Eight classic cocktails, as source filesEight classic cocktails, as source filesEight classic cocktails, as source files
// Each file below is one standard spec. A spec is a choice: most classics have two or three respectable versions, and these are the common ones, measured in US fluid ounces.
// Keywords: glass, method, ice and yields describe the serve. ingredients lists a name, a quantity and a unit. steps is the only imperative code. Anything after a double slash is a comment, which is where judgment lives.
// Fold a file to tidy the view, send it to the compiler to scale it, copy it to paste it into your notes. Strength figures are estimates from the compiler defaults.
whiskey 2 oz // bourbon is rounder, rye is spicier
simple_syrup 0.25 oz // or one sugar cube and a splash of water
bitters 2 dash
}
garnish="orange peel"
steps{
1.Add the syrup and bitters to a rocks glass.
2.Add the whiskey and one large cube of ice.
3.Stir for about 20 seconds, until the glass is cold to hold.
4.Express an orange peel over the drink, rub the rim, drop it in.
}
}
// The oldest file in the repo and the one most often refactored into a fruit salad. The original spec is spirit, sugar, water and bitters. Muddled fruit is a later patch that nobody asked for.
// Syrup scales better than a sugar cube. One large cube melts slowly, so the drink holds its strength to the last sip instead of collapsing at the halfway mark.
// est. ABV ~29.7% (stir, 20% dilution, typical bottle strengths). An estimate, not a measurement.
2.Add whiskey, vermouth and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
3.Stir for 20 to 30 seconds.
4.Strain into the coupe and add the cherry.
}
}
// Two to one, the ratio that the whole stirred-and-boozy family inherits. Rye gives it spine; bourbon makes a softer, sweeter drink and is a legitimate fork.
// Use a proper cocktail cherry, not the neon kind. It is the only part of this file you eat.
// est. ABV ~26.8% (stir, 20% dilution, typical bottle strengths). An estimate, not a measurement.
1.Add whiskey, lemon juice and syrup to a shaker with ice.
2.Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds.
3.Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
4.Optional: one egg white, dry-shaken first, for texture. Not modelled.
}
}
// The sour template again, with whiskey and lemon. Lemon is gentler than lime, so three-quarters of an ounce of juice and three-quarters of syrup balance.
// Egg white adds texture, not flavor. Raw egg carries a small food-safety risk, so skip it if that matters to you or your guests.
// est. ABV ~18.3% (shake, 25% dilution, typical bottle strengths). An estimate, not a measurement.
3.Top with cold ginger beer, pouring down the side of the glass.
4.Stir once, gently. Add the lime wedge.
}
}
// A highball in a nicer mug. The bubbles are the dependency: add the ginger beer last, pour gently, and stir once. Over-stirring is how a carbonated drink becomes a flat one.
// The compiler applies chill and dilution to the vodka and lime only. The ginger beer goes in after, as it would at the bar. Build is modelled as a gentle stir.
// est. ABV ~11.4% (stir, 20% dilution, typical bottle strengths). An estimate, not a measurement.
1.Chill the glass in the freezer, or fill it with ice water.
2.Add gin and vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.
3.Stir for 25 to 30 seconds.
4.Strain into the chilled glass. Express a lemon peel over it, or add an olive.
}
}
// Five to one is the spec here. Drier and wetter versions are argued about forever and both are valid forks. The real mistakes are stale vermouth, a warm glass and too little stirring.
// It should arrive cold enough to hurt slightly. Shaken is not wrong, merely cloudier.
// est. ABV ~30.1% (stir, 20% dilution, typical bottle strengths). An estimate, not a measurement.
recipe "Martini" { ... } — 23 lines folded
## How to read a recipe file
Every file follows the same grammar, so once you can read one you can read all eight. The units are deliberately few.
- oz is a US fluid ounce, about 29.57 milliliters. Every quantity in a file is written in ounces; the compiler converts on request.
- dash is the amount a bitters bottle delivers in one firm shake, treated here as 0.03 oz, about 0.9 milliliters. It is the least precise unit in the file and the least harmful to get wrong.
- stir means stirring with ice in a mixing glass until the glass is cold and frosty, usually 20 to 30 seconds. Use it for drinks made only of spirits, vermouth and bitters.
- shake means shaking hard with ice for 10 to 15 seconds. Use it for anything with citrus or juice. Strain off the ice you shook with.
- build means assembling in the serving glass, topping with the fizzy ingredient last and stirring once.
- served up means no ice in the glass, which should be chilled. rocks means over ice, ideally one large cube.
- express means squeezing a citrus peel, skin side down, over the drink so its oils land on the surface.
If your version of a classic differs, good: that is what forks are for. Send corrections, not brand loyalty, through contact.eml. Adults of legal drinking age only; never drive after drinking.