Speaking of cocktail versatility and ratios, this piece from Mark J. on The Right Spirit is a handy introduction to a core understanding of cocktails:

Really there are only a handful of cocktails. It is in the details that the magic is made.

Just as the Negroni becomes a Boulevardier when you sub the gin for bourbon, or using Scotch instead of rye transforms a Manhattan into a Rob Roy, most cocktails are essentially the same ratios as another, but with a key ingredient substitution (or two). Knowing the ratios of classic cocktails opens up a world of experimentation.

The ratios listed here are not themselves the magic. They are common, which only happens for a reason: They tend to work well. But nuanced variations also work. A change of ingredient—something with a stronger or subtler flavor profile than average, for example—might necessitate a change of ratio to achieve balance. Adding a fourth or fifth ingredient into or on top of the ratio will create further nuance. Or a mess! But that’s part of the learning curve and the fun. To that end, these templates make a reliable starting point from which to make the magic happen.

After laying out the basics, Mark J. performs a few experiments, resulting in a handful of drinks I’ll definitely be trying.

Mark J. also highlights a few folks he’s learned from, including one of my faves, Anders Erickson, who has a video demonstrating how to go from “Manhattan to Margarita in 6 recipes,” highlighting the similarities of each of the cocktails and the power of substitutions.

I’m one hundred percent aligned with Mark J.’s idea that making cocktails is like playing with magic. I am, like him

a cocktail enthusiast whose ambition is to make great cocktails for friends and family.

Cheers to that.

(Via Tammy Tan.)

Imbibe magazine, on negroniweek.com:

In 2013 Imbibe Magazine launched Negroni Week as a celebration of one of the world’s great cocktails and an effort to raise money for charitable causes around the world.

Since then, Negroni Week has grown from about 120 participating venues to thousands of venues around the world, and to date, the initiative has raised over $5 million for charitable organizations.

The charitable organization this year is Slow Food:

Slow Food is a global movement acting together to ensure good, clean and fair food for all.

We’re halfway through the week, but better late than never.

There are about 60 venues participating in San Francisco; you can search your area.

I’ve been celebrating Negroni Week since at least 2015, and while I don’t need an excuse to tip a Negroni—it’s my favorite “daily drinker” cocktail—I welcome the opportunity.

While I definitely enjoy a classic Negroni (a 1:1:1 ratio of gin, sweet vermouth, and a bitter apertivo, historically Campari—my current standard being Sipsmith London Dry Gin, Cocci Vermouth di Torino, and St. George Bruto Americano or recent fave Bordiga “Red Bitter”) my favorite “Negroni” is in fact a variant, the Boulevardier, which swaps out gin for Bourbon.

What I love about the Negroni is its versatility. There are an infinite number of gins, bitter aperitivos, and vermouths to explore, each imparting its own distinct flavor on the classic, plus adjustments in ratios as taste dictates.

Then consider the spirit swaps. Prosecco for gin: the suddenly everywhere Sbagliato. Rum instead: The Kingston Negroni. Dry vermouth instead of sweet: The Cardinale. Sub in Rye and dry vermouth: The Old Pal. And of course, the aforementioned Boulevardier’s Bourbon. The Negroni Week site has several recipes that are with trying.

A few years back I joined a Negroni club (through Bitters and Bottles in South San Francisco) so I’d have an excuse to explore a range of Negroni-inspired cocktails.

Any (reasonably priced) spirit that enters my home bar will eventually get the Negroni treatment as part of its evaluation. It’s an experimenter’s delight.

Dennis Lee writing for The Takeout:

The mojito is a refreshing cocktail that’s perfect on a hot summer day. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much effort to make. All you need is rum, lime, fresh mint, sugar, and club soda, and within just a few minutes, you have a backyard sipper ready to cool you off. You’re probably wondering if you need some special cocktail equipment to make the best mojitos or other drinks that require fresh mint because not everyone has a muddler lying around.

In politics and public relations, the standard advice is “don’t accept the premise of the question.”

I suggest it’s true in cocktail headlines, too. Two things:

One, if you enjoy making cocktails, you should have a muddler. They’re not essential, but they are useful, especially when making classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned. Pick up a metal one with a rubber head or an unvarnished wooden one. You’ll be happy you did.

Two, and more importantly, don’t muddle your mint. Most people muddling ingredients for cocktails think it means crushing the living daylights out of them.

Please, for the love of mojitos, don’t do this!

Mint is a very delicate plant. The essence of mint is the oil from its leaves. The stems and stalks contain bitter flavors. You don’t want those in your drink.

My preferred way to “open up” and release just the minty goodness is to give the leaves a couple of gentle slaps in your palm, like you’re activating a Clapper.

Drop the newly awakened mint into your glass or cocktail tin and gently, gently mix them in with the other ingredients. Scoop and roll. Scoop and roll.

Your mojitos will taste better.

(Via Paul the Nerd.)