They are drinks served prior to a meal indented to stimulate appetite. There are various types of aperitifs: bitter, vermouth, wines, and sparkling wines, as well as cocktails or straight liquor mixed with soft drinks or water. Classic aperitifs are the Martini and Manhattan. It is important to remember aperitifs are served without straws and usually without ice cubes.

Bar Spoons

These spoons are used to measure liquids and for stirring.

Bowls

Similar to punches, most frequently consist of wine, fruit, and champagne or sparkling wine. Take care to use only light wines with a natural effervesces, such as those similar to German wines from the Moselle. Never add ice cubes to the bowl else it will become diluted. Always add the sparkling wines or champagne (ice cold) just before serving, and do not stir the mixture, else too much fizz will be released and the drink will taste flat. If you do not want the bowl to be too alcoholic, top it up with sparkling mineral water instead of sparkling wine.

Box

Pour into and out of a shaker, usually only once. Gives the drink a quick mixing without shaking.

Brut

It's the name given to sparkling wines, especially champagne, which are very dry. Brut identifies the lowest level of sweetness and even drier than "extra dry" on the label. Built in the glass means that the drink is prepared in the glass in which it will be consumed.

Call Drink

A liquor and mixer, of which the liquor is a defined brand. (ie. Tanqueray and Tonic, Bacardi and Coke)

Cobbler

They are long, chilled drinks that always contain fruit and usually have sparkling wines or soda added. A cobbler glass or champagne glass is filled one-third full with crushed ice, the alcoholic mixture is poured over it, and then the fruit is added. Lastly the drink is topped with soda or sparkling wine. Cobblers should always be served with a bar spoon or straw.

Champagne Cocktails

They are drinks that are always topped with champagne or sparkling wine.

Chaser

A mixer that is consumed immediately after a straight shot of liquor to create a different taste.

Cocktail

They are short drinks, which consist of spirits, liqueurs, fruit, fruit juices, other flavorings, and fortified, sweet, or dessert wine. They are served ice cold, and consumed before or after meals, as well as for general enjoyment and stimulation at other times. Cocktails are stirred, shaken or mixed in the glass.

Collinses

They are long drinks, which are mostly dry and are stirred in the glass. Collinses are usually served with a straw and a slice of lemon on the rim of the glass. The classic version of this type of drink is a Tom Collins, a tall combination of gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup with ice cubes. A John Collins is made with bourbon.

Coolers

They are thirst quenching, mild, sweet drinks, which in addition to alcohol, almost always contain Ginger Ale. Usually served with a straw in a Collins or Highball Glass.

Crusta

It is the name given to the sugared rim on a glass.

Crustas

They are refreshing, long drinks which are served in glasses with a sugared rim. A straw should always accompany these popular after-dinner drinks.

Cup

A punch-type drink that made up in quantities of cups or glasses in preference to a punch bowl.

Daisy

They are often sweet, and therefore, were once thought of as exclusively for women. They are traditionally gin or whiskey based with a thin layer of liqueur floated on top. They are served with a straw and a bar spoon.

Dash

It's the smallest measurement when mixing drinks and cocktails.

Digestive

It's a drink consumed after a meal to assist digestion. Unflavored schnapps or eaux-de-vie are digestives, as are bitter and dry liqueurs, such as caraway-flavored Kummel.

Dry

It applies to drinks such as champagne, desserts, wines, and fortified wines, as well as spirits such as gin, which are differentiated according to the degrees of sweetness. Other standard definitions for a drink's level of sweetness include "medium dry" (sweeter than dry) and "extra dry" (very dry).

Eggnogs

Very popular around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Always contains milk and egg yolks and are served chilled or warm in a large rocks glass with a straw.

Fancy Drinks

They are imaginative drinks that do not fit into any category of alcoholic mixed drink or cocktail and for which there are no basic recipes. The sole stipulation is that they should contain a maximum of 2 ounces of alcohol and taste good.

Fixes

These are alcoholic drinks served in a rocks glass filled with finely crushed ice. They are very popular aperitifs.

Fizzes

These are popular drinks containing fruit juice or another form of sweetener, alcohol, and plenty of soda water to give them a bubbly texture. Usually served with a straw.

Flips

Drinks prepared in a shaker, which include egg yolks, sugar, and often a pinch of spice. They should not be shaken for too long, and should be served immediately after preparation. When serving flips, don't forget a straw.

Float

Refers to the ingredient carefully poured on top of the drink prior to serving. A drink with a float should not be stirred.

Frapp�

A partially frozen, often fruity drink. It is usually a mixture of ingredients served over a mound of crushed ice.

Lace

Normally applies to the last ingredient in a recipe, meaning to pour onto the top of the drink.

Grog

A hot rum-based beverage with water, fruit juice and sugar, commonly served in a large mug.

Highball

These are perfect thirst-quenchers from the long drinks family. They are served in tall, highball or Collins glasses with a few ice cubes, and often a long spiral of lemon peel with a straw. Many consist of a straight liquor and soft-drink mixer.

Julep

Refreshing drinks ideally prepared with fresh mint. If you can obtain fresh mint, add 2 teaspoons of mint liqueur or mint cordial to the glass instead.

Lemon Twist

It's the name given to a small piece of lemon peel squeezed over a finished cocktail to flavor it with the essential oils of zest of the fruit.

Long Drink

It's the classic name for all mixed drinks that consist of more than 5 ounces of liquid.

Lowball

A short drink made of spirits served with ice, water or soda in a small glass.

Milk Shakes

Very popular non-alcoholic beverages.

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, wines or beer, served as a hot punch.

Neat

It's the term for drinking a liquor straight, which means without a mixer, water or ice.

Negus

A punch-like combination containing a wine, such as port, heated with spices and sweetened.

Nip

Refers to a quarter of a bottle.

Nightcap

A beverage consumed prior to bedtime.

On The Rocks

A wine or liquor poured over ice cubes.

Pick-Me-Ups

This comes under the category of fancy drinks. They are usually heavily seasoned and are popular hangover cures. One of the most known is the Bloody Mary.

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.

Puffs

They are mixtures of milk and spirits shaken and topped with soda. They are served in a large rocks glass or a double old-fashioned glass with a straw.

Punches

They are hot or cold party-size beverages consisting of fruit, fruit juices, flavorings and sweeteners, soft drinks, and a wine or liquor base. Usually served in a large bowl.

Rickey

Long drinks made of limes, sugar syrup, alcohol, and soda water.

Sangaree

Slightly sweet long drinks served cold in a highball glass or warm in a punch glass. In addition to alcohol, they always contain sugar, hot or cold water, and a trace of grated nutmeg.

Scaffas

Conist of syrup and several types of alcohol, and are an Italian variation of pousse-cafes.

Shooter

A straight shot of whiskey or other kind of spirit taken neat.

Shrub

They are similar to bowls or punches. Traditionally a shrub included spirits, fortified wines, fruit and sugar, however today they are just as likely to be non-alcoholic. They ingredients are combined in a punch bowl and left to infuse in the refrigerator for a few days. Soda water is usually added prior to serving in punch glasses.

Slings

They are long drinks similar to punch that are prepared warm or cold. The main ingredients are lemon or lime juice, grenadine or sugar syrup, as well as alcohol such as Brandy, arrak, or gin.

Smash

A short julep made of liquor, sugar, and mint, served in a small glass.

Sodas

Refreshing long drinks, mostly consisting of spirits such as gin, whiskey, or brandy.

Sour

A short drink consisting of liquor, lemon/lime juice and sugar.

Squeeze the Peel

In terms of drinks, it refers to a piece of citrus peel over a drink to the essential oils, or zest, from the peel fall into the drink.

Supercall

Also known as top shelf or super premium. The high octane, often higher proof alcohols, or super-aged or flavored versions.

Swizzles

Tropical long drinks. Fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Add lime juice, sugar syrup, rum and a dash of bitters and stir with a long stirrer, until the glass frosts over and little foam appears on top of the drink. Serve with a straw.

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.

Toddies

They are close relatives of slings and like them may be served cold or warm. Cold toddies are served in rocks glass and hot toddies in a heatproof punch glass. You do not need as much liquid to top them as you do for slings. For this reason, toddies are also more alcoholic. Tonics are particularly dry, refreshing, long drinks made by topping up a straight liquor over ice with tonic water. Gin and tonic is a popular one.

Tropicanas

They are refreshing, sweet long drink usually made from tropical fruit juice and rum. If they are prepared with coconut milk, they are also called coladas. The imaginative garnish is important.

Virgin

Term used to refer to a beverage that does not contain alcoholic.

Well Drink

A liquor and mixer, of which neither are defined brands. (ie. Gin and Tonic, Rum and Coke)

Zooms

They are sweet, very nutritious drinks that are filling enough to be a small snack. They consist of eggs, honey, Cream, alcohol, and ice cubes, and are usually shaken.

Solve a puzzle!