Free Pouring Liquor

I was on LinkedIn yesterday and they were having a discussion in one of my bar groups on how they prefer to make a drink; do they like to use a measuring device, such as a jigger, or do they like to free pour. As a bartender in a public setting, every second counts and you are always looking for ways to take some shortcuts without having your customer feel the pain from you doing so. This would be one thing that you can do to enhance your pour skills and to better understand how much alcohol goes into a drink. For me and others like me who do this for a living, it is always important to keep up with practicing pours using a bottle with water. The inventory, for us, is the primary concern at all times. We want to ensure we are not losing money for our employer.

Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “What does this have to do with me? I’m only making drinks at home.” Well, you should always know how much is being consumed by the people at your party to make sure they are safe when going home. Plus, there are reasons for the measures being where they are when making drinks. Someone has tested various measurements to ensure the best combination. Why mess up the original recipe? Just a half ounce more can ruin the combination, and you will never know that if you used the right measurements, you would have had a completely different outlook. Once you’ve tried the original recipe, you can tweek it to your liking, of course! But, you should always have that starting point and go by the book of recipes.

In the video, I explain how to practice free-pouring a 1 1/2 oz. pour. Once you get this down, you can also try other measurements. Now, there are diferent densities on liqueurs, so you will have to keep that in mind when making drinks at home. Water and spirits, (vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey), are pretty close to having the same density, so practicing with water will give you a good starting point.

Next week, I will talk about garnishes. If you would like for me to talk about something on this blog, please contact me at [email protected]. Have a GREAT WEEKEND and be safe!

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Category: Your Home Bar Blog