Basic Cocktail Formulas

Art and Science of Mixing a Great Cocktail

Great bartenders make mixing a drink look like magic but with a few simple formulas and good measurement skills, you can make outstanding cocktails every time.

The most basic of all is the simple sour. It uses a ratio of 2 parts spirit (usually gin or vodka), 1 part sweet (simple syrup, liqueurs or other sweetened beverages), and 1 part sour (citrus fruits like lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit). Margaritas, cosmopolitans, gin gimlets and a LOT of other drinks follow this recipe. Once you know this formula you can make an infinite number of drinks by modifying the flavors and ingredients as you like.

One of my favorites is The Bee’s Knees

• 2 oz high quality gin (a good botanical like Roku or St.George)

• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water)

Measure all ingredients into your shaker, add plenty of ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe or martini style glass. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon as a float on top.

Modify the spirit, fruit juice and/or sweetener using these proportions and you can make the basil gimlet shown above (gin, lime, simple syrup, a little muddled basil and a fancy finger lime garnish), a cosmopolitan (vodka, lime, simple syrup/cranberry juice), or a top shelf margarita (tequila blanco/mezcal, lime, orange liqueur).