Absinthe:
Anise flavored cordial containing wormwood now outlawed but sold in
Europe.
Age:
How long a whiskey, rum, cognac or brandy has been stored in a wooden
barrel, usually an oak barrel.
Aperitif:
A drink that stimulates the appetite.
Back:
A non-alcoholic drink or glass of beer served on the side of a shot.
Bar
Spoon: Long handled spoon with a twirled stem. Some
may have a fork on the end to gig fruit and olives. The twirled stem
is used to pour liqueurs slowly down the stem into a cordial or pousse
cafe glass in the weighted order of liqueurs, heaviest first, in order
to layer them.
Bar
Syrup: Same as simple syrup. *See "Simple Syrup"
under beverage recipes.
Base
Liquor: The main ingredient in a drink.
Bitters:
Made from bark, herbs, roots and berries that gives a bitter zest
to drinks.
Blend:
To use an electric blender to mix a drink.
Blended:
A term to denote that a whiskey or other liquor has
been blended with other barrels of like liquor but generally of different
ages.
Burning
the Well: A term used when the well (ice) must be
burned and melted at the end of the night or when broken glass is
accidently dropped in it.
Call:
(1) A brand name liquor that is step above well. (2) A term shouted
by the bartender to the waiter or waitress when ready for an order
call.
Chaser:
An alcoholic beverage served on the side of another stronger alcoholic
drink. i.e. a shot of whiskey served with a beer chaser.
Cordial:
A liqueur; a sweet bottled concoction made from berries, fruit or
herbs or a combination of those. Also denotes a mixed drink made from
one or more liqueurs and served in a cordial glass.
Dash:
A couple of drops, approximately 1/32 oz.
Dry:
A tiny amount of dry vermouth or none at all.
Bar Terminology- Dallas
Bartenders; Beverage Catering
Flag:
An orange slice with a cherry sworded through the rind.
Flame:
Drink is topped with high proof alcohol & lit with fire; generally
brandy, Bacardi 151 or grain alcohol.
Float:
To layer one ingredient on top of another or to top a drink
Frozen:
Drink is blended in mixer with ice or ice cream.
Fruit
Knife: (Bartender equipment description) A short knife
partly serrated with a double pronged end for cutting and spearing
fruit.
Garnish:
To decorate a drink with fruit or novelty item such as an umbrella.
Jigger:
(Bartender equipment description) Shot glass or double sided, stainless
steel measuring utensil for pouring an ounce and a half.
Layered:
Each liqueur is carefully poured on top of the other using the back
of a spoon, heaviest liqueurs first.
Liqueur:
Same as a cordial, sweet bottled drink made from berries, fruit or
herbs.
Long
Drink: Term used for a mixed drink not served in a
cocktail glass but a collins or similar glass.
Mist:
To pour a drink over crushed ice.
Mixer:
The non-alcoholic beverage one mixes with spirits.
Muddled:
A drink served with mashed fruit like an old fashioned.
Muddler:
(Bartender equipment description) A wooden or plastic mallet used
to smash fruit or grind sugar with bitters, etc.
Bar Terminology- Dallas
Bartenders; Beverage Catering
Neat:
Room temperature drink with no ice.
Nip:
Measurement for a little more than a jigger; 2 oz.
On
the Rocks: Served over ice.
Pony:
One ounce measurement or one ounce footed, stemmed glass.
Perfect:
Equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth added to drink & served
with a twist of lemon.
Pour
mats: (Bartender equipment description) Rubber bartender
mats that catch spilled liquids.
Pousse
Cafe: A one ounce stemmed glass. Liqueurs are layered
in the glass, one on top of the other.
Premium:
A step above call, but not top shelf.
Proof:
The alcohol content of spirits. 80 proof is 40% pure alcohol, 60 proof
is 30% and so on, therefore, grain alcohol at 195 proof is 97.5% pure
alcohol.
Rickeys:
A drink with a liquor base, the juice of 1/2 a lime
then filled with club soda.
Shake:
(1) Add ice to a shaker tin, (2) then ingredients, (3) insert the
mixing glass into the shaker tin, (4) shake, (5) remove the glass
(6) then strain from the shaker tin into a serving glass.
Shaker
glass: (Bartender equipment description) A 16 oz.
(pint bar glass) glass, that fits snugly into a shaker tin.
Shaker
tin: (Bartender equipment description) A conical shaped,
stainless steel bar utensil that allows a pint (16 oz.) bar glass
to be inserted in it so that it forms a lock that will not spill a
drop of liquid when shaken back and forth.
Short:
A drink with just a little mixer in a short glass.
Shot:
A drink served from a short, non-footed, one ounce shot glass.
Simple
Syrup: Heavy sugar water (instructions to make under
recipe pages).
Single
Malt: A term to denote that a Scotch Whisky, aged
at least 8 years, is not blended with other types of Scotch whisky.
Each is unique to its own distillery process.
Bar Terminology- Dallas
Bartenders; Beverage Catering
Speed
Opener: A bottle opener that quickly opens beer bottles.
Speed
Pourer: (Bartender equipment description) A plastic
pour spout that fits in a bottle allowing a controlled count for precise
measurement.
Speed
Rail: (Bartender equipment description) The bottle
holder, usually a thin metal rack, directly in front of the bartender
at their station that allows quick access and return of particular
well bottles without even looking.
Splash:
A small amount of mixer; 1/8 oz.
Stir:
To stir with a straw after pouring into the drinking glass.
Stir
and Strain: Term to denote the drink is prepared in
a shaker tin with ice, stirred with a bar spoon and strained into
the appropriate glass.
Straight
Up: Drink is mixed with ice and then strained into
a glass.
Strainer:
(Bartender equipment description) Flat stainless steel tool with a
coiled spring wire around it that fits over the top of the shaker
tin (mixing container) in order to strain ice into a serving glass.
Top:
Ingredient is poured on top of drink. Example: top with 151 Rum.
Top
Shelf: The highest quality spirits in the house.
Twist:
Lemon peel used to flavor rim of glass, then dropped in drink. Also
to take the lemon peel and twist it releasing the essence of the oil
over the top of the drink; the twist is then dropped into the drink.
Up:
A drink served with no ice, either neat or chilled.
Vermouth
Mister: (Bartender equipment description) A small
spray bottle that holds a few ml.s to an oz. or more of vermouth that
sprays or mists a martini with vermouth to the drinkers particular
taste.
Well:
Common bar-stocked liquors. ALSO, refers to the bin the ice is kept
in for serving drinks.
Whiskey:
American spelling.
Whisky:
Canadian spelling.
