At almost every cocktail session in our office, our Boss reminds us “A good cocktail is one that you’d want to order again”. So, what is it that essentially makes a good cocktail? Here’s an old-school three-part answer,
The Base
Base of the cocktail is the main spirit that the cocktail is built upon. This is the determining element on what type of drink can be made and what ingredients would complement the drink.
For example, a Daiquiri is rum-based and it goes best with tropical or citrus flavours that compliments a rum cocktail. Meanwhile, a Sidecar is brandy-based, and shines best when not overpowered with too many flavours.
Base is what creates most part of the drink and usually the idea of mixing bases in a no-go in mixology. But modern cocktail culture has come a long way from there and it’s all about twisting around rules now.
The Modifier
The body, or technically the modifier, is essentially what modifies the base without overpowering it. It’s the added ingredients which enhances the body even further and brings out the best flavours (such as citrus, vegetal, spicy, etc).
Worcestershire, for example, offers the savoury kick in a Bloody Mary and Cranberry Juice gives the bitter-fruity tone to a classic Cosmo. They are tricky elements because very little of it would make no sense and too much of it would dominate the base and make the drink overtly sweet or bitter. Ideally the safest way to go with modifiers are simple syrups, vermouth, fresh juices, or creams. And if you’d like to get creative, go ahead and mix your modifiers!
The Perfume
The final, yet most important touch to a cocktail.
It’s said that more than 50% of the drink’s essence lies in the aroma it offers. It influences our perception of the taste before it even touches our lips. So, this makes it the metaphorical and often literal “cherry on top”.
The common perfume elements used for cocktails are fruit garnishes, bitters, herbal liqueur, nuts, and even coffee beans. An example would be the use of vanilla syrup to balance out the sour taste of a Daiquiri.
The Anatomy of a cocktail lies in the simple rules and at the end of the day it’s “alcohol that we’ve doctored up” our way (Alex Day, co-author of Cocktail Codex).