Guides

Guides on cocktail history, spirits, techniques and home bar setup from CocktailLexicon.

A good mocktail is not a cocktail with the spirit left out. How to replace what alcohol does and build alcohol-free drinks with real depth.

What gin, vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey and brandy taste like, which styles matter and which classic cocktails each one carries.

A good home bar grows one bottle at a time. Here is a sensible order to buy in, and the classic drinks each step makes possible.

Every common cocktail glass, from coupe to copper mug, with what it does and which drinks belong in it.

Five syrups cover most cocktail recipes. Here is how to make each one at home, how long they keep and where to use them.

The method decides how cold, diluted and textured a drink is. Here is when and how to shake, stir, build, muddle, layer and blend.

Fresh citrus is the single biggest upgrade for home cocktails. How to squeeze it, store it and pair lime, lemon and other juices.

From colonial punch bowls to today's craft bars: how the cocktail got its name, its rules and its most famous recipes.

About ten tools cover almost every cocktail. Here is what each one does, what to buy first and how to improvise without it.

Many classics carry the label IBA official cocktail. What the International Bartenders Association is and what its list does and does not mean.

Ice chills, dilutes and shapes every drink. Which ice to use when, how to make clear ice at home and how much you really need.

The modifiers that season a cocktail: orange liqueur, vermouth, bitter aperitifs and classic liqueurs, plus how to keep them fresh.

Small differences matter in small drinks. How to convert oz and ml, the basic ratios behind the classics and how to rebalance a drink.

In a highball the mixer fills most of the glass. What separates tonic, soda, ginger beer and cola, and how to keep drinks fizzy.