Mixing Tips

The basic rules –
what everyone should know when mixing Jim Beam

There are many things that you need to know to mix the perfect drink: what kind of ice to use for which cocktail, how to choose and use the right fruit, and what kind of glass the cocktail should be poured into. Here, you can find some indispensible tips and tricks for making great long drinks and cocktails – put together by real professionals for real fans. JIM BEAM wishes you lots of fun shaking, mixing, and enjoying your drinks!

ICE

• An ice-cold cocktail makes the taste of spirits more intense and draws out the subtle flavors of fresh ingredients such as fruit and juices.
• To keep your ice fresh and dry, always store it so that any melted water can run away.
• Use ice cubes in mixed drinks and when shaking cocktails.
• Crushed ice should be used for blending and for a few special cocktails.
• Always use a lot of ice cubes when shaking or stirring to cool the drink quickly.
• Never pour ice from the shaker into the finished cocktail.

FRUIT

• Dipping pieces of fruit in hot water before cutting them causes them to release more juice.
• Fruit skin has a stronger flavor if you rub it between your hands before adding it to the drink.
• It is best to cut lime in segments, to quarter or slice oranges, and to serve lemon in slices at all times.
• Always use fresh fruit, fresh juice, and fruit pieces that are of a uniform size and color.
• If you need to crush chunks of fruit, rub a little onto the rim of the glass to create additional nuances of flavor.

SHAKING

• Clean the shaker before preparing a new cocktail.
• When shaking the cocktail mixer, make sure that you have a firm grip of both the mixer and the lid.
• Shake the drink until droplets of water begin to condensate on the outside of the mixer.
• If the shaker is made half out of glass and half out of steel, mix the drink in the glass half and pour it from the steel half.

GLASSES

• Store glasses so that air can circulate beneath them.
• To cool a cocktail glass, fill it with ice and water – ice alone is not enough.

POURING

• The label on the bottle should always point towards the guest.
• Hold the bottle as upright as possible when pouring.
• If using measured pour spouts, check their measurements as these often vary.
• Always pour the liquid onto the ice. Never add the ice to the drink.