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| TIPS & ADVICE |
Terminology (Full Glossary)
- by Paul Harrington |
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reveal people who know how to order exactly what they want.
Neat is the most common of these terms. People who've learned their bar diction from James Bond and other Hollywood heroes use this word interchangeably with "up." But for the record, neat means a liquor is served unmixed and undiluted. In other words, the beverage is poured straight from its bottle or decanter into a glass with no ice. Wine is a good example of a drink best sipped neat. You would never order a Martini neat, unless you just wanted Martini & Rossi vermouth in a glass. You could order gin neat, though I wouldn't. Vodka, however, is ideal neat. Neat doesn't necessarily mean warm. A bottle of vodka, for instance, can spend its life in the freezer. Other liquors commonly served neat are cognac in a snifter; whiskey in a tumbler; tequila in a tumbler, chased by a lime wedge; and a cordial in a pony.
Up on the other hand, implies that some mixing should take place. Usually, the bartender will stir or shake the beverage with ice and strain it into a stemmed glass. These drinks should never contain ice. True cocktails, like Martini Cocktails and Manhattans, are tastiest served this way.
On the Rocks - The alternative to ordering a cocktail up is requesting it "on the rocks." Typically, someone who orders a drink this way wants a spirit slightly diluted and plans to linger over it longer than the typical cocktail drinker. A drink served on the rocks is prepared like one served up, except it's strained into a tumbler of ice. Cocktails served on the rocks are for quenching thirst, while those served up encourage appetites. |
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