Making Bar-Quality Drinks at Home
Almost everyone has a favorite drink when they are out at the bar. Think of how much you spend on drinks at a bar. Then, consider how much you could save by figuring these drinks out and making them at home yourself. It starts with a little research and the right ingredients. You may even come up with a unique drink of your own.
The Liquor
The price of a bottle of liquor does not mean it is lesser quality than another. Choose the brand that you prefer for your drinks. It is important to be careful when mixing multiple types of liquor into a single drink. If you use three different types of liquor and use one shot each; that is equal to 3-ounces of liquor.
Mix liquors that complement each other. Bourbon and whiskey pair well together as do vodka and gin. Using complementing liquor flavors, your drink will have more depth of flavor.
Mixers
Mixers really make or break a drink. Choose your mixers for alcohol carefully. Clear alcohol products work best with fruit mixers. Darker options pair better with carbonated drinks such as ginger ale and colas.
A simple example of making a complete mixed drink is starting with your liquor. A cherry flavored drink can be made from a shot of amaretto, 1 ounce of fresh cherry juice and 6 ounces of cola. This tastes similar to a glass of Dr. Pepper.
Garnishes
Nothing is worse than a watered down drink from ice. Make ice cubes from your mixer flavors. This enhances your drink and adds flavor to it at the same time. You can freeze cubes of coffee and cola for bold drinks. When freezing cubes of fruit juice, consider adding citrus zest, finely minced fresh mint or a small piece of fruit into the cube just for visual appeal.
Get creative when making drinks at home. Take a popular drink and enhance it, make it your own. A fun party idea is a Bloody Mary party where guests can have multiple garnish options such as bacon, shrimp or even lobster. Make things interesting and have a custom drink making contest and have the guests judge which they like best. This livens up the party a bit and makes your home the hotspot for friends to gather at.
