Remember when we used to go out to bars and restaurants (ah, the good ol’ days!) and when it was your turn to order your drink you thought, “I don’t know what most of these things on the bar menu are!” And then you just ordered that same old glass of merlot ‘cause it’s easy and you know you like it. But what if...you ordered something with the unpronounceable ingredients, and you loved it?! And, it opened up a whole new world of flavors and enjoyment to you.
When I started getting into spirits and cocktails, I had so many questions!
“What the heck is amaro?”
“What’s the difference between whiskey and bourbon?”
“I want to try making this cocktail that looked so good on Instagram - can I just use bottled lemon juice from the grocery store instead of squeezing it fresh?”
We all have to start somewhere, right? But I was frustrated by the lack of beginner resources to help me find the answers to my questions. All the websites and blogs out there have amazingly beautiful and interesting cocktails, but you have to already know what all that stuff means! Not to mention that you need to have a home bar to rival a New York City hotspot to make them because the ingredients are so obscure.
Follow along with The Fizzy Coupe, and we will guide you on your journey to learn more about cocktails, spirits, and delicious beverages that will perk up your taste buds and help you get more daring when ordering from that intimidating bar menu (you know, when we can go back out again!). And, it will be fun!
Oh, and that delightful pink cocktail pictured above? It’s as tasty as it looks! We made that with gin and ingredients we already had in the fridge, plus a pomegranate we picked up at the grocery store for a dollar.
Want to give it a shot? Here's how to make it!
2 oz London dry gin
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz pomegranate juice
1/2 oz rich syrup
1 egg white
1 oz club soda
Instructions:
Shake all ingredients, except club soda, together in a shaker with ice. Remove ice and shake again. Strain into a glass and top with club soda. Sip & enjoy!
Notes on preparation:
- Never juiced a pomegranate before? It's simple and fun! Check out The Spruce Eats guide on how to do it.
- Rich syrup is made from 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. If you want to make a batch to keep on hand, heat 1 cup of water in a saucepan until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of sugar until dissolved. If you have vodka around, add 1 tablespoon to help preserve the syrup. Let cool completely before using in your cocktail. Syrup should keep for about a month in the fridge with the vodka added.
- Looking for ingredient recommendations? We like Brokers gin for cocktails and Q Mixers or Fever-Tree for tonic waters.
Cheers!