Bar technique
How to build a drink in the glass
Highballs, spritzes and most two-ingredient drinks are made in the glass they are served in. There is no tin and no strainer, so the ice and the mixer do all the work.
It is the fastest method on the bar, which is why the details matter. A busy shift is mostly built drinks.
How to do it
- 1Fill the glass to the top with fresh ice. More ice keeps the drink colder and melts slower, not faster.
- 2Pour the spirit and any still ingredients over the ice.
- 3Top with the cold mixer, pouring down the side of the glass or along a bar spoon to keep the bubbles.
- 4Give it one gentle lift with the spoon from the bottom to mix. Hard stirring flattens it.
- 5Garnish and serve while the mixer is at its liveliest.
Common mistakes
- A glass half full of ice, which waters the drink down within minutes.
- Warm or flat mixer from a bottle opened hours ago.
- Stirring a sparkling drink like a Negroni.
- Eyeballing the spirit. A built drink still gets measured.
Related: measuring and balance, ice and dilution, garnish, layering and floats.
