THE PARK HOTELS

COCKTAILS

The origin:
The origin of the word cocktail is almost now lost, but there are few theories about it. It
may refer to the shades of colour in a cock’s tail, but it is more likely from American race
course slang for mixed breeding of horses (tails) to distinguish them from thoroughbreds.
Such horses were cocktailed.

Tricks of the trade: Guest & Drinks.

An expert barman in the art of making cocktails gave fancy names for the creations that
have become classics, especially between the two world wars when famous bars were
open in the capitals of Europe. Some of the cocktails were Manhattan, Gin fizz, Bloody
Mary etc. There is a fine distinction between those cocktails that are stirred and those
that are shaken.

The barmen must have intense knowledge of the alcoholic drinks and about the alcoholic
contents. They must have thorough information about what drinks to serve for different
occasions, know his guest, even before he picks up the cocktail shaker. (E.g.) A guest
might be driving home, a guest might be a teetotaler or on low alcohol diets.

Here is a rough guide to which you can add your particular favourites.

Aperitifs:
Martinis, vermouths, bitters (campari), schnapps, neat spirits or spirit with mixers, sours
and beers.

Digestives and after dinner drinks:

Eaux-de-vie, port, madeira, muscats, kummel, liqueurs, spirits, liqueur coffees and
frappe’s etc.

Special occasions :
Egg nogs, pousse-cafes, punches, high balls, champagne, beers, and wines.

Any time refreshers:

Daiquiris, spritzers, beers, flips and mists.

Summer drinks:
Cobblers, punches, coolers, fizzes, juleps, slings, smashes & beers.

Winter drinks:
Hot spiced wines (mulled), Irish coffee, grog, hot toddies, liqueur or spirit coffees.

Tricks of the trade: The bar set up.

Ice:
 Have plenty of clean, pure ice.
 Place ice in the shaker, mixing glass, so the drink is thoroughly chilled.
 To crack ice for frappes use a clean towel and hit the ice with a mallet.
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Fruit and Peel:

 Use fresh juice where possible.
 Citrus fruits will provide more juice if they are soaked in hot water and then
squeezed.
 Slices of citrus fruits will keep fresh if covered by a damp cloth and refrigerated.
 For parties prepare fruit juices, slices, twists and decorations in advance and
refrigerate.
 Add peel or fruit to a cocktail after shaken or mixed.

Glasses and Equipment:

 Glasses should be clean, polished and dry.
 Handle glass by the base or stem.
 Chill glasses in the freezer or by filling them with ice and water for a few moments
before you pour the cocktail.

Mixing and Shaking:

 Make sugar syrup (Gomme) in advance to save time during a party. Add 2 pots of
sugar to 1 pot of water heat but don’t boil the syrup.
 Leave room in the shaker for shaking – do not over fill.
 Place ingredients in this order – ice, sugar, egg, milk, alcohol, mixers.
 When using strongly flavoured drinks like crème de menthe or anisette, measure
accurately. Even a few drops too much will alter the taste of the cocktail.
 Pour the cheapest ingredients into the shaker or mixing glass first to minimize waste
if you make a mistake.
 Shake your cocktail with a quick, short and sharp action – don’t rock it to sleep.

Pouring, Garnishing and drinking:

 Add garnish after the cocktail is shaken or mixed.
 When pouring into several glasses, fill them all half way, then top them up so that the
ingredients are evenly distributed.
 Never fill a glass to the brim.
 Garnishes should complement the flavour or provide colour contrast or both.
Remember the glass is not a salad bowl – balance and judgement are essential.
 Cocktails are to be served and drunk as soon as they are ready.

Measures:
Some useful equivalents for measuring ingredients
* 1/6th of a tea spoon - 1 ml (a dash)
* 1 tea spoon - 5 ml
* 1 table spoon - 18 ml
* 1 jigger - 30 ml. 1 fl. oz.
* 1 gill - 150 ml. 5 fl. oz.
* 1 pint - 540 ml. 20 fl. oz.

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EQUIPMENT AND STOCK

Ideal equipment that you should stock in the bar:

1. Cocktail Shaker with strainer

2. Mixing Glass with Jug
3. Spoons, Parfait spoons
4. Strainers
5. Hawthorne strainer
6. Corkscrew
7. Can and bottle openers
8. Cutting board and a sharp knife
9. Fruit squeezer
10. Ice buckets and tongs
11. Blender
12. Stirrers , straws and tooth picks

Other useful items include:

1. Spirit measures
2. Coasters and napkins
3. Sponge, glass cloth, small towels, bottle stoppers

Perishable Stock:

1. Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves….)

2. Salt, pepper and celery salt
3. Herbs (mint and parsley)
4. Garnishes (fruit for sweet drinks, vegetables for dry drinks)
5. Mixers (soda, tonic water, dry ginger, cola, bitter lemon, lemonade, mineral water)
6. Grenadine
7. Bitters
8. Tobasco
9. Cordials (peppermint, black currant, lime juice, etc.)
10. Fruits and juices (orange, lemon, lime, tomato, pineapple….)
11. Cherries and olives
12. Coconut cream and egg white

Glassware:

A bar should ideally have a balance of small, medium and large glasses. Often a high ball
glass can double as a beer glass or a wine glass can be used for cocktails.

The glasses should be clear with a fine rim, washed in hot water and rinsed well. Dry the
glasses with lint free glass cloth and polish before use.
Glasses to be handled by the stem or base only.

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BASIC COCKTAIL RECIPES

1. Bloody Mary :

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

60 ml Vodka
120 ml Tomato juice
20 ml Fresh lime
Pinch of celery salt
Salt and pepper
1 dash Worcestershire
1 dash Tobasco
High ball Lemon wedge Salt rim the glass
Salt rim Add fresh lime, 3 cubes of ice,
celery salt, pepper, Worcestershire
& Tobasco, stir well. Add tomato
juice, float vodka garnish with
lime and serve.

2. Margarita :

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

45 ml Tequila AP wine glass lime slice In a cocktail shaker, pour Lemon
15 ml Triple sec / Cointreau Salt rimmed juice, Cointreau/Triple sec
15 ml Fresh lime vodka. Add 5 cubes of ice, shake
well and pour into a salt rimmed
AP wine glass and serve.

3. Screw Driver:

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

60 ml Vodka High ball Orange Slice Pour orange juice, add 3 cubes of
120 ml orange juice ice, pour vodka, stir in glass and
serve.

4. Martini :

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

60 ml Gin AP wine glass Stuffed olive on a Take gin stir with 5 cubes of
A dash of dry vermouth tooth pick ice, add vermouth, stir
quickly and pour into a
chilled glass.

5. Planters Punch:

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

60 ml dark rum, Hi ball Pineapple slice or a In a High ball glass, pour the
120ml Pineapple juice slice of sweet lime juices, fresh lime, add 3 cubes
60 ml Orange juice with cherry, of ice, float rum.
15 ml Fresh lime DO NOT STIR

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6. Pina Colada

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

60 ml white rum Hi ball Pineapple slice In a cocktail shaker add all the
120 ml Pineapple juice Sweet lime slice with ingredients, shake well with 5
30 ml Coconut milk Cherry cubes of ice and pour into the
15 ml Fresh lime glass and serve.

7. Daiquiri

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

45 ml white rum AP Wine glass Lime slice Shake all the ingredients with
15 ml sugar syrup 5 ice cubes, pour into the AP
15 ml lime juice wine glass and serve.

8. Emerald Cooler

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

45 ml Gin Small Pilsner glass Lemon wheel with In a small pilsner glass pour
15 ml Green Crème de ( 275 ml) mint sprig gin, add 3 cubes of ice, add
Menthe clear lemonade, and float
200 ml clear lemonade Green Crème de Menthe.
DO NOT STIR.

9.Whiskey sour

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

60 ml Whiskey AP wine glass Lime slice with cherry Shake all the ingredients with
15 ml Fresh lime 5 ice cubes.
15 ml sugar syrup
Dash of egg white

10. Tequila Sunrise

Recipe Glass Garnish Method

4 ml Tequila Hi ball Orange slice In a high ball glass, pour
120 ml orange juice Orange juice, Tequila, float
10 ml Grenadine syrup grenadine syrup on top. DO
NOT STIR.