The Making of a Mixologist

The art of great cocktail mixing is a fine one. There's a hell of a lot more to it that just pouring a whole load of different types of alcohol into a container, giving it a good shake or stir and pouring it into a glass. And this is a fact that many of us have been reminded of when we have tried to do DIY cocktail mixing.


So if you aspire to be a good or perhaps one day great mixologist, how does one go about this anyway? Well best see what the Master Mixologist has to say one this one.

What are the basics of mixology you need to master?

You need a sharp palate and need to be able to identify different drink categories. You can develop a good palate by trying every spirit that's out there, so that you can learn what works with what and most importantly why. Knowledge is key. And it doesn't stop with just spirits.  You need to know your ingredients and the better you know them, the better you will be able to balance them and so the end result will be better. 


As with cooking, if you just blindly follow a recipe it's never going to taste that great. But once you have the knowledge and understand how to balance things - for example say the balance of sugar and alcohol in a Passionfruit Martini - then just like in cuisine after making something say for 10 or more times, you start to make your own tweaks which gives you a better result.

  

So what know other areas of knowledge are essential and why? 

Things like measurements, when to shake and when to stir, straining, the importance of ice and it's different uses, fruit combinations and herbs and spices in cocktails, and what tools to use when. It is these things where all tasty drinks come from and without knowledge of these things, you won't be able to fix good drinks. 

So give us an example then - say on straining for instance. What do you need to know there? 

Well although most people like to do the double strain, actually single straining is best for certain drinks so that you can retain the fresh fiber pulp which gives the drink it's fresh bite. It's knowing the difference between which technique is best used when. 

So what  are the 3 things you need to look out for when learning the art of mixology? 

Taste - which we already talked about quite a bit above. Showmanship - because mixology is part showmanship and presentation - because presentation is an important part of drinking because not only do different presentation options give a different aesthetic to the cocktail, but can also enhance the flavour in different ways.

So back on the knowledge front, exactly what level of alcohol knowledge does someone wanting to learn the art of mixology need then?

Good enough that if you were to do a blind tasting you could differentiate between base spirits like Gin, Vodka, Rum, Bourbon, Brandy and Scotch.

So it seems knowledge and experience are the things you need to become a good mixologist. But how can  a good mixologist become a great mixologist?

By having the passion to make and create new drinks which taste really great and can even blow your mind.

Photography courtesy of Elaine Ng