Kevin Peterson

Oops, I accidentally put too much gin in.

Oops, I accidentally put too much gin in.

It's fine. No such thing as too much gin, right. The Negroni held up to both colder and warmer temperatures than most cocktails. It held up to both more and less dilution than most cocktails. So... Yeah, I wasn't actually trying to write a book in praise of the Negroni, but that's essentially what I wound up writing.

It's fine. No such thing as too much gin, right. The Negroni held up to both colder and warmer temperatures than most cocktails. It held up to both more and less dilution than most cocktails. So... Yeah, I wasn't actually trying to write a book in praise of the Negroni, but that's essentially what I wound up writing.

Yeah, I think balance is kind of what gets you in the door. Like if it's not balanced, send that drink back. Like there's no saving it. So, you know, the way I often describe it when I'm teaching cocktail classes is most people get the ingredients right. You find some recipe in a book, you find it online. Okay, you bought the right gin, you bought the right...

Yeah, I think balance is kind of what gets you in the door. Like if it's not balanced, send that drink back. Like there's no saving it. So, you know, the way I often describe it when I'm teaching cocktail classes is most people get the ingredients right. You find some recipe in a book, you find it online. Okay, you bought the right gin, you bought the right...

Citrus, you know, I buy the same limes as you, you know, there's not like special bartender limes or something. But what a lot of people don't get right are kind of the engineering variables. So the temperature, the texture and the dilution primarily. And a lot of what that comes down to is did you shake it right or did you stir it right?

Citrus, you know, I buy the same limes as you, you know, there's not like special bartender limes or something. But what a lot of people don't get right are kind of the engineering variables. So the temperature, the texture and the dilution primarily. And a lot of what that comes down to is did you shake it right or did you stir it right?

And one of the ideas there is when you're shaking or stirring, yes, you're mixing the ingredients, but that's not primarily what you're doing. Shaking for two seconds. will pretty thoroughly mix most ingredients or stirring for a couple seconds.

And one of the ideas there is when you're shaking or stirring, yes, you're mixing the ingredients, but that's not primarily what you're doing. Shaking for two seconds. will pretty thoroughly mix most ingredients or stirring for a couple seconds.

The way I like to think about that is what you're doing is you're setting the temperature, you're setting the dilution, you're setting the level of aeration. And when you think about it that way, so kind of the ideal shake is about 12 seconds, which is way longer than most home users shake and frankly longer than most bartenders shake.

The way I like to think about that is what you're doing is you're setting the temperature, you're setting the dilution, you're setting the level of aeration. And when you think about it that way, so kind of the ideal shake is about 12 seconds, which is way longer than most home users shake and frankly longer than most bartenders shake.

I've been doing this long enough that now a timer just starts in my head. The minute I start shaking it, I can't stop it. One, two, three. And my body refuses to stop until I hit 12. I'm not saying that's a good thing. I'm just saying it's a thing. And that's how long it takes for enough ice to melt, enough dilution to happen, enough chilling to happen.

I've been doing this long enough that now a timer just starts in my head. The minute I start shaking it, I can't stop it. One, two, three. And my body refuses to stop until I hit 12. I'm not saying that's a good thing. I'm just saying it's a thing. And that's how long it takes for enough ice to melt, enough dilution to happen, enough chilling to happen.

And you have to shake it quite hard to integrate air bubbles into the drink. So that's a red flag if you're out on the town and you get a shaken drink and the bartender just kind of lazily, I'll shake this. Okay. The ice is kind of slopping back and forth for a few seconds. Like, let me stop you right there. I'll get a Negroni instead. Yeah.

And you have to shake it quite hard to integrate air bubbles into the drink. So that's a red flag if you're out on the town and you get a shaken drink and the bartender just kind of lazily, I'll shake this. Okay. The ice is kind of slopping back and forth for a few seconds. Like, let me stop you right there. I'll get a Negroni instead. Yeah.

So yeah, the technique is how you set those engineering variables and with a couple of rules of thumb, which I lay out in the book. But yeah, the biggest one is shake for 12 seconds and shake it hard.

So yeah, the technique is how you set those engineering variables and with a couple of rules of thumb, which I lay out in the book. But yeah, the biggest one is shake for 12 seconds and shake it hard.

So about an 18-inch shake is ideal.

So about an 18-inch shake is ideal.