Cocktails caseros: lo básico —trucos sencillos, errores que hay que evitar y consejos de los expertos—
There’s always a reason to love glamming up and going out - taking in the sights of a city, mingling with friends old and new, and being in the heart of the action.
However, there are some nights we’d all rather just stay in. And on those nights where we swap stilettos for slippers, partying for pyjamas and nightlife for Netflix, we still deserve to enjoy our favourite drinks the proper way.
Many might think that a homemade cocktail will always be second best to what they’re crafting in the clubs and cocktail bars. But that doesn’t have to be the case. We went right to the experts - the people who work in the hottest bars, have singlehandedly curated cocktail lists and drink menus, and are there, in person and in control of what the trendsetters and seekers are drinking, doing and dining on.
What we wanted to know was simple: how do we level up our home bar experience? And the answers didn’t disappoint…
Meet our expert: Charlotte Barker
Charlotte has worked in the hospitality industry for over 14 years, and is currently one of Diageo’s whisky specialists.
Her adventures in the world of mixology and nightlife have included running the whisky bar at Milroy’s of Spitalfields, where she curated a menu of 1000 whiskies (which she still maintains is not enough). While working there, in the pulsing heart of an iconic London venue, she worked with The Mixing Class to provide spirits courses for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).
And here, she shares some of the invaluable information and insight mastered over the years. Over to Charlotte…
Charlotte’s home bartending tips and tricks
‘Making the transition from home bartender to professional one is certainly a big step - turning a hobby into a labour of love that in turns allows you to expand your horizons of creativity and flavour. As someone who has followed that path, then reversed it, there are a few tips and tricks I’ve kept that can shorten the time between making and getting a delicious cocktail in your hand.
KISS
No, not the legendary rock band with a penchant for face paint - KISS stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid! There’s such glittering attraction in following fads, trends, or cool things the team at your favourite neighbourhood bar are doing. But there’s a good amount of preparation, knowledge, and often special equipment for some of these techniques. This is not to dissuade you from branching out, but think of it like cooking - you wouldn’t create a beef wellington every night, sometimes a burger’s pretty great too. Streamline what you’re making by keeping to citrus juice, sweeteners, and spirits. You can still make exceptionally tasty drinks with the basics - and once you’ve mastered your own recipes or got the balance just right, then you can start experimenting and innovating.
Don’t Blame Your Tools
It may seem like you need a complete and shiny set up for your home bar, but I promise that’s not the case. Anything can be used in a pinch. Want to shake a cocktail? An old jam jar. Measure out liquids? Use spoons or get nerdy with scales. Strain out your masterpiece? A big sieve is not just for rice. Even coming down to glassware, your creations will be just as delicious in a tea cup as a coupe. Even the fabled bartender Gaz Regan would forgo mixing spoons to stir a Negroni with his finger. I think it adds to the flavour. (Please, clean hands only if you’re serving to other guests. That’s not a pro tip, that’s just politeness).
Do you have your favourite drink but it’s starting to get a bit samey? Any bartender worth their salt can create a ’twist’ on a classic, and I promise you can too.
As an example here’s a recipe for my favourite Rhubarb Sour:
40ml The Singleton 12 year old
15ml rhubarb liqueur
15ml lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
To make: combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake hard, and strain into your favourite coupe or glass.
It’s absolutely delectable, but I couldn’t have it every night. We can play with the ingredients, whilst keeping the bones the same for easy flavour experimenting. If you swap one thing at a time the number of variations you can make are limitless!
To put this into practice, first, we could look at the sweetener. My go-to recipe uses sugar syrup. But could honey work with this? Could a flavoured syrup like almond add a different dimension to a tried and tested tipple? The answer is a resounding yes - and that’s the beauty of home bartending. Perfect a recipe - then play around. You might just find you can improve on perfection, after all.
Secondly - and this is a big one - look at the citrus. While most cocktails will always use some form of citrus - it balances sweet or overpowering flavours - do you have to rigorously stick with lemon or lime juice? Consider grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, or even rhubarb juice itself.
It might not be the standard, but it sure might help stand out. And isn’t that what you’re hoping for with your own homemade, bespoke drinks?
Last, and of course not least, the easiest playaround is the liqueur. I love apricot, fig, raspberry, or blackcurrant here. Is there something sitting at the back of the cabinet that would work?
Then finally the spirit. You can change it up altogether, or consider infusing what you already know and love (in my case, The Singleton) with flavour - spirits are one of the best things to modify and explore. Infuse something like your go to whisky with tea, toasted nuts, fresh or dried fruit, or even dried flowers!
Let me put it this way: a recipe should feel like a 'This is truly bartender’s number one secret, don’t tell them I told you…’
Y, por último, 5 consejos rápidos de los expertos
Tras hablar con Charlotte y sus amigos del sector, terminamos con cinco consejos rápidos que deberías grabarte bien en la memoria para convertirte en todo un experto a la hora de servir y recibir invitados en casa, siempre.
Usar hielo aguado es un error muy común; es un ingrediente clave en todos los cócteles y puede estropear una bebida al diluirla en exceso
Si los mililitros y las onzas te confunden, prepara tus recetas por partes para conseguir un resultado equilibrado: no es una ciencia exacta y las cosas siempre pueden variar, pero la base de muchas bebidas sigue la proporción de 2 partes de licor, 1 parte de dulce y 1 parte de cítrico o ácido
¿No consigues suficiente espuma en tu whisky sour o en tu espresso martini? Introduce un resorte de un colador y se formará una espuma estupenda.
Para fiestas más grandes y reuniones sociales, prepara los cócteles por adelantado para poder servir la cantidad total. Ahorras mucho tiempo y no se sacrifica el sabor; solo asegúrate de mantener las proporciones correctas y de añadir hielo o agua a las bebidas que normalmente agitarías.
No escatimes en el licor: es la base principal del sabor, así que cuanto mejor sea, mejor sabrá la bebida.
A little something to get you started
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