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| TIPS & ADVICE |
Stocking
- by Paul Harrington |
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"neither a collector nor a dabbler in media. He respects all media, but they are only an incidental interest. Primarily, H. i. Williams is an arranger of ingredients." His bar book has a very simple approach to mixing. You'll almost certainly end up with more than three bottles in your bar, but to start, you shouldn't need much more, and the three-bottle rule holds true for getting the basics: bases, mixers, and accents. With a little knowledge and a few bottles, you can make most of the great cocktails.
When it comes to combining the elements of a cocktail - primary and secondary spirits, accents, and mixers - each should add something to the drink without dominating it. Although a gin drink is unmistakably a gin drink, a Martini Cocktail tastes nothing like a Rickey Fizz, and you certainly wouldn't want it to. Before heading to your local liquor store, scroll through your favorite recipes. Which ones seem to interest you most? Do your selections suggest a trend? What three bottles or elements are reoccurring? Chances are you're seeing rum, gin, or vodka, a particular whiskey, and a vermouth. Start from there, and as your knowledge grows, so should your stock
Spirits
The primary, or base spirit, sets the theme of both a cocktail and an event. The subsequent ingredients in a cocktail should be harmonious with it. Mixers and accents can battle for attention, but they should always be in agreement with and sublimated by the base spirit. Primary spirits fall into two categories: light and dark.
Light spirits, such as gin, rum, tequila and vodka, are especially versatile, and can be substituted for each other in many cocktails. Take the Collins family, you can mix this classic with any of these distillates. |
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