Glossary of bar terms

Every craft has its own words, and the bar has more than most. This glossary gathers the terms you will meet across my recipes, tutorials and histories and defines each one in plain language. Where a drink or guide shows the term in use, I point to it with a "See:" line. Measurements throughout the site appear in US ounces with metric milliliters beside them.

A

Absinthe rinse. A small pour of absinthe swirled around the inside of a chilled glass and discarded, leaving only its aroma behind. See: sazerac.

ABV. Alcohol by volume, the percentage of a liquid that is pure alcohol. A spirit at 40 percent ABV is 80 proof in the United States. See: clarified milk punch.

Acid adjusting. Adding measured citric or malic acid to a juice so it tastes as bright as lime or lemon. It lets a bar use orange or pineapple juice in a sour without the drink going flat. See: acid adjusting and house juices.

Aged spirit. A spirit that has rested in wood long enough to take color and flavor from the barrel. Whiskey, cognac and aged rum are the usual examples. See: old fashioned.

Amaro. An Italian word for a bitter herbal liqueur, usually drunk after a meal. Amari range from gently sweet to deeply bitter.

Aperitivo. A low-strength, bitter or dry drink taken before a meal to open the appetite. The word also names the hour and the habit. See: aperol spritz.

Aquafaba. The liquid from a can of chickpeas, whipped as a plant-based stand-in for egg white. It foams well and carries no egg allergen. See: the dry shake and egg white drinks.

Aromatic bitters. A concentrated tincture of spices, roots and bark, added by the dash to season a drink. Angostura is the best-known style. See: old fashioned.

B

Back. A small glass of something served beside a drink, such as a beer back with a shot or a water back with a strong cocktail.

Barspoon. A long-handled spoon used for stirring, layering and measuring. One barspoon holds roughly 5 ml, about a sixth of an ounce. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Batching. Mixing several servings of a drink ahead of time so service is fast and consistent. Batches often leave out citrus and dilution until the last moment. See: batching cocktails for a crowd.

Bitters. Any strongly flavored, usually alcoholic tincture used in small amounts to season a drink. Aromatic, orange and creole styles are the ones most bars keep. See: manhattan.

Blend. To combine a drink with ice in a blender until smooth and frozen. See: pina colada.

Boston shaker. A two-piece shaker made of a large tin and a smaller tin or glass. It is the working shaker in most professional bars. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Bruise. To crush a delicate ingredient, most often mint, hard enough that it turns bitter. The old julep rule was to keep mint nearly whole. "Bruising" gin by shaking it is a bar myth: shaking adds water and tiny bubbles to a martini, but it does not damage the spirit. See: muddling and fresh herbs.

Build. To make a drink directly in the glass it will be served in, adding ingredients one after another over ice. See: japanese highball.

C

Carbonation. Dissolved carbon dioxide, the fizz in soda, sparkling wine and force-carbonated cocktails. See: carbonation and highballs.

Chill. To cool a glass before service, either by filling it with ice and water or by keeping it in a freezer. A chilled glass keeps a drink colder for longer. See: glassware and temperature.

Clarification. Removing the cloudy solids from a drink or juice so it pours clear. Milk clarification and fine filtration are the common methods. See: clarified milk punch.

Cobbler shaker. A three-piece shaker with a built-in strainer and cap. It is tidy on a home bar and slower in a busy one. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Collins. A tall, fizzy sour built with spirit, citrus, sugar and soda, served over ice in the glass that shares its name. See: carbonation and highballs.

Cordial. A sweetened, flavored syrup, often made with citrus or fruit, that sometimes contains alcohol. Lime cordial is the best-known example.

Coupe. A shallow, rounded stemmed glass used for drinks served up. It is the house glass for most shaken and stirred cocktails without ice. See: daiquiri.

Cracked ice. Large cubes broken into irregular pieces with a spoon or mallet. It chills quickly and dilutes a little faster than whole cubes. See: ice and dilution.

Crushed ice. Ice broken to the size of gravel, used for juleps, swizzles and tiki drinks. It melts fast, so the drinks built on it are made to take dilution. See: ice and dilution.

Crusta. A nineteenth-century New Orleans sour served in a glass with a hard sugar rim and the inside lined with a band of lemon or orange peel. Many drinks writers treat it as a forerunner of the sidecar.

D

Dash. A small, quick shake of a bitters bottle. It is well under a milliliter, and the size varies with the bottle's dasher, so dashes are counted rather than measured. See: whiskey sour.

Digestivo. A drink taken after a meal, usually bitter or sweet and higher in strength than an aperitivo. Amaro is the classic choice.

Dilution. The water that joins a drink as ice melts during shaking, stirring or sitting in the glass. Managing it is most of what good technique is about. See: ice and dilution.

Dirty dump. To pour a shaken drink into the glass with the ice it was shaken on, rather than straining it onto fresh ice.

Double strain. To pour a shaken drink through the shaker's strainer and a fine mesh strainer at the same time, catching ice shards, pulp and herb fragments. Also called fine straining. See: the dry shake and egg white drinks.

Dry. Describes a drink or ingredient with little sweetness. Dry vermouth is pale and unsweetened; a dry martini carries less vermouth than a wet one. See: martini.

Dry shake. To shake a drink without ice first, so egg white or aquafaba can foam, then shake again with ice to chill. See: the dry shake and egg white drinks.

E

Egg white. The clear part of an egg, used to give sours a soft texture and a white foam cap. It must be fresh and handled with care. See: pisco sour.

Express. To squeeze a citrus peel over a drink so its oils spray across the surface. The peel is then dropped in, rested on the rim or discarded. See: oleo saccharum and citrus peels.

F

Fat-wash. To infuse a spirit with a melted fat such as butter or bacon fat, then chill and strain it so the fat is removed and its flavor stays. See: infusions and tinctures.

Fine strainer. A small conical or flat mesh strainer held under the shaker's strainer to catch fine solids. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Fizz. A shaken sour lengthened with soda and served without ice in a small glass. The gin fizz and the Ramos are the famous ones. See: carbonation and highballs.

Flame. To pass a citrus peel's oils through a lit match as they are expressed, which caramelizes the oils for a moment. It is a show more than a flavor.

Flip. A drink of spirit or fortified wine shaken with sugar and egg, giving it a rich, custard-like body. The family began in 1690s England as a hot mix of beer, spirit and sugar warmed with a hot iron, and the egg-and-spirit form that is shaken cold settled in the nineteenth century.

Float. To pour a small amount of liquid gently over the back of a spoon so it rests on top of the drink rather than mixing in. See: the-brass-lantern.

Free pour. Measuring by counting as liquid leaves a speed pourer rather than using a jigger. It is fast and takes practice to keep accurate.

Frozen. A drink blended with ice to a slushy texture. See: pina colada.

G

Garnish. The finishing element of a drink, from a citrus twist to a sprig of mint. A good garnish adds aroma or a signal of what is in the glass. See: garnishing with intent.

Grenadine. A syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar. Real grenadine is tart and ruby red; many commercial versions are neither. See: singapore sling.

H

Hard shake. A vigorous, full-body shake that chills and aerates quickly. The term is also used for a specific Japanese shaking style. See: shaking versus stirring.

Hawthorne strainer. A flat strainer with a coiled spring that fits over a shaker tin. The spring holds back ice and larger solids. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Highball. A spirit lengthened with a carbonated mixer and served over ice in a tall glass. The whisky and soda is its purest form. See: japanese highball.

Hot drink. A cocktail served warm, built with hot water, coffee or tea and usually sweetened. Serve in a glass or mug that can take the heat. See: irish coffee.

House-made. Any syrup, infusion or garnish prepared in the bar rather than bought. On this site, house preparations have their own entries in the apothecary.

I

Ice block. A large, clear piece of ice cut to fit a glass. It melts slowly and keeps a spirit-forward drink cold without washing it out. See: ice and dilution.

Infusion. Steeping a solid ingredient in a spirit or syrup so it gives up its flavor. Time, temperature and surface area set the result. See: infusions and tinctures.

J

Jigger. A small double-ended measuring cup, usually with a 1 oz / 30 ml side and a 2 oz / 60 ml side or a similar pairing. It is the honest way to measure. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Julep. A drink of spirit, sugar and mint built over crushed ice in a metal cup, swizzled until the cup frosts. The mint julep is the standard.

Julep strainer. A perforated spoon-shaped strainer that fits inside a mixing glass. It is the traditional strainer for stirred drinks. See: manhattan.

L

Layer. To pour liquids of different densities carefully over a spoon so they sit in bands rather than mix. See: irish coffee.

Lengthen. To add soda, tonic or another mixer so a drink becomes taller and lighter. See: japanese highball.

Liqueur. A spirit sweetened and flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, cream or spices. Orange liqueur, cherry liqueur and coffee liqueur each appear often in my recipes. See: sidecar.

Long drink. Any drink served in a tall glass with a mixer, lower in strength and higher in refreshment than a short drink. See: mojito.

Low-ABV. A drink whose alcohol content is well below a standard cocktail, usually because it is built on vermouth, sherry, amaro or wine rather than a spirit. See: aperol spritz.

M

Milk punch. A punch clarified with milk: the acid curdles the milk, the curds are strained out, and what remains is clear, silky and stable. See: clarified milk punch.

Mise en place. The French kitchen phrase for having everything in its place before service begins: juices squeezed, garnishes cut, tools laid out.

Mixing glass. A heavy glass vessel, often with a pouring lip, used for stirring drinks over ice. See: shaking versus stirring.

Muddle. To press fruit, herbs or sugar in the bottom of a glass or shaker with a blunt tool so they release juice and oils. Herbs need a gentle hand; citrus can take more. See: muddling and fresh herbs.

Mule. A highball of spirit, lime and ginger beer, usually served in a copper mug. The vodka version is the famous one; any base spirit works.

N

Neat. A spirit poured straight from the bottle into a glass, with no ice, water or mixer.

Nick and Nora. A small, bell-shaped stemmed glass with a narrow opening. It holds a short stirred drink neatly and keeps aromas close. See: glassware and temperature.

Nonalcoholic. A drink made without alcoholic ingredients. In US labeling, "non-alcoholic" allows trace alcohol below 0.5 percent by volume, while "alcohol-free" is reserved for products with none detectable. On this site, every recipe that can offer one carries a nonalcoholic variation in its notes. See: ingredient substitution guide.

O

Oleo-saccharum. Latin for "oily sugar": citrus peels left in sugar until the sugar draws out their oils and turns to a fragrant syrup. It is the heart of a traditional punch. See: oleo saccharum and citrus peels.

On the rocks. Served over ice in a short glass. See: old fashioned.

Orgeat. A sweet almond syrup brightened with orange flower water. It carries a tree nut allergen and appears in many tiki drinks. See: responsible service and food safety.

P

Peel. The outer colored skin of a citrus fruit, cut away from the bitter white pith. Peels carry the fruit's aromatic oils. See: oleo saccharum and citrus peels.

Perfect. A drink made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, as in a perfect Manhattan. See: manhattan.

Pony. An old bar measure, commonly given as 1 oz / 30 ml and smaller than a jigger.

Proof. A measure of alcohol content. In the United States, proof is twice the percent ABV, so 40 percent is 80 proof.

Punch. A large-format drink of spirit, citrus, sugar, water and spice, served from a bowl. It is an ancestor of the sour. See: batching cocktails for a crowd.

R

Rich syrup. A syrup made with two parts sugar to one part water, best measured by weight. It is thicker and sweeter than simple syrup and adds less dilution. See: simple rich and flavoured syrups.

Rim. A band of salt, sugar or spice pressed onto the lip of a glass. Rim half the glass so the drinker can choose. See: margarita.

Rinse. To coat the inside of a glass with a small amount of a strong-flavored liquid and discard the excess, leaving aroma without volume. See: sazerac.

Rocks glass. A short, heavy tumbler for drinks served over ice. Also called an old fashioned glass. See: negroni.

Roll. To pour a drink back and forth between two vessels over ice to chill and blend it gently. It suits drinks with tomato juice or other thick mixers.

S

Saline. A solution of salt in water, added by the drop to brighten a drink and soften bitterness. See: japanese highball.

Shake. To combine ingredients with ice in a sealed shaker and agitate hard for ten to twelve seconds. Shaking chills, dilutes and aerates. See: shaking versus stirring.

Shrub. A syrup made with fruit, sugar and vinegar, drinkable on its own with soda or used as a sour element in cocktails. See: oleo saccharum and citrus peels.

Simple syrup. Equal parts sugar and water by weight, dissolved and cooled. It is the standard sweetener for most cocktails. See: simple rich and flavoured syrups.

Sling. An old family of drinks built on spirit, sugar and water, later lengthened with soda and enriched with liqueur. See: singapore sling.

Smash. A short, muddled drink of spirit, sugar, fresh herb and often seasonal fruit, served over crushed ice. See: botanists-secret.

Sour. The widest cocktail family: spirit, citrus and sweetener in balance, with or without egg white. See: whiskey sour.

Sparkling wine. Wine with natural carbonation, used to lengthen or top a cocktail. Prosecco, cava and champagne are the usual choices. See: french 75.

Speed rail. The low shelf in front of a bartender holding the bottles used most often. Also called the well.

Spirit-forward. A drink where the base spirit leads and the modifiers support it, with no citrus and little sugar. Most are stirred. See: manhattan.

Split base. A drink built on two spirits in place of one, such as rum with mezcal, to add complexity. See: margarita.

Spritz. A wine-based long drink of aperitivo, sparkling wine and soda over ice. See: aperol spritz.

Stir. To combine ingredients with ice in a mixing glass using a barspoon, for roughly twenty to forty-five seconds, until cold and lightly diluted. Stirring keeps a drink clear and silky. See: shaking versus stirring.

Strain. To separate a finished drink from its ice and solids as it is poured. See: bar tools the essential kit.

Sugar cube. A compressed lump of sugar, often soaked with bitters and muddled in the glass for an old fashioned or a Sazerac. See: old fashioned.

Swizzle. To spin a swizzle stick or barspoon between the palms in a drink built over crushed ice, chilling it until the glass frosts. Also the family of drinks made this way. See: ice and dilution.

Syrup. Any sweetener dissolved in water, from simple syrup to honey, ginger or cinnamon syrup. See: simple rich and flavoured syrups.

T

Throw. To pour a drink in a long arc from one tin held high into another held low, over ice, repeating several times. It chills and aerates without the cloudiness of shaking.

Tincture. A strong extraction of a botanical in high-proof spirit, used by the drop or dash. Bitters are tinctures. See: infusions and tinctures.

Toddy. A hot drink of spirit, sugar, hot water and often citrus and spice.

Top. To finish a drink with a final pour of soda, tonic or sparkling wine without measuring, filling to the rim. See: carbonation and highballs.

Twist. A strip of citrus peel, expressed over the drink and then twisted or curled as a garnish. See: garnishing with intent.

U

Up. Served chilled, strained into a stemmed glass, with no ice. "Straight up" means the same. See: martini.

V

Vermouth. A fortified wine flavored with botanicals, traditionally including wormwood, in sweet, dry and blanc styles. Keep an opened bottle in the refrigerator. See: negroni.

W

Wash. To change a spirit by contact with another ingredient and then remove that ingredient, as in a fat-wash or a milk-wash. See: infusions and tinctures.

Well. The bartender's working station and its speed rail of house spirits. "Well drinks" are made with those house bottles.

Wet. A martini with a generous measure of vermouth, the opposite of dry. See: martini.

Whip shake. A short, hard shake with only a few pieces of ice, used to chill and aerate a drink that will be served over crushed ice.

Z

Zest. The thin colored layer of citrus peel, grated or shaved for its oils. Zest adds aroma without bitterness. See: garnishing with intent.

A note on measurements and safety

Every volume measure on this site is given in US ounces with milliliters beside it; dashes, barspoons and pieces are counted. Egg white, dairy, nuts and sulfites are flagged on each recipe. Drinks with raw egg or dairy should be made fresh and kept cold. See: responsible service and food safety.