Cocktail Preparation 101
The key to putting together a great tasting CBD infused cocktail, or any cocktail, is balance. Without a well-balanced drink, you’ll end up with something that is too bitter, sweet or sour. A well-made drink will leave the drinker wanting more.
A cocktail is made up with a 1:1:3 ratio. That translates into 1-part alcohol to 1-part flavor/sweetness/tartness to 3-parts mixer/water. When a drink is shaken with ice, 1 ounce of water will be imparted into the beverage you are creating. When balancing a drink, you want to take these four aspects into consideration: acidity, sweetness, bitterness and alcohol. You need to layer flavors so that you enhance the core ingredient; alcohol.
Good Cocktail Practices
1. Measure your ingredients. Free pouring looks cool but think of your drink the same way you would follow a sourdough bread recipe. Consistency goes a long way!
2. Use good ice. Good quality ice dilutes at a slower rate because of its purity and hardness. Kitchen cubes always work in a pinch, but size of ice will impact dilution and flavor.
3. Fresh citrus in shaken cocktails makes a huge difference. If you are making something with only three ingredients, like a daiquiri, splurge on fresh limes, and save money on the rum!
4. Use your senses when making drinks. Feel your glass when you’re stirring an Old Fashioned to gauge dilution. You can also see your whiskey start to cloud and become more viscous. Noticing and learning these sensory cues takes a lot of the guesswork out of bartending.
5. Have fun with it. If you like peach schnapps, don’t feel like you should have to choke down a Negroni. Trial and error are the best way I learned.
Have fun!
Greg – Co-founder and Chief Research Chef