In the bartending world, there are often technical terms that my seem difficult to a first-timer. Since we're so fine and cool, we've put up a list of the most common terms you will encounter, so your friends won't make fun of you:
- After-Dinner Drinks
- Drinks typically served after a nice meal. A perfect topper for the evening.
- Box
- Pour into and out of a shaker, usually only once. Gives the drink a quick mixing without shaking.
- Call Drink
- A liquor and mixer, of which the liquor is a defined brand. (ie. Tanqueray and Tonic, Bacardi and Coke)
- Chaser
- Consumed immediately after a straight shot of liquor to create a different taste.
- Cobbler
- Any liquor served in a collins or highball glass with shaved or crushed ice and garnished with fresh fruit and mint sprigs.
- Cocktail
- Any of various alcoholic beverages consisting usually of brandy, whiskey, vodka, or gin combined with fruit juices
- Collins
- A drink akin to a sour which is served in a tall glass with soda water or seltzer water.
- Cooler
- A drink consisting of ginger ale, soda water, and a fresh spiral or twist of citrus fruit rind.
- Crusta
- A sour-type drink served in a glass that is completely lined with an orange or lemon peel cut in a continuous strip.
- Cup
- A punch-type drink that made up in quantities.
- Daisy
- An oversize drink of the sour type, normally made with rum or gin.
- Eggnog
- A traditional holiday drink containing a combination of eggs beaten with cream or milk, sugar, and a liquor such as brandy, rum, or bourbon.
- Fix
- A sour-type drink similar to the daisy.
- Fizz
- An effervescent beverage.
- Flip
- A chilled, creamy drink made of eggs, sugar, and a wine or spirit.
- Frappé
- A partially frozen, often fruity drink.
- Grog
- A rum-based beverage with water, fruit juice and sugar.
- Highball
- Any spirit served with ice and soda water in a medium to tall glass.
- Julep
- A drink made of bourbon, mint, sugar and crushed ice.
- Lace
- Last ingredient in a recipe, meaning to pour onto the top of the drink.
- Lowball
- A short drink made of spirits served with ice.
- Mist
- A liquor served over a glass filled with crushed ice.
- Mulls
- A sweetened and spiced heated liquor, wine or beer, served as a hot punch.
- Neat
- The consumption of a spirit as a straight.
- Negus
- A punch-like combination containing a wine, such as port, heated with spices and sweetened.
- Nightcap
- A wine or liquor taken before bedtime.
- Nip
- A quarter of a bottle.
- On The Rocks
- Poured over ice cubes.
- Pick-Me-Up
- A drink designed to relieve the effects of overindulgence in alcohol.
- Posset
- It consists of a mixture of heated ale or wine curdled with milk, eggs, and spices. An old british drink from which the eggnog was derived.
- Puff
- A traditional afternoon drink made of equal parts spirit and milk, topped with club soda and served over ice.
- Punch
- A party-size beverage consisting of fruit, fruit juices, flavorings and sweeteners, soft drinks, and a wine or liquor base.
- Rickey
- A drink made a liquor, usually gin, a half lime and soda water.
- Sangaree
- A tall chilled and sweetened wine/liquor garnished with nutmeg.
- Shooter
- A straight shot of whiskey or other kind of spirit taken neat.
- Shrub
- Spirits, fruit juices, and sugar, aged in a sealed container such as a cask or crock, then usually bottled
- Sling
- A tall drink made with either brandy, whiskey or gin, with lemon juice, sugar and soda water.
- Smash
- A short julep made of liquor, sugar, and mint.
- Sour
- A short drink consisting of liquor, lemon or lime juice and sugar.
- Supercall
- Also known as top shelf or super premium. The high octane, often higher proof alcohols.
- Sweet and Sour mix
- Sweet and Sour Mix can be made with 1 - 1 1/2 tbs. Lemon Juice and 1 tsp. of Powdered Sugar
- Swizzle
- A tall, traditionally rum-based cocktail filled with cracked ice.
- Syllabub
- A beverage made from a mixture of sweetened milk/cream, wine and spices.
- Toddy
- A sweetened drink of liquor and hot water.
- Tot
- A small amount of liquor.
- Virgin
- Non-alcoholic
