From techniques to ingredients, this is everything you need to make your favorite drinks at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\nChristopher Testani for The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Published March 27, 2025<\/span>Updated March 27, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n [This article was originally published on Oct. 11, 2016.]<\/em><\/p>\n The first act of any dinner party rightly belongs to the cocktail, and so does the first moment of repose after a long day. With more than two centuries of history behind the cocktail, there is an art to making a good drink. Here, we\u2019ll show you the basics: how to equip your bar, the drinks equivalent of a well-stocked pantry, and then how to use it to prepare classic cocktails.<\/p>\n If you want to build something \u2014 even a cocktail \u2014 you\u2019ll need tools. Here\u2019s a rundown of the necessary equipment.<\/p>\n Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n A Boston shaker<\/strong>, which consists of a mixing glass (the same shape and size as a 16-ounce Shaker pint glass) and a metal tin, is sufficient for all shaken and stirred cocktails. For stirred drinks, you\u2019ll need a long-handled bar spoon. If you enjoy the ritual of stirring a cocktail, and want to feel slightly grand as you do so, there are a number of lovely, wide-mouthed, heavy-bottomed mixing glasses on the market.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n To strain stirred drinks, you\u2019ll need a julep strainer,<\/strong> which has a perforated bowl shape. Shaken drinks require a Hawthorne strainer,<\/strong> which has a metal coil wrapped around its bowl to keep out citrus pulp. If you\u2019d rather invest in only one strainer, the Hawthorne can do double duty.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Precise measurements produce a far better drink, so you\u2019ll need a jigger.<\/strong> Jiggers are composed of two opposing metal cones. Unless you are a stickler, you really only need one size, the \u00bd ounce\/1 ounce, with which you\u2019ll have all the most common measurements covered. You can eyeball the rest.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A simple Y peeler<\/strong> will work for citrus twists. Completing your toolkit should be a muddler, which is used to mash up the fruits, herbs and sometimes sugar cubes used in some drinks. Old-fashioned wooden specimens work best.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Many on-the-rocks drinks, such as the Old-Fashioned, benefit from large-scale ice cubes<\/strong>. Molds for these (usually about 2-inches square) have become increasingly easy to find.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n It doesn\u2019t take a great many bottles to build a bar capable of tackling most of the classic cocktail formulas. But, to begin with, you\u2019ll just need a bottle each of gin, vodka, light rum, tequila, bourbon, rye, blended Scotch, brandy, dry white vermouth, sweet red vermouth<\/strong>, a few essential liqueurs and a handful of bitters.<\/strong> As you grow most ambitious, you can always add to your stock. Making simple syrup is, yes, simple, and you should keep it on hand too.<\/p>\n Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The gin should be a classic London dry brand<\/strong>, a style of gin which is suited for martinis, gin and tonics and other classic gin drinks. (If you enjoy a Tom Collins or Martinez, however, the sweeter Old Tom gins are more appropriate.)<\/p>\n The tequila should be 100 percent agave<\/strong>, not the cheaper \u201cmixto\u201d products, which blend a minimum of 51 percent agave with other sugars.<\/p>\n For the bourbon and rye, buy something 90 proof or more and aged at least four years<\/strong> (\u201cbonded\u201d whiskey, which must be 100 proof, is even better); you\u2019ll get more kick and flavor out of your drinks. The process by which bourbon and rye are aged in new, charred oak barrels lends the liquid much of its flavor and all of its color. The more age (but only up to a point), the more character.<\/p>\n Blended Scotch is called for more often in cocktails than single malts, whose strong flavors can be difficult to mix with.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll want light rum around primarily for daiquiris.<\/strong> Taste a few until you find one that suits you. (If you\u2019re a buff of tiki drinks like the mai tai, you\u2019ll want to look into some dark rums.)<\/p>\n With brandy cocktails, it\u2019s Cognac you want<\/strong>, and a good one (which is not the same as an expensive one).<\/p>\n The small difference in taste between vodkas is lost in cocktails. A fancy bottle with a fancy price won\u2019t make much difference. Economize.<\/p>\n Sweet and dry vermouths vary remarkably in flavor. Most of the leading brands are acceptable, but you\u2019ll want to try a variety in your martini and manhattan before you settle on one. More important to remember is to store your vermouth in the fridge one it has been opened. Vermouth will spoil. It will last about a month. For this reason, it\u2019s smart to buy the small 375-milliliter bottles.<\/p>\n Both orange liqueur<\/strong> (curacao, triple sec, Cointreau and Grand Marnier are all members of this large category) and maraschino liqueur<\/strong> (not to be confused with the liquid that surrounds bottled maraschino cherries) are required in a number of important cocktails.<\/p>\n Certain liqueurs are so original in their flavors that they are categories unto themselves, which no other brand can replace. These included Campari (needed for a Negroni), Benedictine (Bobby Burns) and Chartreuse (Last Word).<\/p>\n Bitters are composed of a proprietary blend of spices, herbs and other plants that have been infused, usually in spirits, and sometimes aged. Highly concentrated, bitters work in drinks the way spices do in food. They are also, in historical terms, the ingredient that makes a cocktail a cocktail.<\/p>\n The most famous brand is Angostura.<\/strong> It is the one bitters your bar cannot be without. The other two crucial bitters are Peychaud\u2019s (used in a Sazerac) and orange bitters<\/strong>, of which there are many varieties.<\/p>\n Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Sugar is called for in many cocktails, both new and classic. While plain sugar can certainly be used to make these drinks, simple syrup \u2014 which is nothing more than sugar water \u2014 often leads to a better integration of ingredients and consistency of texture, with no stray granules lingering at the bottom of the glass.<\/p>\n To make simple syrup, simmer equal parts sugar and water over a low flame until the sugar has dissolved.<\/strong> Then let the solution cool. It will keep for a week. Store it in the fridge in a sealed container.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in a hurry, shake the sugar and water in a sealed container until the sugar disappears. For a richer syrup, try two parts sugar to one part water. This will lend a greater viscosity to the cocktail. Demerara and turbinado sugars can also be used for a richer, deeper flavor.<\/p>\n Part of the fun, and some of the beauty, of serving cocktails is that every drink has a proper vessel. Some are so ingrained in drinking culture that they have taken on the name of the drink they typically hold (the Martini glass, the Collins glass). Here is what you\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Coupes are for drinks that are served \u201cup\u201d<\/strong> (that is, in a stemmed glass and not over ice). Avoid the iconic, jumbo-size martini glasses. Four-, five- or six-ounce coupes are more than big enough and perform their function with more elegance and moderation.<\/p>\n Rocks glasses, also known as old-fashioned glasses, are used for any drink served \u201con the rocks\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 that is, over ice \u2014 such as an old-fashioned<\/a>, but also for strong drinks that aren\u2019t, such as the sazerac<\/a>. These should be six to eight ounces. The so-called \u201cdouble old-fashioned\u201d glass is 12 to 15 ounces.<\/p>\n Tall, thin Collins glasses, also known as highballs, are required for many light-bodied drinks<\/strong> that are \u201cserved long,\u201d such as the Pimm\u2019s Cup<\/a> and, yes, the Tom Collins<\/a>. They hold anywhere from 10 to 16 ounces.<\/p>\n A chilled glass always contributes to the excellence and enjoyment of a cocktail. For those who think ahead, place the glass in the fridge 15 minutes before you intend to use it. This lends an attractive frost to the glass. A quicker method is to fill the glass with ice, or ice water, and let it sit for a minute while you prepare the drink.<\/p>\n Nearly every cocktail of note is brought into being by either stirring the contents over ice in a mixing glass or shaking them with ice in a cocktail shaker, and then straining it into a waiting cocktail glass. Here\u2019s how to do it right.<\/p>\n Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times NYTCREDIT: Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Shaking is called for when a drink contain either citrus, dairy or eggs (e.g., a daiquiri<\/a>, Ramos gin fizz or Pisco sour) and a bit more vigor is required to mix its ingredients.<\/p>\n To shake a cocktail,<\/strong> combine the ingredients and ice in a mixing glass. Place a metal shaking tin atop the glass at a slight angle and hit the top of the tin with the heel of your palm. This should create a tight seal. Turn the shaker over so that the glass is facing you. (This will prevent you from spilling on anyone but yourself should the seal break while you are shaking.) With one hand on the bottom of tin and the other on the bottom of the glass, shaking rigorously in an up and down fashion. (Cocktail shakes vary. In time, you\u2019ll figure out the one that works best for you.)<\/p>\n Tony Cenicola\/The New York Times <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Stirring is for drinks composed of nothing more than beverage alcohol (martinis<\/a>, manhattans<\/a>, etc.).<\/p>\n To stir a cocktail,<\/strong> simply combine the ingredients and ice in a mixing glass and, using a bar spoon, held loosely between thumb and your first two forefingers, stir the mixture in a fluid, circular fashion until chilled and properly diluted, about 30 seconds.<\/p>\n The martini is the undisputed king of cocktails, nearly a category unto itself.<\/span>By <\/span>Shaw Lash<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Stir 2\u00bc ounces London dry gin, \u00be ounce dry vermouth and 1 dash orange bitters over ice until chilled, about 30 seconds. Stir all ingredients over ice until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or olives, depending on your taste<\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Stir 2 ounces rye or bourbon, 1 ounce sweet vermouth and 2 dashes Angostura bitters over ice until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.<\/p>\n Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Shake 2 ounces light rum, 1 ounce simple syrup, \u00be ounce fresh lime juice with ice until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.<\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Muddle a sugar cube with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters with one bar spoon of water at the bottom of a chilled rocks glass. (If using simple syrup, combine bitters and one bar spoon of syrup.) Add 2 ounces rye or bourbon. Stir.<\/p>\n Add one large ice cube, or three or four smaller cubes. Stir until chilled and properly diluted, about 30 seconds. Slip an orange twist on the side of the cube.<\/p>\n Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Shake 2 ounces Old Tom or London Dry gin, 1 ounce simple syrup and \u00be ounce lemon juice with ice until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled highball. Top with soda water. Garnish with a lemon wheel or wedge and a cherry.<\/p>\n Garnishes are the cocktail equivalent of an outfit-completing hat. They lend color, wit and, very often and most crucially, a taste accent to a drink. They\u2019re not to be underestimated.<\/p>\n The garnish to any cocktail isn\u2019t a frivolous decorative afterthought, but an integral part of the drink.<\/strong> This is particularly true of citrus twists, wheels or wedges, be they from lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit. Such twists lend a brightness to a cocktail.<\/p>\n Cutting a proper twist requires some agility and a bit of practice.<\/strong> Begin with a clean, washed piece of fruit with an attractive color and a fair amount of surface area. Take a Y-peeler and start at the top of the fruit and pull toward you at a diagonal. This will render a long, wide twist, which you can either leave as is (a large twist looks particularly attraction in an old-fashioned<\/a> or martini<\/a>) or cut down to the dimensions you prefer. Be careful not to sink the peeler in too deep, to avoid a twist with too much bitter pith attached.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/03\/21\/multimedia\/21cocktails-jkmg\/21cocktails-jkmg-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp\"\/)
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<\/div>\nLiquors and Vermouths<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Liqueurs<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Bitters<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\nSimple Syrup<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\nThe Glasses<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Chilling<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\nShaking<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\nStirring<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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