A good cocktail can transform the vibe of a dreary night of social distancing into a sophisticated soiree out of “The Thin Man.”
Many of us are busy and stressed out and just need to pour something strong into a glass and make it taste decent. Others have time on our hands and are looking for projects. Here are tips for either scenario.
Glasses can easily transform a dull drink into something celebratory. A simple coupe glass (which is stemmed with a broad, shallow bowl) adds a touch of elegance to an ordinary drink of alcohol and juice. A martini glass filled with some olives and gin or vodka chilled in the freezer feels like a steakhouse martini.
Sara Newton, beverage director of Amaro’s Table and a living cocktail encyclopedia, revealed a shocking secret: “I don’t have cocktails glasses at home.” Newton loves using a short mason jar for serving cocktails. According to Newton, wine glasses serve well as coupe glasses. When it’s possible to shop again, antique and vintage shops are a good place to find cocktail glasses.
“Ice is more of a complicated situation,” Newton said. Getting the clear square cubes or spheres that are popular in cocktail bars is difficult at home. This is because ice makers and ice-cube trays freeze from the outside in, leaving white dots in the middle of the ice. To get clear ice, it must freeze top to bottom, leaving the layer of whiteness at the bottom to be scraped off. This can be done by filling a small cooler with water and freezing it, and then carving pieces of ice from this large frozen cube with a serrated knife or saw.
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