Cocktail Glossary – A to C
Cocktail Glossary – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
ABV: stands for Alcohol by Volume, a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is in a volume of alcoholic drink, namely the number of millilitres of pure ethanol in 100 ml expressed as a percentage.
Agave: large succulent plants used for making agave-based spirits such as tequila and mezcal.
Amaro: a potable bitter, a type of bitter Italian liqueur typically consumed as an apéritif or digestif.
Angel’s Share: the amount of spirit that evaporates while the alcohol is aging in barrels.
Apéritif/Aperitivo: an alcoholic beverage consumed before a meal to stimulate the appetite.
Aquafaba: chickpea brine used in cocktails in place of egg white. Here’s how to make aquafaba and use it in cocktails.
Base Spirit: the alcoholic base of a spirit or a cocktail. For example, tequila is the base spirit in a Margarita. Also, the base spirit of gin can be for example, grain or grape.
Bitter (noun): see Amaro
Bitters: a high proof alcoholic concentrate infused with herbs, roots and spices, added to cocktails to enhance flavour, examples include Angostura bitters and orange bitters.
Boilermaker: a drink consisting of a glass of beer and a shot of spirit, often a whisky.
Boston Shaker: a bar tool used for shaking cocktails consisting of a metal tin and a glass.
Build: to make a drink in a glass by adding ingredients in a particular order.
Cobbler Cocktail: a combination of liquor (usually fortified wine), sugar, crushed or pebbled ice and fruit (usually an orange slice) sipped through a straw. More about the cobbler cocktails here.
Cobbler Shaker: a 3 piece cocktail shaker with an in-built strainer.
Collins: named after the Tom Collins cocktail, a tall glass used to serve mixed drinks.
Cordial: a non-alcoholic, flavoured syrup style of drink used a modifier, for example, Rose’s lime cordial, elderflower cordial. Also another word for a liqueur or a sweetened-spirit.
