Use only the best ingredients: "The Best" liquor for a drink is not necessarily the most expensive; it's the one that you think the most agreeable. The best ice for any drink is plentiful, clear and brilliant. Keep ice maker scrupulously clean; and if your ice still looks cloudy, consider using ice cube trays with filtered water.
Use only exact measurements: Pouring by eye introduces variables even for pros. Measure so you can repeat your successes exactly. Measure for only one round at a time. And don't confuse generosity with hospitality: a reliable 2 ounces is smarter than a freehand pour.
Line up the tools before mixing a drink: Set up all ingredients before beginning to mix. A drink that languishes in the shaker while you round up a glass or garnish, is a drink bruised. For quick pouring, have glasses lined up rim to rim.
Use pre-chilled glasses: Drinks that start cold should stay cold, which means pre-chilled glasses of the proper size and shape. (The function of a stem is to keep warm hands off cold but iceless drinks.) When you haven't time to refrigerate them in advance, fill glasses with crushed ice and let them shiver while you mix the drinks. Then; dip ice, wipe glasses, pour drink.
Further fine points on making particular types of drinks are:
One-The-Rocks: Crack the ice a little (those extra surfaces will help chill the liquor faster). Then, before putting ice in glasses, drain it of excess water; a strainer slung across the ice bucket does it. Ice in glass, then liquor; a jostle, not a stir, to hurry cooling.
In A Pitcher: Pre-chill pitcher. Use plenty of slightly cracked, drained ice. Measure ingredients quickly onto ice; swirl or stir only until cold. Strain pronto!
In A Shaker: Use cracked ice, small pieces drained of excess water. Really shake; don't merely rock. Ten seconds of shaking will add about half an ounce of water per drink so hurry.
In A Punchbowl: Pre-chill ingredients to avoid excessive dilution. Dissolve sugar first, partly fill bowl, ease in ice block, pour punch over.
In A Blender: Any drink recipe that says "shake and strain" may be made in an electric blender, but the ice tends to liquefy, so use less and run the motor the shortest possible time. Follow manufactures' instructions about crushing the ice before adding it to the blender in order not to bend the blades. Most blenders will not crush ice.
For Frappes: Strain the drink of its shaker or blender ice onto fresh, fine-shaved, non-puddling ice in cold glasses.
With Carbonated Mix: Ice first, liquor over, then cold mixer. Stir gently to preserve sparkle with glass.
With Sugar: Use extra-fine granulated sugar. This, and not confectioners' sugar, is what bar books mean by "powdered" sugar. When mixing in a glass, make sure sugar is completely dissolved in a bit of liquid before you add the ice and liquor. To make it, dissolve one pound of granulated sugar in one-half pint of warm water; store it in bottles in a cool place.
To "sugar-frost" the rim of a glass, dip the rim of a pre-cooled glass first in fruit juice, then in sugar.
With Egg: To avoid the raw taste of egg white, use less of it. To avoid the curdly shreds that too often ruin a Tom and Jerry, or any drink make with hot liquid and egg, first warm the egg with a very little bit of the hot stuff, then add the warmed egg to the hot milk or water. In both operations, add slowly, stir wildly.
With Fruit: Wash skins first if they're to go into a drink. The peel should have no trace of white underskin; a paring gadget makes this easy. Slices should be about a quarter-inch thick; slit with knife before slinging on glass rim. Juices should be fresh except when recipe says otherwise; squeeze and strain just before using. All garnishes should be moist-fresh and cold. When prepared in advance, cover with a damp dish towel, and store in the refrigerator.
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