Cocktail Glossary – G to N
Cocktail Glossary – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Garnish: either edible or otherwise, a garnish is used for aesthetics and to add flavour and aromas to a cocktail. More about cocktail garnishes here.
Gimlet: a non-traditional gin sour with lime instead of lemon.
Highball: a spirit mixed with soda and served in a tall glass which is also called a Highball.
Honey Water: essentially a honey-based syrup where honey and water are mixed together.
Jigger: a bar tool used to measure liquids often shaped like an hourglass, with 1 side measuring 1.5oz (45ml) and the other, called a pony, typically measuring 1oz (30ml).
Julep: a cocktail consisting of bourbon (traditionally), sugar, water, crushed ice, and fresh mint.
Kombucha: a lightly sparkling beverage made by fermenting sweetened tea with live cultures known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeasts), can be used as a cocktail modifier such as in the Tequila Kombucha Cocktail.
Layering: adding cocktail ingredients in layers where the heavier liquids sink to the bottom of the glass.
Liqueur: a sweetened and lower ABV alcoholic liquor that is flavoured with spices, fruit, herbs, nuts or seeds.
Mixer: a non-alcoholic liquid used to lengthen a drink, for example, soda water, tonic water, cola, fruit juice, tepache.
Mocktail: a non-alcoholic cocktail.
Modifier: a cocktail ingredient, often alcoholic such as a liqueur or a wine-based, used to complement the base spirit and add flavour to the drink, for example, orange liqueur or vermouth.
Muddle: to crush solid ingredients using a muddler to extract their flavour and essential oils, for example, mint leaves in a Mojito.
Neat: a shot of alcohol that is served straight from the bottle, no ice, no chilling, no water or mixers added.
