A good beverage quenches your thirst, and provides you with a little flavorful excitement, all while taking maybe a minute or two to whip up. A great beverage, however, knocks all good beverages out of the park – it’s the drink you want to keep drinking all night, for its flavor, mouth feel, and the adventure of sensations it provides you with.
But making a great drink can be tough. If you’re off your mixing game, stick to these pointers and watch your drinks become the life of the party.
1. Keep it cool with some ice and a freezer.
An undeniable must in making the right beverage is coolness. You can’t have a warm beverage – and yes, even a “cold” drink is essentially warm unless it’s perspiring like a college athlete.
The ice needs to be impeccable in quality, as Carl Hanson says in AllRecipes.com This shouldn’t just be your run-off-the-mill freezer production – you want fresh ice, made from clean, boiled and sterile water in a cleaned-out deodorized freezer. Your ice shouldn’t take on the flavor or odor of anything else in your fridge, and it should be youthful, full of bite and a little crunch.
Next, cool your glass in the freezer. Not only does this keep the beverage cooler longer, but a cloudy cold glass continues to give off a sense of greater sophistication after it’s been served.
2. Fresh ingredients beat canned ones.
Don’t be cheap – if you’re making cocktails or even non-alcoholic drinks, you should definitely consider splurging a few more bucks for the fresh alternative.
Instead of buying carbonated water, try and get a soda machine of your own. It’s an investment, but you won’t regret it even after the party has come and gone. Homemade soda every day! If you’re sweetening your drink, carbonation is even handier, as it helps mask the sweetness and add a level of sourness, according to the Department of Medicine in Salerno University.
3. Measure, measure, measure.
Drinks aren’t to be trifled with – this isn’t the world of estimates and handfuls, unless you’ve been mixing for years and know the timing of a shot better than the back of your own hand.
You’re not making a muffin, you’re mixing a drink – and every drop counts. Use a jigger and appropriate measurements, especially when you’re experimenting. If you’re mixing for business, consider getting some liquid blending equipment to get the most accurate mixes, and your drink will be the talk of the night. Half the fun is coming up with new drink ideas – but unless you chronicle the measurements, you’ll never get the same drink twice.
