A slight departure: Cocktails

I have a confession: I like cocktails.

I know, I'm supposed to be a beer guy; I'm supposed to represent.

Well, I like cocktails.

It seems to me a lot of people like drinking cocktails, but are bewildered by the variety of options, and especially, have no idea how to make a cocktail at home.

So, I've distilled (no pun intended) what I think is the essence of a basic knowledge of classic cocktails, and how to make them.

I think of the most basic cocktail as being the Daiquiri. Whether this is historically accurate or not, this drink for me is the basis of many other cocktails. I'm not talking about a frozen drink made in a blender, either. This is a very simple thing.

Basic Daiquiri

One shot rum (white or aged/gold/amber; not dark)
One spoonful sugar
Juice of 1/2 of a fresh lime

Shake (in a shaker with ice) and serve "up" (in a martini glass) or "on the rocks" (with ice in a short glass usually referred to as a highball glass)There are a variety of ways to make it easier to dissolve the sugar. You can use superfine or confectioners sugar; you can dissolve the sugar in some hot water first; or you can make some simple syrup ahead of time (a concentrated sugar water), and use it instead of sugar.

But this is the basic recipe. Liquor, good fresh fruit juice, and enough sugar to balance the juice. This is the concept behind a number of cocktails.

In a rum sour, substitute lemon for lime.

Rum Sour

One shot rum (white or aged/gold/amber; not dark)
One spoonful sugar (or superfine sugar or use simple syrup)
Juice of 1/2 of a fresh lemon

A "sour" can be made from almost any base liquor. To make a Whiskey Sour, substitute whiskey for the rum. Popular sours include the Whiskey Sour, Vodka Sour, Tequila Sour, even the Amaretto Sour or Midori Sour.

By altering a Tequila Sour with the addition of some Triple Sec, we have a Margarita:

Margarita

One shot tequila
One spoonful sugar
Juice of 1/2 of a fresh lemon
1/2 shot of Triple Sec (a good but expensive brand is Cointreau)
Optional: Coat rim of glass with kosher salt

By using brandy instead of tequila (and rimming the glass with sugar instead of salt), we have a Sidecar:

Sidecar

One shot brandy
One spoonful sugar
Juice of 1/2 of a fresh lemon
1/2 shot of Triple Sec (a good but expensive brand is Cointreau)
Optional: Coat rim of glass with sugar

A Rum Sidecar is made similarly, with (you guessed it), rum instead of brandy.

These are all simple drinks, which rely on fresh juice for their great refreshing flavor. There are lots of variations, especially on the Margarita and Daiquiri.

Also, if you make a sour in a tall glass and top it up with soda water, it is called a Collins. Some Collinses have special nicknames, for example, a Gin Collins is also called a Tom Collins. A Tequila Collins is also called a Pedro Collins.

Ok, that's enough for one post. More to come.