Bartending Techniques

These American Bartending School home bartending videos show the 3 techniques for preparing mixed drinks recipes, building, stirring and shaking. These techniques are the same ones that our students learn in the bartending school class.

These cocktail drink videos show the proper technique and explain when and why cocktail drink recipes are either shaken, stirred or build.  Learn how to make hundreds of popular mixed drinks at American Bartender School mixed drinks recipes page.

How to Shake a Cocktail

Fill the cocktail shaker half way ice and add the cocktail ingredients. Close the shaker firmly, and hold it with your right hand wrapped around the top and your left hand cradling the bottom. Raise the shaker over your shoulder and shake hard until the drink is  chilled, 10 to 15 seconds. Strain it into a glass—a good shake will leave a layer of very fine ice shards on the surface of the drink

How to Stir a Cocktail

Fill a mixing glass half way with ice.  Add liquors and other cocktail ingredients. Hold a bar spoon at the top of the twisted part of the shaft between your thumb and first two fingers.Twirl the bar spoon 10 to 15 time gently mixing the ingredients.

How to Build a Cocktail

Fill a glass with ice.  Pour liquor of choice first over ice.  Add additional liquors or mixes.  Add sip stick to gently stir ingredients.Strain the ingredients into a stemmed cocktail glass with out the ice.

How to Layer a Cocktail

•  Pour into the required glass the heaviest liquid first.
•  Place a bar spoon (or teaspoon) upside down into the glass against the edge.
•  Slowly pour the next heaviest liqueur over the back of the spoon.
•  Continue with each liqueur, ending with the lightest.