Photo: Catherine Falls Commercial
So, you graduated from college. (Pause for a celebratory cocktail!) You (hopefully) received a degree (and had a few internships) that will allow you to actually get a job right out of college. (It’s time to start paying off those staggering student loans, after all.) But, regardless of whether or not you get gainful employment right off the bat, you’re going to need to start acting more like an adult. You’re a college graduate, for crying out loud.
While being an adult means that you have more responsibilities, it also means you need to broaden your drinking horizons. Sure, nobody is going to fault you for throwing back a few cheap, adjunct lagers from time to time (you do have those aforementioned student loans hovering over your head). But you should also at least learn the basics of cocktailing.
And no, we’re not talking about reading books on advanced mixology or attending a bartending school to entertain your thirsty friends (unless you want to). We’re referencing a few tricks and tips you should know as a new graduate who enjoys a good drink from time to time. Keep scrolling to see all of the techniques, tools, and ingredients you should become acquainted with as soon as possible.
New Graduate Cocktail Guide
-
Use simple ingredients.
Sure, you can mix up some plain rum and colas for your friends and few would complain. But if you want to really ramp up the flavor, you’ll add some lime juice from a fresh lime wedge. The same ingredient completes gin and tonics and various other drinks. You should also have other fruits, bitters, fresh juices, simple syrup, and herbs like mint on hand at all times.
-
Gather the basic tools.
Any home bartender needs at least a few tools. If you only buy one tool, make it a good shaker. But if you really want to do it right, you’ll grab a muddler (how else can you make a mojito or old-fashioned?), jigger, strainer, bar spoon, wine opener (and bottle opener), rocks glass, highball glass, and citrus press (who doesn’t want to fresh-squeezed juice?). You also need to learn how to use all the tools or you might end up with a mess.
-
Start with beginner bottles.
If you don’t have the right bottle of alcohol, you can’t really mix up any cocktails, right? You don’t need to go out and buy the whole liquor store. You simply need to buy a bottle or two of your favorite spirit to mix with. If you really want to do it right, you’ll get a bottle of reasonably-priced vodka, tequila, gin, bourbon, rye, and rum so you can mix up any cocktail.
-
Master easy cocktails first.
Nobody is saying you need to learn to make an over-the-top cocktail featuring 10 different ingredients, tinctures, and techniques. You do need to learn some simple cocktails. The best part? Drinks like the old-fashioned, martini, mojito, and daiquiri only contain a few ingredients and can be whipped up fairly quickly.
-
Splurge on a great bar cart.
You need a place to keep your bar tools and your bottles, right? Why else would you buy all of it if you couldn’t awe your friends and family by showing it off? If you’re more serious, a home bar is the ultimate display case for all things liquor-related. But, for the beginner (and entertainer), a bar cart will do. Find a durable, easy-to-move, stylish bar cart with room for all of your bar tools, a few bottles, and glasses.
-
Have fun.
You won’t get all the tools, ingredients, and booze you need to complete your home bar set up right away and that’s OK. As long as you’re making an effort to up your drinking game, that’s great. Buy a tool here and there, learn a technique from time to time, perfect a specific cocktail, and just have fun while you’re doing it. Mixing up cocktails is supposed to be a fun and social experience. Don’t get too stressed about it. Mix up a drink, sit back and relax.
