Composition of a Cocktail
According to the International Bartenders Association competition regulations, a cocktail cannot contain more than five products, including those used for decoration. It usually includes a base distillate, which is the predominant element; two liqueurs to add color and sweeten it while lowering it; It can also take drops of lemon, bitter or some coloring and a fruit as decoration. For long drinks, one of the items is soda, soda, or fruit juice. All of this is chilled in the shaker or mixing glass while it is being prepared. In some cases pieces of ice are put in the glass in which it is presented. Cocktails generally include three kinds of ingredients: An alcohol base, such as vodka, tequila, or whiskey. The main flavor is given by drinks such as vermouth, fruit juices or wine to creams or eggs that modify the taste of the base. The third ingredient usually seeks to enhance the flavor of the base, and often adds color to the mix. The most common are grenadine or blue curacao among others. Finally, most cocktails have some type of decoration based on fruits or leaves (mint for example).
How to choose the right shaker
If there is a necessary and indispensable element in your bar equipment, it is a cocktail set, which will allow you to have a greater variety of cocktails to offer to your clients or guests and thus you can delight them. If you like to prepare drink combinations, it is understandable that sooner or later you have to buy a cocktail kit. Which to choose is a matter of aesthetics and functionality. There are many different cocktail shakers on the bartender tools market, in terms of materials we find them predominantly metal, but also glass, plastic or copper. They come in various sizes, although most of them will range between 500 and 700 milliliters. The most characteristic shape of the range of shakers is that of three bodies, which are called Manhattan, if you choose it would be a high-end acquisition that requires a lot of technique to filter the ingredients and a lot of meticulous cleaning. The two-piece shaker also called French has only one glass and lid. It is simple and inexpensive, easy to use and ideal for those who do not see cocktail making as a professional habit. On the other hand, the Boston or American type shaker is the one that genuinely has the most charm, it consists of a metal glass and a crystal glass, it does not have a strainer and therefore the preparation process is a bit more complicated. In this sense, you realize that in cocktail sets there are all kinds of utensils available for every need, thus going through ranges for beginners, intermediate ranges and higher ranges for dedicated professionals.
Benefits of having a good shaker
As mentioned above, within a good home bar accessories you cannot miss a good shaker adapted to your needs and functions. A shaker for a professional bartender is not the same as one for a person who just enjoys preparing fun and delicious drinks for guests at home and meetings, however, it is important to remember that each type of shaker has its use and function. That is why I will mention some benefits of owning a quality shaker, no matter the range to which it belongs. Having a good shaker is likely to get a faster and more precise assembly of the parts of the glass and its accessories, they are easier to clean, surely they are made of finer materials and luxury finishes, to prevent the glasses and accessories from breaking , they are reliable, easy to use and with a sophisticated aesthetic to impress anyone.
