Some you’re very likely to be asked to make.. depending where you are I guess.. : Old Fashioned, Martini, Negroni, Margarita, Espresso Martini, Aperol Spritz … honestly, you’re probably better off just searching for most popular cocktails, etc.
I just got a job at a pub that sells its own cask ale, which is the default thing you have there as a customer. And as much as I’m passionate about beer and know my way around it, since it’s a pub, we also sell the most basic drinks and cocktails, which I wouldn’t say I’ve got much experience with (be it preparing them or drinking them). So which recipes would you deem „essential” aside from the likes of whisky sour, mojito or gin&tonic?
Some you’re very likely to be asked to make.. depending where you are I guess.. : Old Fashioned, Martini, Negroni, Margarita, Espresso Martini, Aperol Spritz … honestly, you’re probably better off just searching for most popular cocktails, etc.
Just remember the templates, then it’s easy to remember the ingredients:
Old Fashioneds: 2oz spirit, tsp-.25 oz sweetener, bitters
Martini (basic OG recipe): 2oz spirit, 1oz dry vermouth (lengthener) bitters
Side Car: 2oz spirit, 1oz liqueur, 1 oz citrus
Sours (Daiquiri, whiskey sour): 2oz spirit, 1oz sweetener, 1oz citrus
Highball / Collin’s: 2oz spirit, 0.5oz Sweetener, 1 oz citrus, 2oz soda water
Flip: 1.5 oz spirit, 0.5 sweetener, whole egg (like an Alexander or grasshopper, probably less likely to be ordered)
So you only need 6 basic ratios that are pretty similar, and then all you have to do is remember the specific ingredients to the most common.
For example, someone orders a sidecar? 2oz congac, 1 oz Cointreau, 1oz lemon. They order a margarita? That’s just a tequila and lime variation on a side car: 2 oz tequila 1 oz Cointreau 1 oz Lime. Common to sub a little orange liqueur for simple syrup or agave syrup but still the same ratio.
Someone orders a gin martini? 2oz gin, 1 vermouth, bitters. Negroni? Martini variation with equal parts of Gin sweet Vermouth and Campari- you just swap half the base spirit for Campari and use sweet instead of dry
If you commit these six templates to memory in one day which is easy and then start learning the basic common cocktails ingredients, it will make your job super easy
This!! Only thing I’d add is if it is a sour, it has an egg white in it (otherwise it isn’t a sour)
Tito's and vodka
you should be able to look up whatever you need. since none of us know what specific bar you work at, we can't give you a good list. i work at a restaurant that mostly focuses on our menu cocktails, but blue hawaiians are weirdly popular there for how not shitty the restaurant is. i also work at a gay nightclub and tequila old fashioneds are weirdly popular there, i probably sell more of those than i do standard old fashioneds and the vibe of drinks 90% of the time is anything that a frat boy or basic white girl would drink
Worked in hospitality ten years as a mixologist, rather than the cocktails you can make the most important factor is the consistency with which you make the drink. Be spot on with your measurements and techcniques to replicate the drink each time By far the most sold classics that require good technique were: Espresso martini - shaking well for that thick foam Margharita - salting the rim just enough and balancing sweet vs sour Negroni - 3 parts alcohol no mixer, requires a good awareness of how ice dilutes and smoothens the mixture Long island ice tea- teaches layering, coke first, slow poor mix on top with Whisky sours - introduces egg white, straining, requires two shakes one with ice then one dry Old fashioned - Skill flaming the orange peel Muddling the sugar so it melts in the bourbon/whisky before adding. Stirring just enough to dilute and smoothen the drink. Balancing everything so it is smooth. Everyone can make an old fashioned, but not everyone can make an old fashioned well