Bartending at Home? Here’s 5 Things You Should Know!
In the midst of COVID-19, we’ve all been looking for ways to entertain ourselves at home. Have no fear – Big Machine Vodka is here to help! We sat down with one of our assistant managers and bartenders, Emily, to get the inside scoop on the best practices for making drinks at home.
1.) Stock Up on the Essentials
Just getting started when it comes to making cocktails at home? Keep things simple! “You need your basic liquors like vodka, whiskey, and gin,” Emily said. If you’re local to the Nashville area, Big Machine Distillery has you covered. In addition to our platinum filtered Big Machine Vodka, we also offer our Abernathy Gin, and Clayton James Whiskey. It also helps to have a few garnishes on hand – Emily explained that you probably have a lot of these items in your kitchen already. Limes, lemons, oranges, olives, and herbs like mint or basil can make a drink a lot more visually appealing – and delicious!
2.) And Don’t Forget the Right Equipment
Once you have your ingredients, make sure you have the proper tools. Emily said to make sure you have a cocktail shaker, strainer, and cocktail spoon for your bar. You can also pick fun glasses to use when serving your cocktails.
3.) Learn the Basics
First things first, make sure you’re properly measuring your alcohol. Always attach a pour spout to the top of the bottle when pouring spirits – it’s easiest to start with a 1 oz pour. The pour spout will automatically cut off the liquid once 1 oz has been poured into the glass. Additionally, it’s also important to note that you can adjust the ingredients based on your preferences and the preferences of those you are serving. For example, if you don’t like your drinks sweet, you can reduce the amount of orange juice if a recipe calls for it. Emily also warned to not make the rookie mistake of forgetting to stir or shake the cocktail. “When you pour the different liquors into a glass, they don’t naturally mix. It’s important to shake or stir the ingredients together so that the flavors blend properly,” she said.
4.) Consider Your Menu
If you’re making drinks to complement a meal, you’ll want to keep your menu in mind. Emily said to first determine whether you are serving a lighter or heavier meal and use that to pick the cocktail you’re serving. “If you’re making something light, like a salad, you’ll want to pair that with sangria, gin and Elderflower, or even something as simple as a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry juice. For a heavier meal like BBQ chicken, you could try a Mojito or vodka lemonade,” she said.
5.) Get Creative
It’s human nature to stick with the same cocktail once you’ve found something you like. However, since we’re all spending a lot of time at home in the same routine, this is the perfect time to try something new! Emily explained that you can always look in your house and find ingredients to use in a cocktail - there are great resources like this website that will put together a recipe based on what you have in your house.
We hope this article inspires you to try your hand at making a cocktail at home! You can visit our website to see where Big Machine Vodka is sold near you. And don’t forget to tag us in your cocktail photos on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter if you give this a try!