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| Garnish: A garnish is usually a sublime addition that only a few palates will detect, but that every eye will miss if it's forgotten. The garnish shows your guests that you've thought of every detail. Never make your garnishes showy or overpowering. They should have a subtle presence, calmly floating atop a drink or lurking at the bottom, soaking up the last bits of alcohol before pleasing the taste buds. | |
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| Grenadine: A red, strong flavored syrup made from pomegranates. It is used in drinks for sweetening and to add color. It comes in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. | |
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| Brandy: Brandy is the most delicate of spirits - and cognac, the premier brandy, is France's most treasured distillation. Wherever the liquor is made, the soil, the climate and the skills and disposition of the farmer greatly affect the quality of the fruit and ultimately, the quality of the wine and brandy made from it. Brandy is best when distilled in an old-fashioned pot still hammered out from sheets of copper. Also see Fruit Brandies. Most brandies go through at least two distillations. The first distillation of wine yields a liquid of about 30 percent alcohol that is then returned to the still. The second pass results in an eau de vie of 70 percent alcohol, or 140 proof. | |
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| Twist: The twist, which is usually a lemon, contains all sorts of aromatic oils. In a lucid cocktail like a Rob Roy or a Martini, the twist adds just a hint of bitter lemon. (Lime twists, though used quite often, are not as elegant.) When preparing twists reach for your ice pick and remember to remove as much of the pith, or white part of the fruit, as possible. The pith is very bitter and too much will spoil the drink. | |
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| Water: When mixed with American whiskey this ubiquitous beverage is often referred to as branch. But if you are serving classic cocktails, all the water you will need should come from the ice in your shaker. | |
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