Bar technique
Measuring and balance: getting the spec right
A spec only works if it is poured the same way every time. Measuring keeps the drink consistent from one bartender to the next and keeps your costings honest.
Most classic sours balance three parts: a spirit, something sour like lemon or lime, and something sweet like sugar syrup. A Daiquiri in our library is 60 ml rum, 20 ml lime and 15 ml syrup.
How to do it
- 1Use a jigger for every pour, even on a busy night.
- 2Hold it level and fill it right to the brim. An under-filled jigger is a different drink.
- 3Pour into the tin or glass in the spec’s order, cheapest first when you are shaking.
- 4Taste with a fresh straw before serving. Never taste from the bar spoon and put it back in the drink.
- 5If a drink needs adjusting, change the house spec with your manager, not one drink by eye.
Common mistakes
- Free pouring, which nobody does as accurately as they think.
- Mixing up rich (2:1) and simple (1:1) sugar syrup. The same 15 ml is a very different sweetness.
- Assuming every lime is the same. Fruit varies through the year, so taste the juice.
