Sips & Synopsis

• This Weeks Makings

• Trivia Question

• Drink of the Week - Daiquiri

• Why Simple Drinks are Harder to get Right

• Bonus Cocktails

• Mocktail Moment - Citrus Spritz

This Weeks Makings.

We often assume complicated cocktails are harder to make. More ingredients. More steps. More opportunity for mistakes.

In reality, simple drinks are far less forgiving.

This week we are exploring why cocktails with just a few ingredients demand more precision, what professional bartenders pay attention to when building them, and how doing less can actually make your drinks better.

In this issue:

• Why simplicity exposes mistakes

• What bartenders look for in classic drinks

• A drink of the week that tests technique

• Bonus cocktails that reward restraint

• A zero proof drink built on balance

Trivia Question❓

What was the original definition of a cocktail in the early 1800s?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Daiquiri

A three ingredient cocktail that reveals everything about technique.

Ingredients
2 oz white rum
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.75 oz simple syrup

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice.

2. Shake until well chilled.

3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Why it matters
With no modifiers or bitters to soften the edges, balance and temperature do all the work. When a Daiquiri is right, it is effortless. When it is wrong, you know immediately.

Why Simple Drinks Are Harder to Get Right

When you only use two or three ingredients, every choice matters.

There is no place to hide. Too much sweetness is immediately obvious. Too little dilution feels sharp. Warm glassware dulls flavor. Poor ice melts too fast. With simple drinks, each variable carries more weight.

This is why bartenders often judge skill based on classics like the Daiquiri, Martini, or Old Fashioned. These drinks are not about creativity. They are about temperature, balance, dilution, and timing.

Professionals focus on fundamentals first:

• Is everything properly chilled

• Is the dilution correct

• Is the balance right before garnish

At home, it is tempting to fix a drink by adding more ingredients. Bartenders do the opposite. They slow down and adjust technique instead.

Once you get the basics right, simple drinks become cleaner, brighter, and more satisfying than complicated ones.

Helpful tools that support simplicity:

• Precision jigger for consistent measuring

• Mixing glass with spout for control

• Bar spoon designed for proper dilution

Bonus Cocktails

Gimlet

Clean, crisp, and unforgiving.

Ingredients
2 oz gin
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.75 oz simple syrup

Directions
Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.

Why it works
Fresh citrus and proper dilution are non-negotiable. This drink exposes shortcuts instantly.

Old Fashioned

Simple does not mean basic.

Ingredients
2 oz bourbon or rye
0.25 oz rich simple syrup
2 to 3 dashes aromatic bitters

Directions
Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled and properly diluted. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with expressed orange peel.

Why it works
Patience and restraint create balance. Rushing this drink throws everything off.

Mocktail or Zero Proof Option

Citrus Spritz

A zero proof drink built on balance, not sweetness.

Ingredients
3 oz chilled sparkling water
1.5 oz fresh orange juice
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.25 oz simple syrup

Directions
Build in a chilled glass over ice. Stir gently and garnish with a citrus peel.