The pantry cheat sheet
# Everything the recipes assume you already know, in one file. Filter it, print it, tape it inside a cabinet door.
# Strengths are typical shelf values, not promises. The label on your bottle is the source of truth.
No entries match. Try a shorter word like "gin" or "swap", or clear the filter to see everything.
bottles: typical strengths
| Ingredient | Typical ABV % | Compiler default % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bourbon or rye whiskey | 40 to 50 | 40 | Higher-proof bottles exist, so read the label. In the US, proof is twice the ABV. |
| gin | 40 to 47 | 40 | Some styles run much stronger. Override the strength in the compiler if yours does. |
| white rum | usually 40 | 40 | Some bottles sit a little lower or higher. |
| vodka | usually 40 | 40 | Flavorless in theory, so strength is the only variable that matters here. |
| blanco tequila | usually 40 | 40 | An unaged blanco suits citrus drinks. |
| sweet vermouth | 15 to 18 | 16 | Fortified wine. Refrigerate after opening. |
| dry vermouth | 15 to 18 | 17 | Fortified wine. Refrigerate after opening. |
| bitter red liqueur | 20 to 28 | 25 | The bitter red aperitif in a Negroni. Strength varies by producer. |
| orange liqueur | 15 to 40 | 30 | The widest range on the shelf. A sweeter one needs less syrup elsewhere. |
| aromatic bitters | 35 to 45 | 40 | Used by the dash, so the alcohol is tiny, but the compiler counts it anyway. |
| citrus juice | 0 | 0 | Fresh, and the same day if you can. |
| simple syrup | 0 | 0 | Equal parts sugar and water by volume. |
| ginger beer | 0 | 0 | Treated as zero. Check the bottle you actually bought. |
ratios: templates to remember
- old_fashioned: 2 spirit : 1/4 sugar : 2 dashes bitters. Stir, serve on one large cube.
- sour: 2 spirit : 3/4 citrus : 3/4 sweet. Shake, strain. Lean to 2 : 1 : 3/4 for a tarter drink, as the Daiquiri here does.
- manhattan_family: 2 spirit : 1 vermouth : a couple of dashes of bitters. Stir, serve up.
- martini_family: 5 gin : 1 dry vermouth is the spec here. Wetter and drier are both valid. Stir, serve up.
- negroni_family: 1 : 1 : 1. Stir, serve on one large cube. Scale it by eye.
- highball: 1 spirit : 2 to 4 mixer, over ice, built in the glass. The Moscow Mule here is 1 : 2.
swaps: honest substitutions
- rye_for_bourbon: Swap 1:1. Bourbon is rounder and sweeter, rye is spicier and drier. Neither is wrong.
- lemon_for_lime: Swap 1:1 and taste. The flavor changes, and lemon is gentler, so you may want a touch less syrup.
- rich_syrup_for_simple: Rich syrup (2:1 sugar to water) is sweeter by volume, so use a little less, about three quarters as much, and taste.
- sugar_cube_for_syrup: In an Old Fashioned, one sugar cube plus a splash of water stands in for a quarter ounce of simple syrup.
- ginger_ale_for_ginger_beer: Gentler and sweeter, with less bite. Add a little more lime to compensate.
- no_bitters: Skip the dashes and express a fresh orange peel over the drink. It will taste lighter and less complex, but it is still a drink.
- aquafaba_for_egg_white: Roughly two tablespoons stands in for one egg white in a sour. It avoids the raw egg question entirely.
- dry_for_sweet_vermouth: Not a swap. They make different drinks. Perfect, 50/50 and dry variants exist, but they are forks, not substitutions.
technique: the bar basics
- stir: Mixing glass, cold dense ice, 20 to 30 seconds, until the outside is frosty. For drinks of only spirits, vermouth and bitters. It keeps them clear and silky.
- shake: Fill the shaker with ice, shake hard 10 to 15 seconds, then strain. For anything with citrus, juice, dairy or egg. Never reuse the ice you shook with.
- build: Assemble in the serving glass over ice. Add the fizzy part last, pour gently and stir once.
- dilution: Water is an ingredient. Stirring adds about 20% of the starting volume and shaking about 25%, which is what the compiler assumes. A drink poured at the right dilution tastes rounder, not weaker.
- ice: Large cubes for slow sipping drinks, smaller cubes for shaking because they chill faster. Avoid ice that smells of the freezer.
- glass: Chill the glass for drinks served up: a few minutes in the freezer, or fill it with ice water while you mix and dump it before pouring.
- measure: Use a jigger with marked measures. A free pour is a fine habit for water and a poor one for cocktails.
- express: Squeeze a peel, skin side down, over the drink so its oils land on the surface. Then rub the rim and drop it in, or discard it.
- strain: A fine strainer held over the glass catches ice shards and pulp when you want a cleaner drink.
- storage: Vermouth and fresh juice live in the fridge. Simple syrup also lives there and is best used within a couple of weeks. Spirits and bitters keep in the cupboard.
# Legal drinking age only. Never drive after drinking. ABV figures on this site are estimates.