SHAKE

Shaking a drink adds dilution, drops the drink temperature a bit below stirring, and creates an aerated texture. A general rule of thumb if unsure: drinks containing citrus, cream, or egg get shaken. These instructions assume you’re using a two-piece mixing tin set — if not, just follow along and add ice to your shaker last.

1 Prepare the garnish and set it aside.

2 Measure all ingredients into the smaller “cheater” tin. If the recipe calls for egg, crack the egg into a separate container first to inspect for any bits of eggshell.

3 Add ice cubes to the Boston tin, about half full. Secure the two tins together snugly (the cheater tin will fit inside the Boston tin at a slight angle) and raise them to shoulder level, oriented horizontally, with the base of the cheater tin pointed behind you.

4 Shake briskly for 10 seconds, then separate the tins by squeezing or smacking the Boston tin at the point where the two meet. The mixed drink and ice should all be in the Boston tin side of things.

5 Add any lengtheners called for to the tin (like seltzer or soda), then strain into your glass, using a Hawthorne strainer (or double strain by pairing with a fine-mesh strainer, if the drink contains anything chunky).

6 Garnish as specified.

SHAKE

ROCKS

Eight- to 10-ounce rocks glasses should have a hefty bottom to help insulate the drink.

Libbey 2524

ROCKS

ICE CUBES

should stack easily into a glass, and despite the name, they don’t necessarily have to be perfectly cubic. You’ll use ice cubes for Highballs and Collinses, but also for shaking. Form them using a directional-freezing icemaker or hand carve down from larger rocks.

ICE CUBES

TOMMY'S MARGARITA

Julio Bermejo, Tommy's Mexican Restaurant | San Francisco | 1980s

1/2 oz agave nectar
1 oz lime juice
2 oz reposado or blanco tequila
Garnish: lime wheel

Many have claimed parental rights to the Margarita, but surprisingly, the cocktail most likely originated in London, of all places — as the “Picador” cocktail. In a Sour, the use of a liqueur (Cointreau in this case) in place of simple syrup bumps the Sour into “Daisy” status and — funny coincidence — “margarita” is Spanish for “daisy.” The Margarita stood its ground for almost forty years until it succumbed to the dreaded sour mix slushy style of the ’70s, along with the Daiquiri. Tequila itself likewise suffered during that time — its dramatic rise in popularity, coupled with the long lead time for agave to mature and natural variations in agave availability due to weather trends led to a decline in tequila quality as producers cut corners by mixing in different agave varietals, blending tequila with cheap aguardiente (cane spirit) as the “mixto” style, and adding caramel color to suggest an aged “gold” spirit. Redemption began to arise in the early ’70s with the designation of Jalisco as an AOC (Applelation of Origin), then in the ’80s with the emergence of premium 100% Weber blue agave tequilas, and in the ’90s with the creation of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, the governing body that ensures tequila’s integrity. We can thank Julio Bermejo of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco for reinventing the Margarita in a way that gets back to basics and honors the spirit: nix the Cointreau, skip the salted rim, and enjoy el puro sabor del agave. The Tommy’s Margarita has become the contemporary craft standard.

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