Trying to ace your cocktail mixing techniques for special occasions like parties and other celebrations? Well look no further! We have some great tips and tricks up our sleeves to help you master your cocktail mixing abilities.

Here is a list of 10 tips to becoming a great Cocktail mixer!

1. The Pour
   There are two ways of doing the pour, firstly, it is done using a measuring tool but for amateurs like us, free pours is always the better and more convenient option. ‘Free pours’ involve the pouring of the liquid directly into the glass/shaker. This technique is also considered as the faster way of making drinks. However, before indulging in this technique, knowing your liquors is also very important. Each base liquor plays its own unique role in a cocktail glass. The combination of different drinks with the right mixer is crucial, knowing what blends and tastes good with what is the key to making the perfect cocktail.
2. Learn to shake a cocktail
   Investing in a good cocktail shaker can be a good start off to help you master your cocktail making technique. Shakers with lids are easier to handle while there is something also known as the dry shake that is used in order to produce a thick foam with ingredients like cream and egg whites.
3. Stir Stir Away!
   Some drinks simply need stirring for that perfect taste. This can be done using a spoon or an extra-long bar spoon or just a simple swizzle stick also does the trick perfectly.
4. Layering is the key
   Along with the two S’s that are shaking and stirring, the art of layering is essential in making a fabulous cocktail. Here again, the tip that calls for one to know their liquor comes into play because layering has to be done based on this knowledge and eventually how the cocktail mix would end up tasting.
5. Practice Muddling
   A muddler acts as a pestle for cocktails as it is used to crush ingredients like mint, ginger and others. It is a long stick and you will need to know how to use this for certain cocktail drinks.
6. Straining
   Sometimes to prevent ice cubes, ice shards or bits of fresh ingredients from entering into the cocktail glass, the straining technique comes in handy. Double strainers are also used; this helps in removing tiny flecks of fruits or ice. The straining technique helps you make crystal ‘clear’ cocktail mixers with no disturbance.
7. Rolling
   Rolling is a mixing technique between shaking and stirring. It ensures that the ingredients are mixed better as compared to stirring and is a gentler technique compared to stirring. It is an ideal technique when you want your ingredients to mix well but do not want to over dilute the drink.
   This technique involves pouring the mix from one vessel to another somewhat like what you do with lassi.
8. Blending
   Blending simply means throwing in all the ingredients for a specific cocktail into a blender and pressing GO! This is done while using heavier ingredients like fruits, ice etc. This gives you a fuller and thicker texture. It is the easiest technique to make any cocktail. This technique is usually adopted while making frozen cocktails.
9. Garnishing
   This can take your cocktail up a notch. It is the practice of adding something to the final drink to make it look and taste nicer. It could bring about a pleasant twist to your cocktail mixer. Adding fruits, lighting the drink on fire, dropping an olive or something else entirely! Here are a few ways to garnish your cocktail-
   1. Dropping- This simply means dropping whatever garnish you want into your drink.
   1. Twisting- Twisting a citrus peel over your drink to spray the scent followed by dropping the twisted peel into the drink.
   1. Floating- This involves gently placing the garnish on the cocktail so that it just floats.
   1. Rimming- This means layering the rim of the glass with salt or sugar to give the glass of cocktail an extra kick.
10. Memorizing helps!
    Yes! You read that right, memorizing certain cocktail recipes can help you muster it up whenever needed. Of course with the right ingredients and the techniques. This also helps you get creative and experiment with different ingredients to come up with something amazing and different! Use cocktail mixers to help you with your experimentation that can never go wrong.