Bartending terminology

A lot of the terms and phrases listed below are standard throughout the industry. A good bartender will
know his profession inside out, and the ability to understand various words related to bartending is a
must.

Box
Pour into and out of a shaker, usually only once. Gives the drink a quick mixing without shaking.
Call Drink
A liquor and mixer, of which the liquor is a defined brand. (ie. Tanqueray and Tonic, Bacardi and Coke)
Cobbler
A tall drink of any liquor served in a collins or highball glass with shaved or crushed ice and garnished
with fresh fruit and mint sprigs.
Chaser
A mixer that is consumed immediately after a straight shot of liquor to create a different taste.
Cocktail
Any of various alcoholic beverages consisting usually of brandy, whiskey, vodka, or gin combined with
fruit juices or other liquors and often served chilled.
Collins
A drink akin to a sour which is served in a tall glass with soda water or seltzer water.
Cooler
A drink consisting of ginger ale, soda water, and a fresh spiral or twist of citrus fruit rind, served in a
collins or highball glass.
Crusta
A sour-type drink served in a glass that is completely lined with an orange or lemon peel cut in a
continuous strip.
Cup
A punch-type drink that made up in quantities of cups or glasses in preference to a punch bowl.
Daisy
An oversize drink of the sour type, normally made with rum or gin. It is served over crushed ice with a
straw, and sweetened with a fruit syrup.
Lace
Normally applies to the last ingredient in a recipe, meaning to pour onto the top of the drink.
Eggnog
A traditional holiday drink containing a combination of eggs beaten with cream or milk, sugar, and a
liquor such as brandy, rum, or bourbon.
Fix
A sour-type drink similar to the daisy, made with crushed ice in a large goblet.
Fizz
An effervescent beverage. (ie. that which is carbonated or which emits small bubbles.)
Flip
A chilled, creamy drink made of eggs, sugar, and a wine or spirit. Brandy and sherry flips are two of the
better known kinds.
Frapp
A partially frozen, often fruity drink. It is usually a mixture of ingredients served over a mound of crushed
ice.
Grog
A rum-based beverage with water, fruit juice and sugar, commonly served in a large mug.
Highball
Any spirit served with ice and soda water in a medium to tall glass (often a highball glass).
Julep
A drink made of bourbon, mint, sugar and crushed ice.
Lowball
A short drink made of spirits served with ice, water or soda in a small glass.
Mist
A liquor served over a glass filled with crushed ice, often a way of serving liqueur as an after dinner
drink.
Mulls
A sweetened and spiced heated liquor, wine or beer, served as a hot punch.
Neat
The consumption of a spirit as a straight, unaccompanied shot.
Negus
A punch-like combination containing a wine, such as port, heated with spices and sweetened.
Nip
A quarter of a bottle.

Nightcap
A wine or liquor taken before bedtime.
On The Rocks
A wine or liquor poured over ice cubes.
Pick-Me-Up
A drink designed to relieve the effects of overindulgence in alcohol.
Posset
An old british drink from which the eggnog was derived. It consists of a mixture of heated ale or wine
curdled with milk, eggs, and spices.
Puf
A traditional afternoon drink made of equal parts spirit and milk, topped with club soda and served over
ice.
Punch
A party-size beverage consisting of fruit, fruit juices, flavorings and sweeteners, soft drinks, and a wine or
liquor base.
Rickey
A drink made a liquor, usually gin, a half lime and soda water. It is sometimes sweetened, and often
served with ice in a rickey glass.
Sangaree
A tall chilled and sweetened wine/liquor garnished with nutmeg.
Shooter
A straight shot of whiskey or other kind of spirit taken neat.
Shrub
Spirits, fruit juices, and sugar, aged in a sealed container such as a cask or crock, then usually bottled.
Sling
A tall drink made with either brandy, whiskey or gin, with lemon juice, sugar and soda water. It is served
both hot and cold.
Smash
A short julep made of liquor, sugar, and mint, served in a small glass.
Sour
A short drink consisting of liquor, lemon/lime juice and sugar.
Supercall
Also known as top shelf or super premium. The high octane, often higher proof alcohols, or super-aged or
flavored versions.
Swizzle
A tall, traditionally rum-based cocktail filled with cracked ice. A stirring rod or swizzle stick is quickly
rotated between the palm of the hands to form frost on the glass.
Syllabub
A beverage made from a mixture of sweetened milk/cream, wine and spices.
Toddy
A sweetened drink of liquor and hot water, often with spices and served in a tall glass.
Tot
A small amount of liquor.
Virgin
A non-alcoholic drink.
Well Drink
A liquor and mixer, of which neither are defined brands. (ie. Gin and Tonic, Rum and Coke)

Measurements
Unfortunately, there is no single units of measures in use world wide. This measurement conversion table
was made to help you determine measurements in different units.
Using definite measures in recipes make them more difficult to create by someone who uses different
measures, therefore a good bartender should always use relative measures in their recipes.
If proportional units are used, the drink creator can rest assured that where ever the drink is mixed, it
tastes the same, and that should be the ultimate goal for everyone who creates mixed drinks.

Standard Units

ml
dash

0.9

teaspoon

3.7

Wine and champagne

ounces (oz)

litres

1/32
split (1/4 btl)
1/8

ounces
(oz)

0.177

0.375
2

12

tablespoon

11.1

"pint"
3/8 (1/2 btl)

pony

29.5

0.739

25

shot

29.5

1
"Quart"
(1 btl)
1
magnum (2 btls)

1.478

52

1/8
jeroboam
(4 btls)
0.9
tappit-hen

2.956

104

3.788

128

13
rehoboam
(6 btls)
1
1/2
methuselah (8 btls)

4.434

4
salmanazar
(12 btls)
6
balthazar (16 btls)
8

8.868

nebuchadnezzar
(20
2
btls)
8
demijohn (4.9 gallons)
9.6

14.78
0

splash

3.7

measure (msr)

26.5

mickey

384

jigger

44.5

wine glass

119

split

177

cup

257

miniature (nip)

59.2

half pint (US)

257

half pint (UK)

284

tenth

378.88

pint (US)

472

pint (UK)

568

fifth
quart

755.2
944

Imperial quart

1137

half gallon (US)

1894

gallon (US)

3789

5.912

11.82
4

18.66

Metric Measurements

12.8
metric system is based on tens, thus:
16
ml
cl
dl
19.3
ml
1
0.1
0.01
25.6
cl
10
1
0.1
32
dl
100
10
1
38.4
ml
= millilitre, cl = centilitre, dl = decilitre
64
128

Glasses and containers

There are various types of glassware of different shapes and sizes, all serving their own purpose.
Learning which drinks belong to which glass is beneficiary to both you and your customers. They receive
a higher quality drink, which in turn reflects back on you and/or your establishment.
Ensure all glassware is cleaned spotless prior to serving it to your customers. Wash glasses with warm
water and a small amount of detergent (not soap), rinsing them afterwards with fresh cold water and
polishing them with a suitable cloth. Hold glasses by the base or stem of the glass to avoid fingerprints.
1.3.1 Spills, Breakage and Handling
1. Beer mug
2. Brandy snifter
3. Champagne flute
4. Cocktail glass
5. Coffee mug
6. Collins glass
7. Cordial glass
8. Highball glass
9. Hurricane glass
10. Margarita/coupette glass
11. Mason jar
12. Old-fashioned glass
13. Parfait glass

14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Pousse cafe glass

Punch bowl
Red wine glass
Sherry glass
Shot glass
Whiskey sour glass
White wine glass

Beer mug
The traditional beer container.
Typical Size: 16 oz.

Brandy snifter
The shape of this glass concentrates the alcoholic odors to the top of the glass as your hands warm the
brandy.
Typical Size: 17.5 oz.

Champagne flute
This tulip shaped glass is designed to show off the waltzing bubbles of the wine as they brush against the
side of the glass and spread out into a sparkling mousse.
Typical Size: 6 oz.

Cocktail glass
This glass has a triangle-bowl design with a long stem, and is used for a wide range of straight-up
(without ice) cocktails, including martinis, manhattans, metropolitans, and gimlets. Also known as a
martini glass.
Typical Size: 4-12 oz.

Cofee mug
The traditional mug used for hot coffee.
Typical Size: 12-16 oz.

Collins glass
Shaped similarly to a highball glass, only taller, the collins glass was originally used for the line of collins
gin drinks, and is now also commonly used for soft drinks, alcoholic juice, and tropical/exotic juices such
as Mai Tai's.
Typical Size: 14 oz.

Cordial glass
Small and stemmed glasses used for serving small portions of your favourite liquors at times such as
after a meal.
Typical Size: 2 oz.

Highball glass
A straight-sided glass, often an elegant way to serve many types of mixed drinks, like those served on
the rocks, shots, and mixer combined liquor drinks (ie. gin and tonic).
Typical Size: 8-12 oz.

Hurricane glass
A tall, elegantly cut glass named after it's hurricane-lamp-like shape, used for exotic/tropical drinks.
Typical Size: 15 oz.

Margarita/coupette glass
This slightly larger and rounded approach to a cocktail glass has a broad-rim for holding salt, ideal for
margarita's. It is also used in daiquiris and other fruit drinks.
Typical Size: 12 oz.

Mason jar
These large square containers are effective in keeping their contents sealed in an air tight environment.
They're designed for home canning, being used for preserves and jam amongst other things.
Typical Size: 16 oz.

Old-fashioned glass
A short, round so called "rocks" glass, suitable for cocktails or liquor served on the rocks, or "with a
splash".
Typical Size: 8-10 oz.

Parfait glass
This glass has a similar inwards curve to that of a hurricane glass, with a steeper outwards rim and
larger, rounded bowl. Often used for drinks containing fruit or ice cream.
Typical Size: 12 oz.

Pousse-cafe glass
A narrow glass essentially used for pousse cafs and other layered dessert drinks. It's shape increases
the ease of layering ingredients.
Typical Size: 6 oz.

Punch bowl
A large demispherical bowl suitable for punches or large mixes.
Typical Size: 1-5 gal.

Red wine glass

A clear, thin, stemmed glass with a round bowl tapering inward at the rim.
Typical Size: 8 oz.

Sherry glass
The preferred glass for aperitifs, ports, and sherry. The copita, with it's aroma enhancing narrow taper, is

a type of sherry glass.

Typical Size: 2 oz.

Shot glass
A small glass suitable for vodka, whiskey and other liquors. Many "shot" mixed drinks also call for shot
glasses.
Typical Size: 1.5 oz.

Whiskey sour glass

Also known as a delmonico glass, this is a stemmed, wide opening glass, alike to a small version of a
champagne flute.
Typical Size: 5 oz.

White wine glass

A clear, thin, stemmed glass with an elongated oval bowl tapering inward at the rim.
Typical Size: 12.5 oz.

Reference:
http://www.drinksmixer.com/cat/1/