Video of World Cocktail Champion Francisco Javier Lucas
Mix, Shake and Stir
As you might know, a cocktail combines several ingredients such as natural juices, fruits, liqueurs, soft drinks, and different types of alcohol. Three fundamental steps are required to make an amazing cocktail: mix, shake and stir. Mixing can occur within a blender, directly in a glass, or cocktails can be shaken or stirred. One of the most important things to remember is that each ingredient needs to be measured carefully so that you can achieve that desired taste.
Finally, the result of the mixing, shaking, and stirring is elegantly presented in a cocktail glass.
The Perfect Cocktail Glass
A cocktail always looks most spectacular when it is served in a classic cocktail glass with a tall step and a wide bowl, often referred to as a Martini glass. On one hand this particular glass maintains its elegant form with the wide bowl, while on the other hand, it serves the greater purpose of keeping the cocktail chilled with a long stem for holding.
This type of glass also allows us to play with the final garnishing, cocktails traditionally adorned with an olive or a cherry.
You also might notice that cocktail glasses often seem to be paired with particular flavours; delicate and sweet cocktails tend to appear in wider glasses, while dry and strong cocktails are usually presented in tall, straight glasses.
Happy Hour
There seems to be a cocktail for every hour of the day. Some love to start their mornings with energizing cocktails like fruit-filled Rabbit Punch or Algarrobina smoothies, while others revitalize with a kick from a Bloody Mary or a Canadian Caesar after a long night out.
The Martini, with a Spanish olive of course, is the perfect accompaniment for appetizers and tapas.
And for the evening and the night, a long drink like a Bull Beer or a San Francisco will do the trick.
Needless to say, there are also many who love a glass of Black Velvet champagne for special events.
A Rooftop Cocktail
Everyone loves a beautiful hotel rooftop terrace; you have the perfect bird's eye view and the ambiance is always relaxing, the busy city tranquil from the top floor.
Here in Spain we are lucky to have amazing weather and we get to enjoy our cocktails on our favourite rooftop terraces all year round. Málaga, Barcelona, Sevilla and Madrid have beautiful rooftop terraces, and the trend of having an aperitif or an after-work cocktail with a view of the skyline has really taken off.
The Etymological Origin of the Cocktail
There are many theories about the etymological origin of the word cocktail.
One story tells that the origins date back to the 16th century when a few English marine merchants tried a drink in Mexico made up of various mixtures stirred with a rooster's tail.
Another comparable theory tells that leftover liquors from served drinks were put into a ceramic container in the shape of a rooster, and that one could buy cheap drinks poured from a tap located on the tail of the rooster.
The final theory is no less curious than those before; some say that a cocktail is called so because it is a strong drink that will perk up your mood: "it will cock-your-tail".
