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What are Cocktails Made of?

As we mentioned earlier, cocktails are – on a basic level – made with some form of liquor, sugar, and water. However, that list has expanded some as the wide world of mixology exposed us more and more to different methods and recipes.

In the more modern perspective, the building blocks of cocktails are liquor (or spirit), sweet, sour, and water. Some would argue that mixers are a part of those building blocks – However, they are not as much of an integral component to cocktails as the others are.

One of the best ways to evaluate how the components work in a “real world” scenario is to look at a couple of deconstructed cocktails.

• The Old Fashioned
  • 2 oz of Whiskey – your liquor
  • ¼ oz of Simple Syrup – your sugar
  • 3 Dashes of Bitters – your bitter
  • Ice – your water
• The Daiquiri
  • 2 oz of Rum – your liquor
  • 1 oz of Simple Syrup – your sugar
  • 1 oz Lime Juice – your sour
  • Ice – your water
• The Gin & Tonic
  • 2 oz of Gin – your liquor
  • 4 oz of Tonic Water – your mixer
  • 1 Lemon Wedge (or lime) – your sour
  • Ice – your water