The Ultimate Guide to Pitcher Drinks: Cool Cocktails for a Crowd

Book by Herbst Sharon Tyler

Part One

Use Me

How to Use This Book

SPECIAL DRINK-RELATED SECTIONS ARE INCLUDED to give your pitcher drinks pizzazz: Bar Banter: Ingredients and Terms; Pitcher-Drink "Stuff": Equipment-Gadgets, Gizmos, and Glassware; Doin' the Twist: Garnishes and Other Fandangos; Measuring Up: Measurement Equivalents; When the Spirits Move You: How to Light Up the Party Without Getting Lit; and Tipsy Turvy: Hangover Helpers. There's also a chapter on party food for people who don't like to cook-Effortless Eats.

CROSS REFERENCES are indicated by small capitals, pointing to the definitions in Bar Banter.

DIRECTORY OF DRINKS BY CATEGORY gives you at-a-glance access to recipes by style and potency. The headings are: Classic Cocktails and Drinks, Popular Favorites, Tropical Tempters, Sparkling Sippers, Dessert in a Glass, Potent Concoctions (High Alcohol), In the Mood (Moderate Alcohol), Easy Does It (Low to Moderate Alcohol), and Buzz-Free Zone (Liquor-Free).

DRINK RECIPES are arranged in a user-friendly A-to-Z format. Referring to either the Directory of Drinks by Category or the Index will lead you to just the drink you want. But if you know what you want-such as a Martini-you can find it easily alphabetically.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS are listed first for home use (tablespoons, cups), then in fluid ounces for bartenders looking for pitcher panache.

ICE CUBES are standard size, not miniature.

WATER IS ADDED in those recipes where single-drink preparations are classically shaken with ice, which melts slightly and contributes water to the drink.

THE INDEX is particularly extensive, listing recipes by the name of the drink, as well as by the drink's primary ingredients.

Th-th-that's all, folks. Now go party hearty with these fun party drinks!

A grasshopper hops into a bar and the bartender says,

"Hey, there's a drink named after you."

The grasshopper exclaims in surprise,

"You gotta be kiddin'-there's a drink named Ralph?"

Bar Banter

Ingredients and Terms

FOLLOWING IS AN A-TO-Z LISTING OF INGREDIENTS and terms used in this book. Cross-references to terms defined in this section are indicated by small capitals. Pronunciations are given for all but the obvious. For a more extensive listing of all things boozy, see The Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide, Broadway Books (a Random House imprint).

ABSENTE [AB-sent] Called "Absinthe refined" by the producer, Absente is the most recent proxy for the forbidden absinthe. Instead of the toxic wormwood, Absente contains southernwood (petite absinthe), which is said to contribute the more authentic flavor of the original. Absente's primary flavor hit is anise, but there are myriad herbs that contribute to its multifaceted palate. The clear, pale-green color of this liqueur turns opaque when mixed with water. Absente is a powerful 55 percent alcohol, which is still considerably less than the 68 percent absinthe. Substitutes for Absente include pernod, ouzo, and anisette.

ABSINTHE [AB-sinth] A green, anise-flavored liqueur that was banned in the United States and other countries in the early twentieth century because it contains wormwood, which is toxic when taken in quantity. If that weren't enough, this French potable is a potent 68 percent alcohol. It was the wormwood-high octane fusion that prompted many in the nineteenth-century Parisian artistic community (such as Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Oscar Wilde) to nickname it the "green muse." Among the many absinthe substitutes are absente, anisette, ouzo, and pernod.

ALCOHOL Although used generally to specifically describe any alcoholic liquor, alcohol is a distillation of the fermented (see fermentation) essence of grains, fruits, or vegetables. The result is a clear, intoxicating liquid. See also liquor.

ALIZÉ [ah-lee-ZAY] A French liqueur based on Cognac and passion fruit juice. There are three variations of Alizé, all of which are a relatively low 16 percent alcohol. The original blend, Alizé Gold Passion, is yellow in color and has a refreshing passion fruit flavor with hints of apricots, citrus, and peaches. Alizé Red Passion has the addition of cranberry and other juices, which contribute a red color and tangy flavor. Alizé Wild Passion has a tropical sunset hue and a flavor combination of passion fruit juices, mango, and pink grapefruit. The word alizé means "a gentle trade wind."

AMARETTO [am-ah-REHT-toh] An amber-colored, almond-flavored liqueur, typically flavored with apricot-pit kernels. Originally from Italy, amaretto's now also produced in the United States and other countries. Depending on the producer, this liqueur can range in alcohol from about 21 to 28 percent.

APÉRITIF [ah-perhr-ih-TEEF] A drink (typically light in alcohol) consumed before a meal. Apéritifs can be a single potable, such as champagne or lillet, or a mixed drink.

APPLE BRANDY A generic term for any brandy made from apple cider. Most apple brandies aren't sweet, like a liqueur, but are distilled (see distillation) dry at 40 percent alcohol. In the United States, such spirits are called applejack. Apple brandy has a very subtle apple flavor. The world's most renowned example is calvados.

APRICOT BRANDY A distillate made from apricots or pure apricot juice with a typical alcohol range of between 20 and 24 percent. Apricot brandy has a fruity aroma and flavor but is dry, unlike a sweet apricot-flavored liqueur. Peach brandy may be substituted. See also brandy.

BANANA-FLAVORED LIQUEUR see crème de banana

BITTERS A bitter to bittersweet distillation of a complex blend of aromatic plants (herbs, barks, flowers, seeds, roots). Some bitters taste distinctively of their base ingredient (such as apricot, orange, or peach), and are named accordingly. Among the more popular bitters are Angostura (named for its angostura-bark base) and Peychaud's (named for its inventor). Because the flavor of bitters is so intense, a little goes a long way.

BLEND n. An alcoholic beverage created from two or more distillates. For example, blended whiskey is a combination of two or more 100-proof straight whiskeys blended with neutral spirits.

BOURBON An American corn-based whiskey made with a mash-grain that's ground or crushed before being steeped in hot water and fermented (see fermentation). Its name comes from the fact that it originated in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Straight bourbon is made from a mash that contains between 51 and 79 percent corn. Corn whiskey is made from a mash that contains over 80 percent corn. Single-barrel bourbon means just that-it comes from a single barrel. The term small-batch bourbon describes a high-quality blend of bourbons from selected barrels and of different maturity levels, and doesn't necessarily mean that a small amount was produced. The alcohol content of bourbon can range from 40 to 50 percent.

BRANDY In the most basic terms, brandy is a liquor distilled (see distillation) from wine (grapes) or other fermented fruit juice. Some of the finest brandies (Cognac and Armagnac) hail from southwestern France. Other fruits popular for making brandy include apples (calvados) and plums (slivovitz). Although some brandies are aged in oak (such as Armagnac, Calvados, and Cognac), most are not. The majority of brandies are 40 percent alcohol. See also apple brandy; apricot brandy.

BRUT see champagne

CACHAÇA [kah-SHAH-sah] The national spirit of Brazil, cachaça is a 40 percent alcohol distillate made from unrefined sugarcane. Its flavor is often described as a cross between tequila and rum, with a slightly smoky character. Cachaça is indispensable in Brazil's most popular drink, the Caipirinha. Although Brazil produces myriad brands of cachaça, those most readily available in the United States are Pitù, Cachaça 51, Ypióca, Velho Barreiro, and Toucano Gold (a cachaça "rum" that's been aged two years in oak casks).

CALVADOS [KAL-vah-dohs] Considered one of the world's greatest brandies, Calvados comes from the Normandy region in France. This brandy is made from apple cider, which gives it a perfumy apple scent. Its rich flavor and body come from aging in Limousin oak for two to five years or more. Calvados is 40 percent alcohol.

CANE SYRUP An extremely thick, sweet syrup made from the juice extracted from sugarcane. Cane syrup has a characteristic sugarcane aroma and flavor. It ranges in color from dark gold to dark brown and can be found in natural food stores, Caribbean and Creole markets, and some supermarkets.

CANTON DELICATE GINGER LIQUEUR A ginger-flavored liqueur made in southern China by Charles Jacquin

et Cie. It's comprised of six different kinds of ginger, herbs, ginseng, and brandy. This ginger liqueur is 16.5 percent alcohol, isn't overly sweet, and has a subtle ginger flavor that doesn't bite.

CAVA [KAH-vah] A sparkling wine produced in the Catalan region in northeastern Spain. The word cava is Catalan for "cellar." The best cavas are those made with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grapes. Most have an alcohol level of 12 percent.

CHAMBORD [sham-BORD] A black-raspberry-flavored, garnet-colored liqueur made in France by the American-French company Charles Jacquin et Cie. There's really no flavor substitute for the intensely flavored Chambord, which is a relatively low 16.5 percent alcohol.

CHAMPAGNE [sham-PAYN] Although most of us have fallen into the habit of calling any sparkling wine "champagne," true Champagne comes only from France's Champagne region, northeast of Paris. Most countries acknowledge French tradition by calling their sparklers by other names: Sekt in Germany, spumante in Italy, cava in Spain, and simply "sparkling wine" in the United States (although some producers are stepping on convention and labeling their sparklers "champagne"). Look for a sparkling wine with "méthode champenoise" on th...