This is a question we get asked all the time.
People expect us to answer something like, “Oh, with this spirit you need to use this tonic, with ice and make sure you add this garnish”
Rubbish!
For us, the perfect serve is the one you make to suit your taste buds. We all have different tastes so why should we “standardise” a drink recipe? Yes, there will be a standard that has been created by a distiller or a mixologist but what if you dont like it?
The number of people Team Crafty have met that say “I dont like Gin” can’t be counted on one hand.
We then ask them if they have ever tried Gin neat. The answer is usually no, so we then ask “how do you know its not the mixer you don’t like?”
Trying spirits with different mixers and different garnishes is the experience. That’s the fun part of enjoying the vast variety of spirits that are out there just now. If you don’t like gin and tonic, then try gin and lemonade or ginger beer or just ice!
Our perfect serve is really a cocktail. It might not have 10 – 20 different ingredients but it’s still a cocktail.
At our tasting events we always try to provide different mixers for our guests, and we encourage them to use their own mixers (if we are virtual and they are at home). At the end of the day, you want a drink that your taste buds will like.
So if you have a sweet tooth, you might like to add some lemonade, or even cola. What we do stress is not to drown the spirit. Just add a little at a time because you can always add to a drink, you can never take away.
How many times do we go into a bar and ask for a vodka and coke and the barman says “will I just top it up to the top of the glass?” We think we are getting a big drink but all that is happening is we are drowining the taste of the spirit.
Team Crafty once held a trial event for “freestyle cocktail making”. (Connoisseurs Corners) . It was an off the cuff facebook event that was just us in our #craftykitchen and our viewers at home, mixing up different spirits with different mixers. There was no written down recipe it was just us and the #CraftyNation “freestyling”. It was all handled reponsibily of course, not a free for all booze session.
It was our way of seeing which mixers we liked with which spirits. Since we started back in August 2016, we have seen drinks mixed with a whole range of things. We have even seen Gin with Irn Bru!
So, the next time you are thinking about the perfect serve for a particular spirit, think like a chef.
Be the Gordon Ramsay of your home bar and mix up something that you like, and that your tastebuds appreciate.
You never know, your friends might like it to.
Remember #TeamCrafty’s three E’s
- Educate – your tastebuds on what they like and could grow to like.
- Engage – engage your passion for being creative with your mixing.
- Enjoy – enjoy the experience, otherwise what’s the point?
And remember, always Drink Responsibly.
