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Cocktail Family Deep Dives

The Sour: The Largest Cocktail Family

The Sour family — spirit, citrus, sweetener — is the blueprint for hundreds of cocktails. Master its formula and you unlock the entire menu.

Cocktail Family Deep Dives

The Daisy: Margarita's Secret Family

The Daisy — spirit, citrus, and orange liqueur — is one of bartending's most productive templates. It produced the Margarita, Sidecar, and Cosmopolitan. Most drinkers don't know they're ordering a Daisy.

Cocktail History

The Golden Age of Cocktails: 1860-1920

Between the Civil War and Prohibition, American bartending became a high art. Jerry Thomas, the grand hotel bar, and the birth of the classics defined an era.

Cocktail History

Prohibition: When America Went Dry

The 18th Amendment banned alcohol but couldn't kill the cocktail. Speakeasies thrived, bartenders fled to Europe, and the American palate changed forever.

Cocktail History

The Dark Ages: 1970s-1980s Cocktails

Neon colors, premixed sours, and the Harvey Wallbanger. How disco, convenience culture, and industrial spirits nearly killed the cocktail — and why it matters.

Cocktail History

The History of the Daiquiri

From Cuban iron mines to Hemingway's Havana to frozen machines in airport bars: the Daiquiri's journey is the story of rum, empire, and what happens when a great drink gets famous.

Cocktail History

Cocktails Around the World

The Caipirinha, Pisco Sour, Mojito, Aperol Spritz: each drink is a nation's story in a glass — culture, agriculture, and identity mixed with ice.

Cocktail History

The Future of Cocktails: Trends & Predictions

Low-ABV, non-alcoholic spirits, sustainable bars, and AI-designed drinks: the forces reshaping the cocktail world and what they mean for the glass in your hand.

Flavor Science & Pairing

Balance: The Foundation of Great Cocktails

Discover how the four primary taste elements interact to create cocktail balance, and learn practical ratio theory for diagnosing and fixing off-balance drinks.

Flavor Science & Pairing

Understanding Sweetness in Cocktails

From demerara to honey to agave nectar, sweeteners shape cocktail texture, flavor, and body. Learn how different sugar types and syrup densities transform your drinks.