Categorizing Cocktails

There’s no perfect formula for how to categorize cocktails, and of course every bartender will have a different method. For the purposes of this book and to help you work out what you like, I’ve created a table that ‘classifies’ the drinks in this book according to certain criteria. It’s based around the questions I’d ask you if you were making a drink for you. I’d start with the type of spirit you like; then ascertain taste preference – sweet, sour, umami etc.; whether you like long or short drinks (and then whether you wanted it straight up or over ice); and finally I’d try and narrow the choice a little by ascertaining if you like a certain ‘subcategory’ of drink: minerality, herbaceousness, dryness, smokiness etc.