sec 

THE OLD FASHIONED

While some people believe that an Old Fashioned has to be made with Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, and a sugar cube, the original recipe of an Old Fashioned is stated as:

Spirit | Bitters | Sugar

This opens up a whole realm of possibilities, not only are Rye, Scotch, Irish, and other world whiskies viable options, but as to are spirits such as Rum, Tequila, Mezcal, and even Gin!

As long as it contains the 3 fundamental ingredients and no citrus juice, it falls within the family of the Old Fashioned. This is a family of spirit-forward, generally stirred down drinks, which make these great for batching, and as viable freezer door cocktails!

For the sugar component of an Old Fashioned Style cocktail, unlike the difference between a Daiquiri variant and a Daisy variant, can be syrup or liqueur. This means that drinks such as the Revolver, and the Stinger, fall into the Old Fashioned family.

Examples of Old Fashioned variations are:

Sazerac
Rye OR Cognac OR Both | Peychauds Bitters | Sugar | Absinthe

Oaxacan Old Fashioned
Tequila | Mezcal | Orange Bitters | Chocolate Bitters | Agave Nectar

Revolver
Bourbon | Orange Bitters | Coffee Liqueur

Classic Champagne Cocktail
Cognac | Brown Sugar Cube | Angostura Bitters | Champagne

THE MARTINI

The Martini, arguably the most iconic cocktail ever made, consists of:

Spirit | Fortified Wine | Bitters

This is a style of drink that is oh-so-easy to get right, owing to its simplicity in preparation. But this simplicity in preparation, makes it ever so difficult to perfect, as there are no flashy bartending techniques, or eye-catching glassware or garnishes to hide behind. The technique of preparation from your bartender makes or breaks this drink!

Simplicity in preparation also leads to simplicity in variations. All Martini variations are spirit-forward drinks with a minimal ingredients list, and any potent ingredients are added in sparing amounts. For more information on the Martini, and its variations, make sure to check out our Martini Variations Article!

Much like the Old Fashioned family, these drinks are great prebatched and poured straight from the freezer! Some of our favourite variations are:

Manhattan
Rye Whiskey | Sweet Vermouth | Angostura Bitters | Orange Bitters

Alaska
London Dry Gin | Yellow Chartreuse | Orange Bitters | Absinthe | Salt | Orange Zest

Tequilatini
Reposado Tequila | Dry Vermouth | Orange Bitters

Martinez
London Dry Gin | Sweet Vermouth | Orange Bitters

THE HIGHBALL

If the Martini is the most iconic cocktail to ever be made, the highball is the most used format in the bartending world. 2 ingredients, in a highball over ice, seem like your standard spirit & mixer drink that you would order in a late-night bar, and it is exactly that. Your Highball style cocktail will always read as:

Spirit | Mixer | Optional Additions

Some of the most well-known drinks are highballs that have been drunk so many times over it would be impossible to keep count! Aside from your usual highballs like the Gin & Tonic, the Rum & Coke, and the Whisky Soda, there is a whole world of Highball style drinks out there, for more in-depth information, check out our 2 Ingredient Highball article!

The versatility in this cocktail family knows no bounds, with an almost infinite selection of spirits and mixers to choose from, the world if your oyster! Here are some of our favourites!

Paloma
Tequila | Grapefruit Soda | Lime Juice

Americano
Red Italian Bitter | Sweet Vermouth | Soda

Mizuwari
Japanese Whisky | Still Water

Fernet & Coke
Fernet Branca | Coca Cola (Duh!)

THE NEGRONI

Whether the Negroni is a family of drinks on its own, or a subsect of the Martini or Old Fashioned families is up for debate, and there are convincing arguments for each. I, however, am of firm belief that the Negroni is unique enough within itself and has had an appropriate number of variations made in its form to warrant its own branch of the family tree, with a format of:

Spirit | Fortified Wine | Bitter Aperitif

Traditionally done in equal parts, but not all combinations of spirit, wine, and aperitif will achieve the desired balance in equal parts, so some tinkering with ratios will be required.

This family of cocktails, much like its 2 potential parents, are spirit-forward serves that are great prebatched and poured straight from the freezer.

Here are some of our favourite bittersweet libations:

Boulevardier
Bourbon | Sweet Vermouth | Red Bitter Aperitif

Old Pal
Rye Whiskey | Dry Vermouth | Red Bitter Aperitif

Right Hand
Aged Rum | Sweet Vermouth | Red Bitter Aperitif | Chocolate Bitters

Hanky Panky
London Dry Gin | Sweet Vermouth | Fernet Branca

For more Negroni Variations, check out our 7 Aperitifs to use in a Negroni article!

THE LAST WORD

The Last Word is no new cocktail, but in the realm of Mother Cocktails, it is the youngest member of the family by some distance. The earliest record of it came from Detroit Athletic Club’s members' magazine for July-August 1916, but only really stepped into the realm of being a mother cocktail in the late 1990s to early 2000s as bartenders across the globe started to adopt the template of equal parts cocktails. The original recipe reads as:

London Dry Gin | Green Chartreuse | Maraschino | Lime Juice
(All in equal parts)

However, as the bartending scene, and this drink alongside it, have evolved, the format has changed over the years from:

Spirit | Liqueur | Liqueur | Citrus
All in equal parts

To:

Spirit | Liqueur | Liqueur | Citrus | Optional Additions
(Ratios may vary)

This makes riffs of the Last Word in modern bartending to be the hardest to spot.

There is also a convincing argument that drinks from the Last Word family tree should be a subsection of the Daisy category as they get their sweetness from liqueurs as opposed to sweetening syrups. While this is true and a viable argument, I believe that the Last Word was unique enough in its execution, and had enough cultural impact to spur a whole array of drinks riffing on it, that it deserves its own branch on this family tree of tipples.

These drinks are booze-forward, generally on the more acidic side of balanced, and, more often than not, have at least 1 polarising ingredient. Some of our favourite variations are:

Naked & Famous
Mezcal | Italian Red Aperitivo | Yellow Chartreuse | Lime

Final Ward
Rye Whiskey | Green Charteuse | Maraschino | Lemon

Division Bell
Mezcal | Italian Red Aperitivo | Maraschino | Lime

Paper Plane
Bourbon Whiskey | Italian Red Aperitivo | Amaro Nonino | Lemon

By Fowwaz Ansari

Hooch - The Best Mixer You've Never Thought Of

With home bartending having a moment in the spotlight like never before, people who have never worked in a public-serving bar a day are coming up with their own cocktail recipes at home, and we could not be happier about this!

Home bartenders who have done their due diligence on cocktail theory often come up with some wild ideas that the professional bartender would not. This is for a few reasons; professional bartenders are so steeped in bar culture that even though they may have the idea to use boozy lemonade as their lemon, sugar, and soda elements in their Tom Collins, they may avoid putting it into practice as it seems sacrilegious. The home bartender, on the other hand, could not care less. Secondly, bartenders consciously or otherwise, are always thinking about serviceability (how quickly can the drink be made on a busy Friday night), and sellability (bars at the end of the day, are businesses that need to make money to survive), whereas the home bartender only thinks about making a drink for their own enjoyment.

This fresh perspective allows for creativity that can only be achieved via a lack of experience behind a bar. The reason I speak about this is that Hooch, the wonderfully boozy lemonade, gets regular use in dive bars and nightclubs but is understated and underused when it comes to higher-end cocktail bartending, and I think that is a shame. Let’s take a look at some incredible mixed drinks made with Hooch that would not be out of place in a dive bar, the home bar, or a high-end cocktail bar.

GIN AND HOOCH - GOOCH/LAZY COLLINS

The gin and Hooch is a serve that has gotten its flowers many times over in dive bars and local pubs, but with an ever so simple adjustment, can become an incredibly balanced, elevated take on the 2 ingredient highball.

That’s not to say that the 2 ingredient highball is bad, on the sweeter side of the balance, it is a refreshing albeit slightly boozier expression of a Tom Collins. Quicker, easier, and cleaner to make with an extra kick of booze - what’s not to like?

We recommend adding a splash of Campari, or another red Italian bitter to balance out the sweetness of the Hooch, and a splash of a dry fortified wine (think fino sherry or dry vermouth) to add another layer of complexity!

Ingredients:
25ml Gin
10ml Campari or your favourite red italian bitter
10ml Fino Sherry or your favouirite dry fortified wine
Top with Hooch

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a highball glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and (optionally) a cherry.

YELLOW VELVET

This is a drink inspired by the absurdity of the Black Velvet cocktail. A splash of Guinness then topped with Champagne seems ridiculous until you actually try it, at which point you realise that it is in fact, delicious.

The black velvet format was pushed even further left of field by the team at Passing Fancies in Birmingham who created the white velvet. The ingredients read as: Blanc de Blancs / Stella Artois / Trust

And trust is exactly what you should give these guys. As an ardent Black Velvet fan myself, I was sceptical until I actually tried it and was pleasantly surprised, and also inspired. Inspired to try and throw my hat in the ring of ____ Velvet cocktails, and hence the Yellow Velvet was born!

Taking exactly what the format requires - 2 ingredients, one being champagne, and the other being traditionally beer, but using my artistic license to allow for Hooch which fits into the category of canned bevs sitting at around 5% ABV. The result is reminiscent to a French 75 with extra sharp bubbles and the booziness toned down a touch, an excellent brunch cocktail, if I do say so myself!

Ingredients:
25ml Hooch
Top with Champagne

Method:
Pour (both pre-chilled) ingredients into a champagne flute and garnish with a lemon twist or serve naked.

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

Calling all Strawberry Daiquiri lovers! This drink is bang down the middle of a Strawberry Daiquiri and a French 75. The result is a sweet and sour, long, refreshing number that does better in a highball over ice than it does in a flute. The sweet summeriness of the Strawberry Daiquiri that gets an extra kick of citrus from the Hooch, as well as the lovely lift from the carbonation! This drink is definitely one to enjoy during these late summer months before the autumn rain starts to set in.

Ingredients:
35ml White Rum
20ml Fresh Lime Juice
15ml Strawberry Syrup
2 Medium Strawberries (Hulled and Quartered)
Top with Hooch

Method:
Combine all ingredients except Hooch into a shaker tin and shake over ice. Fine strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with Hooch. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a strawberry.

LEMON BASIL SMASH

Have you ever had a gin basil smash? Have you heard of one? If you don’t know, get to know! This summer sour with a herbaceous kick is a delicious refresher on a warm summer day, and even better when topped with Hooch! This takes the punchy flavour of basil, which may be polarizing to some, and lengthens it with everyone’s favourite boozy lemonade!

Ingredients:
40ml Gin
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
10ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (15ml if using 1:1 Simple Syrup)
6 Basil Leaves
Top with Hooch

Method:
Combine all ingredients except Hooch into a shaker tin and shake over ice. Fine strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with Hooch. Garnish with a lemon wedge and fresh basil leaves.

SHANDY NO. 2

Picture this, you were out late last night, maybe later than you should have been, and wake up with a sore head. Your normal cure would be to take a nap on the sofa after a big feed, but not today, you’re due at the pub to meet friends in an hour.

Of course, a regular shandy is a great corpse reviver within itself, but in my humble opinion, a lot of commercial lemonades lack the complexity that a good lemonade brings. Hooch captures all the flavours of lemons perfectly! The sweet floral notes from the peels, the acidity from the juice, and the bitterness from the pith.

Asking for a bottle of your favourite lager, a bottle of Hooch, and a pint glass may raise a few eyebrows, but you won’t be caring about that as the cold, crisp combination of beer and lemonade fix your sore head.

Ingredients:
1 330ml Can or Bottle of your favourite Lager
1 330ml Can or Bottle of Hooch

Method:
Combine both ingredients into a pint glass and enjoy!

LEMON-LIME MOJITO

Possibly the most obvious drink to put Hooch in, but that does not make it any less delicious! Rather than using plain old soda water to lengthen your Mojito, add a splash of Hooch and your drink gets an extra citrus kick, with some boosted complexity! Plus, lemon-lime is always better than just lime, right?

Ingredients:
40ml White Rum
20ml Fresh Lime Juice
10ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (15ml if using 1:1 Simple Syrup)
6-8 Mint Leaves
Top With Hooch

Method:
Combine all ingredients except Hooch into a highball glass. Add crushed ice and churn until cold. Top With Hooch. Garnish with a straw, mint leaves, and lemon and lime wedges.

By Fowwaz Ansari

Cheers to Uniqueness: 6 Must-Try Highball Cocktails You've Probably Never Heard Of

The gin & tonic, the whisky soda, and the rum & coke are all incredibly well-known two-ingredient highballs, and for good reason. They are simple, effective, and delicious ways to enjoy a good drink that even the laziest of home bartenders can execute well.

There are, however, many a two-ingredient highball that are lesser known for their polarising nature of “that shouldn’t work, but it does.” In fact, these highballs more often than not, are some of my favourites!

FERNET & COKE

This iconic highball goes by many names (Fernet con Coca, Fernando, Fernandito, 70/30, Bladis, and more) and is a firm favourite of many bartenders. The drink originates from Argentina, specifically the college town of Cordoba, where in the 1980s, college students would choose to drink it on their nights out. The drink gained traction owing to an advertising campaign from Fratelli Branca.

But how did an Italian amaro become a staple in Argentinian drinking culture? In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a mass immigration of Europeans to Argentina, and Italian immigrants brought with them a taste of home in the form of the potent bittersweet profile of amari.

This 2 ingredient highball packs a punch, with Fernet Branca bringing bracing bitterness and endless complexity to the party. The Coca-Cola alleviates the harsh bitterness with a syrupy sweetness and the notes of oak, coffee, and sarsaparilla compliment the fernet incredibly.

RECIPE:
50ml Fernet Branca
Top with Cola of choice

Serve in a highball glass with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

LAGAVULIN & COKE - SMOKY COKEY

Legendary whisky writer Dave Broom created this two-ingredient drink while researching for his 2014 book Whisky: The Manual. The drink arose during a larger project of finding the best mixer for each malt whisky. Broom tested highballs with everything from still and soda waters to various teas.

While Dave Broom is correctly accredited for the creation of this cocktail, it was Colin Dunn, former Diageo Whisky Ambassador who made this drink the contemporary classic it has become today. At 2000 Feis Ile (Islay Whisky Festival), Dunn served 35ml of Lagavulin 16 topped with almost flat, room-temperature Coca-Cola in a martini glass with a twist of lemon. Then at the 2016 World Class Global Finals, he served the Smoky Cokey as a highball.

Nowadays, it is drunk by whisky lovers across the globe and has evolved from strictly Lagavulin (although it remains the correct choice for traditionalists) to any Single Malt or Blended Scotch with a strong peated character.

Recipe:
50ml Lagavulin 16
Top with Cola of Choice
Serve in a highball glass filled with ice.

Top Tip:
Adding a dash of Angostura Bitters and serving with a lemon twist adds extra complexity and freshness to the nose respectively.

CAMPARI & ORANGE JUICE - GARIBALDI

Like many other drinks that have stood the test of time, the Garibaldi has unknown origins. Although we may not know how, we do know why the two-ingredient drink came to be. The Garibaldi is named after Guisseppe Garibaldi, a figurehead in the Italian unification and independence. The vibrant red-orange hue of the drink matched the red shirts of the Garibaldini and heroes two icons of Italian drinking culture - the red bitter aperitif, and the humble orange.

The drink was not well known outside of Italian drinking and was on a downturn on home soil as well. On the verge of falling into obscurity, it was Naren Young who brought this drink back from the clutches of the void by starring the drink on the menu of Dante during its 2015 opening. The drink has since been enjoying another moment in the spotlight, but this time, on a global scale.

While the bracing bitterness and bright red colour of Campari are backbones to the appeal of this drink, the real star of the show is the orange juice. The orange juice is blended to make it fluffy, and helps in tempering the bitterness of the red aperitif.

RECIPE
50ml Campari (Or Italian Red Bitter aperitif of choice)
Top with Fluffy Orange Juice
Garnish with an Orange Wedge

NEGRONI & LAGER - NEGRONI PERFECTA

Although not technically a two-ingredient drink, the way I have always been taught to drink one is to order a negroni and a beer as a boilermaker. Once your negroni is about ¾ ways finished, you pour your remaining beer into the negroni glass to create a third drink out of your original two.

No one knows where this tradition comes from, but rumour has it that construction workers having a liquid lunch are responsible for its creation. As is the case with many highballs featuring beer, the origin is normally blue-collar workers finding a way to expedite the inebriated effects of their post-work tipples.

Regardless of its murky origin, the Negroni Perfecta is a juicy, refreshing beer cocktail that deserves much more love than it receives.

Recipe:
1 Negroni
1 Beer
Sip on both drinks until there is only about a quarter of the Negroni left. Top residual negroni with remaining beer. Best enjoyed after a busy Friday night bar shift!

APEROL & MILLER HIGH LIFE

Another beer-based highball with similar - if not much more modern - origins. American bartenders recently (around 2017) started adding a shot of Aperol into their post-shift bottle of Miller High Life. This eventually caught on and has now been published in several cocktail menus across North America.

Adding a splash of lemon juice makes it a “Spaghett”, while adding a splash of orange juice makes it a “Bromosa”. All three variations of this are delicious, refreshing, and ever so slightly bitter, with just enough dryness from the citrus to make you go back for another sip.

Even if Miller High Life is not available where you are, this drink is delicious with any light, crisp lager that sits around the 4.5% ABV mark.

Recipe:
25ml Aperol
1 Bottle (12 Oz) Miller High Life
Add the Aperol to the beer and serve

TENNESSEE WHISKEY & MOUNTAIN DEW

Now, before anyone raises any eyebrows at me, this is the way the creators of Mountain Dew intended for it to be drunk. Mountain Dew was created by Tennessee Whiskey sibling duo, Ally and Barney Hartman in the early 1940s who were irked by a lack of availability of good quality mixers. In fact, Mountain Dew is named as such because Moutain Dew was a 19th-century slang term for Highland Scotch Whisky.

The drink was originally a citrus-flavoured, caffeinated, and carbonated beverage only sold in one flavour, as opposed to the plethora of options we have today.

This left-of-field whisky and lemonade number runs on the sweet side of the balance and can definitely be imbibed as a corpse reviver, however, more than one can be a touch sickly, so it is one to be enjoyed in moderation.

Recipe:
50ml Tennessee Whiskey of choice
Top with Mountain Dew
Serve in a highball with ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.

If you enjoyed this, make sure to read more of Fowwaz’s articles, including ‘Do you Remember These Forgotten Classic Cocktails?’ and ‘Weird Food and Drinks Pairings That Taste Great’.

Do You Remember These Forgotten Classic Cocktails?!

Over the many years people have been imbibing, cocktail trends have come, gone, and come again multiple times. Throughout these cycles, and the memory obscuring nature of alcoholic beverages playing its role, many a mixed drink has slipped through the cracks into relative obscurity. This is not to say the drink is bad, however, as they were thoroughly enjoyed in their heyday. In fact, if every drink that fell out of fashion was in fact unenjoyable, then personalities like renowned cocktail historian Harry Craddock would become obsolete, and we could not be happier that this is not the case.

Craddock and co’s work allows home cocktail enthusiasts and professional bartenders alike to rediscover some of the best drinks of generations past. It often begs the question “How did this drink even fall out of fashion in the first place?”

In honour of our beloved historians, let us look at some classic cocktails that enjoyed the spotlight some years ago, but rarely see play in the bars of today.

ALAMAGOOZLUM

Similar to many American classic cocktails of its era, this cocktail's time and place accreditations are muddy. However, while we may not know who created it, it was popularised by John Pierpoint Morgan Sr. more popularly known as J.P. Morgan.

Like the cocktail, the word Alamagoozlum itself has unclear origins, with some sources stating it to be a stand-in for doohickey or thingamabob, while others claim it to be a French-Canadian-American term for maple syrup.

What can be said for sure is that the drink is just as unique as its namesake. Created by the founder of a worldwide financial conglomerate, it initially served as a batched punch recipe to serve five cocktails. It also has the oddity of being shaken with an egg white despite a distinct lack of citrus and all other ingredients being spirits, liqueurs, or bitters. Normally, a drink with such a recipe would be stirred over ice.

This cocktail is not one for the faint of heart either, with punchy ingredients such as genever and Jamaican pot still rum forming the base, and seasoned with healthy pours of Yellow Chartreuse and Angostura bitters. If sweet and herbaceous sounds like a little bit of you we recommend giving this one a go!

Ingredients
20ml Genever
15ml Jamaican Pot Still Rum
15ml Yellow Chartreuse
5ml Orange Curacao
5ml Angostura Bitters
10ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (15ml if using 1:1 Simple)
20ml Water (Trust me)
15ml Egg Whites or foamer of choice

Method
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin. Shake without ice, and then with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON

Contrary to popular belief, this drink is not named after the Ernest Hemingway novel, it was created by the man himself. The original drink called for “1 jigger (45ml) of absinthe” and “iced champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness.” As we are well aware, Hemingway was not a man for just one casual drink, his instructions state to “Drink 3 to 5 of these slowly.”

Like many Hemingway cocktails, the modern spec had to be adjusted to suit the palate of today, as his spirit-forward, zero-sugar approach results in a harshly dry, unpleasing drinking experience. Even with the toned-down pour, and a splash of sugar, the drink remains absinthe forward, with rich notes of anise and candied fennel seeds in the spotlight. The sharp acidity and brioche/biscuit notes of the champagne add a reprieve from the potency of the absinthe, and the lemon twist garnish adds a lingering freshness to the nose. We would not recommend having 3 to 5 of these, but we recommend one!

Ingredients
10ml Absinthe
5ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (7.5ml if using 1:1 Simple Syrup)
Top with Champagne

Method
Combine absinthe and simple syrup in a mixing tin and stir until cold. Strain into a champagne flute. Top with champagne. Garnish with lemon zest.

SATURN

This gin-based tiki drink with a storied history gives rum a run for its money. Created by California bartender, J. “Popo” Galsini, it was originally called the X-15, after an American rocket-powered aircraft. However, the drink required a change of name as shortly after the advent of the drink, an X-15 pilot suffered a fatal crash. Galsini renamed the drink Saturn after the rocket of the first Apollo space flight.

Under the name Saturn, Galsini submitted the drink to the International Bartender’s Association World Championship in 1967, in which he placed first. The drink enjoyed its moment in the spotlight during the tiki boom in mid-century America, after which it faded into obscurity, and would more than likely have been lost forever were it not for famed tiki cocktail historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Berry came across a commemorative glass in a thrift shop in Southern California, and opted not to purchase it, but took a picture of the recipe listed on the glass, and then included it in his recipe book “Beachbum Berry Remixed”.

This publication caused a mild resurgence of the cocktail and can now be seen in the deep cuts of cocktail bars. Much like the Pina Colada, the Saturn falls into the category of can be shaken but is much better blended. The rich tropical combination of Falernum, Orgeat, and Passionfruit syrup gives this drink unmatchable crushability making it easy to see off multiple in one sitting. The drink is traditionally garnished with a cherry and lemon peel on a cocktail skewer resembling Saturn and its rings, however, for ease of recreation, a simple cherry and lemon wedge will suffice.

Method
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend with ice until slushy. Served in a sling glass. Garnish with a cherry and lemon slice.
OR
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake over ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a cherry and lemon slice.

ANGEL FACE

This pre-prohibition cocktail comes from Harry Craddock’s “The Savoy Cocktail Book” with little else other than a recipe. Many have tried to use external sources to find out more about the origin of this drink but to no avail.

A lack of history does not make this drink any less delicious though. A simple foolproof recipe of three ingredients in equal parts brilliantly displays the keystone bartending principle of simplicity in execution and complexity in flavour. The original recipe calls for the drink to be shaken, and modern bartenders will tell you it should be stirred, however, my preferred serve is to combine all three ingredients with water for dilution and store in the freezer beforehand. This results in a drink with the appropriate amount of dilution and a rich silky texture which matches the flavour of the drink itself.

This is a rich, sweet, spirit-forward cocktail and makes an excellent summer sipper for Manhattan drinkers. Rich apple and apricot notes star on the palate with seasonings being offered from the botanicals of the gin.

Ingredients
25ml London Dry Gin
25ml Calvados
25ml Apricot Brandy

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin. Stir over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or apple slice.

LA LOUISIANE

With a name like this, it comes as no surprise that this classic cocktail originated from the French quarter of New Orleans. This drink was the signature cocktail of Restaurant de la Louisiane, one of the hallmark French restaurants of New Orleans.

The modern recipe is an adaptation of the one listed in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s 1937 publication “Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em” and has the distinctive DNA of a Manhattan - Rye Whiskey and Sweet Vermouth, alongside various modifiers. These modifiers include Benedictine, Absinthe, and Peychauds Bitters, resulting in a sweeter take on a timeless classic a rich herbaceous character.

This cocktail serves as an excellent alternative to the classic Manhattan for the winter months as the Benedictine offers a lovely warmth, with the Peychauds bringing a complex winter spice character.

Similar to the aforementioned Angel Face, this is another cocktail viable in the freezer-door category. Precombining all the ingredients with 10% of the total volume in water, and storing it in the freezer for later drinking makes for easy drinking after a long shift, or good for serving a large crowd without having to remove yourself from the social for too long.

Ingredients
30ml Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey
30ml Sweet Vermouth (Ideally Italian)
15ml Benedictine D.O.M.
2.5ml Absinthe
2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Method
Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin. Stir over ice. Strain into a Nick & Nora Glass. Garnish with a cherry.

CULROSS

Yet another drink with an unknown origin, this cocktail is named after the Scottish village and former royal burgh, Culross. The earliest documentation of this drink comes from the bible of forgotten classic cocktails; Harry Craddock’s “The Savoy Cocktail Book”. This cocktail calls for Kina Lillet in the original recipe but has since stopped production and is no longer available. As a substitute, we recommend Lillet Blanc or Bordiga Vermut Bianco.

The drink is dry, and lightly sour with a rich fruity backbone owing to the aromatised wine and Apricot Brandy. The rum comes in the mid-palate to bring an alcoholic punch, and the touch of lemon juice brings much-needed freshness to the drink.

Ingredients
30ml Light Rum
30ml Apricot Brandy
30ml Blanc Vermouth
7.5ml Lemon Juice

Method
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with an orange zest.

DAISY DE SANTIAGO

This summer refresher is an adapted recipe from Charles H. Baker Jr.’s book “The Gentleman’s Companion Volume II - An Exotic Drinking Book” (1939). The passage it is mentioned in states that it was served in a special skyscraper the Bacardi distillery had erected in Cuba, where they would invite various travellers to come and imbibe various Bacardi-based cocktails. The passage also states that this cocktail is “along with the immortal Daiquiri, …. The best Bacardi drink on record.”

The drink reads as a potent variation of the Canchanchara - a daiquiri with honey as opposed to sugar syrup. The Yellow Chartreuse adds rich honey sweetness and complexity from its proprietary blend of botanicals, with the rum and lemon juice forming the main flavour profile of the drink.

Ingredients
60ml Light Rum
22.5ml Lemon Juice
7.5ml Yellow Chartreuse
7.5ml 2:1 Simple Syrup (10ml if using 1:1 Simple Syrup)
5ml Yellow Chartreuse to float on top

Method
Combine all ingredients except the last 5ml of Yellow Chartreuse in a shaker tin. Shake over ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with Yellow Chartreuse float, seasonal berries, and a mint sprig.

By Fowwaz Ansari

11 Must-Try Martini Variations

When thinking about cocktails, none are more iconic than the Martini. A drink steeped in history and cinematic references, this classic cocktail has stood the test of time and is again, enjoying yet another moment in the limelight. The Martini stands the test of time owing to its ease of preparation (but difficult to master), availability, and of course, customisability.

Like many pre-prohibition era drinks, the Martini has a clouded history, with three possible stories of how the serve came to be. One theory suggests it was named after the brand of vermouth used in the drink, while another states that it was created in 1911 by an Italian immigrant bartender in New York named Martini di Arma di Taggia, who made a cocktail consisting of gin, vermouth, orange bitters, and olive to garnish.

What we do know, however, is that the Martini is an evolution of its predecessor, the Martinez, which was served in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, where people would go to quench their thirst before taking a ferry to the town of Martinez in California.

Owing to the rich history of the drink and its symbolic opulence, the Martini has undergone many iterations. Bartenders have played with ratios, ingredients, and the style of serve over the years. To understand all the possible variations of this drink, we have broken them down into three categories; ratio variations, addition variations, and twists.

RATIO VARIATIONS

DRY MARTINI

The original iteration of the Martini from 1911 is now known as the Dry Martini. The choice of gin or vodka, and the amount of vermouth in a Dry Martini will vary from bar to bar, and in some bars, even bartender to bartender. A generally accepted ratio for a dry martini sits at 6:1 spirit to vermouth, however, some purists take the advice of Winston Churchill, who states that a glance at the vermouth bottle is sufficient.

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
10ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Lemon Twist OR Olive on a skewer OR both.

WET MARTINI

The Wet Martini, like the other ratio-based variations that follow in this article, does not have a clear time or place of origin, and most likely stems from multiple locations at multiple times. I believe these are “botched” ratios of the original Dry Martini (botched is in quotations as all of these variations are still very much quaffable).

The Wet Martini ratio lies between 2:1 and 3:1 spirit to vermouth, and is less dry owing to the larger pour of vermouth - hence the Wet Martini.

My perfect Wet Martini sits at a comfy 3:1 and is served with a lemon twist and a sidecar of mixed pickles and olives.

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
20ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Lemon Twist OR Olive on a skewer OR both.

50/50 MARTINI

The 50/50 Martini does exactly what it says on the tin, spirit and vermouth in equal parts, stirred over ice and served as cold as possible. This is a great Martini for after dinner if the wine goes down a little too smooth, as the equal share of vermouth results in a considerably lower ABV for the cocktail.

Ingredients:
40ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
20ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Lemon Twist OR Olive on a skewer OR both.

REVERSE MARTINI

This one is one that you do not see in the wild very often, and if while sitting at the bar, you overhear someone order this, you can rest assured they do or have worked in bars at some point in their life. This Martini takes the original 6:1 ratio of the Dry Martini and flips it on its head, resulting in a low ABV, vermouth forward serve spiked with the splash of spirit. This Martini variation makes a great daytime sipper if you find yourself in for a longer session.

Ingredients:
10ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
60ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Lemon Twist OR Olive on a skewer OR both.

SLIGHT VARIATIONS

Alongside all the possible combinations of ratios, the Martini also has variations depending on added modifiers. Although each modifier is added in minuscule quantities, these minor modifications result in a brand-new drink unique enough to stand apart from the crowd, yet holding enough of the DNA of the original Martini to have an unmistakable resemblance.

DIRTY MARTINI

Quite possibly the variation responsible for the current resurgence of the Martini, this variation takes your Martini ratio of choice and adds a splash of olive brine to the mix. This results in a Martini with its flavours boosted by the salt within the olive brine, and a nice spicy kick from it too!

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
10ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)
5-10ml Olive Brine depending on your preference

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an Olive on a skewer.

GIBSON MARTINI

The Gibson is an underrated Martini variation that unjustly gets less love than its dirty counterpart. However, pickled onions deserve just as much love as olives. Changing out the olive brine for pickled onion brine adds a bright acidity and slight sweetness to the drink making it extremely pleasing on the palette.

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
10ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)
5-10ml Pickled onion brine depending on your preference

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Pickled Onion on a skewer.

BURNT MARTINI

This unique Martini variation plays on the potently peated flavour profile of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Rinsing the glass with peated Islay Single Malt before straining your Dry Martini gives the drink a distinct smoky aroma without overpowering the playdate of botanicals from the vermouth and spirit. A Martini to try if you also enjoy a dram!

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin OR Vodka
10ml Dry Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)
5ml Peated Islay Whisky

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with Flamed Orange Twist.

VESPER MARTINI

By far, the most famous variation of the Martini to exist, thanks to author Ian Fleming in his inaugural James Bond novel, Casino Royal, in 1953. This Martini is unique for a couple of reasons, firstly, it does not allow you the choice of gin or vodka, but rather uses both. Secondly, this is the only Martini any bartender will say is better shaken than stirred. Opting to shake rather than stir results in a colder, more diluted martini that allows the botanicals of the aromatised wine to sing.

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin
20ml Vodka
5ml Quinquina
5ml Lillet Blanc

Method:
Shake over ice. Fine strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

TWISTS ON THE CLASSIC

TUXEDO NO. 4

This bone-dry Martini variation is a personal favourite. Taking the Wet Martini ratio of 3:1 and using fino sherry in place of the usual dry vermouth, results in a crisper, fresher, and slightly more savoury martini. The traditional garnish in an orange twist but an olive would not be out of place in the glass either.

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin
30ml Fino Sherry
1 Dash Orange Bitters (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an Orange Zest

ALASKA

This honeyed, citrus-forward Martini uses one of my favourite bartending techniques - the regal stir! Expressing an orange zest into the mixing tin you build the drink in and stirring with the peel in the tin as well allows for an incredibly complex citrus profile with a well rounded bitterness as well. The combination of orange, absinthe, and Yellow Chartreuse is an excellent one and despite having never been there myself, this martini somehow makes me feel reminiscent of an Alaskan summer sunset.

Ingredients:
50ml London Dry Gin
15ml Yellow Chartreuse
2 Dashes Orange Bitters (4 if using a smaller dasher bottle)
1 Dash Absinthe (2 if using a smaller dasher bottle)
2 Drops 20% Saline Solution
Orange Zest Coin expressed and dumped into stirring tin

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an Orange Zest.

OBITUARY

What would a New Orleans take on a classic be without a little bit of Absinthe? This simple twist removes the classic orange bitters for a sparing pour of the wormwood-based liqueur. This Martini variation was popularised in 1940s New Orleans at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop and has been seeing a rise in popularity alongside its other martini compatriots.

Ingredients:
60ml London Dry Gin
10ml Dry Vermouth
3 Dashes Absinthe (6 if using a smaller dasher bottle)

Method:
Stir over ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an Olive on a Skewer.

By Fowwaz Ansari

Whisky vs Whiskey - A Brief History and Overview

Whisky is a spirit with a large historical and cultural significance, with many people having flown its flag to make it the globally known spirit it is today. Its history and origin, however, are muddied and up for debate (the whisky itself probably did not help either). Both the Scots and the Irish claim to be the inventors of it, but there is insufficient evidence to favour either party in the debate.

Whisky/Whiskey comes from the old Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’, or ‘usquebaugh’, meaning ‘water of life’, similar to the Scandinavian ‘aquavitae’. While there is some evidence suggesting the technique of distillation was brought over to the British Isles by Christian missionary monks, it is insufficient to disprove that Scottish or Irish farmers did not discover the technique of distillation themselves. However, the oldest evidence of distillation we have can be traced back to as far as 2000 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and Syria) as a way to produce perfumes and aromatisers. Hence, it is more than likely the former is the case, and lacking the climate for vineyards, opted to ferment grain, leading to the first versions of what we now know as whisky.

While we are unsure who made this wonderful liquid first, there are key differences between Scotch and Irish whiskies, from their raw materials to distillation and maturation.

Irish v Scottish

Peated Scotch Whiskey - Caol Ila 12 YO

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £55

Unpeated Scotch Whiskey - Balvenie Double Wood 12 YO

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £43.95

Irish Whiskey - Redbreast 12 YO

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £49.95

Blends

The Scots and Irish also produce many blended whiskies, a mix of multiple liquids, from multiple distilleries (malt, grain, and rye whiskies all included!) within the same geographical region. These liquids are masterfully selected by a master blender and proportioned expertly to produce a whisky that is greater than the sum of its parts.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of having Emma Walker, master blender of her namesake Johnnie Walker, perch up at the bar of the prep room while I was working a prep shift. This allowed me unfiltered access to one of the greatest minds in the modern whisky world and she (to my benefit) oversimplified what she does for work and explained it as:

“Not too dissimilar to making a cocktail. The same way you would balance a cocktail behind a bar using spirits, liqueurs, juices, and syrups. In the blending room we take the same approach, the only difference is we are tasked with balancing whisky with, well, more whisky.”

Blended Scotch Whiskey - Johnnie Walker Black Label

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £24.99

Blended Irish Whiskey -Tullamore D.E.W.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £24.64

The United States

As British colonisers started to land and settle in the Americas, specifically Kentucky, they realised the climate in the Southeast area of the United States was not conducive to the cultivation of barley. To work around this, they started distilling whiskey from corn, which later became known as the bourbon we know and love today.

Bourbon must be made in the United States using at least 51% corn in the mash bill. To be considered bourbon, it must also be distilled to no more than 80% ABV, bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV, and aged in charred virgin oak barrels with no minimum maturation period. However, to be considered “straight bourbon”, it must be aged for a minimum of two years.

Rye Whiskey has very similar production process specifications to Bourbon, with the same requirement of at least 51% Rye in the mash bill to be considered as such. The key difference in flavours, comes from the raw materials used in the production process. Bourbon tends to be more full-bodied and sweeter, while Ryes are generally drier, spicier, and have an underlying bready note.

There is also Tennessee whiskey, which is akin to bourbon in many of its processes, to the point where most Tenessee whiskies meet the requirements for bourbon. The key difference is that all Tennessee whiskies must be filtered using the Lincoln County Process which entails filtering (or steeping) the new-make spirit in charcoal chips before aging. However, many producers do not label themselves as such and prefer to label their products as Tennessee Whiskey.

Rye Whiskey - Rittenhouse Straight Rye

Size: 700ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £39.99

Bourbon Whiskey - Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26.68

Tennessee Whiskey - Daddy Rack Straight Tennessee Whiskey

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £39.99

Canada

Canadian whisky later joined the party as American and European immigrants used their experience in distilling wheat and rye to preserve surplus grain in attempts to prevent spoilage. This was done in improvised stills and resulted in inconsistent, and uncontrolled new-make spirits, drank unaged by the local market. Commercial whisky production in Canada started when John Molson purchased a copper pot still initially used to distill rum.

Canadian whisky has the most relaxed controls in the world of whisky as the regulations lack any strict stipulations in terms of mash bill content and additives. As per Canada’s Food and Drugs Act, to be called Canadian whisky the liquid must "be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada", "be aged in small wood vessels for not less than three years", "contain not less than 40 percent alcohol by volume" and "may contain caramel and flavouring". However, distillers must not veer too far away from the original form as the liquid must "possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky."

Canadian Whiskey - Lot 40 Rye Whisky

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £37.99

Japan

The advent of Japanese whisky can be attributed to two main characters, Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru. Torii was a pharmaceutical wholesaler by trade who made a profit by importing Western world liquor with his company “Akadama Port Wine”, named after the Portuguese fortified wine. Torii then set his sights on creating a Japanese whisky to rival that made in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States, and opened the distillery which would later be known as Yamazaki.

Torii hired Taketsuru, who had honed the art of making whisky in Scotland and used this knowledge to help establish the Yamazaki distillery as a successful one, before parting ways with the company in 1934 to start his own company Dainipponkaju, which would later become Nikka.

The influence these two people had on Japanese whisky resulted in it being the closest thing to Scotch whisky you can get outside Scotland. With very similar legal requirements to its Scottish counterpart, the key flavour differences come from the two countries' environmental differences.

Japanese Single Malt Whisky - Yamazaki 12 YO

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £139.95

Japanese Blended Whisky - Toki Blended

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £31.89

New World Whiskies

As whisky is currently enjoying another moment in the spotlight, new kids on the block, from different corners of the globe, are looking to stamp their mark on the whisk(e)y industry. Notably, these include Taiwan, France, Germany, Australia, and China, but as of 2022, over 30 countries are producing new world whiskies.

French - Domaine des Hautes Glaces Epistémè

Size: 500ml
ABV: 47%
Find here: £72.24

Chinese - Goalong 5 YO

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £52.95

Ultimately, the choice of spelling it as whisky or whiskey boils down to traditional use and does not depict any discrepancies in raw materials, production process, or flavours. Scotland, Japan, and Canada all make whisky that tastes remarkably different from one another, within the United States of America alone there are three variations of whiskey with unique processes and flavour profiles.

By Fowwaz Ansari