Terminology, Part 1

Some cocktail recipes seem easy (pour over ice and serve). Others... what the heck does "floating" mean? Here are the most common terms you will see:

• Blending: use a blender. Countertop or hand-held will work. This is most often seen in frozen drink recipes.
• Floating: Also called "layering." This method creates different layers in a drink. Hold a spoon in a glass, and trickle the ingredient over the back of the spoon.
• Frosting: Dunk a serving cup in water and then stick in a freezer for about half an hour. (Glass frosts less effectively than metal cups.)
• Mixing: Add liquor after the ice. This will chill the liquor and reduce dilution.
• Muddling: Use a muddler, or a bar spoon, to crush herbs or fruit at the bottom of a glass.
• Shaking: This mixes ingredients well, but will give you a murkier drink. (Good for dairy and fruit drinks, for example.)
• Stirring: This mixes ingredients less completely than shaking, but will be a clearer drink, and is more appropriate with martinis, for example. If you stir a carbonated drink, don't go overboard, or you lose the carbonation.

Common terms will get you going. For less common terms, see Terminology, Part 2.

(originally posted March 4, 2012)