On Becoming Your Own Bartender

Self-Sufficiency: Becoming Your Own Bartender

The work of a good bartender can almost seem like magic. Like a wizard tossing ingredients into a cauldron, they take a bunch of bottles and put their contents together to make an entirely new concoction. However, like many of the so-called “wizards” of ancient times, bartenders just use simple chemistry in a creative way. For those who are interested, there is virtually no reason why you should not learn the art of mixing drinks in your own home. Not only is it a fun and interesting hobby, but it can also be a valuable skill at parties.

So let’s talk about basic chemistry. No, we won’t be getting into all sorts of calculations and formulas, as that is unnecessary for our purposes. All you need to understand is that chemistry is (among other things) the science of mixing two or more substances to create something new. When you understand it from this perspective, you realize that all cooking is just simple chemistry. For instance, take this jalapeno-cucumber lemonade. It is based on the concept of creative mixing: putting two or more ingredients together that maybe you wouldn’t have thought could be adaptable.

For a start, let’s look at one of my favorites: a tequila sunrise. First, take a highball glass and put about 1.5 cups of ice in it. Set that aside and grab another glass. In this glass, mix two fluid ounces of tequila and four fluid ounces of orange juice. Add one cup of ice and stir. Now strain that into the highball glass of ice that you prepared earlier. Now you just add 3/4 ounce worth of grenadine syrup. Give it time to settle so that you can get the distinctive look and feel for which this drink is named.

Or maybe you prefer whiskey to tequila. One of the tastiest drinks that you can learn to make is a whiskey sour. There are many variations on this classic favorite, but here is one that I enjoy particularly: Take a large pitcher and add four cans of frozen concentrate; three cans of frozen orange juice and one can of frozen lemonade. Add 18 cups of water and stir until fully combined. Now stir in about two cups of whiskey. Sometimes I like to use two and a half cups if I want it to be just a little stronger. At this point, the drink is ready to go, but you should garnish each glass with a maraschino cherry or a cut orange slice because, after all, it’s the little things that make it special.

Let’s try something a little simpler. To make a Tom Collins, begin by filling a large glass with about a cup and a half of ice and setting it in the freezer. Now take a cocktail shaker and combine two fluid ounces of gin with .75 ounces of lemon juice and 0.5 ounces of simple syrup. Add one cup of ice, cover, and shake. Strain into the chilled glass that you prepared earlier. There is a specific type of glass named for this drink (called a Collins glass), so obviously it is preferred.

If that isn’t simple enough, you can start with simple binary mixtures. These are drink recipes that involve combining liquor with only one other ingredient. You can experiment with these binary mixtures to find the beginnings of your creativity. For instance, if you combine vodka and orange juice, you get a drink that is commonly called a screwdriver. Oddly enough, this drink gets its name from the fact that it was originally supposed to be stirred with a screwdriver. You can also mix whiskey and rum with various carbonated drinks. Fruit juices are almost always a winner. One of my all-time favorites would have to be a mixture of rum and pineapple juice. Even kool-aid and other such drinks can be utilized.

With how easy and cheap it is to acquire the basic ingredients, there is really no reason not to mix your own drinks. All it takes is a good understanding of measurement and basic principles. Once you have learned to be a master at mixing drinks, you can move on and start growing grapes so as to produce your own wine! If you are so inclined, you may even think about distilling small amounts of alcohol for personal use, but either way, you just can’t go wrong by moving yourself one step closer to self-sufficiency.