How to Make a Cocktail

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines a cocktail as an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice.
While it is impossible for one brief how-to page to explain how to make every possible type of cocktail, this page will point you in the right direction to make a basic mixed alcoholic drink, so that the next time you need to whip up something smart, "go" will be the word

•Making a Basic Cocktail
Choose a type of spirit that you want to use in your cocktail. It wouldn't be a cocktail without some alcohol, so be sure to get some. The type of alcohol that you use in your cocktail. Here are some ideas for spirits you can use:
Clear or colorless spirits. These are more or less colorless in appearance and much of the time has a milder taste than other spirits. Colorless spirits include:
Vodka
Gin
(Unaged) Cachaça
Neutral Grain Spirit
Soju
Whiskeys. Whiskeys are made from fermented grain mash, with the grain used changing from type to type. Whiskey is popular around the world, but primarily manufactured in Scotland, Ireland, America, and Japan, each of which have distinct flavors. The types of whiskey include:
Bourbon
Scotch
Rye
Other colored spirits. There are dozens of different kinds of spirits that would make sense in a cocktail. Some of the most popular spirits not to have already been listed include:
Tequila
Mezcal
Absinthe
Brandy

Choose another type of alcohol to enhance the taste of the spirit (optional). Sometimes, a drink with a lower alcohol concentration is chosen to enhance the flavor of the spirit. If you're going to use two types of alcohol in combination, be sure to test whether their tastes are compatible. Gin and light beer may work in a refreshing drink with lemon and honey, or beer and tequila may work as a "beer-garita," but ouzo and red wine probably aren't likely to be paired anytime soon.

Beer and wine cocktails have become increasingly popular over the years. Experiment with beer, for example, by making a simple Shandy, or lemonade and beer. Experiment with wine by making a Kalimotxo, or red wine and coke. Or try a French 75 , which combines gin, sparkling wine, lemon, and sugar.
Get a nice cocktail shaker. In order to combine your ingredients together, you're probably going to need a cocktail shaker. Although certain cocktails that cocktails that use distilled spirits or very light mixers are stirred, most other cocktails are shaken.
Cocktails that have fruit juices, dairy products or eggs, simple syrup, sour mix, or any other thick ingredients need to shaken.

Get a jigger or measuring cup. A jigger is a useful tool if you want to make clean cocktails with exact measurements. Think about it: A cocktail where you "eyeball" the amount of alcohol or the amount of mixer can turn out too strong or too weak.

Many jiggers or measuring cups contain two sides, kind of like an hourglass. The small jigger usually holds one ounce of liquid, while the bigger jigger holds two ounces. This makes pouring cocktails that require "double" shots much easier.

Muddle your fruit or herbs in the bottom of the cocktail shaker first (optional). Some recipes won't call for muddled fruits, but many will. A mojito, for example, calls for muddled limes and mint to begin with. Simply put the recommended amount of fruit and herbs in the bottom of your cocktail shaker and muddle with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon. Make sure to get all the juices out of the fruit and break it up sufficiently.

Add the juices, alcohols, and liqueurs into the cocktail shaker. As directed by your recipe, add the required liquids to your cocktail shaker.
Add the ice after adding the liquids. Add ice once you're ready to shake so that you don't dilute the cocktail unnecessarily. This is a mistake that many people make. They put the ice in at the beginning instead of the end, thereby diluting their drink.

Close the cap to the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously, anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds, or until the shaker is too cold to hold. Vigorous shaking will combine all the ingredients in the drink together, blending them so that you don't taste an overwhelming amount of juice and not alcohol, or vice versa.
Strain the drink into the appropriate vessel. Different drinks call for different glasses. A martini, for example, is always served in a martini glass, whereas a mojito is usually served in a highball glass.

Take the time to find which vessel is best for your cocktail. You may think it's a bunch of hogwash, but there are plenty of people who think that choosing the right glass is what sets a good great apart from a great one.
If you plan on salting the rim of your glass — for a margarita, for example — do it before you pour the drink. It's more difficult to salt a rim after you've poured the drink.

If your cocktail calls for ice to be added after you've shaken it, add fresh ice cubes instead of the ice cubes used while shaking. Fresh ice cubes are larger, meaning they won't melt as quickly, diluting your drink.
Add bitters to your drink (optional). Bitters are aromatic flavorings added to many (usually whiskey) drinks after mixing. Probably the most famous bitters mix is Angostura bitters.
Add garnish to your drink (optional). The garnish you choose should be suitable for your cocktail. An olive on a skewer, for example, traditionally goes with a martini.
Sit back and enjoy your cocktail!

•Five Classic Cocktails
Make a martini . Sleek and sophisticated — and seriously boozy — this cocktail is the epitome of class. Classic martinis come with either gin or vodka, and have the option of being made "dirty," or with added olive juice.
Chocolate martini
Strawberry martini
Eggnog martini
Key lime martini
Make a mojito .

Popularized in the Americas by none other than Ernest Hemingway, this summery drink is the class of the tropics. Lime, mint, rum, sugar, and fizzy water — how can you go wrong with that?
Strawberry mojito
Mango mojito
Blueberry mojito
Pineapple mojito
Make a mint julep .

A classic American southern tradition, the mint julep is simple but sophisticated. Drink this during Derby weekend and you'll feel like you're in Kentucky no matter where you are.
Make a margarita. Margaritas are the quintessential Mexican cocktail. Made with lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and a bit of sugar, they are usually served straight-up, although they can also be blended.
Orange margaritas
Strawberry margaritas
Frozen margaritas
Banana margaritas
Make an old fashioned.

The old fashioned is a boozy cocktail — only whiskey and syrup stand between it and your tummy. Although the old fashioned has seemingly fallen out of fashion since its heyday in the '20s and '30s, it remains a go-to for many cocktail drinkers.