4 cocktails, for the pleasure of our taste buds

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health, to consume in moderation and in a good mood.

The word "cocktail" evokes pleasure, refinement, a grain of madness, the desire to please and share this pleasure. He has the gift of adding an exceptional touch, to create a strong bond by uniting the people present suddenly reunited in the same taste of a little something out of the ordinary.
The meteoric rise of cocktails, unlike their origin, is easy to situate in time. It is intimately linked to the eccentric and bewitching atmosphere that hovered in the affluent middle of the 1920s. What better springboard than these crazy years for the craziest of drinks ?
Being in charge of a fashionable bar, at the time, was not without a certain prestige, which gave wings to the imagination of bartenders in terms of mixtures. From this effervescence were born most of the great classics.
Over the years, the recipes became more precise, the techniques refined, the secrets were revealed. And that is why today everyone can learn and practice the art of cocktails.

The necessary equipment
No one will be able to do a feat if he does not have a minimum material, a small selection of different alcohols and some ingredients has the composition of many recipes.
You will need a number of tools: mixing spoon, ice bucket, small glass, graduated or not, juicer, strainer, ice spoon, corkscrew, bottle opener, cutting board, batons and straws for decoration, and glasses of different kinds.
On the day you receive your friends, be sure not to miss any of the ingredients that are part of your favorite recipes: lemons or other fresh fruits, spices, sauces like Worcester, Tabasco, possibly herbs, olives, eggs, sour cream, powdered sugar…

Cocktail language
A very specific vocabulary revolves around the world of cocktails.
Here are the essentials:
Cobbler: long drink, based on wine or spirits: is prepared directly in a large glass filled with crushed ice, sometimes with a little sugar dissolved in sparkling water.
Collar: or necklace of frost: some cocktails come in glasses crowned with sugar. Moisten the edge of the glass with a slice of lemon or orange and dip it in powdered sugar.
Collins: long drink with wihisky, gin or other alcohol, with lemon juice and sparkling water.
Cooler: long, low-alcohol drink made from fruit juice, soda, cider or champagne spirits. Prepared directly in a large mixing glass.
Egg nog: long drink based on alcohol, a whole egg, sugar, milk and a hint of nutmeg. Prepare in a shaker and enjoy hot or cold.
Fizz: long drink based on alcohol, powdered sugar or cane sugar syrup, lemon juice and soda, is prepared in the shaker.
Flip: short drink based on spirits or brandy, egg yolk and sugar, is prepared at the skaher.
Julep: long drink based on alcohol and crushed menthefraiche leaves. Prepared directly in a large glass with crushed ice.
Sour: short drink with an acidic taste, based on alcohol or spirits, with lemon juice.

Tips and tricks :
- A cocktail should not contain more than 7cl of alcohol, either for shorts or for a long drink.
- Follow the directions for each recipe and the order of use of each product.
- Use only coarse and fresh ice, in no case thawed and then frozen again.
- Cool the shaker or mixing glass with ice, then wipe it well so as not to drown the cocktail.
- If serving a cocktail without ice, put the glasses in the freezer for at least 10mins before using them.
- Never fill the shaker or mixing glass with more than three-quarters of their height.
- Shake the shaker energetically for a maximum of eight to ten seconds, always not to drown the mixture.
- If the chosen cocktail has sparkling water, do not use the shaker, as you will eliminate bubbles.
- To obtain crushed ice, pass ice cubes in a blender or lock them in a cloth and crush them quickly with a wooden mesh.
- Choose quality alcohols: two bad products never make a good one.
- Use untreated fruit.

1°) Mai thai

1/4 of brown rhum

1/4 of tequila

1/4 by Pimm's

1/4 by grapefruit juice

1 dash of orgeat syrup

1 dash of granadine syrup

In a shaker, put ice cubes, all the ingredients and shake strongly so that the mixture is homogeneous. Serve in large cocktail glasses. For the decor, prick fresh fruit on a stick.

2°) Marguarita

3/5 of tequila

1/5 of lemon juice (green or yellow)

1/5 of triple-dry

In a shaker, put ice cubes and the three ingredients. Shake vigorously and serve in previously frosted cocktail cups, very lightly, with lemon juice and salt. Decorate with a slice of lime.

3°) Old Fashioned

1 scoop of bourbon

1/4 piece of sugar

1/2 slice of orange

1 dash of soda

A few drops of Angostura

In a whiskey glass, put a sugar soaked in Angostura and melt it in a little soda. Fill the glass with ice, add the measure of bourbon and stir.

4°) Colleen

1 pineapple

3/6 of white rhum

2/6 pressed pineapple

1/6 of orgeat syrup

1 dash of granadine

Cut the pineapple cap and empty the pulp of the fruit that you will pass in the blender to extract the juice. Pour the various elements into the hollowed out pineapple and serve it on a bed of crushed ice, in a large cup.