Bartending Terminology

Let’s find out how good you know the bartending terminology! Read below 10 terms every bartender should know: 

Bitters – concentrated herbal alcoholic blend frequently added to cocktails to enhance flavor. One of the most notable examples is Angostura bitters, originally from Venezuela. A German physician invented it in 1824 for stomach maladies. 

Dash – a few drops of an ingredient. 

Double – a drink with the double amount of alcohol comparing to the standard recipe.  

Free pour – pour liquor directly into a glass without using a jigger or shot glass to measure the quantity. You need to be an experienced bartender to be able to count on accurate pours. 

Garnish – added to a drink after it’s been made to either add something to the flavor profile or aroma or enhance the drink’s appearance. For example, orange zests, cherries, etc. 

Muddle – to mash ingredients with a muddler, a special tool for grinding and crushing ingredients into the bottom and sides of a glass. 

Neat – a drink served straight from the bottle. 

Sour – the sour bar mix which contains equal parts of lemon or lime juice and simple syrup. Bartenders use it to make whiskey sours, vodka sours, margaritas, etc. 

Stir – to stir drink ingredients together with a bar spoon. 

Twist – a piece of citrus zest (a thin, curled slice of a citrus fruit peel) added to a drink for flavor or decoration, either in the drink directly or hanging on the side of the glass. 

This is only a tip of the iceberg of bartending terminology! Learn more on our bartending courses!