Beginner Bartender
Our Bartending Blueprint will help you fake it til you make it.
Hardest Cocktails to Make
Some cocktails are ridiculously simple to make. A Cuba Libre (rum and Coke) is so widespread in large part because of the ease of preparing it. While these simple cocktails have their place, the increased effort involved in making more complex cocktails is usually worth it. At the same time, there are also some drinks that may seem easy or simple, but are actually some of the hardest cocktails to make. It's not enough to follow a recipe with these cocktails: they can only be conquered through frequent practice.
Joseph D. N. KendrickPublished 5 years ago in Proof10 Best Thanksgiving Cocktails to Try this Weekend
I remember the last time I had a Thanksgiving dinner go awry. My mom made the vital mistake of taking the frozen-solid turkey out Thanksgiving morning. It was clear that we weren't going to be able to get the delicious turkey dinner that we had so hoped for.
Sasha KonikovoPublished 5 years ago in Proof10 Cocktail Recipes for Gin Lovers
When my grandma was in college her nickname was 'Giny' because she drank so much gin. Which is good news for me, because if my grandma used to drink like a fish once... then it must be okay to enjoy being young.
How to Measure a Shot Without a Shot Glass
When I first started drinking, I bought a bartending book so I could learn how to mix drinks. It was very effective at teaching me great wine cocktails as well as a number of my favorite low-calorie vodka cocktails. It also gave me awesome bartending tips to help me up my mixology game.
Iggy PaulsenPublished 6 years ago in ProofHow to Make Your Own Cucumber Vodka
Stores often like to hype up the prices of their flavored vodka, as if infusing your alcohol were somehow difficult. There’s no need to pay extra for cucumber vodka though, as you can make it on your own. It’s actually shockingly easy, and the result is something that you could happily serve over ice, or use to make a wide range of refreshing drinks like Moscow Mules, Bloody Marys, or Negronis. In fact, it’s no more difficult than infusing water, and follows just the same principles—though there are a few differences. Once you know how to infuse vodka, you can do it with a range of flavors, including berries, fruits, and even peppers (ew, I know, but it’s a thing).
Nicola P. YoungPublished 6 years ago in ProofHow to Make Delicious Punch That Everyone at Your Party Will Love
I love making cocktails for my friends, but things can get a little out of hand at birthday parties and other large gatherings. Between measuring and pouring ingredients, slicing limes and lemons, getting ice, cleaning out the shaker, and everything else that goes into running even a small home bar, it is all too easy to let bartending obligations overtake the fact that I actually want to spend time hanging out with my friends! When you have a dozen people, all of whom will be having at least two or three drinks, take my advice and skip the made-to-order cocktails by making a delicious punch instead. You can make it ahead of time, it is just as delicious and impressive as a single serving cocktail, and there's even some interesting history that you can use as a conversation starter!
Joseph D. N. KendrickPublished 6 years ago in Proof- Top Story - September 2018
How to Make Homemade Amaretto
Amaretto is a classic Italian dessert liqueur that tastes phenomenally good when mixed with coffee or just on its own. Its deliciously nutty-spicy taste makes it a favorite for chocolate pairings, not to mention delicious dessert cocktails, too.
Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 6 years ago in Proof The 10 Best Gins of 2018
Gin is a liquor that is oftentimes under appreciated, misunderstood, and downright disrespected among social drinkers from all walks of life. Perhaps the most cultured of all the spirits, this drink has an expansive history dating back to the 17th century, and even earlier on some accounts. Originally utilized as a medication, it was augmented with juniper berries to not only increase its health benefits, but also its palatability. Ever since, innovators and mixologists alike have flocked to the possibilities that gin offers purveyors of taste. Indeed, the best gins today are almost all derivatives of a "cultured" growth, regardless of its sketchy history with the sailors, wretches, and prostitutes of the English docks. This growth has yielded itself to the evolution of versatility, making premium gins a staple in eloquently prepared classic cocktails, as well as simple after-dinner drinks. With such a range of possibilities, its hard to snuff gin as a top contender among other liquors; and if you're already well-versed in the language of gin, you know you want to be making sure your drinking the best gin you possibly can be whenever you are drinking.
Ryan WhitakerPublished 6 years ago in Proof8 Great Classic Cocktails
Planning a party? These eight drinks cover all five of the major liquors and all the classics with a couple new twists here and there. Here we go:
Auckland MartensPublished 6 years ago in ProofBartending Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know
In any party, or in any club, there's one person that always seems to make people smile: the bartender. Bartenders are the kind, patient people who serve up amazing drinks, give you a good ear to listen to, and also offer you a smile when they serve you.
Rowan MarleyPublished 6 years ago in ProofDelicious Gin Cocktail Recipes Everyone Should Know
You never want to be the person at the party who doesn’t know how to make a tasty and refreshing cocktail. Nor do you want to be the entry level bartender who has no knowledge of cocktail mixing whatsoever. With drinking comes responsibility and with creating drinks comes knowledge. When it comes to gin, there are endless possibilities of gin cocktail recipes that you can follow, should memorize for your next party or for the next time you go out and tips for making classic drinks.
Lynne ShumakerPublished 6 years ago in ProofClassic Tequila Cocktail Recipes Everyone Should Know
Tequila is one of my all-time favorite spirits. It enjoys immense popularity across North America, but I think its strengths are underutilized in the United States. North of the border, tequila is best known for the Margarita, which is delicious, but almost never properly executed. There are a couple other popular tequila drinks like the Tequila Sunrise or (shudder) tequila shots, but these fail to take advantage of the spirit's true potential.
Joseph D. N. KendrickPublished 6 years ago in Proof