Cocktail jargon explained

Given the huge wave of popularity they are enjoying, it’s hard to believe that cocktails were ever out of fashion. Admittedly, over-the-top Club Tropicana-style concoctions, complete with garish paper umbrellas and pineapple slices, are never going to rush back into vogue, but elegant, timeless classics and simple, fresh, modern inventions couldn’t be more desirable.

It’s mainly thanks to a new breed of cocktail bars – and their tenders. Known as ‘mixologists’, the cool, hip shakers and stirrers of the 21st century have made sure cocktails are as essential now as they were in the 1920s. You don’t need a degree in chemistry and a cabinet full of equipment to get going with a few simple recipes, and it’s wonderfully impressive to whip up a few alfresco cocktails for friends. Do it with panache and create a show out of the process.

Just try to get the balance right, blending sweet and sour, spirit and iced water to perfection. Start by throwing together some of the easiest vodka cocktails: a Sea Breeze, made with cranberry juice and grapefruit juice; and a Cosmopolitan, with Cointreau, lime juice and cranberry juice – both shaken and strained into jugs. Or try tequila for beginners with a Margarita – tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice, served in salt-rimmed glasses.

COCKTAIL JARGON EXPLAINED

• DASH A small amount of liquid – only a few drops – tossed into the mix.
• SPLASH A larger dash! More like a tablespoonful.
• MUDDLE Mushing up ingredients such as fruit, mint or sugar in the bottom of a glass with a pestle or the end of a small rolling pin.
• SHAKE Using a cocktail shaker with ice cubes will mix, chill and dilute the drink. Use a clean, sealable jar if you haven’t got a shaker. Shake for about 10 seconds.
• STRAIN The top of the shaker has a strainer in it so that ice, pith and pips don’t get into the drink. Use a tea strainer if you don’t have a shaker.
• STIR Instead of shaking, you can stir cocktail ingredients in the cocktail shaker or in a jug. Whether to stir or shake is controversial, as James Bond can testify. Stirring is recommended for simple blends such as the classic martini, where a smooth, silky texture is required. Fruity, frivolous drinks are often better shaken for a slightly frothy, aerated effect. But it’s really up to you.
• GLASSES The classic upside-down cone shape is the ‘martini’ glass. Use it for small cocktails and turn to a ‘highball’ – a tall, straight-sided glass – for longer drinks. I use small white wine glasses for cocktails sometimes; again, you can use whatever you like.
• SUGAR SYRUP Also known as simple syrup, this is just a basic sugar solution. You can buy it ready-made, or just shake up equal measures of caster sugar and water until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Leave it to settle for a few minutes, then shake hard again. Stick it in the fridge and use within a month.
• ICE Most recipes call for either ice cubes (often just used in the shaker, then discarded) or chipped/crushed ice (put the cubes in a plastic bag and whack with a rolling pin if you don’t have an ice crusher!). Make ice cubes from bottled water if you can, as tap water can smell and taste of chemicals.
• DECORATION Use your imagination: pick small sprigs of fruit (blackcurrants or redcurrants) or individual berries such as raspberries or blueberries, and try using them frozen. Try flowers – tiny sprigs or individual petals (washed before use). You can also decorate a glass with citrus slices, lemon or lime, or unpeeled white peach slices. Stirring summer cocktails with lemongrass stalks or cinnamon sticks is a lovely idea.