So you found a recipe you love and have all the ingredients you need to get going - pour away! But hold up - despite being prepared, it's far too easy to fail at the final hurdle; the simple act of pouring a liquid from a bottle into a glass. Before you get carried away, make sure you're not about to do any of these pouring no-no's
1) Pouring Directly From The Bottle
You've found your favourite cocktail recipe and bought all the ingredients you need to start making magic, what better way to get right into the fun than by pouring to your heart's content?
Whilst this is probably the most common method to people new to mixing drinks at home, it's important to realise that by doing this there's no way to guarantee the measure of your ingredients, which leads to zero consistency between drinks.
This usually results in the drinks you produce looking and tasting nothing like the recipe you're following which is an unfortunate waste of your time and money!
Unless you're pouring out a glass of wine, beer or mixer, or have taught yourself how to free-pour, this is the worst thing you can do with your booze.
2) Using The Bottle Cap as a Measure
This is a common sight at BYOB house parties, but using the cap of the spirit you're using as a makeshift measure only creates an illusion of consistency.
While it's true that every drink you churn out will have the same look and taste, it's not a real measure, as bottle caps typically hold less than the standard 25ml shot measure. If you're mixing something a bit more complex, like cocktails, you'll be severely under-pouring yourself and your guests, and probably spilling alcohol on the counter-top fiddling with the cap.
3) Using The Wrong Measure
It may be obvious by now that the right thing to do is to use a proper liquid measure, aka a jigger. You'll typically have one of these, as well as other integral pieces of equipment, included in any decent cocktail making kit. These are designed to meticulously measure out even the smallest quantities of spirits, as little as a quarter of an ounce.
Before picking the first one you see, make sure the jigger has visible and accurate measures! Discount jiggers and those included in cheap cocktail kits don't have standard measures and are often included purely for the aesthetic.
Also, be sure you have a jigger that measure in either millilitres (ml) or ounces (oz) and that the recipe you're following uses the same.
4) Pouring directly over ice
Even with correct measurements, pouring your masterpiece into the glass isn't always so straightforward. Whether directly from the bottle, jigger or cocktail shaker, pouring from a height quickly and without precision will cause your drink to bounce out of glass, especially if there's ice already in it.
The trick is to aim in between gaps of cubed ice and against the rim of the glass, and not to aim for centre unless the glass is empty or there is a big gap between ice cubes.
Those who know the secret to aiming with precision every single time all know the best option is to use a pour spout.
5) Using cheap/poorly made pour spouts
Pour spouts, aka speed pourers, are a staple tool used in professional bar settings to accurately control the speed and consistency of bottles pours.
While you're most likely to see your favourite bartender using one of these, they are very easy to obtain and even easier to use at home with no practice required, but Like jiggers, pour spouts are subject to various levels of quality.
Discount pour spouts are usually thrown together quickly and cheaply, meaning that some may pour too slowly, unpredictability and inconsistently. At best this means slowing you down and messing up your count if you're free-pouring, and at worst it means they may not fit securely in bottles and fall out, causing leaks and spillages and ultimately wasting (expensive!) alcohol.
Cheap materials often aren't food grade either, so you can expect to find out that after time your generic options will leave unwelcome residue and unpleasant tastes in your drinks, wasting alcohol and causing rumours that you're trying to poison your party guests.
What to use then?
If you have realised the error in your ways and want to start on the path to crafting consistently amazing mixed drinks and cocktails, Ekstee Pour Spouts are just the thing you need.
Designed from the bottom up to gift you the skill and grace of a world-class bartender with none of the effort, while simultaneously sidestepping the common issues that come with generic alternatives.
Get yours today, available on Amazon