EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT

COFFEE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: THE HISTORY OF COFFEE

COFFEE LEGENDS

THE SPREAD OF COFFEE

THE DISTASTE FOR COFFEE BY NORTH AMERICA

COFFEE POPULARITY IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

CHAPTER 2: COFFEE STATISTICS

COFFEE PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY

COFFEE CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY

THE SPECIALTY COFFEE INDUSTRY

CHAPTER 3:  COFFEE PRODUCTION

THE COFFEE PLANT

PROCESSING COFFEE BEANS

GRADING COFFEE BEANS

ROASTING COFFEE BEANS

DECAFFEINATING COFFEE

STORING COFFEE

CHAPTER 4: BREWING COFFEE

GRINDING BEANS

TYPES OF BEAN GRIND

COFFEE BREWING METHODS

COLD BREWING

FRENCH PRESS

CUPPING

CAFE SOLO BREWING

CHEMEX BREWING

DRIP POT BREWING

POUROVER CONES

VACUUM POT BREWING

SIPHON BREWERS

ESPRESSO BREWING

STOVETOP ESPRESSO BREWING

TURKISH COFFEE BREWING

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

In the United States alone, 83% of adults drink coffee. That’s an incredible 587 MILLION cups of coffee! Out of all of those people who indulge in this thousand year old drink however, very few know anything about its origin, its production, or its versatility.

In this book, we are going to take an in depth look at this favorite drink, from its history and its production, to its use and its effects on the human body. If you truly want to consider yourself a coffee connoisseur, then read on and learn all there is to know!

CHAPTER 1: THE HISTORY OF COFFEE

If you are truly interested in learning more about coffee, there is no better place to start than by looking at its beginnings history. In this chapter we are going to touch on the somewhat mysterious origin of coffee and follow its use throughout more recent times.

In this chapter, you will learn about the following high points in the history of coffee:

Coffee Legends

The Spread of Coffee

The Distaste for Coffee by North America

Coffee Popularity in Central and South America

COFFEE LEGENDS

No one has a firm idea of just when coffee came in to use, but many believe that it was around the 10th century. This somewhat vague timeframe has been established through legends and reports passed down throughout history. This birth story of coffee hails from Ethiopia and tells of the ancestors of the Oromo people who utilized the coffee plant for its energizing properties. While this story of coffee certainly exists, however, there is little firm evidence that coffee played any role in Ethiopia or Africa in general until much later – the seventeenth century.

While the mention of coffee’s use in Africa didn’t crop up until the seventeenth century, there was, in fact, mention of coffee’s use elsewhere much earlier than that. Historians have discovered evidence of coffee playing a role in the Sufi monasteries in Yemen as early as the 15th century. From this early time, coffee began to play a role in religious communities and soon became a cornerstone in the Islamic world in general. It is, in fact, a Sufi mystic who was credited by many for discovering the energy boosting properties of coffee, rather than the ancestors of the Oromo people. As legend tells, it was a Sufi mystic named Ghothul Akbar Nooruddin Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, who noticed particularly energetic birds upon a trip to Ethiopia. Upon observing the birds, he noticed that they were feeding on small berries which turned out to be the fruit of the coffee plant. Al-Shadhili then tried the berries for himself and found that he too experienced a sudden burst in energy.

As with most great discoveries in history, there is yet another story of the discovery of the coffee plant. This third origin story attributes the discovery of the plant to the disciple of al-Shadhili, Omar. This story tells of Omar’s exile to desert caves near Ousab. During his exile, Omar quickly began to starve. It wasn’t until he found small berries on nearby plants that he was able to satiate his hunger. These small berries turned out to be the beans of the coffee plant. Upon eating them, Omar found that they had a particularly bitter quality to them and in an attempt to better the flavor, he roasted them over fire. When roasting caused the beans to harden to the point that they were inedible, he tried boiling them instead. This boiling process resulted in a coffee drink, which Omar drank and felt both energized and sated. When news of Omar’s discovery of such a miracle drink, he was invited to return to Mocha, where he had been exiled from. So impressed were the citizens by this new drink, that they made Omar a saint.

THE SPREAD OF COFFEE

No matter which story of origin you prefer, one fact remains consistent – coffee’s origin was in Ethiopia. It is believed that coffee’s use then spread from Ethiopia up through Egypt and Yemen as the Yemeni travelers took their new finding back home with them. From its introduction to Yemen, coffee soon spread throughout the Arab world.

By the 16th century, coffee had become a part of most Middle East cultures and was also found throughout Turkey and Persia as well. By now, coffee was also becoming increasingly popular in other areas of northern Africa. Despite becoming so widespread so quickly, however, it was not until 1670 that coffee was first introduced to India as pure coffee. Before 1670, any and all coffee beans that were taken out of the Middle East had to be sterilized. This process ensured that coffee plants could not be grown elsewhere. As story tells, a Yemeni Sufi named Baba Budan smuggled coffee seeds in to India by secreting them against his chest. Once he arrived in India, these seeds were grown and the resulting plants were planted in Mysore.

From its smuggling in to India, coffee then made the leap to Italy before spreading in to Europe, Indonesia and the Americas. It was Italy that truly played the biggest role in bringing coffee to Europe and the Americas. Prior to arriving in Italy, coffee was looked upon as a drink of the Muslim community because of the role that it played in religious rituals. However, once coffee came to Italy, Pope Clement VIII declared the drink to be an acceptable drink for Christians. Upon this declaration, coffee became more widespread than ever.

It was in the mid-sixteen hundreds that coffee arrived in England through exportation of the British East India Company. From here, coffee quickly trickled in to France, Austria and Poland.

THE DISTASTE FOR COFFEE BY NORTH AMERICA

While coffee’s use spread quickly through Europe after its ‘blessing’ by the pope, coffee’s introduction to the Americas didn’t go quite so smoothly.

Introduced in to colonial era America by the British, coffee was much less favored than it was among Europeans. The most prominent reason that North American settlers had little taste for the new drink was simply due to the availability of alcohol. The American colonials much preferred the taste (and likely after effect) of drinking alcohol, over the taste of coffee. It was only when the Revolutionary War hit and tea supplies were scarce due to tea merchants being British that coffee grew in popularity. Unfortunately for those demanding coffee during this time, coffee too was scarce and when it could be found, prices were ridiculously high. Still, the Americans stuck to their growing love for coffee and after the Boston Tea Party in 1773, they resolved that the British drink (tea) should be protested all together. This protest led to a great increase in the number of American coffee drinkers.

COFFEE POPULARITY IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

As coffee’s popularity set in in North America, word of the drink soon began to spread to Central and South America as well. Upon its introduction to the South American continent, it was soon discovered that the area’s rainforest land made the perfect location for coffee plantations. The local climate in combination with the availability of land after rainforest decimation, resulted in coffee becoming one of the largest cash crops for the area. Unfortunately, the greed that stemmed from coffee plantation owners eventually led to fast destruction of rainforest environments and the displacement of many native peoples. If there is one positive to come from this situation, however, it is the fact that some of these countries that were previously struggling economically, were soon able to boost their economy with income from their coffee plantations.

CHAPTER 2: COFFEE STATISTICS

Now that we have taken a quick look at the history of coffee and how it spread throughout the world, let’s take a look at coffee production. In this chapter we will not only look at the top coffee producers worldwide, but we will look at just about every other coffee related statistic out there as well!

In this chapter, you will learn about Coffee Production Worldwide including:

Coffee Production By Country

Coffee Consumption By Country

The Specialty Coffee Industry

COFFEE PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY

While a great number of countries have tried their hand at cultivating coffee throughout history, only a select few have truly achieved success. Today, 49 countries around the globe grow coffee. This market is comprised of a vast number of individuals, including 25 million small coffee producers. Ironically, looking at a mass collection of data of world-leading coffee producers, coffee’s originating country of Ethiopia doesn’t lead in production of their native coffee plant. As of 2014, Ethiopia ranked fifth in the world for coffee production with some 860,000,000 pounds of coffee produced, although it should be noted that they are the leading producer of coffee in Africa. Leading in production is Brazil with 5,985,613,000 pounds of coffee – that’s 5,000,000,000 more pounds than Ethiopia! Coming in behind Brazil is Vietnam with 3,630,284,000 pounds of coffee exported, Colombia with 1,531,200,000 pounds, and Indonesia with 904,200,000 pounds.

Beyond Ethiopia, other prominent countries involved in the production and export of coffee include India, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Thailand, Tanzania, Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Venezuela. Each of these world leading coffee exporters produced at least 100,000,000 pounds of coffee in 2014!

COFFEE CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY

With such incredible amounts of coffee being produced and exported worldwide, you might be wondering who is drinking it all? Sure, we all indulge in a cup or two…but who exactly is consuming these BILLIONS of pounds of coffee? According to data published in early 2014, it’s not the U.S….at least not for the most part.

When it comes to coffee consumption per day per capita, the Netherlands leads the pack with 2.414 cups of coffee. You may not think that 2.414 cups of coffee per day is a particularly significant number at all, and if we were considering that every single person in the nation drank coffee, then you would be right. When you consider, however, that this data assumes that everyone in the country drinks coffee this number seems a little higher. However you look at it though, there is no doubt that people living in the Netherlands LOVE their coffee.

Netherlanders love their coffee so much that they lead the second biggest coffee drinking nation by a whole .566 cups of coffee per capita per day. Who is this nation that only consumes a wimpy 1.848 cups of coffee per capita per day? Finland. Next in line comes Sweden with 1.357 cups per capita per day, Denmark with 1.237 per capita per day…and the list goes on. It isn’t until we get to number SIXTEEN that the United States makes a minimal impact with .931 cups of coffee per capita per day! Of course, if you look at these figures while taking population in to account, the United States wouldn’t rank quite so low on the list! In fact, when looking at just the coffee drinkers in the United States, it is estimated that each person drinks some 3.1 cups of coffee per day each!

So, who is it that ranks at the bottom of the list of most coffee drunk per day per capita? Nigeria. Of all of the countries listed, Nigeria ranks at the bottom with just .002 cups of coffee drunk per day per capita!

Interestingly, researchers of the coffee industry believe that in the next five years, coffee consumption is going to skyrocket.

THE SPECIALTY COFFEE INDUSTRY

With the forecasted increase in coffee consumption, specialty coffee sales are also expected to skyrocket. For an industry that is already increasing sales by 20% annually, this trend is expected to have an incredible impact on the economy. What kind of numbers are we looking at? Well, consider that specialty coffee sales make up 8% of the coffee market in the United States. A market that is worth around 18 BILLION dollars! Interested in how much the global sale of coffee makes per year? The answer is $42.5 BILLION!

So where are these specialty coffees coming from? Some 24,000 coffee shops are located within the United States alone! These coffee shops are responsible for the specialty coffee sales of drinks such as latte’s, cappuccino’s, and espresso’s. If the expected uptrend in specialty coffee consumption progresses as forecasted, researchers believe that the number of specialty coffee shops in the United States will more than double to 50,000+! With the average price of a single espresso type drink being $2.45 and the average price for a cup of brewed coffee being $1.38, that’s an incredible bump for the economy!

CHAPTER 3:  COFFEE PRODUCTION

With a little more understanding of the impact that coffee plays in the global and domestic economy, we should perhaps now take a look at how this frequently consumed drink is produced. Beyond brewing a cup of coffee very few people are familiar with how their coffee comes to be! In this chapter we will take a detailed look at each step of the coffee production process.

In this chapter, you will learn the following aspects of coffee production:

The Coffee Plant

Processing Coffee Beans

Grading Coffee Beans

Roasting Coffee Beans

Decaffeinating Coffee

Storing Coffee

THE COFFEE PLANT

Like anything, coffee has to start somewhere. The coffee bean begins life on one of the several shrubs in the genus Coffea. The most commonly utilized coffee shrubs are Coffea canephora which are known for producing robusta coffee, and Coffea Arabica which are known for producing Arabica coffee.

Coffee plants feature white flowers which always precede the growth of the small berries. These small berries begin as green berries which then turn yellow when they ripen. After the peak of ripening, these berries then turn red before drying out and turning black. Each of these small black berries has two seeds inside except in the case of about 8% of berries which have only one seed. These single seed berries are referred to as pea berries – a term you may be familiar with if you have ever drank pea berry coffee.

The period of time which it takes for coffee berries to ripen depends upon the type of plant growing the berries. Arabica berries ripen much faster than robusta berries, ripening in six to eight months versus the nine to eleven months it takes for robusta berries. Most of the longer ripening robusta coffee plants are cultivated Southeast Asia, central Africa and Brazil. Conversely, the majority of Arabica coffee plants are cultivated in eastern Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Despite the fact that the majority of coffee comes from two coffee plants, the flavor of coffee beans can be completely different based upon the region where the plant was grown. Coffee connoisseurs can actually determine the origin of a coffee variety based upon the body of the coffee as well as the acidity, flavor and aroma.

PROCESSING COFFEE BEANS

When the berries of the coffee plants are ripe plantation workers pick them by hand making sure not to pick any berries that are not ripe. For larger and less specialized coffee plantations, this harvesting process can be done using large machinery. The problem with utilizing machinery to harvest coffee berries however, is that the berries are not selectively picked for ripeness. This type of unselective harvesting is also occasionally done by hand as well.

Once coffee beans have been harvested they are dried. There are two types of drying processes: dry processing and wet processing. Dry processing requires much less labor and is the easier of the two processes. Wet processing, however, is a better method of drying if a milder coffee is preferred.

In wet processing, the coffee berries have the outer flesh removed by machines. Once this happens, the soft outer layer of the berry interior is removed by allowing the berry to ferment. After fermentation, the berry seeds are washed clean with water and the seeds are dried. The drying process takes a few days and can be done in a couple of ways. Some facilities use specialized drying tables which allow air to circulate around the coffee to dry them more completely and evenly. While this is the more traditional method of coffee drying, it is a lesser used method. Another way to dry coffee seeds is to simply lie them out on large concrete areas and allow them to dry in the sunlight. This method of drying is more labor intensive because it requires the seeds to be raked to ensure even drying. This method is also much more time consuming because it takes around a week for the seeds to dry and each day the seeds must be raked every three hours or so. Other facilities rely on machinery to dry out seeds by blowing hot air over them.

Whichever drying method is used, once the seeds are dried, they must have the parchment around the seed removed. The parchment has dried during the drying process so it is easily removed. The process of removing the parchment from the coffee seed is called hulling. Hulling is done through hulling machines which are designed to quickly and effectively remove the parchment and silver colored skin that covers the bean.

After hulling, beans are sometimes polished. The polishing process can help to remove any hard to remove silver skin that has stuck to the beans. Polishing also makes the beans more visually appealing because it makes them shiny and smooth.

GRADING COFFEE BEANS

Once the coffee beans have been hulled and sometimes polished, they are graded. Grading involves separating the coffee beans and sorting them according to an imperfections in the coffee beans as well as the size of the beans. Grading begins by passing the beans over a set of bars which separates the beans based on thickness. The bars begin with a smaller gap between them and by the end of the bars, the gap is much larger. This process is referred to as ‘screening.’ After running through the separating bars, the sorted beans are then sorted again using screens that have small holes in them. These holes further sort the beans by size.

Once the coffee beans have been sorted by size, they are then sorted based on imperfections in the beans. There are a number of imperfections that can occur such as beans that still have shells, beans that are not yet matured and stones that have passed through the coffee processing steps. A lot of the imperfect beans can be sorted out through machinery. For example, stones are much heavier than coffee beans and air machines can sort beans from stones quite easily by blasting the coffee with air. Other types of coffee imperfections also result in differently weighted beans, for example pea berries have a different weight than a traditional coffee bean. This weight difference makes sorting through machinery much easier.

Some imperfections in coffee beans can’t be sorted via weight, however. Beans that are off color or that are ‘sour’ must be sorted visually. Fortunately, machines have been developed that are able to sort these types of beans using optical sorters. These optical sorters identify beans that look differently to the standard coffee bean and removes them from the batch.

The grading process of coffee beans varies by the location where the beans are being produced. For example, in Hawaii, the State has established five regulatory grades that classify coffee beans.

ROASTING COFFEE BEANS

Once coffee beans have been sorted and graded, they are usually bagged and shipped out to distributors where they are roasted. Contrary to popular belief, most coffee beans are not roasted before they are shipped out to distributors. The reason for shipping ‘raw’ beans instead of roasted beans is because beans that have been roasted do not store as well or for as long as beans that have not been roasted. These un-roasted beans are called “green beans.”

More recently, some coffee producers have started shipping some roasted beans. This process has been made possible through the invention of gas valves on coffee bags. These one way valves help to keep the coffee fresh and increase the coffee bean shelf life. Green coffee, however, is still the most efficient way to ship beans. When ‘green,’ coffee beans can be stored in a cool, dry place for a number of years without the integrity of the coffee being impacted!

Roasting coffee in addition to the area where the beans were grown and the type of beans being used, is what gives coffee its unique flavor. There are many different types of coffee roast which vary in terms of the flavor and aroma the beans give off when used to make coffee. These different types of roast are determined by the length of time that a bean is roasted. There are four main types of coffee roasting, light roasts, medium roasts, medium-dark roasts and dark roasts.

Light roasts are made from beans that are lighter in color. This lighter color is determined by the low roasting time of the beans. The flavor of these beans is not as bold as the flavor of beans that have been roasted for a longer period of time. The roasting process allows the oils of the bean to come to the surface of the bean, however, since light roast beans are not roasted for a long time, they do not have enough roast time to allow this to happen. Lightly roasted beans tend to be more acidic and have less of a “roasted” flavor profile in comparison to other darker roasts.

Medium roasts are made from coffee beans that are medium brown. Medium roast beans also do not have oily surfaces because they are not roasted for a significant amount of time. These beans are roasted for longer than the light roast bean though, resulting in a stronger flavor but lesser acidity than light roasts. Medium roasted coffee has more caramelization of the sugars within the bean and the flavor profile of the bean tends to have more body than the lighter roasted beans. This is generally the preferred type of roast in the United States.

Medium-dark roast beans are between the darkened and black beans of the dark roast category and the non-oily beans of the medium roast. These beans do not have oils on the outside of the bean since they have not been roasted long enough to release the oils. These beans do, however, have a hint of the bitterness that is often found in dark roasts.

Dark roasted beans are black in color and have a shiny and oily surface because the oils within the beans have been released and come to the surface. Roasting for a longer period of time and allowing these oils to come to the bean surface results in a bitterer tasting bean. There is quite some variety to be found within the dark roast bean category - some beans can be solid black where others can only just be past the medium-dark roast point. Darker roasted beans tend to take on more of a deep roasted flavor leaving less of the beans original characteristics behind. Some types of deep roasted beans can even taste burnt to the experienced tongue!

During the roasting process coffee blends are created with unique flavor profiles. These profiles vary in taste depending upon the length of roasting time, flavors added to beans directly after roasting (in the case of flavored coffee,) roasting temperatures, and a number of other factors.

When roasting coffee beans, the longer a bean roasts, the less caffeine is left in the bean. While this is a general rule of thumb, there is no consistent way to measure the exact amount of caffeine change between the different types of coffee roasts. What can be determined, however, in addition to knowing the fact that lighter roasts have more caffeine, is when a coffee is fully caffeinated, half-caffeinated and decaffeinated.

DECAFFEINATING COFFEE

Decaffeinating coffee is something that happens when coffee beans are still uncooked or ‘green.’ The decaffeinating process is most often done by the companies that process the green coffee beans. These companies remove caffeine from the green coffee using their method of choice. The two common methods of decaffeinating coffee beans include the Swiss water process and the steaming process. The Swiss water process requires green beans to be soaked in water between 160 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit to remove the oils which contain the caffeine. The steaming process requires green beans to be steamed before a solvent is used to dissolve out the oils that contain the caffeine through evaporation. Whichever method is used to remove caffeine from green beans, companies are able to make money by selling the extracted caffeine. This product is most commonly sold to pharmaceutical companies.

Once decaffeinated, coffee beans can then be used to create half-caffeinated coffee which is simply made by mixing caffeinated beans and decaffeinated beans together!

STORING COFFEE

Whether green beans are roasted by a processing plant, a distributor or a consumer, the storage process is a crucial part of maintaining product integrity. As we mentioned before, the best way to store coffee while maintaining its integrity is to keep beans ‘green’ for the longest time possible. Green beans do not lose integrity so long as they are stored in a cool dark place because they are raw beans that have not yet been ‘compromised’ by the roasting process. With this said, however, green beans should still be kept in a sealed container to prevent contamination.

After beans have been roasted, the best way to store them is inside a sealed vacuum packed foil bag with a one-way vent. This method of storage allows for the beans to maintain their integrity by protecting them from exterior odors which can be absorbed. These bags also allow for the flavor and oils of roasted beans to be contained. These bagged coffees should always be stored in a cool dark place and away from moisture – coffee should never be stored in the refrigerator! Additionally, all coffee should always be stored away from heat sources such as heating vents or kitchen appliances that generate heat, since these things can also influence the flavor of roasted coffee.

Now, what about those foil bags of coffee that you have opened but have not used completely? It is always best (and recommended) to only grind as much coffee as you need for one sitting. For example, if you have a twelve cup coffee maker, grind enough to make twelve cups if you so desire, but don’t grind your whole bag of coffee beans. Grinding the whole bag of beans means allowing ground coffee to sit and during this sitting, the coffee will lose flavor and integrity. So, what should you do with those left over beans once you have opened up the sealed bag of coffee? Store your unused beans in a sealable container. While this container can be made of ceramic, metal or glass, it should be kept away from sunlight, moisture and heat – particularly if your container is glass. The best type of coffee storage container is one that is opaque and features an airtight seal to keep your roasted beans as fresh as possible.

CHAPTER 4: BREWING COFFEE

In the previous chapter we took a look at the full coffee production process from picking coffee berries to roasting and storing roasted beans. In this chapter we are going to take a look at the brewing process involved in making coffee and how this process can influence your final drink product.

In this chapter, you will learn the following about the coffee brewing process:

Grinding beans

Types of Bean Grinds

Coffee Brewing Methods

GRINDING BEANS

When it comes to grinding means, most people think of a simple bean grinder and don’t know that there are actually two types of bean grinder as well as the mortar and pestle grinding method.

Of the three types of grinding methods, the mortar and pestle method is the least frequently used. This method involves using a pestle to crush coffee seeds so that they can be brewed. More commonly used are burr grinders and blade grinders. Burr grinders shear coffee seeds with revolving elements. Blade grinders cut coffee seeds instead of shear them, they do so through a set of rotating blades that move quickly. The blade variety of grinder is the most frequently utilized in homes across America.

TYPES OF BEAN GRIND

Whether you are grinding your own beans, or buying beans that are already ground, it is helpful to know the type of brewing method that you are going to be using. Different coffee brewing methods require different types of bean grind in order to produce a quality cup of coffee.

The largest coffee bean grind is the extra coarse grind. This grind variety is used for cold coffee brewing systems. The second largest grind is the coarse grind. The coarse coffee grind is used for cupping as well as the French Press brewing method. The next size down in grind size is the medium-coarse grind. This type of grind is used for café solo brewers as well as chemex brewers. After the medium-coarse grind is the medium grind. The medium grind is the most commonly used grind as it is designed for drip pots. Under the medium grind is the medium-fine grind. This smaller grind is utilized for vacuum coffee pots, pourover cones and siphon coffee brewers. Next is the second finest coffee grind, the fine grind. Many people utilize fine grind coffee because it is the preferred grind for espresso as well as stovetop espresso brewing. The last type of coffee grind is the extra fine grind. This extremely fine grind of coffee is utilized for Turkish coffee.

With so few methods to grind coffee beans, how can there be so many varieties of coffee grind? Well, despite there being few methods of grinding coffee beans, there are numerous varieties of these grinding machines. The more expensive grinders feature multi-level grinding settings which use the basic grinding methods to create different grinding coarseness. If you are serious about one particular grind type, you can also invest in a grinder that is designed specifically for your grind type. Different quality grinders can range in price from $50 to as much as $300! Obviously, you don’t have to purchase the most expensive variety of grinder, but it is best to avoid purchasing the cheapest grinder! Cheap grinders generally only have one setting designed for drip brewers and as with most cheap appliances, they tend not to last too long.

COFFEE BREWING METHODS

In the previous section, we took a look at the various types of coffee bean grinds. These grinds are necessitated by the type of brewing method utilized when making coffee. While some of these brewing methods mentioned may have been familiar to you, some of them may have been new to you. In this section we are going to take a look at each of these brewing methods.

COLD BREWING

             There are expensive machines out there that allow you to make your own cold brewed coffee, or you can make it yourself using a pitcher. Either way you choose to make your cold brewed coffee, you will always end up with a cold coffee drink brewed using the coarsest grind of coffee.

Cold brewed coffee results in a drink that is less acidic than hot brewed coffee which makes it a big favorite among people who appreciate coffee but find hot coffee to be too much for them to handle. Cold brewing coffee requires that you allow coffee to brew for around 12 hours with each pot in order to get a full flavored drink, however, so it can be somewhat inconvenient for some. A significant selling point of this type of coffee however, is that cold brewed coffee doesn’t require fresher beans. Certainly, the fresher your beans, the better your taste, however, older beans still tend to produce a delicious drink when using the cold brewed method.

FRENCH PRESS

             The French press is a commonly recognized piece of equipment by most coffee lovers. The small coffee pot (named a French press) is most frequently made from glass or plastic type material and features a mesh plunger. The plunger allows you to make your coffee without ending up with coffee grinds in your drink. To use the French press you simply pour boiling water over your coffee grounds so that your coffee can brew. After the coffee has brewed for your desired amount of time, you slowly push down the plunger to trap the coffee grounds at the bottom of the press. With the grounds trapped, you can then pour your coffee in to your cup without the grounds coming out along with it!

              People often prefer using a French press to make their coffee because the resulting flavor is much bolder and more concentrated. Additionally, it is much easier to remove coffee oils from the inner workings of a press than it is with a larger machine. When coffee is brewed, the oils contained within the coffee can leave a type of residue inside the coffee machine. These oils can be hard to remove from intricate machinery, but they are quite easy to flush out of a French press pot.

              It is important to utilize coarser coffee grinds when making French press coffee otherwise smaller grinds will escape through the mesh shield on the French press plunger.

CUPPING

             Cupping is a coffee brewing method that is utilized by coffee connoisseurs when evaluating different types of coffee and comparing them to each other. The reason that this method of brewing is utilized is because it allows for a more uniform brewing method so that coffees can be uniformly brewed and evaluated.

              When cupping coffee, most experts utilize infusion brewing methods. That is, they pour boiling water over coffee grinds and allow them to infuse the water for 3 ½ to 4 minutes. Once infused, the “crust” that forms on the coffee should be broken and the coffee is stirred. Stirring will cause most of the coffee grinds to fall to the bottom of your coffee mixture, but any that do not sink should be scooped off. That’s it! You can see from the simplicity of this brewing method that it allows for more consistency when making various coffee blends at once with the intention of comparing them.

              More coarse grounds are used when cupping because finer grounds would not sink as well as coarse coffee grounds. This means that you would spend much more time scooping grounds out of your drink before you could taste it!

CAFE SOLO BREWING

             Café solo brewing is a coffee brewing method that utilizes a carafe style container with a filter and lid at the top - think of a French press that has been turned upside down. Coarsely ground coffee is put in to the bottom of the Café solo carafe and close to boiling water is poured over the grounds. After allowing the coffee to sit for around a minute, stir your coffee water mixture to mix in your grounds. Once stirred, the filter and lid of the carafe are placed on and the coffee is left for another four minutes to brew. The Café solo comes with a neoprene cover which helps to maintain coffee temperature while it is brewing. Once the coffee has been allowed to brew, the coffee is poured through the filter top of the carafe.

              Many people prefer the Café solo to other brewing methods because it allows for a bold coffee flavor, but a flavor that is generally much smoother than the flavor of French press coffee.

              As with the French press, it is important to use coarsely ground coffee with the Café solo to ensure that all grounds are captured by the filter.

CHEMEX BREWING

             The Chemex is a coffee brewing system that uses a carafe shaped container like the Café solo. Unlike the Café solo, the Chemex does not have a filter built in to the carafe. When using the Chemex brewing method the ratio of coffee grinds to water is 1:17. To begin brewing with the Chemex, you need to place a square Chemex filter in to the Chemex and then pour hot water through the filter and in to the carafe to rinse the carafe and bring it to temperature. Then tip out the water from the carafe, replace the filter and pour your coffee grounds in to the filter. Next you pour your close to boiled water over the grounds, making sure to pour only enough water to cover the grinds fully and leave them soaked. Allow your soaked grounds to sit for half a minute to a minute and then stir the coffee. After stirring, pour the rest of your water over the coffee, making sure not to over fill the filter. Allow the water to pass through the coffee and drain in to your carafe. Once drained, remove your filter and discard and pour out your coffee!

              Chemex brewing, while not as commonly known as other coffee brewing means by average coffee consumers, it is preferred by many coffee connoisseurs. The reason that Chemex is preferred is the rich taste that this brewing method provides because it is a slower method of brewing. Users of the Chemex may find, however, that the French press results in a richer coffee blend.

              The Chemex brewing system requires a medium-coarse grind coffee.

DRIP POT BREWING

             Drip pots are the most commonly used coffee brewing method of the average coffee lover. Drip pots provide quick coffee and convenience to coffee drinkers without expecting them to have a lot of coffee making expertise. These brewing systems work by heating water and dripping that heated water over coffee grounds that sit inside a filter. The water saturates the coffee grounds and flows through to the carafe or mug below. There is a wide range of coffee drip pots available that range from cheap and simple one function units, to multi-functional expensive units. Regardless of which type of drip brewer you select, however, the method of coffee brewing is still the same.

              With so many varieties of drip brewers on the market, it is possible to get variety in drip brewed coffee. The fact is, however, that the drip method of making coffee is one that results in the least desirable coffee among coffee aficionados. For drip coffee brewer users, the draw of this type of brewer lies in speed and convenience.

              Drip brewers require a medium coffee grind to result in the best coffee possible.

POUROVER CONES

             Pourover cones are another type of coffee brewing method that is unknown to the average coffee drinker. Simply put, this type of coffee brewing system utilizes a container that the user places a cone shaped coffee filter in to. The container usually has a lock under the filter section and a separate chamber under that lock. This system works by placing coffee grounds in to the cone filter and pouring hot water over the coffee, then placing a lid on the container. The locked chamber that holds the filter allows the water to sit on the coffee grounds for a short period of time so that the coffee can brew. After allowing water to sit on the coffee for a period of time, the user simply opens the locked chamber to allow the coffee to flow through to the second chamber.

              Pourover coffee brewing is a simple method to use and the system itself is affordable. One of other benefits to using the pourover coffee brewing system is that it allows coffee drinkers to dictate the strength of the coffee brew by steeping the coffee for longer or shorter period of time. The coffee that results from the pourover method of brewing is not as oily because of the use of a paper filter. Less oil in the brewed coffee results in a smoother drink.

              Pourover coffee brewing requires the use of a medium-fine ground coffee.

VACUUM POT BREWING

             Vacuum pots utilize a suction method to brew coffee. The pots themselves feature an upper and lower chamber and give the system the appearance of a somewhat warped hourglass. The bottom chamber of the hourglass is used to heat water, where the top chamber of the hourglass is used for brewing. The two different chambers are connected together with a firm seal and a tube runs from one chamber to the other so that the contents of each chamber can pass from one to the other. These brewing systems work by you heating water in the bottom chamber of the pot without the top chamber attached – most people use a stovetop to do this. Just before your water hits boiling point, connect the upper chamber of your system to the top chamber. Now allow your water to heat so that it passes through in to the top chamber. Once most of your water has passed in to the top chamber of your brewing system, allow it to steep while keeping your system over the heat. When your coffee has reached your desired brew, take your system off the heat so that the brewed coffee gets sucked down in to the bottom chamber of the system.

              Users of the vacuum pot generally prefer it because of the control it gives them over their brewed coffee strength. A number of people do not utilize this brewing method however, simply because of the amount of time it takes to brew a pot of coffee and the cleaning process after a pot of coffee has been brewed.

              The vacuum coffee pot requires a medium-fine grind of coffee.

SIPHON BREWERS

             A siphon coffee brewer looks similar to a vacuum brewer in that it resembles an odd looking hourglass. Many coffee drinkers are unfamiliar with siphon brewers, but even those who are, are often intimidated by the appearance of the brewer. While siphon brewers may look tricky to use, however, they are not.

              The siphon coffee brewer requires you to put your coffee grinds in to the top chamber of the brewer after closing the filter. Next, bring your water close to a boil and then pour it in to your bottom chamber of the brewer. Once the water is in the bottom chamber, put your top chamber on top of the bottom and using your heater, bring the water up to a boil. Now, just as it did with the vacuum system, the water from the bottom chamber will move up to the top chamber. At this point you will stir your grounds to ensure that they are well mixed with the water and let the water covered grounds sit and brew for a minute and a half before removing your heat source. Without the heat source, your brewed coffee is going to pass through to the bottom chamber of your brewer. At this point you will take your top chamber off the brewer and pour out your coffee to serve!

              As with vacuum brewers, siphon coffee brewers are more favored because they allow more customizability of coffee brews. Water can be held over coffee grinds for as long as desired to create a stronger or weaker brew. While this system of brewing is not as favored as it once was, it is still used by a number of coffee lovers because it provides a full sensory brewing experience as well as a personalized cup of coffee.

ESPRESSO BREWING

             Lovers of espresso almost always desire their own espresso maker…that is, until they realize just how much work it can be to make a cup of espresso! Fortunately, the invention of more automated espresso brewers requires less manual work when it comes to brewing a cup of espresso. Every espresso machine is different by design and as such the directions for use are different, each machine, however, works on the same principle.

              Espresso machines requires pre-heating. The pre-heating process can take as long as half an hour, so it can be difficult to make a cup of espresso as soon as you want it! Once the machine comes to temperature, take your espresso grinds and place them in to your portafilter and tamp them down to pack them firmly. Then you place your portafilter back in to your machine and lock it in to place. From there, you simply hit the brew button on your machine and allow your espresso to pour in to your cups under the spouts.

              Despite some people believing that espresso is difficult to make, it is actually as simple as most drip brewers these days! With that said, however, espresso is an acquired taste, you either love it or you hate it. Sure, you can combine your espresso shots with other ingredients to create less startling coffee drinks, but there is still no hiding the strength of a shot of espresso!

              When using an espresso machine, it is important to use a fine coffee grind.

STOVETOP ESPRESSO BREWING

             Stovetop espresso brewing results in espresso, but the actual method of brewing is much different than using a typical espresso machine. A stovetop espresso maker has a rather old-timey appearance to it. The stovetop espresso pot is metal in appearance and features two chambers. Unlike the other two chamber coffee brewers that we have already covered, the stovetop espresso brewing system looks more like a small kettle with an additional chamber attached to the bottom. The bottom chamber holds the water. Next, you want to fill your filter with your ground coffee WITHOUT tamping it down like you did with the typical espresso maker. When your coffee filter is full, put your filter in to the bottom chamber of the pot. Once the filter is in place, attach the top chamber of the pot and make sure it is firmly screwed in place. With both chambers firmly sealed together, you will then put your stovetop espresso maker on the stovetop and turn your heat on low. As it heats, your coffee will pass in to the top chamber of the brewing pot. When all of your coffee is in the top pot (it is better to guesstimate this, because removing your lid will interrupt your brewing process,) take your pot off the heat and serve your coffee!

              The stovetop espresso brewer can be a little messier or more time consuming than using an espresso machine, but it is much easier to clean in the long run. Additionally, there is much more ability to customize espresso brews using this method of brewing.

              As with espresso brewers, the stovetop espresso brewer requires a fine coffee grind.

TURKISH COFFEE BREWING

             Like espresso, Turkish coffee is an acquired taste. For those who like the flavor of Turkish coffee, however, the effort and equipment needed to make this coffee brew is worth it!

              Turkish coffee requires a particular grinder as well as a particular brewer. It is possible to get a Turkish grind at some specialty coffee retailers, however, it is certainly not as common as other coffee grinds and many Turkish coffee drinkers find a need to buy their own grinder. The appropriate “grinder” for Turkish coffee is actually referred to as a Turkish mill. The Turkish mill is really the only way to get the very fine grind required for a genuine cup of Turkish coffee.

              Once you have a Turkish mill in hand to grind your coffee to the right consistency, you also need an Ibrik. Ibrik is the term used for a particular type of brewing pot that was historically used by sand dwelling communities. This type of pot allowed for coffee to be brewed using the heat of the sand to brew the coffee. Nowadays, however, Ibrik’s are most commonly used on stovetops. The Ibrik looks like a metal carafe with a handle. To brew coffee in the Ibrik, you should fill the pot 2/3 of the way with water and then add your hefty teaspoon of Turkish grinds to the top of the pot. Note, that if you desire sugar in your coffee, this should be added to your water before your coffee grounds. Once you have added the coffee to your Ibrik, turn on your stovetop and begin to heat the water until it boils. Once the water boils, you will notice it breaking through the seal that the coffee grounds have formed at the top of the container. When you notice the water bubbling through the seal three times, take your pot from the heat and stir your coffee. After stirring, pour out your coffee and serve!

              There is a unique flavor and drinking experience to Turkish coffee that can be found nowhere else. Lovers of this coffee blend find drinking their favorite treat from specialty stores to be far too expensive which is why they invest in their own Turkish mill and Ibrik.

CONCLUSION

              In the chapters above we have covered just about everything you could ever want to know about coffee. Whether you use this information to simply wow your fellow coffee loving friends, or whether you use it to enhance your coffee drinking experience, it’s up to you! Of course, we recommend the latter! We encourage you to take what you have learned and truly explore the world of coffee like you have never explored it before. Give Turkish coffee a try, roast your own beans, do something you have never done before and open up your eyes to coffee flavors you have not yet tasted!

Cocktails

Fifty Must Try Cocktails You Can Make at Home

Introduction

Chapter 1: What You Need to Know Before Mixing Cocktails

Quality is King

The Importance of Temperature

To Garnish or Not to Garnish?

Measure, Measure, Measure!

How important is Ice?

Stocking Your Home Bar

Cocktail Mixing Myths

Mixing cocktails is hard

If you like vodka, you will like every vodka cocktail

Don’t Mix Drinks with the “good stuff”

Chapter 2: Vodka

Caramel Appletini

Coconut Strawberry Lemonade

Foxtrot Whiskey Tango

Harvey Wallbanger

Jan Collins

Bloody Mary

Dutch Lemonade

Gentlemen’s Sidecar

Moscow Mule

Watermelon Caipiroska

Chapter 3: Gin

Aviation Cocktail

Brambleberry

Fire in the Night

Gin Madras

Gin Rickey

Gin Toddy

Ginito

Hot Tanqueray Cider

Knickerbocker Martini

Mumbai Fizz

Chapter 4: Rum

Old Fashioned Almond Joyful

Bite My Beer

Caipirinha

Citrus Squeeze Punch

Coconut Orange Fizz

Coconut and Banana Tiki

Diablo Del Sol

Hot Rum Punch

Islander Coffee

Mango Mai Tai

Chapter 5: Tequila

Basquechata

Bloody Caesar

Brothers in Arms

Café Blanco

Cinnamon and Cerveza

Tequila Breeze

El Diablo

Heavens to Betsy

Lion’s Den

Peach Fresca Margarita

Chapter 6: Other Spirits

Blood Orange Manhattan

Gold Rush

Sonoma Sour

Black Beauty

Blood and Sand

Hot Maple Chocolate

Affogato

Bailey’s Spiced Nog

Godiva Chocolate Macaroon

Hungarian Orchard

Conclusion

Introduction

There is nothing better than a perfectly made cocktail! The only problem is, however, that the perfectly made cocktail usually comes with a not-so-perfect price tag! A single basic cocktail can run you anywhere from $7 to $14 depending upon where you live in the United States. Sure, if you live in a $7 per cocktail region it’s not “that bad,” but the fact remains that you can make your own cocktails for a fraction of the price. Not only will you save more money than you can imagine (or at least have a lot more drinks for the same price,) but you will also avoid a bar full of drunk idiots. Yes, we know that once in a while it’s fun to watch drunk idiots, but what if you just want to relax, unwind and not spend a fortune? If that’s your agenda, then this is the book for you!

“Fifty Must Try Cocktails You Can Make at Home” is a cocktail recipe book that features fifty of the most delicious cocktails that you can master in the privacy of your own home. These cocktails vary in strength and size - and of course due to the type of liquor used in them, they can vary in cost to you, but one thing is for sure – you won’t spend nearly as much as you would at the bar!

Chapter 1: What You Need to Know Before Mixing Cocktails

Everyone likes to think that they know how to mix a cocktail. It’s as simple as throwing a few ingredients in to a mixer, shaking it and pouring it out, right? Wrong! In order to get the best tasting cocktail, there are a number of things that you need to know – there’s a reason that bartenders have to go through training! In this chapter, we are going to give you a speed tutorial in drink mixing to ensure that you make the perfect drink every time!

Quality is King

When stocking your home bar, don’t go cheap! The quality of your ingredients directly impacts the quality of your cocktail. Now, we’re not telling you to go out and buy the most expensive ingredients out there, but we are telling you to avoid that $5 bottle of gin! Cheap liquors not only taste awful straight up, but their taste influences the end flavor of your cocktail as well.

Quality does not only apply to liquor. Mixing cocktails involves various other ingredients as well such as juices, fruits and sodas. Always try your best to purchase fresh, high quality items. Opt for brand name over store brand, fresh fruits over frozen and fresh fruit juices over juices from concentrate. The only exception to this rule is when a recipe calls for a specific brand of item that may not be considered a “quality” ingredient in your eyes. A good example of this might be a recipe that calls for “Tang” instead of orange juice.

We understand that you won’t always be able to get the best of the best, but get the best that you can afford.

The Importance of Temperature

Few people are aware of just how much temperature influences a cocktail. The temperature of your drink needs to always match the temperature of your glass – yes, it does make a difference! A cold drink should be served in a chilled glass. Why does it matter? A cold glass is going to keep a cold drink colder longer without requiring ice that can dilute a drink unnecessarily. You can chill glasses for cold drinks by putting them in the freezer or by filling them with ice and emptying them out before pouring your drink.

Glass temperature plays just as important of a part in warm drinks as it does in cold. If you are serving a warm or hot drink, make sure that your glass is warm. You can warm glasses by utilizing an open flame and gently warming the glass over it, or you can use the warmth of your hands to warm up the glass. You can also purchase a special type of glass that is made to retain heat from warm drinks.

To Garnish or Not to Garnish?

Garnishes might look pretty, but you don’t have to use them every time for every cocktail! If a garnish plays an important role in the drink – for example a lime that adds to the overall flavor of your cocktail, then adding that lime is necessary. If, however, a recipe doesn’t call for a garnish, then it is not necessary.

Measure, Measure, Measure!

One of the biggest pet peeves of people who drink at bars is a bartender who “cheats” them out of alcohol in their cocktail. While this does occasionally happen, the fact of the matter is that the flavor of cocktails is dependent upon specific ingredient ratios! Changing any amount of an ingredient in a cocktail can turn a sweet drink sour, a fruit drink bitter and a delicious drink foul! Utilize your bar tools to make sure that every drink you make is well measured and perfectly mixed.

How important is Ice?

Not all cocktails rely on ice, but many do which means that ice plays a significant role in the end product of most cocktails. Not only does the quality of your ice matter (if you don’t have filtered water ice, buy a bag of ice at the store!) but the type of ice you use matters as well. Ice types include: ice cubes, cracked ice, shaved ice and block ice. These varieties of ice lend different qualities to different drinks, so pay attention to a recipe when it calls for a specific type of ice and when possible, use it!

Stocking Your Home Bar

We have already talked about the importance of using high quality ingredients in your cocktails, but stocking a bar is about more than quality. A well-stocked home bar should include the following staples:

-         A set of basic cocktail mixing tools.

-         Staple liquors including: Gin, Tequila, Vodka, Dark rum, Light rum, Bourbon, Brandy, Irish whiskey, Canadian whiskey, Rye Whiskey and Scotch.

-         Staple Liqueurs and cordials including: Amaretto, Kahlua, Vermouth, Irish cream liqueur, orange liqueur, crème de cacao.

-         Various juices.

-         Various mixers.

-         Various sodas.

-         Garnishes such as olives, cinnamon, cocktail onions, mint leaves, fruits and cherries.

Keep in mind that the items that you stock in your home bar are going to vary depending upon the type of drinks that you prefer. If you intend to experiment with a wide variety of cocktails such as those included in this book, then you are going to want to keep a varied and ample supply of items in stock.

Cocktail Mixing Myths

While we have covered some of the better tips to mixing cocktails, we have not yet taken a look at some of the commonly heard myths in bartending. These myths are frequently held beliefs that have very little to no truth to them.

Mixing cocktails is hard

The belief that mixing cocktails is hard is one that is commonly understood to be true. The truth is, however, that mixing cocktails is just about as easy as it gets when you have the right tools, the right ingredients and a recipe to follow! Just as anyone can bake a boxed cake mix, anyone can mix their own cocktails so long as they have the right tools!

If you like vodka, you will like every vodka cocktail

Another commonly held myth is that if you like a key ingredient, you will like a cocktail. This is simply untrue. Different cocktails are created because they offer different flavors and different taste combinations. So, just because you like one ingredient, you are not necessarily going to enjoy the overall taste of the drink when the rest of the ingredients come together.

Don’t Mix Drinks with the “good stuff”

This is a myth that is heard over and over again. People believe that just because an ingredient is expensive, it should not be mixed in to a mixed drink because it will lose its flavor. This is simply not true. The reason that most people buy in to this myth is because it is just not cost effective to use the “good stuff” in drinks at a bar. The truth is, however, that the better the quality of your ingredients, the better the taste of your drink. If you can afford it, use it.

Chapter 2: Vodka

              Vodka is perhaps one of the most commonly found spirits in the home bar. Not only is vodka a relatively affordable liquor, but it is also a very versatile one that can lend itself to just about any flavor. In this chapter we will take a look at ten must try cocktail recipes that use your favorite vodkas!

In this chapter, you will learn how to mix the following vodka cocktails:

Caramel Appletini

Coconut Strawberry Lemonade

Foxtrot Whiskey Tango

Harvey Wallbanger

Jan Collins

Ketel One Bloody Mary

Dutch Lemonade

Gentlemen’s Sidecar

Moscow Mule

Watermelon Caipiroska

Caramel Appletini

The caramel appletini is often viewed as a “girlie” drink, but the truth is that this delicious flavor combination is a must try for any fan of caramel apple flavor! It’s definitely a sweet combination though!

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. Ciroc Apple vodka (you can substitute your favorite apple vodka here as well)

-         0.75 oz. butterscotch schnapps

-         0.75 oz. apple cider

-         3 slices of apple (we prefer tart apples like Granny Smith)

-         1 piece of chewy caramel candy

Instructions:

Take out your trusty shaker and add in your Ciroc Apple vodka, your apple cider and your butterscotch schnapps to a shaker full of crushed ice. Now strain your drink in to a martini glass. Cut a slice in to one piece of apple and perch it on the edge of your glass while adding the other slices to your drink. Drop your caramel in to your glass and you’re ready to drink!

Coconut Strawberry Lemonade

This coconut and strawberry lemonade cocktail is a definite favorite among refreshing cocktail fans. If you like flavored lemonade, you will like this flavor!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Ciroc Coconut (or your favorite coconut flavored vodka)

-         1 oz. lemon juice

-         0.75 oz. honey water mixture (.375 oz. honey whisked together with .375 oz. water)

-         3 strawberries

-         Sugar

-         3 oz. club soda

Instructions:

Begin by “muddling” your strawberries. Muddling is crushing your strawberries together with a little sugar to create a slushy sweet mix at the bottom of your glass. Muddling should be done by pressing down lightly and gently twisting, it is NOT mashing and tearing. It is usually easy enough to muddle fruit in your glass to save dirtying more dishes, but using a ‘V’ shaped glass may mean that you need to muddle your fruit in another container.

Once your berries are muddled, add them to your shaker along with your Ciroc Coconut, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Throw in a little ice – the type of ice isn’t particularly relevant because you are going to strain your cocktail. Mix together your ingredients by shaking. Now strain your cocktail in to your glass. Pour your club soda on top of your cocktail and add a slice of strawberry to the edge of your glass for garnish!

Foxtrot Whiskey Tango

The Foxtrot Whiskey Tango is also known as the FWT and is a simple, but delicious cocktail mix.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Ciroc Coconut (or your favorite coconut vodka)

-         3 oz. pineapple juice

-         1 lime

Instructions:

Begin with your shaker filled with ice (this cocktail will be strained so use whatever ice you have on hand.) Add your coconut vodka, pineapple juice and a good squeeze of fresh lime juice to your shaker. Shake well and then strain your cocktail in to a martini glass! You can garnish with a spiral of lime peel, but it is not necessary.

Harvey Wallbanger

The Harvey Wallbanger is a popular and common drink favored by vodka lovers, so it’s definitely worth knowing how to make this one! A unique flavor combining hazelnut and orange, this isn’t a cocktail for everyone.

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. vodka (use your favorite brand, the best you can buy)

0.25 oz. Bailey’s hazelnut flavored liqueur

3 oz. orange juice

1 slice of orange

Instructions:

Begin with a glass full of larger ice cubes. Allow your glass to chill for a few minutes before adding in your vodka and orange juice. Use a drink stirrer to mix your vodka and orange juice. Once stirred, add in your hazelnut liqueur. Slip your orange slice on to the edge of your glass for garnish and you’re done!

Jan Collins

Not as well-known as the John Collins, the Jan Collins is a citrus flavored vodka based cocktail. If you’re looking for something simple and citrusy then this is the cocktail for you!

Ingredients:

-         0.75 oz. vodka of your choice

-         0.25 oz. orange liqueur

-         0.5 oz. club soda

-         0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice

-         0.25 oz. simple syrup

-         1 orange round (a round slice of orange)

Instructions:

Begin with your shaker filled with ice (the type of ice doesn’t matter since we are straining this cocktail.) Add your vodka, fresh lemon juice, orange liqueur and simple syrup to your shaker and shake well to combine. Once you have shaken, strain your cocktail in to a glass and add your club soda to the top! Slip your orange slice on the edge of your glass as garnish and you’re good to go!

Bloody Mary

The bloody Mary is one of the staple cocktails for those who like to enjoy an early cocktail…or those who need a little hair of the dog! This tomato juice cocktail has a kick, but is a go to favorite for plenty of people.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. vodka (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         3 oz. tomato juice

-         1 dash Worcestershire sauce

-         0.5 pinch of salt

-         0.5 tsp horseradish

-         0.5 pinch black pepper freshly ground

-         0.25 oz. fresh lemon juice

-         1 celery stalk

Instructions:

Add your vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, horseradish, black pepper and lemon juice in to an ice filled shaker (large cubes will be used later so they are recommended here.) Shake well to combine your ingredients and strain in to a glass filled with large cubes of ice. Garnish your glass with your celery stalk and you’re ready to drink!

Dutch Lemonade

A simple lemon and vodka combination, Dutch lemonade is a refreshing cocktail that is perfect for those who like to keep it simple. This two ingredient cocktail is ideal for those hot summer afternoons.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Citroen flavored vodka (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         3 oz. freshly made lemonade

-         1 lemon rind twist

Instructions:

Add your vodka and lemonade to a glad of large ice cubes and use a drink stirrer to mix thoroughly. Add your lemon rind twist for garnish and you’re ready to drink!

Gentlemen’s Sidecar

The gentlemen’s sidecar is a double liquor cocktail with both vodka and cognac. A unique and strong flavor, this isn’t the drink for everyone, but if you’re up for something to give you courage, this is the cocktail for you!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. vodka (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.5 oz. Hennessy cognac

-         1 oz. ruby red grapefruit juice

-         0.5 oz. simple syrup

-         0.25 oz. egg white

-         3 dashes aromatic bitters

-         Grapefruit peel

Instructions:

Begin with a shaker filled with crushed ice. Add in your vodka, cognac, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and egg whites to your shaker. Rim your glass with sugar. Shake your shaker well to combine your ingredients. Double strain your shaker in to your sugar rimmed glass. Squeeze your grapefruit peel over your drink to distribute the oils over the cocktail surface. Throw away your grapefruit peel and then add your three dashes of bitters to the top of your cocktail!

Moscow Mule

An increasingly popular cocktail these days, the Moscow mule is a vodka and ginger beer combination that is perfectly refreshing! If you’re not a fan of ginger then this isn’t the right cocktail for you, but if you enjoy the spicy kick of ginger then you definitely want to try this one!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. vodka (your favorite brand, the best you can buy)

-         1 tsp simple syrup

-         1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

-         4 oz. ginger beer (this is a different drink to ginger ale!)

-         1 sprig of fresh mint

-         1 piece of candied ginger (optional)

Instructions:

Fill your glass with large cubed ice. Add your vodka, simple syrup, fresh lime juice and ginger beer to your glass. Using a stirrer, stir your cocktail to mix well and garnish with a piece of fresh mint on the top. If you decide to use candied ginger, you can plop it right in to your cocktail or sit it on the side of your glass.

Watermelon Caipiroska

Watermelon is a favorite flavor among those who aren’t big on strongly flavored alcoholic cocktails. The watermelon caipiroska is the ideal drink for these people because it relies on fresh flavors and light, refreshing ingredients.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Citroen flavored vodka

-         10 fresh mint leaves

-         0.25 cups of fresh watermelon

-         1 tsp sugar

-         4 lime wedges

-         5 oz. club soda

-         1 lime wedge (for garnish)

-         1 fresh mint leaf (for garnish)

Instructions:

Muddle your mint, lime, simple syrup and watermelon (reference our coconut strawberry lemonade cocktail for instructions on how to muddle) in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Now add large cubed ice to your shaker and pour in your vodka. Shake the shaker well to combine your ingredients and strain in to a tall glass filled with large cubed ice. Add your club soda to the top of your glass and garnish with a fresh mint leaf as well as a wedge of lime.

Chapter 3: Gin

              Gin, while generally not as popular as vodka, is still quite a popular spirit and is becoming more popular by the day. There is plenty of variety among gins that offer different flavors which lend themselves to a variety of cocktail blends. In this chapter we will cover recipes for ten of our favorite gin based cocktails!

In this chapter, you will learn how to mix the following gin cocktails:

Aviation Cocktail

Brambleberry

Fire in the Night

Gin Madras

Gin Rickey

Gin Toddy

Ginito

Hot Tanqueray Cider

Knickerbocker Martini

Mumbai Fizz

Aviation Cocktail

The aviation cocktail isn’t the prettiest drink to look at, in fact it looks a little like dirty water, but this maraschino, gin and crème de violette combination is fruity and delicious! This is a definite must try if you are looking to try a new gin based cocktail.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. gin (your favorite brand, the best you can buy)

-         0.25 oz. maraschino liqueur

-         0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

-         2 dashes crème de violette

-         A lemon peel twist (for garnish)

Instructions:

Chill a glass. Add ice (type is unimportant since we will strain this cocktail) to a shaker. Pour in your gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and crème de violette in to your shaker and shake well. Now strain your ingredients in to your chilled glass and add a small piece of lemon peel to the edge of your glass for garnish!

Brambleberry

The brambleberry is the perfect cocktail for the gin lover who has a penchant for berries. With fresh blackberries and crème de cassis, this cocktail is perfect if you are looking for a subtle gin taste with refreshing berry highlights.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. London dry gin (your favorite brand, the best you can buy)

-         0.5 oz. crème de cassis liqueur

-         0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice

-         0.5 oz. simple syrup

-         5 fresh blackberries (additional blackberries for garnish if desired)

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to a shaker and to your glass. Muddle your blackberries. Pour your gin, muddled blackberries, lemon juice and simple syrup to your shaker and shake well. Now strain your cocktail in to your glass of ice. Get rid of your ice from your shaker and scoop out your muddled berries, adding them to your cocktail glass. Now pour your crème de cassis on top of your cocktail. Garnish with additional blackberries if you desire.

Fire in the Night

Fire in the night is NOT a cocktail for lightweights or anyone who can’t hold their liquor. What else can we say about a cocktail with absinthe? This is a strong cocktail with a unique flavor and is sure to impress at any house party!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. London dry gin (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         1 oz. fresh lemon sour

-         1 oz. prosecco

-         1 dash atomized absinthe

-         1 cherry

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to your tall glass as well as to your shaker. Now pour your gin and lemon sour in to your shaker and shake well. Strain your cocktail in to your ice filled glass and pour your prosecco on top. Now garnish your glass with your cherry and flamed absinthe!

Gin Madras

Gin madras is a unique and strongly citrus/fruity cocktail. The fruit juices in this cocktail do help to disguise the strength of gin flavor, so if you aren’t a huge gin fan, this might still be the cocktail for you!

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. London dry gin

-         2 oz. cranberry juice

-         2 oz. orange juice

-         1 orange slice (for garnish)

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to your shaker and to a tall drinking glass. Now add your gin, orange juice and cranberry juice to your shaker and shake well. When mixed, strain your cocktail in to your ice filled glass and slip your orange slice on to the side of your glass for garnish!

Gin Rickey

The gin Rickey is a simple gin cocktail with just three ingredients and a quick mixing process. Based on lime juice, gin and a little club soda, this isn’t the strongest flavored cocktail but the lime juice and club soda offer a refreshing and light drink.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. London dry gin

-         0.5 oz. lime juice

-         3 oz. club soda

-         1 lime peel twist (optional for garnish)

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with large cubed ice. Pour over your gin and lime juice and using a stirrer, stir well to mix. Top your drink with your club soda and garnish with a lime peel twist if desired.

Gin Toddy

A gin toddy is perfect for warming up on those cold nights! This cocktail combines gin, cinnamon and lemon juice with sugar and boiling water to make the perfect drink to sip by the fire and warm up from the inside out!

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. London dry gin

-         0.75 oz. lemon juice

-         2 oz. boiling water

-         1 tsp sugar

-         1 stick of cinnamon (for garnish)

Instructions:

Warm a mug or hot beverage glass by filling it with hot water and emptying it out and drying it. Once your glass is warm, add in your lemon juice, gin, sugar and boiling water and stir well to combine. Garnish with your cinnamon stick and you’re good to go!

Ginito             

You’ve heard of the mojito made with rum, well this is the ginito! A refreshing cocktail, this drink consists of gin, mint leaves and ginger ale! With almost a half and half mix of gin and ginger ale, this cocktail has enough of a gin taste for gin lovers, but enough refreshing ginger for those who prefer milder cocktails.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. London dry gin (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         3 oz. ginger ale

-         6 fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with large ice cubes and throw in your fresh mint leaves. Pour in your gin and then top with your ginger ale and you’re good to go!

Hot Tanqueray Cider

Another hot drink for those cold nights, the hot Tanqueray cider is a strong warming drink that is sure to warm you on those nights when it’s even below zero! Lemon juice, bitters, apple cider and gin make this a sweet go to drink.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. Tanqueray London dry gin (you can substitute if you need to, but Tanqueray is going to result in a good flavor)

-         0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

-         0.5 oz. simple syrup

-         3 dashes bitters

-         3 dashes hot apple cider of your choice

-         1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

Begin with a glass mug and warm it by filling it with hot water, emptying it and drying it out. Add your gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters to your glass and stir. Top your cocktail with your hot apple cider and stir again to mix well. Throw in your cinnamon stick for garnish and a little extra flavor and you’re good to go!

Knickerbocker Martini

The Knickerbocker Martini is a beautifully deep red cocktail of gin, vermouth and orange bitters. A full flavored cocktail, this bold drink isn’t for the faint of heart…or those who don’t enjoy the flavor of gin…a lot of gin.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. London dry gin

-         0.75 oz. dry vermouth

-         2 dashes orange bitters

-         1 twist orange peel (for garnish)

Instructions:

Chill your martini glass. Add ice to your shaker (the type of ice doesn’t matter since we will strain this cocktail.) Pour your vermouth, bitters and gin in to your shaker and instead of shaking them to mix, stir. Strain your cocktail in to your martini glass and garnish with a piece of orange peel!

Mumbai Fizz

A rather unique gin cocktail, the Mumbai fizz combines egg whites, orange flower water, gin and lemon juice with simple syrup and soda water. This odd but strangely appealing flavored cocktail is sometimes difficult to come by, but if you’re a citrus fan and want to try something different, then this is the cocktail for you.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Tanqueray Rangpur gin (you can substitute your favorite gin here, but this gin is the best for this cocktail!)

-         0.75 oz. lemon juice

-         1.5 oz. simple syrup

-         1 egg white

-         0.5 oz. orange flower water

-         1 splash soda water

Instructions:

Add your gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg whites and orange flower water to a shaker without ice. Shake until your ingredients are well combined and pour in to your snifter glass. Top the cocktail with your splash of soda water and you’re ready to go!

Chapter 4: Rum

              Rum is quite a popular mixing drink simply because of the vast number of flavors that can be infused in to it. Flavored rums are both affordable and diverse in terms of the unique blends that they bring to cocktail mixes. The most commonly used flavored rum is coconut rum. In this chapter, we are going to share ten of our favorite rum based cocktail recipes.

In this chapter, you will learn how to mix the following rum cocktails:

Old Fashioned Almond Joyful

Bite My Beer

Caipirinha

Citrus Squeeze Punch

Coconut Orange Fizz

Coconut and Banana Tiki

Diablo Del Sol

Hot Rum Punch

Islander Coffee

Mango Mai Tai

Old Fashioned Almond Joyful

The old fashioned almond joyful is the perfect choice of drink for the sweet lovers out there! If you like the flavor of the Almond Joy candy bar, then there is no doubt that you are going to make this your go to drink of choice.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. rum (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.5 oz. coconut syrup

-         1 dash aromatic bitters

-         1 dash almond extract

-         1 dash vanilla extract

-         1 dash grated nutmeg (for garnish)

Instructions:

In a tumbler glass, combine your rum, coconut syrup, aromatic bitters, almond extract and vanilla extract. Stir these ingredients carefully to mix them. Garnish the top of your cocktail with your grated nutmeg and you’re ready to drink!

Bite My Beer

The Bite My Beer cocktail is something of a unique rum cocktail because it incorporates lager. If you have a lager lover in your life who also enjoys the flavor of run, then this is the perfect rum cocktail to send their way!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. Captain Morgan Lime Bite Spiced Rum (or your favorite lime flavored rum)

-         4 oz. Harp lager (or your favorite similar lager brand)

-         0.5 oz. fresh lime juice

-         3 oz. lemon-lime soda (Sprite, 7-Up or Sierra Mist)

-         1 Lemon slice (for garnish)

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with large cubed ice to allow it to chill. Now add your rum, lime juice and lemon-lime soda to a shaker filled with large cubed ice. Shake your ingredients to combine well and then pour in your lager. Strain your shaker contents in to your glass, stir if needed and garnish with a lemon slice on the side of your glass.

Caipirinha

A lemon, brown sugar and lime centered cocktail with plenty of rum to go around, the Caipirinha is a great refreshing drink for summer afternoons. With lemonade to temper any “alcohol” flavor, this is a great drink even for those who aren’t fond of drinking spirits.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Myers’s Platinum White Rum (or your favorite similar brand)

-         1.5 oz. lemonade (fresh is best, but in a pinch you can use pre-made)

-         0.5 oz. simple syrup

-         2 tsp raw brown sugar

-         1 slice of lime (for garnish)

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to a tumbler to allow your glass to chill. Now, in an ice filled shaker, combine your rum, lemonade, simple syrup, and brown sugar. Shake your ingredients well to mix and then strain in to your ice filled glass. Garnish by slipping your lime slice on to the side of your glass.

Citrus Squeeze Punch

A VERY citrusy flavored rum drink, this cocktail combine’s lemon, orange and spiced rum. A unique but strong flavor, the citrus squeeze punch isn’t for the faint of heart.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum (or your favorite similar brand)

-         1 tbsp. orange curacao

-         2 oz. orange juice

-         1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

-         0.5 tbsp. almond syrup

-         1 twist orange peel

Instructions:

Fill a tumbler with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. Once your glass is chilled, pour in your spiced rum, orange curacao, orange juice, lemon juice, and almond syrup. Stir the ingredients well to combine them and slip the orange peel slice on to the edge of your glass for garnish!

Coconut Orange Fizz

The coconut orange fizz combines spiced rum with coconut water, orange juice and ginger beer. This uniquely flavored cocktail has a spicy kick and an orange citrus highlight and certainly isn’t for everyone. If you enjoy a strongly citrus ginger flavor however, then this is the cocktail for you!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. spiced rum (your favorite brand, the best you can buy)

-         1.5 oz. coconut water

-         0.75 oz. orange juice

-         2 oz. ginger beer (NOT ginger ale)

-         1 orange slice (for garnish)

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to your tumbler glass to allow the glass to chill. While your glass chills, add large cubed ice to a shaker and pour in your rum, coconut water and orange juice. Shake well to mix your ingredients before straining your cocktail in to your ice filled tumbler. Pour your ginger beer on top of your cocktail. Garnish the side of your glass with an orange slice.

Note – for more sweetness and less spice in this cocktail you can substitute ginger ale for ginger beer.

Coconut and Banana Tiki

The Coconut Banana Tiki is the epitome of a tropical party drink. This banana flavored cocktail is made with spiced rum and plenty of banana mixed with coconut water. If you’re looking for a refreshing drink with less of a hard liquor taste, then this is a definite drink to try.

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. spiced rum (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.5 oz. banana liqueur

-         1.5 oz. coconut water

-         2 slices of banana

-         1 dash of lemon juice (for muddling bananas)

-         0.25 fresh lime juice

-         1/3 of a banana in its peel (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by muddling your bananas with lemon juice (no sugar) to mix them. Now fill your tall glass with large cubed ice to allow the glass to chill. While your glass chills, add your spiced rum, banana liqueur, coconut water, muddled banana, and lime juice to an ice filled shaker. Shake the ingredients well to mix them and then strain them in to your chilled, ice filled glass. Now cut a notch across the open end of your banana in the peel and slide the banana on to the side of your glass for garnish!

Diablo Del Sol

The name Diablo Del Sol speaks for itself. This is a strong cocktail but a simple one to make. With grenadine, orange juice and spiced rum, the Diablo Del Sol this isn’t a cocktail for those who can’t stand the taste of liquor, but if you love your rum then this is a good one for you!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. spiced rum (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         3.5 oz. orange juice

-         0.25 oz. grenadine

-         1 lemon wedge (for garnish)

-         1 cherry (for garnish)

-         1 sprig of mint (for garnish)

-         1 cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to a tall glass to allow your glass to chill. Now add your spiced rum and orange juice to an ice filled shaker. Shake well and then strain your rum and orange juice mixture over the ice in your glass. Now, carefully pour your grenadine along the side of the glass to allow it to sink to the bottom of your cocktail. Add your lemon wedge to the side of your glass, throw your cherry and cinnamon stick in to your glass and drop your mint sprig on top to garnish!

Hot Rum Punch

Hot rum punch is just what the doctor ordered if you’re stuck inside on a cold winter night with a nasty cold…or just in need of a warm stiff drink! This spiced warming drink combines apple cider, rum, demerara syrup and chai tea for the perfect bedtime drink.

Ingredients:

-         0.5 oz. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

-         0.5 oz. Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum

-         0.25 oz. demerara syrup

-         1 oz. hot chai tea

-         2 oz. warmed apple cider

-         1 clove

-         1 orange round (a round cut slice of orange)

Instructions:

Begin by warming your glass mug by filling it with hot water, emptying it and drying it out. Now warm your apple cider in a pan on the stove (you can also hold your glass mug over the stove while you heat the cider to heat your glass.) Once your cider is warmed, pour it in to your glass mug along with your brewed chai tea, rum, and demerara syrup. Stir your cocktail well. Place your clove in the center of your orange round and set the orange round on top of your cocktail.

Islander Coffee

If you have a coffee lover in your home then the Islander Coffee cocktail is just the ticket! This delicious cocktail combines coconut rum with pineapple juice and espresso liqueur to make a coffee cocktail with a coconut and pineapple highlight for a unique all around flavor!

Ingredients:

-         0.75 oz. coconut rum (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.75 oz. espresso flavored liqueur

-         1.5 oz. pineapple juice

-         2 oz. cola

-         1 lime wedge

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. As your glass chills, pour your coconut rum, espresso liqueur and pineapple juice in to an ice filled shaker. Shake well to combine your ingredients. Now strain your cocktail in to your glass and pour your cola on top. Slip your lime wedge on to the side of your glass to garnish!

Mango Mai Tai

The Mango Mai Tai is the idyllic party cocktail combining all of the island flavors that partygoers seek in a rum cocktail. With mango rum, pineapple juice, lime juice and more, this beautiful drink is the go to for rum lovers and those who don’t care for the taste of liquor alike!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. mango flavored rum (your brand of choice, the best you can afford)

-         0.25 oz. orgeat syrup

-         0.5 oz. pineapple juice

-         0.5 oz. lime juice

-         0.25 oz. grenadine

-         1 pineapple wedge

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to a tall glass and allow your glass to chill. While your glass chills, add your pineapple juice, lime juice, orgeat syrup, mango rum and grenadine to an ice filled shaker. Shake well to combine. Strain your cocktail in to your ice filled glass and slip a wedge of pineapple on to the side of your glass for garnish!

Chapter 5: Tequila

              Tequila is a hit or miss depending upon your audience. Even when mixed in to cocktails, the distinct flavor of tequila is still distinguishable which means that if you aren’t a fan of tequila, then you generally won’t care for most tequila based cocktails. If you are a tequila fan, however, then you are really going to love these ten recipes for tequila based cocktails!

In this chapter, you will learn how to mix the following tequila cocktails:

Basquechata

Bloody Caesar

Brothers in Arms

Café Blanco

Cinnamon and Cerveza

Tequila Breeze

El Diablo

Heavens to Betsy

Lion’s Den

Peach Fresca Margarita

Basquechata

Basquechata is a unique cocktail combination for tequila and fruit lovers. Combining passion fruit, beer, tequila, and horchata de chufa, this cocktail isn’t your usual mix of flavors, but it’s a great feature drink for your next party for anyone who loves tequila!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Tequila (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.5 oz. beer (your favorite brand – no specified type)

-         1 oz. passion fruit juice

-         1 oz. horchata de chufa

-         1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

Add large cubed ice to your tumbler glass and allow your glass to chill. Once your glass is chilled, add in your tequila, beer, passion fruit juice and horchata de chufa and stir well to mix. Garnish your cocktail with a cinnamon stick and you’re ready to drink!

Bloody Caesar

Forget the bloody Mary, the bloody Caesar is a spicy tequila based cocktail and a unique spin on the tomato juice based cocktail we all know and love. Unlike most tequila cocktails, you don’t need to have a taste for tequila itself to enjoy this one because of the strong flavors in your other ingredients.

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. tequila

-         0.5 oz. fresh lime juice

-         1 tsp hot sauce

-         1 dash Worcestershire sauce

-         3 oz. Mexican beer (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         4 oz. tomato and clam juice

-         Chili-salt

-         1 lime wedge

Instructions:

Begin by rimming your glass with the chili salt. Fill your salt rimmed glass with large cubed ice so that the glass can chill. While your glass is chilling, pour your tequila, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Mexican style beer and tomato and clam juice in to an ice filled shaker. Shake your ingredients to mix and then strain them in to your salt rimmed, ice-chilled glass. Add your lime wedge to the edge of your glass for garnish and you’re ready to serve!

Brothers in Arms

The Brothers in Arms cocktail combines a rush of refreshing flavors with a dash of spice. With tequila, lime sour, watermelon juice, jalapeno chili and orange, this isn’t your average cocktail, but if you’re in for something different then give this one a try!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Don Julio Blanco Tequila (or a comparable brand)

-         1.5 oz. fresh lime sour

-         0.5 oz. watermelon juice

-         1 sliced jalapeno chili (for garnish)

-         1 orange slice (for garnish)

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with large cubes of ice to allow your glass to chill. While your glass chills, add your tequila, lime sour and watermelon juice to an ice filled shaker. Shake well to combine and strain over your ice filled glass. Garnish with your orange slice on the edge of the glass and then throw your jalapeno slices in to your glass!

Café Blanco

Café Blanco is a great cup of coffee with a kick! With plenty of warming spices and the kick of caffeine, this is a sweet tequila splashed coffee that you will definitely want to try on a cool fall afternoon. If you’re not a coffee lover, then this cocktail is not for you.

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Don Julio Blanco Tequila (or comparable brand)

-         1 tsp dark brown sugar

-         1 dash of cinnamon

-         1 dash of nutmeg

-         1 dash clove

-         4 oz. freshly brewed coffee (your brand of choice)

-         Whipped cream (for garnish)

Instructions:

In a large mug, combine your coffee with your tequila, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir well to mix all of your ingredients and garnish with whipped cream on the top!

Cinnamon and Cerveza

If you know anything about Spanish, then you know that this one literally translates to “cinnamon and beer.” Cinnamon and Cerveza combines two simple ingredients for a spicy and unique flavored cocktail! If you’re not looking to combine your beer and liquor then this isn’t a good choice for you! If, however, you enjoy a spicy liquor cocktail and trying something new, give this one a shot!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. cinnamon tequila (your brand of choice, the best you can afford)

-         3.5 oz. beer (your beer or choice, we recommend a Mexican beer)

Instructions:

Unlike the other cocktails in this book, there is absolutely no mixing with these two! Simply pour your chilled cinnamon tequila in to a shot glass and grab a glass of your favorite cold Mexican beer. If you’re feeling really brave you can drop your shot in to your beer, but we prefer taking the shot and following it up with a beer.

Tequila Breeze

Tequila Breeze is as light and refreshing as its name would suggest. Combining bitter and sweet, this cocktail features tequila, pink grapefruit juice, club soda and a lime wedge for the perfect flavor combination. If you’re not a fan of bitter, then this isn’t the cocktail for you, but if you’re a lover of grapefruit and tequila then you definitely want to give this one a try!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. tequila (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         3 oz. pink grapefruit juice

-         1 splash club soda

-         1 lime wedge (for garnish)

Instructions:

Fill a tumbler with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. While your glass chills, combine your pink grapefruit juice and your tequila in a shaker with ice. Shake well to combine your ingredients and then pour the cocktail over your glass of ice. Finally, splash your club soda on top of your cocktail and slip the wedge of lime on the edge of your glass.

El Diablo

El Diablo looks innocent enough with its light pink color, but this tequila fruit cocktail is so sweet it will soon live up to its name when you can’t stop drinking it! You might regret it in the morning, but the deliciousness of this pink cocktail is such that you really won’t care! This is a cocktail for anyone who enjoys a lighter, fruity flavor.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. tequila (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.25 oz. crème de cassis liqueur

-         2 oz. lemon-lime soda (Sprite, 7-Up or Sierra Mist)

-         1 oz. blackberry puree

-         1 lime wedge (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling a tall glass with large cubed ice to chill your glass. As your glass is chilling, combine your tequila, crème de cassis, and blackberry puree in a shaker filled with ice. Shake the shaker to mix your ingredients well. Empty your glass of ice now that your glass is chilled and pour your cocktail and ice from the shaker in your glass. Now pour your soda on the top of your cocktail and garnish by slipping your lime wedge on the side of your glass.

Heavens to Betsy

Heavens to Betsy is just about as simple as it gets for a tequila cocktail. Combining grapefruit juice with tequila, this cocktail is strong but refreshing and perfect for a hot summer afternoon. If you’re not a big fan of the flavor of tequila then this isn’t a good cocktail choice for you since your tequila outweighs your grapefruit juice 3:1!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. tequila (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.5 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

-         1 lime wedge

-         Salt

Instructions:

Begin by rubbing your lime wedge around the edge of a tall glass to flavor it. Dip the edge of your glass in salt. Now fill your glass with large ice cubes to allow the glass to chill. Next, add your tequila and grapefruit juice to an ice filled shaker and shake well. Strain your cocktail in to your ice filled glass and toss in your lime wedge from before to garnish!

Lion’s Den

The Lion’s Den isn’t your usual cocktail, combining lime, tequila, herbal liqueur and pepper, this is a flavor you won’t find anywhere else! If you’re up for an adventure and a little kick with your tequila, then this is a cocktail you want to give a shot. Just don’t give this one to your grandma!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. tequila (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.75 tbsp. yellow French herbal liqueur

-         0.75 tbsp. fresh lime juice

-         0.75 tbsp. agave syrup

-         .5 piece shishito pepper

-         1 dash seven flavor chili pepper salt

Instructions:

Begin by muddling your pepper in the bottom of your shaker. Now add your tequila, lime juice, yellow French herbal liqueur, and agave syrup to your shaker and shake vigorously to ensure that everything is well mixed. Now rim your martini glass with the seven flavor chili pepper salt and strain your cocktail from the shaker in to your glass. There is no need to garnish this one any more than the salt around your glass rim, you are ready to go!

Peach Fresca Margarita

Tequila cocktail parties just wouldn’t be complete without at least one margarita and the Peach Fresca Margarita is the only margarita recipe you will ever need again. This delicious, light and refreshing margarita is the perfect afternoon pick me up and the ideal social soiree drink. This is definitely a sweet cocktail though, so if sweet isn’t your thing then this isn’t the right cocktail for you!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. tequila (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         1.5 oz. margarita cocktail mixer

-         0.5 oz. amaretto liqueur

-         1.5 oz. peach puree

-         1.5 oz. organic carrot juice (unsweetened)

-         1 circle of lime (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling your martini glass with crushed ice to allow the glass to chill. While your glass is chilling, add your tequila, margarita mixer, amaretto liqueur, peach puree and carrot juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well to combine and then strain your cocktail over the ice in your martini glass. Slip your circle of lime on the edge of your martini glass and you’re ready to drink!

Chapter 6: Other Spirits

              In addition to the more “basic” liquor staples, there are plenty of other liquors and liqueurs that can make delicious cocktails. These different spirits bring a wealth of flavor and variety to cocktail recipes and include anything from Bailey’s and Godiva to whiskey and scotch. In this chapter we will share with you ten delicious cocktail recipes with various spirits that you are certain to enjoy!

In this chapter, you will learn how to mix the following cocktails:

Blood Orange Manhattan

Gold Rush

Sonoma Sour

Black Beauty

Blood and Sand

Hot Maple Chocolate

Affogato

Bailey’s Spiced Nog

Godiva Chocolate Macaroon

Hungarian Orchard

Blood Orange Manhattan

The Blood Orange Manhattan is a bourbon and vermouth cocktail that uses plenty of orange flavor as well as wild hibiscus syrup. The brilliant color of this cocktail makes it a definite must have for a cocktail party, but the sweet flavor makes it even more appealing. If you are looking for a refreshing bourbon cocktail, then the Blood Orange Manhattan is what you are looking for!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. bourbon (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.25 oz. Cragganmore Distillers Edition

-         1.25 oz. blood orange mixer

-         1 dash blood orange bitters

-         0.25 oz. sweet vermouth

-         1 dash wild hibiscus syrup

-         1 cherry (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling a tumbler with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. While your glass is chilling, add your bourbon, Cragganmore, blood orange mixer, blood orange bitters, sweet vermouth, and wild hibiscus syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well to combine and then strain over your ice filled tumbler. Throw in your cherry for garnish and you’re ready to serve!

Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is a sweet and warming cocktail combining bourbon with lemon juice, honey and bitters. A refreshing, yet thick flavor, this cocktail is a must try for bourbon lovers.

Ingredients:

-         1.25 oz. bourbon

-         0.75 oz. lemon juice

-         0.5 oz. honey syrup (0.25 oz. honey mixed with 0.25 oz. water)

-         1 dash bitters

-         1 lemon wedge (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling a tumbler with large cubed ice so that your glass can chill. As your glass chills, add your bourbon, lemon juice, honey syrup and bitters in to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well to mix your ingredients and then strain your cocktail over the ice in your glass. Garnish by slipping your lemon wedge on the side of your glass.

Sonoma Sour

The Sonoma Sour is a good choice for wine lovers at any cocktail party! This delicious cocktail combines red wine with bourbon, orgeat syrup and sweet and sour mixer for a sweet and tangy cocktail that you won’t be able to pass up.

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. bourbon (brand of your choice, the best you can afford)

-         1 oz. red wine (brand of your choice, the best you can afford)

-         1 oz. sweet and sour mixer

-         0.5 oz. orgeat syrup

-         1 small grapefruit wedge (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling a wine glass with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. While your glass is chilling, add your bourbon, red wine, sweet and sour mix, and orgeat syrup to an ice filled shaker and shake to combine. Once mixed, strain your cocktail over the ice in your glass and throw your grapefruit wedge in to your glass! That’s it, you’re ready to go!

Black Beauty

Black Beauty is a Canadian whiskey based cocktail that combines triple sex, grenadine and club soda for a bold and sweet bourbon cocktail. This delicious thick flavor is a must try for any whiskey cocktail lover and one that you won’t be able to put down once you start drinking it!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. Canadian whiskey (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.5 oz. triple sec. liqueur

-         1 splash grenadine

-         3 oz. club soda

-         1 lime slice (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling a highball glass with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. Once your glass is chilled, pour in your whiskey, triple sex and grenadine in to the glass and stir to mix well. Once mixed, pour in your club soda and slip your lime slice on the edge of the glass to garnish!

Blood and Sand

Blood and Sand might not sound appealing, but this cocktail is a delicious blend of Scotch whiskey, orange juice, cherry liqueur and sweet vermouth and it will call to you every time! The fruity flavors of this cocktail are heavy and sweet and will appeal even to those who don’t think they are fans of whiskey.

Ingredients:

-         0.75 oz. Jonnie Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whiskey (or a comparable brand)

-         0.5 oz. cherry liqueur

-         0.5 oz. orange juice

-         0.5 oz. sweet vermouth

-         1 orange peel twist (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin with a chilled martini glass (fill the glass with ice, once the glass is chilled, empty the ice and wipe out the glass.) In a shaker filled with ice, combine your whiskey, cherry liqueur, orange juice, and sweet vermouth. Shake well to combine your ingredients and then strain in to your martini glass. Top your cocktail with your orange peel twist, or if you prefer slip it on to the side of your glass and serve!

Hot Maple Chocolate

Who doesn’t love hot chocolate? Well, if you’re a whiskey fan and a hot chocolate fan then you are going to fall in love with this Hot Maple Chocolate! This is a very sweet, but very warming drink that is perfect for cold winter nights by the fire. You don’t have to be a fan of whiskey to enjoy this one either!

Ingredients:

-         0.5 oz. Maple flavored whiskey (brand of your choice, the best you can buy)

-         0.5 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

-         4 oz. hot chocolate (your favorite brand)

-         Whipped cream (for garnish)

Instructions:

Heat up your hot chocolate and in a glass mug, combine your maple flavored whiskey, Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur and your hot chocolate. Stir to mix your ingredients well and top with whipped cream to serve!

Affogato

Affogato is a cocktail for those who love something sweet…and we DO MEAN SWEET! This simple cocktail is a creamy combination of ice cream and Bailey’s Espresso Crème Liqueur and makes for the perfect dessert drink at any dinner party. Best of all, you don’t have to be a big liqueur drinker to enjoy this drink!

Ingredients:

-         1.5 oz. Bailey’s Espresso Crème Liqueur

-         2 scoops vanilla ice cream (your favorite brand)

Instructions:

Scoop your ice cream in to a glass and pour your Bailey’s Espresso Crème Liqueur over the top! It really is as simple as that. Enjoy with a spoon or let your ice cream begin to melt and mix things up to combine the flavors.

Bailey’s Spiced Nog

Are you a fan of egg nog? If you are, then this Bailey’s Spiced Nog is a must try! Perfect for your holiday parties or for a cold fall or winter night, this cocktail combines spiced rum with Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur, allspice dram, bitters and egg. Looking for a warm and creamy way to get a little tipsy? Then give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:

-         2 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

-         0.5 oz. spiced rum (your favorite brand, the best you can buy)

-         1 dash allspice dram

-         1 dash bitters

-         1 whole egg

-         Grated nutmeg (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by adding your Bailey’s, spiced rum, allspice liqueur, bitters and egg to a shaker. Shake to combine your ingredients and then pour in to a glass of your choice. Garnish by sprinkling the top of your cocktail with your grated nutmeg!

Godiva Chocolate Macaroon

If you have any chocolate lovers at your next cocktail party, then this Godiva Chocolate Macaroon cocktail is the perfect addition to your cocktail menu! Combining the bitterness of dark chocolate liqueur with coconut vodka and Bailey’s Vanilla Cinnamon, this cocktail packs quite a punch and has plenty of sweet flavor!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur

-         0.5 oz. coconut vodka (your favorite brand, the best you can afford)

-         0.25 oz. Bailey’s Vanilla Cinnamon

-         Sweet coconut flakes (for garnish)

-         Flaked dark chocolate (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by coating the rim of a martini glass with your flaked sweet coconut. Next, add your Liqueur, vodka and Bailey’s to an ice filled shaker and shake well to combine. Once mixed well, strain your cocktail in to your coconut rimmed martini glass! You can add some flaked dark chocolate to the top of your cocktail if you like for additional garnish.

Hungarian Orchard

The Hungarian Orchard is a unique cocktail that combines plenty of fruity flavor with a mixture of Zwack Liqueur, apple brandy and orange juice. A tart cocktail, this isn’t one that you will keep drinking down one after another, but it makes for a delicious afternoon drink on a hot summer day!

Ingredients:

-         1 oz. Zwack Liqueur

-         0.5 oz. apple brandy (your brand of choice, the best you can afford)

-         1 oz. orange juice

-         1 apple slice (for garnish)

-         Grated cinnamon (for garnish)

Instructions:

Begin by filling a tall glass with large cubed ice to allow your glass to chill. As your glass is chilling, add your Liqueur, brandy and orange juice to an ice filled shaker and shake to combine. Once you have mixed your cocktail, pour it over the ice in your glass. Garnish by slipping an apple slice on the edge of your glass (or drop it in to your drink!) and sprinkle a little of your grated cinnamon on top! That’s it, you’re ready to serve!

Conclusion

              There are more cocktails than we could possibly fit in to one book and more cocktails are being created every day! It is our hope, however, that using this book, you have been able to master fifty cocktail recipes that you can use as building blocks for future creations! With a basic knowledge of which liquors, liqueurs, juices and other ingredients work together, you should now be more than able to start creating your own signature cocktails!

Just keep in mind the basic rules we shared with you in the first chapters of the book! Use the best ingredients, always measure your ingredients, control the temperature of your glasses and don’t go believing everything you hear about mixing cocktails – it’s really not that hard!