I fell in love with bartending in London, aged 21, working in pubs and nightclubs, but it wasn’t until I joined the team at New York’s Milk & Honey that I really knew it was the career for me. We focused on classic cocktails, made excellently, delivered with grace, and our tight-knit team were dedicated to the cause.
Sasha Petraske, the founder of Milk & Honey, and who tragically died in 2015, became my mentor, and I am forever grateful for the passion and determination he instilled in me. In 2011 he partnered with me on The Everleigh, in Melbourne’s Fitzroy. After 14 incredible years, we’ve now closed The Everleigh, although we continue to influence Victorian bar culture at Heartbreaker in the CBD, and by supplying Melbourne’s best bars and restaurants with hand-cut ice from Navy Strength Ice Co.
What we’ve learned in almost two decades of mastering our craft is that most bartending techniques can be done with a handful of simple tools – but the one thing you should never scrimp on is the ingredients.
Here are our 10 tips for making quality drinks at home.
Bartending tools worth investing in include a 28oz weighted shaker (your big tin) and an 18oz weighted shaker (your little tin). But the good news is most of the essential items are ones you likely already own. A chilled pint glass can be used as a mixing glass for stirred drinks, such as a martini or manhattan, and we love a plastic chopstick to stir. There’s really no need to splash out, unless you want to!
2. Big ice makes a big difference
Ice has an important job to do: to chill the drink to the perfect temperature. But if the ice melts too much it will dilute the drink more than we’d like. Bigger rocks of ice cool drinks quicker and dilute them more slowly due to their larger surface area and greater density. It’s worth buying large silicone block moulds and freezing your own, far from any bolognese sauces or food that may transfer odours, or alternatively fill and freeze a large rectangular stainless pan and chip away any cloudy, impure ice leaving a clear block in the centre.
3. Add the cheapest ingredients first
The best bartenders can hold a great conversation while making drinks but it’s a skill to be honed, and even the most experienced will make mistakes. Our rule of thumb is to build drinks by adding ingredients from cheapest to most expensive. That way, if you make a mistake early you’re not wasting good whisky.
4. Work fast, jigger slow
Making drinks is swift business but you’ll notice the best bartenders go into slow-mo when jiggering. Jiggering refers to measuring out your liquids – the only way to guarantee consistency when making cocktails. Always slow down and take the time to measure properly and precisely, and never over the tin, should you overspill. Then pour measures slowly into the tin or mixing glass to avoid them splashing out. Consider your posture – stand on two flat feet and make sure to keep the jigger flat while you pour to the exact line. Perfectly balanced drinks require precision.
5. Taste before you shake
Taste all the ingredients in the mixing glass or tin before you add the ice and do the hard yards. With a bit of practice you can identify if the mix is off balance or missing something, meaning you can correct it, or start afresh and save yourself the embarrassment of serving up a daiquiri with no lime juice.
6. Take that first sip while it’s ‘alive’
As Petraske used to say: “The drink is at its best as soon as it has been made, when the air bubbles and ice chips are still swimming on the surface.” Get it to your guest without delay or, if you’re the recipient, don’t stop to admire it too long – take that first sip while it’s alive and ice-cold.
7. You don’t need to shake a martini
Generally speaking, if you’re making a translucent drink, stir it. If it’s a cloudy drink – with fresh citrus or cream, for example – shake it. Shaking creates a lighter, lively, more aerated drink, designed to be enjoyed somewhat swiftly, while stirring delivers a weightier style that’s perfect for slow sipping. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, and if you want to channel James Bond, we won’t be the ones to stop you!
8. Keep it ice-cold
If you’re serious about making a delicious drink, make room in the freezer. Your glassware, mixing glass and, where the martini is concerned, gin or vodka, should be nice and frosty before you begin. Don’t forget to keep vermouth in the fridge after opening (for up to one month). It’s fortified and will expire quickly if kept on the shelf.
9. Always choose quality ingredients
Freshly pressed citrus juice has abundant flavour and the right amount of zing but old juice tastes dull and soapy. Not the way anyone wants their margaritas. If you’re hosting a big do, juice your citrus no more than a few hours before the guests arrive. Choose quality liquor too – there’s no hiding cheap tequila.
10. Give yourself permission to experiment
When making drinks with few ingredients, every drop counts. Don’t be afraid to add salt or hot sauce to transform a drink into something more savoury. By adding a few dashes of absinthe to a negroni, for example, you’ll have a dry and spicy finish for the famously bittersweet aperitivo. Or add ripe seasonal fruits to sours or a collins for a fun and colourful twist.
