Bar Glossary & Glassware

Glassware

Every recipe card shows its glass. You don’t need all of these: a coupe, a rocks glass, and a highball cover most drinks.

• Coupe

  Wide, shallow stemmed glass for shaken or stirred drinks served up (no ice). Harder to spill than a martini glass.

• Rocks glass

  Short, heavy tumbler for drinks over ice, especially one big cube (old fashioned, negroni).

• Highball

  Tall glass for spirit + mixer drinks over ice (gin & tonic, paloma).

• Collins

  Taller, narrower cousin of the highball for fizzy sours and mojitos.

• Martini glass

  The V-shaped classic for martinis and cosmos. Chill it first.

• Nick & Nora

  Small, bell-shaped stemmed glass for stirred drinks served up; elegant and spill-resistant.

• Flute

  Tall, narrow stemmed glass that keeps sparkling drinks bubbly longer.

• Wine glass

  Big bowl for spritzes and sangria over ice; the aromas collect beautifully.

• Copper mug

  The mule mug: keeps drinks icy cold. Choose lined mugs for acidic drinks.

• Hurricane

  Curvy tall glass for tropical and frozen drinks.

• Margarita glass

  Wide-rimmed stepped glass made for a salt rim. A rocks glass works just as well.

• Glass mug

  Heat-proof stemmed glass mug for hot drinks: Irish coffee, toddies, mulled cider.

• Punch bowl

  Large bowl with a ladle for serving a crowd; add one big block of ice so it melts slowly.

• Pitcher

  For batched drinks; stir the batch before each pour, since citrus settles.

Techniques

Build

Pour the ingredients straight into the serving glass over ice. No shaker needed.

Dilution

The water melted ice adds while you shake or stir, about 20–25%. Batched drinks need it added as cold water.Learn more →

Double strain

Pour through the shaker strainer and a fine tea strainer to catch ice chips and pulp.

Dry shake

Shake egg white or aquafaba drinks without ice first, then again with ice, for a thick foam.

Express a peel

Squeeze a strip of citrus peel, skin-side down, over the drink to mist its oils on top.

Muddle

Press fruit or herbs gently in the shaker to release juice and oils. Press, don’t pulverize mint.

Rim a glass

Run a citrus wedge around the outer edge, then dip in sugar or salt. Rim only half so guests can choose.Learn more →

Shake

Shake hard with plenty of ice for 10–12 seconds to chill, dilute, and aerate. Always shake drinks with citrus, cream, or egg.

Stir

Stir with ice for 20–30 seconds for spirit-only drinks; keeps them silky and clear.

Top with

Fill the rest of the glass with the sparkling ingredient last, gently, so it keeps its fizz.

Spirits

Apple brandy≈ 40% ABV

Brandy distilled from apples (applejack, calvados); pure autumn in a glass.Learn more →

Blanco tequila≈ 40% ABV

Unaged 100% agave tequila: bright, peppery, and vegetal. Check the label says 100% agave.Learn more →

Bourbon≈ 45% ABV

American whiskey made mostly from corn and aged in new charred oak: sweet, vanilla, caramel.Learn more →

Brandy / cognac≈ 40% ABV

Spirit distilled from wine and aged in oak; rich, fruity, warming.

Dark rum≈ 40% ABV

Aged, richer rum with molasses, toffee, and baking-spice notes.

Gin≈ 40% ABV

A neutral spirit flavored with juniper and botanicals. London dry is the crisp, all-purpose style.Learn more →

Irish whiskey≈ 40% ABV

Smooth, light, usually unpeated whiskey; the classic choice for Irish coffee.

Mezcal≈ 42% ABV

An agave spirit whose agave is roasted in earth pits, giving a smoky edge. A little goes a long way.Learn more →

Reposado tequila≈ 40% ABV

Tequila rested in oak for 2–12 months; softer, with vanilla and caramel notes.Learn more →

Rye whiskey≈ 45% ABV

Whiskey with a high rye grain bill; spicier and drier than bourbon.Learn more →

Scotch whisky≈ 40% ABV

Whisky from Scotland. Blended scotch is smooth and mixable; smoky Islay single malts are used by the splash, as a float.

Spiced rum≈ 35% ABV

Rum flavored with vanilla and warm spices; easy in cider and cola drinks.

Vanilla vodka≈ 35% ABV

Vodka infused with vanilla; rounds out creamy and dessert-style drinks.Learn more →

Vodka≈ 40% ABV

A clean, neutral spirit that lets fruit, juice, and spice do the talking.Learn more →

White rum≈ 40% ABV

Light, lightly aged rum; the base of daiquiris and mojitos.

Liqueurs & Aperitifs

Amaretto≈ 24% ABV

Sweet Italian almond-apricot liqueur.

Aperitivo bitter (orange)≈ 11% ABV

Light, bittersweet orange aperitivo (Aperol style), made for spritzes.

Blue curaçao≈ 25% ABV

Orange liqueur dyed bright blue; purely for color and a little sweetness.

Chocolate liqueur≈ 20% ABV

Crème de cacao–style liqueur; dessert drinks and chocolate martinis.

Cinnamon whisky≈ 33% ABV

Sweet cinnamon-candy flavored whisky liqueur (Fireball style).

Coconut rum≈ 21% ABV

Sweet, low-proof coconut-flavored rum liqueur (Malibu style).

Coffee liqueur≈ 20% ABV

Sweet liqueur made with coffee and sugar; the backbone of the espresso martini.

Crème de cassis≈ 16% ABV

Blackcurrant liqueur; a splash turns sparkling wine into a Kir Royale.

Dry vermouth≈ 17% ABV

Pale, dry, herbal fortified wine; the other half of a martini. Refrigerate after opening.

Elderflower liqueur≈ 20% ABV

Floral, lychee-like liqueur made from elderflowers (St-Germain is the best known).

Irish cream≈ 17% ABV

Cream liqueur made with Irish whiskey and cocoa. Keep it refrigerated once opened.

Limoncello≈ 28% ABV

Sweet Italian lemon-peel liqueur; serve it ice-cold.

Maraschino liqueur≈ 32% ABV

Clear, funky cherry-pit liqueur; used by the barspoon in classics like the Aviation.

Orange liqueur≈ 40% ABV

Triple sec–style orange liqueur (Cointreau is the benchmark). Sweetens and adds bright orange.

Peach schnapps≈ 20% ABV

Sweet, juicy peach liqueur.

Peppermint schnapps≈ 24% ABV

Clear, sweet mint liqueur; a splash turns hot chocolate into a candy cane.

Red bitter liqueur≈ 25% ABV

Intensely bitter, ruby-red Italian aperitivo (Campari style).

Sweet vermouth≈ 16% ABV

Red, spiced, fortified wine. Refrigerate after opening; it oxidizes like wine.

Wine & Bubbles

Champagne / dry sparkling wine≈ 12% ABV

Dry, fine-bubbled sparkling wine. Any brut cava or crémant works in cocktails.Learn more →

Hard cider≈ 5.5% ABV

Fermented, alcoholic apple cider; dry styles mix best.

Prosecco≈ 11% ABV

Italian sparkling wine: fruity, light, and affordable. "Brut" is the drier style.Learn more →

Red wine≈ 13.5% ABV

A fruity, soft, inexpensive red (Garnacha, Merlot) is best for sangria and mulled wine.

Rosé wine≈ 12% ABV

Dry pink wine; Provence-style rosé is crisp and pale, perfect for spritzes.

White wine≈ 12% ABV

A crisp, dry white (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio) for spritzers and white sangria.

Zero-Proof Bottles

Non-alcoholic bitter aperitifzero-proof

A bittersweet zero-proof aperitivo that fills in for Aperol or Campari.Learn more →

Non-alcoholic sparkling winezero-proof

De-alcoholized sparkling wine. Usually under 0.5% ABV; some are 0.0%.Learn more →

Non-alcoholic spiritzero-proof

A distilled botanical drink built to stand in for gin, whiskey, or tequila. Most are under 0.5% ABV; check the label if you need 0.0%.Learn more →

Sparkling grape juicezero-proof

Carbonated white or red grape juice (0.0%); sweeter than NA wine, great for kids.

Juices & Fresh

Apple cider (fresh)

Unfiltered, non-alcoholic pressed apple juice (US "cider"). Cloudy apple juice works elsewhere.

Coconut water

Light, lightly sweet and hydrating; good in tropical zero-proof drinks.

Cold brew / espresso

Chilled strong coffee; cold brew concentrate or cooled fresh espresso.

Cranberry juice

Use 100% cranberry for tartness or cranberry cocktail for sweetness; recipes say which.

Cream

Heavy (double) or half-and-half, as the recipe says.

Egg white / aquafaba

Gives a silky foam cap. Use pasteurized egg white, or aquafaba (chickpea water) for a vegan, raw-egg-free version.

Eggnog (store-bought)

Cold, spiced dairy eggnog from the carton; standard store-bought eggnog is alcohol-free and pasteurized.

Fresh lemon juice

Fresh-squeezed only. One lemon gives about 1 oz (30 ml).

Fresh lime juice

Squeeze it fresh, the same day. Bottled lime juice tastes flat and bitter.

Grapefruit juice

Pink grapefruit is sweeter and prettier; white is more bitter.

Mango nectar

Thick, sweet mango juice; pairs with lime and chili.

Orange juice

Fresh or not-from-concentrate, pulp strained out for cocktails.

Passion fruit purée

Intensely tart-tropical; frozen purée is consistent and easy.

Peach nectar / purée

Thick peach juice or purée; white peach is the Bellini classic.

Pear nectar

Smooth, thick pear juice that tastes like autumn.

Pineapple juice

Shakes up into a lovely foam; unsweetened canned is fine.

Pomegranate juice

100% pomegranate juice: tart, tannic, deep ruby.

Pumpkin purée

Plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling). A spoonful shaken into a drink adds body and autumn color.

Tomato juice

The base of a Bloody Mary; low-sodium lets you season it yourself.

White grape juice

Sweet, neutral base that gives mocktails wine-like body.

Mixers & Sodas

Black tea (brewed, chilled)

Adds the tannin and dryness zero-proof drinks usually lack. Use decaf for kids or late nights.Learn more →

Butterfly pea tea

Caffeine-free flower tea that brews deep blue and turns violet-pink when citrus hits it: the easiest "potion" effect there is.

Chai concentrate

Sweetened spiced black-tea concentrate. Use decaf chai for kids and late nights.

Club soda / sparkling water

Unflavored sparkling water. Keep it very cold so it stays fizzy.

Cola

Classic cola; pair with dark and spiced rum.

Ginger ale

Milder, sweeter ginger soda.

Ginger beer

Spicy, non-alcoholic ginger soda, stronger than ginger ale; the heart of any mule.

Grapefruit soda

Sparkling grapefruit soda (Jarritos or Squirt style); the quick way to a Paloma.

Hibiscus tea (chilled)

Tart, ruby-red, caffeine-free; a wine-like base for mocktails. Some guidance advises limiting hibiscus in pregnancy.

Lemon-lime soda

Sweet clear citrus soda (Sprite style); kid-friendly fizz.

Lemonade

Still lemonade, homemade or good-quality store-bought; the easiest batch base there is.

Sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic)

Carbonated apple juice; a festive 0.0% stand-in for bubbly.

Tonic water

Bitter, quinine-flavored soda. Light tonics have less sugar.

Syrups & Sweeteners

Agave syrup

Agave nectar thinned 1:1 with water; the natural sweetener for tequila drinks.Learn more →

Cinnamon syrup

Simple syrup simmered with cinnamon sticks; tastes like fall.Learn more →

Cream of coconut

Sweetened coconut cream (Coco López style), not the same as coconut milk.

Elderflower cordial

Non-alcoholic elderflower syrup; the zero-proof stand-in for elderflower liqueur. Dilute about 1:6.

Ginger syrup

Syrup cooked with fresh ginger for real heat.Learn more →

Grenadine

Real grenadine is pomegranate syrup; the bright red corn-syrup kind is sweeter and flatter.Learn more →

Honey syrup

Honey thinned 1:1 with warm water so it mixes cold.Learn more →

Honey-ginger syrup

Honey syrup simmered with fresh ginger; the base of a Penicillin or Gold Rush twist.Learn more →

Lavender syrup

Simple syrup steeped with culinary lavender; use a light hand.Learn more →

Maple syrup

Real maple syrup, used straight; about 1.3× as sweet as simple syrup.Learn more →

Orgeat

Almond syrup with orange-flower water; the soul of a mai tai. Contains nuts.

Rich demerara syrup

Two parts demerara sugar to one part water (2:1); rich and toffee-ish, ideal for stirred whiskey drinks.Learn more →

Rosemary syrup

Simple syrup steeped with fresh rosemary; piney and festive.Learn more →

Simple syrup

Equal parts sugar and water, stirred until dissolved (1:1). Keeps 2–4 weeks in the fridge.Learn more →

Spiced cranberry syrup

Cranberries simmered with sugar, water, orange peel, and spice, then strained.Learn more →

Bitters & Accents

Aromatic bitters≈ 44.7% ABV

Concentrated spiced bitters (Angostura style), used by the dash. About 45% ABV, so skip it for kids and in strictly 0.0% drinks.

Non-alcoholic bitters

Glycerin-based bitters with no alcohol; the aromatic finish without the ABV.

Orange bitters≈ 40% ABV

Bitter orange-peel tincture used by the dash. Contains alcohol.

Shrub

A drinking vinegar of fruit, sugar, and vinegar; adds the bite zero-proof drinks miss.Learn more →

Vanilla extract

A few drops add warmth. Standard extract is alcohol-based, but the amount per drink is tiny; use alcohol-free vanilla for kids if you prefer.

Verjus

Pressed juice of unripe grapes: gentle, wine-like acidity for zero-proof drinks.Learn more →