Introduction to Mixology
Cocktails have been popular for decades, although no one has ever produced a definitive explanation of how the term was originally derived. Cocktail may be described as a cunningly contrived mixture of tastes and sensations. While anyone can throw together two or three spirits, chill the resulting concoction, and put a twist of lemon on the edge, but as would-be innovators know too well, that does not necessarily create a tasty cocktail (and may even produce something that is simply undrinkable!).
Mixology or the method of making cocktails is in a way, an art form. As it is quite a challenge to find a combination of tastes and sensations that appeals to a vast majority of people and is easy to make in a consistent way. The range of cocktails known to the connoisseur is by no means as vast as one would think but nevertheless, that range certainly includes several hundred established and popular drinks and their variants.
A key aspect in mixology is something which is often neglected - presentation. To make a cocktail requires more than merely putting the ingredients together. The right equipment must be used, and the final drink must look both appealing and appetizing. This demands quite an exercise of preparations as well as the factor of expense. Most cocktails are enhanced by being served in the ‘correct’ glassware, so it pays to invest in the modest variety of glasses.
There is always room for experimentation, of course. Not everyone likes their cocktails made exactly as the ‘recipe’ states. Adaptation without spoiling the overall effect has to be the aim. Recipes remain an essential guide. The quantities and methods given in our recipes have been arrived at by popular demand and ease of preparation for the amateur mixologist.
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