Mixing
Not all cocktails are made in the same manner. Just as the ingredients may vary, there are several ways in which to mix a cocktail. The most frequently used methods are the following:

Stirring

The cocktail is stirred with a glass or metal rod in a mixing glass, before the cocktail is strained into a glass. As with shaking, crushed ice should not be used, and water condensing on the outside shows that the cocktail is finished.

Drinks based on clear liquors, like a Martini, should always be stirred and not shaken (Sorry James Bond) to retain its clarity and be free of ice chips.
Only stir enough to mix the ingredients. Approximately 10 - 15 stirs is a good rule. Stirring it too much will dilute the liquor. Stir carbonated drinks extra gently to retain its sparkle.

Shaking

The cocktail is mixed by hand in a cocktail shaker. The shaker is first filled three quarters with ice, preferably cubes, as crushed ice will tend to melt and dilute the cocktail. The ingredients are then poured on top of the ice, in order of alcohol content (highest first). When shaking a cocktail, hold the shaker in both hands, one hand on the top and the other supporting the base of the shaker, and shake vigorously. When water has begun condensing on the outside of the shaker, the cocktail is sufficiently chilled, and the cocktail should immediately be strained into the glass. In general, shaking creates a colder cocktail than stirring does, but also a more cloudy one.

1. Always add the ice in the shaker first,
2. Add all ingredients other than liquor next so they properly chill
3. Add liquor last to avoid dilution

Drinks that contain ingredients that are hard to mix should be shaken. Extra difficult to mix drinks like those with cream, eggs, fruit juice, ect. will need to be shaken vigorously.

To make cocktails, lowballs, and other shaken or stirred drinks, fill shaker half-full of ice. For lowballs, fill the glass about half-full of ice before pouring drink.

Blending
A Blender can be used for making frozen cocktails or to blend ingredients that can not be mixed otherwise like fruit.

An electric blender is used to mix fruit juices, alcohol, fruit, etc. Blending is an excellent way of mixing ingredients which do not blend easily in any other way. Blend the cocktail till it has reached a smooth consistency. If the recipe requires ice, add crushed ice last, but be careful not to add too much, as the cocktail may be watered down. Blending is a much disputed method of mixing a cocktail, and in general, blending should be avoided unless the recipe demands it.

To make blended drinks, first fill blender half-full of ice. If necessary, add more ice as you are blending.

Most shaken drinks which contain light cream can also be made as blended drinks, substituting vanilla ice cream for the light cream.

Building / Floating

When building a cocktail, the ingredients are poured into the glass in which the cocktail will be served. Usually, the ingredients are floated on top of each other, but occasionally, a swizzle stick is put in the glass, allowing the ingredients to be mixed.

Floating (sometimes referred to as layering) is keeping drink ingredients seperate in levels so they do not mix. This is best accomplished by using a demitasse spoon or a turtle spoon and slowly trickling the ingredients over the back over the spoon into the glass.

For help creating layered drinks refer to the Layering Gravity Chart

Muddling
Muddling is a simple mashing technique for grinding herbs, such as mint, smooth in the bottom of a glass. You can use a wooden muddler that you buy in a bar supply store or buy a bar spoon with a muddler on the end. It crushes the herbs, much as the back of a soup spoon might, without scaring the glass.

Frosting
To frost a glass, first dip it in water and then put it in the freezer for half an hour or so. Also note that metal and silver mugs and cups will frost better than glasses.

1/2 oz. of liquor is equal to 1 count, assuming you are using a pourer on your bottles. To measure 1 1/2 oz. of liquor, count "1001...1002...1003" as you are pouring. After a while, you should be able to do it by eye.

To make highballs, fill glass two-thirds full of ice before adding liquor. Always pour liquor in before the mixer. Do not stir drinks containing carbonated mixers.

In fruit drinks, e.g. strawberry margaritas, always use fresh fruit, not frozen.
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Cocktails - The basics
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What is a Cocktail?
Drinks akin to cocktails first appeared sometime during the 16th century, but cocktails, as we know and use the term, was first introduced by American bartenders in the 1920ies.

The reason the cocktail made it big in the happy '20ies, was the prohibition, when producing and imbibing of alcohol was made illegal. As good as all spirits available was of a rather dubious quality and tasted accordingly. Thus, the bartenders, accommodating as always, started to mix the spirits with various fruit juices and other flavorings to make it more palatable. Later, the cocktail lost its popularity most places, the United States being the main exception.

The last few years, however, the cocktail has reclaimed lost ground everywhere, especially in southern Europe and other places that are full of tourists. Cocktails usually consist of three different 'classes' of ingredients.

The first, the base, is most often some sort of spirit, like vodka, whiskey, or tequila. Occasionally, such as in many punches, some sort of wine is being used as a base.
The second, the main flavoring, is added to bring out the aroma of the base and to modify its taste. The main flavoring is often such as Vermouth, various fruit juices, wine, or even eggs or cream.
The third, the special flavoring, is added to enhance the taste of the base, and often also adds the color to the cocktail. Common special flavorings include Grenadine, Blue Curacao, and others.
Most cocktails are also decorated in some way, usually with fruit slices, orange peel, cocktail sticks, mint twigs, etc. (see section below).

Equipment
Many different contraptions are manufactured for the making of cocktails. Some of these are useful, some can be definitely nice to have, and still others are totally and utterly useless. It is up to you to decide exactly what your cocktail equipment should be, but some things are essential.

Shakers

There are two basic types of shakers available. A European cocktail shaker is usually made out of metal, or glass with a metal top. It is, basically, a container which holds about half a liter, fitted with a top which closes tightly around the upper edges of the container. This top also has a smaller top, usually fitted with a built-in strainer, through which the shaken cocktail is poured. American shakers, however, consist of two cones about the same size. One is often often made of glass, and the other is metallic. These cones are held together to form a closed container, and the shaken cocktail is poured from either one. Most American shakers do not have built-in strainers, so if you use an American shaker, using a separate strainer is a good idea.

Measures

Measures, also known as jiggers, are also essential. Jiggers are most often made of metal, but glass jiggers are common, as well. The standard measurements of a jigger can vary widely, depending on where you are. In the recipes in the following articles, I will use a standard jigger of 30ml (appx. 1 fl oz).

In addition to the equipment mentioned above, you will find that things like these are nice to have, as well: Ice bucket, jugs, electric blender, bowls, etc. You should also have access to ordinary kitchenware, such as knives, corkscrews, chopping board, etc. You will also need stirrers (also known as swizzle sticks), straws, toothpicks, serviettes and cloths.

Glasses
Cocktail glasses come in four different basic types:
First, there are the glasses known as rocks glasses, also known as tumblers. These glasses are usually short and broad glasses, with straight or slightly sloping sides. They normally hold about 125ml and are used for spirits with ice, fruit juices and short drinks.
Second, there is the highball glass. These glasses are usually of medium width, and are tall with straight or slightly sloping sides. They normally hold between 200 and 300ml and are used for long drinks with ice.
Third, the champagne glasses, are of two different kind. The most common, the champagne flute, is a tall and narrow glass with a stem. Champagne flutes have thin-glassed sides, and the long, tapering sides can curve both inward and outward. A champagne flute holds approximately 150ml. The second type of champagne glass is the less-known champagne saucer. The champagne saucer is a broad and shallow glass with a stem. The broadness and shallowness of the glass make the champagne loose its fizz quickly, and the glass is therefore less popular than it once was. It is still, however, in use, and such cocktails as the Margarita use exclusively such glasses.
Fourth is the group known as cocktail glasses. These are the classic cocktail glasses; stemmed and with sharply sloping sides, making it Y-shaped when seen from the side. The classic cocktail glass holds about 90ml and is best suited for short, strong drinks.
In addition to these glasses, some drinks, such as the Pina Colada, have special glasses. Unless you are really serious about mixing your cocktails, you don't really need to buy such glasses. Use glasses you already have instead. There are also other glasses available that will work just fine with cocktails. Use your imagination, but remember that plastic glasses (or shakers, jugs, mixing glasses, or other such equipment for that matter) should NEVER be used with cocktails, as it will make the cocktail taste of plastic. A cocktail is supposed to have a refreshing taste, not to taste like the inside of a used plastic bag.

Shaking:
Stirring:
Blending: 
Building:
Decorating Cocktails
Almost all cocktails are decorated in one way or another, most often with some kind of fruit, but no matter the exact decoration, cocktail sticks are almost always invaluable. Cocktail sticks come in two types; Wooden and plastic. Wooden sticks are most often used, and are suited for just about any kind of cocktail, but they cannot be reused. Plastic sticks, however, should be carefully used, as they tend to give the cocktail a slightly artificial appearance. Unlike wooden sticks, plastic ones can be reused, but should be carefully washed and boiled first.

Cocktail sticks are, whatever the type, used for spearing slices of fruit, cherries, and just about anything else you care to decorate your cocktails with. Straws are also essential and go well with highballs. Straws should not be reused. The traditional cocktail garnish is, however, the red Maraschino cherries. These are used in just about any kind of cocktail, and are now also available in green, yellow and blue. In addition to this, slices of fruit, strips of orange or lemon peel, mint twigs, etc. can also be used.

One often used method of decorating cocktails is that which is called frosting. Frosting leaves an edge of sugar, salt, cocoa, or any other fine powder, on the rim of the glass. There are several ways to frost glasses, and one of the most frequently used of them is this: Rub the rim of the glass with a slice of orange or lemon, then submerge the rim in sugar or salt (or any other powder), just so that it lines the top of the rim. Other methods use egg white or other substances for 'gluing' the powder to the glass. For a more colorful frosting, use small drops of food coloring in the powder. With some cocktails, such as the Margarita, frosting is a 'standard' decoration.
 
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Basic set of tools
When setting up a bar, you will need quite a lot of equipment. The following is a list of basic bar equipment you should have in your bar to allow you to make most drinks. You may also want to take a look at the list of additional equipment that will make life behind the bar a bit easier too.

Bottle opener
Corkscrew
Can opener
Measuring cups and spoon set
Bar spoon with long handle and muddler on the end
Juice squeezer
Electric blender
Cutting board and a sharp knife
Ice bucket with an ice tong
Mixing glass
Shaker and strainer
Bottle sealers
Towels
Boxes/jars to store garnishes in
Glassware (See separate page)
You will have to buy new supplies of the following equipment regularly.

Cocktail napkins and coasters
Swizzle sticks
Straws, both long and short ones
Cocktail picks
Sugar and salt (for coating rim of glasses)
Additional equipment
In addition you may wish to buy some other equipment to make things a bit easier and to be able to make additional drinks.

Ice crusher, preferably electric
You can crush ice manually, but an electric crusher it a whole lot easier than using a hammer.
Wooden muddler
Ice pick or chipper
Vegetable peeler or a twist cutter for fruit peels
Ice scoop
Funnel
Nutmeg grater
.....
Glassware
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When operating a bar, whether it be in-house or a business, you need to have certain types of glasses. The right glass can enhance the drink you are serving, making you look even better. You really do not want to serve wine in a coffee cup, a cocktail in a beer mug, and you definitely don't want to serve an Alabama Slammer in a sherry glass. Get the point?

Glass accidents
When you are around any bar, home or business, you need to be concerned for yourself and your guests. Here are a few tips about accidents and what to do:
Always use an ice scoop and not the glass itself. Tiny slivers of glass always chip off when dipped into an ice well and your glasses become unclear after a while

If you accidentally break a glass near ice, always throw away all the ice. When glass shatters, pieces go everywhere. You really don't want pieces of glass in your drink.

Never take a hot glass and add ice into it. This can cause the glass to shatter due to thermal shock. Be careful about this.

Mechanical shock occurs when you clank two glass together. One of the glasses will almost always break.

If you carry the glasses by the stem or the base you avoid fingerprints where people drink from, and you will have more support carrying the glass.
Different glasses
Beer mug
Beer pilsner
Brandy snifter
Champagne flute
Cocktail glass
Coffee mug
Collins glass
Cordial glass
Highball glass
Hurricane glass
Irish coffee cup
Margarita/Coupette glass
Mason jar
Old-fashioned glass
Parfait glass
Pitcher
Pousse cafe glass
Punch bowl
Red wine glass
Sherry glass
Shot glass
Whiskey sour glass
White wine glass
 .....
Stocking your bar
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You cannot make drinks out of the equipment, so you'll probably want to buy a selection of liquors and mixers too. It is impossible to make a list that "fits all" without including every possible liquor in the World, but here are a few guidelines on what to buy.

You should always choose your bar stock to suit your guests. Young people often prefer the more exotic drinks, so you will need various fruit juices and flavored liqueurs instead of the darker liquors (like whiskey) older people often prefer.

It is likely you will experience requests for drinks you cannot make, but that happen to almost every bar now and then. You can add new liquors to your bar stock later, and should learn how to mix what you have in the meantime.

Always keep fruit juices and other mixers refrigerated.

A well stocked bar should have the following, but you should consider the number and type of guests you expect before buying.

Gin (dry)
Vodka
Rye (or Canadian whiskey)
Bourbon
Scotch whiskey
Rum (light)
Vermouth (dry and sweet)
Tequila
White and red wine (dry)
Beer (lager)
Cognac (or other brandy)
Different liqueurs:
Advocaat (somewhat like brandy eggnog)
Amaretto (almond)
Anisette (anise)
Aquavit (caraway)
Benedictine (herbs)
Chambord (black-raspberry)
Chartreuse (herbs)
Contreau/Triple sec (oranges)
Crème de Cacao (cacao)
Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant)
Crème de Menthe (mint)
Crème de Violette/Crème Yvette (violets)
Curaçao (oranges)
Galliano (herbs and spices)
Godiva (chocolate)
Goldwasser (herbs and spices, flecked with gold leaf bits)
Grand Marnier (oranges)
Irish Cream (whiskey and cream)
Kahlúa (coffee)
Kümmel (caraway)
Mandarine Napoléon (tangerine)
Midori (melon)
Ouzo (anise)
Peter Heering (cherry)
Prunelle (plum)
Sabra (orange and chocolate)
Sambuca (wild elderberries)
Sloe Gin (sloe berries)
Southern Comfort (peach)
Strega (orange and spices)
Tia Maria (coffee)
In addition to the liquors, you will need different mixers, flavorings and garnishes.

Club soda
Tonic water
Ginger ale
7-Up or Sprite
Cola
Juices:
Tomato juice
Orange juice
Pineapple juice
Cranberry juice
Grapefruit juice
Bitters
Grenadine
Maraschino liqueur
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce
Milk
Coffee
Heavy cream
Cherries (maraschino)
Green olives (small)
Cocktail onions
Lemons, limes and oranges
Sugar, salt and pepper.
 
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Gravity Chart
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When making layered drinks, also known as a Pousse Cafe, you'll need to know which ingredients are heavier than the others. The technique is simple; the heaviest liquor is poured into the glass first, and the lighter ones are layered carefully on top with the lightest one on top.

This table list some common liquors, along with their Specific Gravity that is the weight of the liquor relative to water. Higher values indicate a heavier liquor.

Name Gravity Color
Southern Comfort 0.97
 
Tuaca 0.98 Amber
Water 1.00 White
Green Chartreuse 1.01 Green
Cointreau 1.04 White
Peach liqueur 1.04 Dark amber
Sloe gin 1.04 Deep red
Kummel 1.04 White
Peppermint schnapps 1.04 White
Benedictine 1.04
 
Brandy 1.04 Amber
Midori melon liqueur 1.05 Green
Rock and Rye 1.05 Amber
Apricot brandy 1.06 Amber
Blackberry brandy 1.06 Dark red
Cherry brandy 1.06 Dark red
Peach brandy 1.06 Dark amber
Campari 1.06 Red
Yellow Chartreuse 1.06 Yellow
Drambuie 1.08
 
Frangelico 1.08
 
Orange Curacao 1.08 Orange
Triple sec 1.09 White
Tia maria 1.09 Brown
Apricot liqueur 1.09 Amber
Blackberry liqueur 1.10 Dark red
Amaretto 1.10 Light brown
Blue Curacao 1.11 Blue
Cherry liqueur 1.12 Dark red
Galliano 1.11 Golden yellow
Green Crème de Menthe 1.12 Green
White Crème de Menthe 1.12 White
Strawberry liqueur 1.12 Red
Parfrait d'Amour 1.13 Violet
Coffee liqueur 1.14 Dark brown
Crème de Banane 1.14 Yellow
Dark Crème de Cacao 1.14 Brown
White Crème de Cacao 1.14 White
Kahlua 1.15 Dark brown
Crème de Almond 1.16
 
Crème de Noyaux 1.17 Bright red
Anisette 1.17 White
Crème de Cassis 1.18
 
 

Amaretto 1.10 Light brown
Anisette 1.17 White
Apricot brandy 1.06 Amber
Apricot liqueur 1.09 Amber
Benedictine 1.04
Blackberry brandy 1.06 Dark red
Blackberry liqueur 1.10 Dark red
Blue Curacao 1.11 Blue
Brandy 1.04 Amber
Campari 1.06 Red
Cherry brandy 1.06 Dark red
Cherry liqueur 1.12 Dark red
Coffee liqueur 1.14 Dark brown
Cointreau 1.04 White
Crème de Almond 1.16
Crème de Banane 1.14 Yellow
Crème de Cassis 1.18
Crème de Noyaux 1.17 Bright red
Dark Crème de Cacao 1.14 Brown
Drambuie 1.08
Frangelico 1.08
Galliano 1.11 Golden yellow
Green Chartreuse 1.01 Green
Green Crème de Menthe 1.12 Green
Kahlua 1.15 Dark brown
Kummel 1.04 White
Midori melon liqueur 1.05 Green
Orange Curacao 1.08 Orange
Parfrait d'Amour 1.13 Violet
Peach brandy 1.06 Dark amber
Peach liqueur 1.04 Dark amber
Peppermint schnapps 1.04 White
Rock and Rye 1.05 Amber
Sloe gin 1.04 Deep red
Southern Comfort 0.97
Strawberry liqueur 1.12 Red
Tia maria 1.09 Brown
Triple sec 1.09 White
Tuaca 0.98 Amber
Water 1.00 White
White Crème de Cacao 1.14 White
White Crème de Menthe 1.12 White
Yellow Chartreuse 1.06 Yellow

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Beer
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Serving Beer
Beer should be served at correct temperature for maximum enjoyment.

Lager beers should be kept in the refrigerator before serving at 9°C/48°F.
The light American and Australian lagers should be server at a lower temperature of 6°C/42°F.
Ales should never be over-chilled, or it will develop a haze and loose their fruity-flavors. 12-13°C/54-56°F are recommended temperatures for serving.
Very strong ales should be served at room temperature.
Never store a bottle-conditioned beer in the refrigerator, but keep them cool and standing for several hours before serving to allow the sediment to clear.

Beer mixed with something
Beer is sometimes mixed with other alcoholic beverages and given nicknames. Here's a list:

Black and Tan: Guinness and bitter or Guinness and mild.
Black Velvet: Guinness and champagne.
Poor Man's Black Velvet: Guinness and cider.
Black Russian: Guinness and vodka
Velvet Pussy: Guinness and port.
Black Maria: Guinness and Tia Maria
Red Velvet: Guinness, cider and blackcurrant.
Red Witch: Guinness, Pernod, cider and blackcurrant.
Mother-in-law: Old and bitter.
Granny: Old and mild.
Blacksmith: Guinness and barley wine.
Boilermaker: Brown and mild.
Lightplater: Light ale and bitter.
Narfer narf: London slang for a half pint of mild and a half pint of bitter.
Narfer narfer narf: A half pint of Narfer narf (of course).
Dragon's blood: Barley wine and rum.
Dog's nose: Bitter and gin.
Snake bite: Lager and cider

Beer Glossary
This is a list of terms used when describing beers:

Abbey
Commercial Belgian beers licensed by abbeys. Not to be confused with Trappist ales.

Adjuncts
Materials, like rice, corn and brewing sugar, used in place of traditional grains for cheapness or lightness of flavor.

Ale
The oldest beer style in the world. Produced by warm or top fermentation.

Alt
Dark brown top-fermenting beer from Düsseldorf.

Alpha acid
The main component of the bittering agent in the hop flower.

Attenuation
The extent to which brewing sugars turn to alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Beer
Generic term for an alcoholic drink made from grain. Includes both ale and lager.

Bitter
British term for the pale, amber or copper-colored beers that developed from the pale ales in the 19th century.

Bock or Bok
Strong beer style of The Netherlands and Germany.

Bottle-conditioned
Beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Brew kettle
See Copper

Cask-conditioned
Beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the cask. Known as "real ale", closely identified with British beers.

Copper
Vessel used to boil the sugary wort with hops.

Decoction mashing
A system mainly used in lager brewing in which portions of the wort are removed from the vessel, heated to a higher temperature and then returned. Improves ensymic activity and the conversion of starch to sugar in poorly modified malts.

Dry-hopping
The addition of a small amount of hops to a cask of beer to improve aroma and bitterness.

Dunkel
A dark lager beer in Germany, a Bavarian speciality that predates the first pale lagers.

Entire
The earliest form of porter, short for "entire butt".

Ester
Flavor compounds produced by the action of yeast turning sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Esters may be fruity or spicy.

Fining
Substance that clarifies beer, usually made from the swim bladder of sturgeon fish; also known as isinglass.

Framboise or Frambozen
Raspberry-flavored lambic beer.

Grist
The coarse powder derived from malt that has been milled or "cracked" in the brewery prior to mashing.

Gueuze
A blend of Belgian lambic beers.

Helles or Hell
A pale Bavarian lager beer.

Hop (Lat: Humulus Lupulus)
Herb used when brewing to add aroma and bitterness.

IBU
International Bitterness Units. An internationally-agreed scale for measuring the bitterness of beer. A "lite" American lager may have around 10 IBU's, an English mild ale around 20 units, an India Pale Ale 40 or higher, an Irish stout 55 to 60 and barley wine 65.

Infusion
Method of mashing used mainly in ale-brewing where the grains are left to soak with pure water while starches convert to sugar, usually carried out at a constant temperature.

Kölsch
Top-fermenting golden beer from Cologne.

Kräusen
The addition of partially-fermented wort during lagering to encourage a strong secondary fermentation.

Kriek
Cherry-flavored lambic beer.

Lager
The cold-conditioning of beer at around 0 degrees Centigrade to encourage the yeast to settle out, increase carbonation and produce a smooth, clean-tasting beer. From the German meaning "to store".

Lambic
Belgian beer made by spontaneous fermentation.

Lauter tun
Vessel used to clarify the wort after the mashing stage.

Malt
Barley or other cereals that have been partially germinated to allow starches to be converted into fermentable sugars.

Mash
First stage of the brewing process, when the malt is mixed with pure hot water to extract the sugars.

Märzen
Traditional Bavarian lager brewed in March and stored until autumn for the Munich Oktoberfest.

Mild
Dark brown (occasionally pale) English and Welsh beer, lightly hopped. The oldest style of beer that once derived it color from malt cured over wood fires. One of the components of the first porters.

Milk stout
Stout made with the addition of lactose, which is unfermentable, producing a beer low in alcohol with a creamy, slightly sweet character.

Pilsner or Pilsener or Pils
International brand name for a light-colored lager.

Porter
Dark - brown or black - beer originating in London.

Priming
Addition of sugar to encourage a secondary fermentation in beer.

Reinheitsgebot
Bavarian beer law of 1516 (the "Purity Pledge) that lays down that only malted grain, hops, yeast and water can be used in brewing. Now covers the whole of Germany.

Shilling
Ancient method of invoicing beer in Scotland on strength. Beers are called 60, 70 or 80 shilling.

Sparging
From the French esparger, to sprinkle; Sprinkling or spraying the spent grains in the mash tun or lauter tun to flush out any remaining malt sugars.

Square
A traditional, open fermenting vessel.

Steam beer
American beer style saved by the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco.

Stout
Once an English generic term for the strongest ("stoutest") beer in a brewery. Now considered a quintessentially Irish style.

Trappist
Ales brewed by monks of the Trappist order in Belgium and The Netherlands.

Union
Method of fermentation developed in Burton-tn-Trent using large oak casks.

Ur or Urtyp
German for original.

Weizen or Weisse
German for wheat or white beer.

Wort
Liquid resulting from the mashing process, rich in malt and sugars.
 
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WHAT IS ABSINTHE?
Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is an emerald green drink which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin) and is therefore traditionally poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass of water. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Absinthe was once popular among artists and writers and was used by Van Gogh, Baudelaire, and Verlaine, to name a few. It appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity. However, in the 1850's, there began to be concern about the results of chronic use. Chronic use of absinthe was believed to produce a syndrome, called absinthism, which was characterized by addiction, hyperexcitability, and hallucinations. This concern over the health effects of absinthe was amplified by the prevailing belief in Lamarckian theories of heredity. In other words, it was believed that any traits acquired by absinthists would be passed on to their children (1). Absinthe's association with the bohemian lifestyle also worked to compound fears about its effects, much as has happened with marijuana in America. Absinthe was subsequently banned in many countries in the beginning of the 1900's.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVE COMPONENT IN ABSINTHE?
This issue is not entirely resolved. Alcohol is definitely one main component. However, another candidate is the monoterpene, thujone, which which is considered a convulsant. Thujone's mechanism of action is not known, although structural similarities between thujone and tetrahydrocannabinol (the active component in marijuana) have led some to hypothesize that both substances have the same site of action in the brain. Thujone makes up 40 to 90% (by weight) of the essence of wormwood, from which absinthe is made (2). Thus, thujone would appear to be a good candidate for a second active component in absinthe. Indeed, thujone has long been considered to be the neurotoxic cause of absinthism.
However, the direct evidence to support this idea is scant. Absinthe is 75% alcohol. Therefore, alcohol's effects will limit the amount of thujone one can ingest. Quite simply, you can only drink a moderate amount of absinthe before you become very drunk from the alcohol. Thujone would have to be active at a very low dose or be present in high quantities in order to have any appreciable effect. In the "This and That" column in Trends in the Pharmacological Sciences, "B. Max" made the following dose calculations:

How much thujone was present in absinthe? Steam distillation of wormwood yields 0.27-0.40% of a bitter, dark-green oil (3) In a typical recipe for absinthe, 2.5 kg of wormwood were used in preparing 100 liters of absinthe (4). Typically, 1.5 oz was consumed (diluted with water) per tipple (5). This is equivalent to 4.4 mg wormwood oil per drink, or 2-4 mg thujone. This is far below the level at which acute pharmacological effects are observed. Even chronic administration of 10 mg/kg thujone to rats does not alter spontaneous activity of conditioned behavior (6). The literature on the pharmacology of thujone is, to put it bluntly, second rate, and conclusions as to its effects have been extrapolated far beyond the experimental base (7).

Furthermore, the symptoms of absinthism do not appear to be that unlike those of alcoholism. Hallucinations, sleeplessness, tremors, paralysis, and convulsions can also be noted in cases of alcoholism. This suggests that the syndrome "absinthism" mayy well have been caused by alcohol. Because absinthe is no longer popular, little research has been done into its effects on health. Reports on thujone's/absinthe's toxicity seem to rely mostly on case reports from the beginning of the century or earlier. Lacking more recent research, it seems most reasonable to take reports of absinthe's toxicity with skepticism. Essentially, there is little good data to suggest that absinthe's active components were anything other than alcohol.

(In fairness, I should mention that several individuals who have taken home-made absinthe or who have drunk it where it is legal have claimed to me that it produced an intoxication unlike that of alcohol.)

In addition to alcohol and thujone, absinthe sometimes contained methanol (wood alcohol), which could have contributed to the symptoms of absinthism. Calamus (acorus calamus) and nutmeg (myristica fragrans) were also sometimes used in making absinthe. Both plants have reputations for being psychedelics, although to my best of knowledge only nutmeg's psychedelic properties have been well established. However, it seems unlikely that either plant would have been added in the quanitities necessary to produce psychoactive effects.

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A few words about making liqueurs
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Fruit Liqueurs
Fruit Liqueur - Berry
(Tested on raspberries, blackberries and a mix of both).
Start with fresh fruit. Place cleaned fruit into a jar.

Add very strong alcohol just so it barely covers all of the fruit. I used double distilled vodka (alcohol content probably about 55-65%). Beware though - Apparently operating a still is VERY illegal!!

Let the covered jar sit for about a week and a half (it's covered so the alcohol doesn't evaporate). Note that no fermentation takes place here- all that happens is that the fruit soaks up the alcohol, and releases some of its juices. Depending on the type of fruit the level of fluid may decrease. Once you've decided that the fruit has soaked in much of the alcohol gently pour off the fluid so as not to blemish the fruit (try one now for a taste experience :-). Call this (very strong) fluid rack #1.

During the following steps you probably should avoid blemishing the fruit if at all possible.

Replace the fruit in the jar, but layer it with sugar. How much sugar is a bit difficult to say here. I usually tried to do my best to cover almost all of the fruit with _some_ sugar. Cover the jar again. What happens now is that the sugar makes the fruit give off its alcohol and shrivel slightly. In a couple of days the level of juice in the jar should reach almost the top of the fruit. This means it is time to pour it off again, call this rack #2.

Now we repeat the layering with sugar step (getting rack#3, rack#4, etc) until only a very small amount of juice is released. I have been told that with cherries this can be kept up until only a tiny little bit of cherry skin is surrounding the pit. Each rack is sweeter and sweeter.

With rasp[black]berries I got to rack #4 and then got bored waiting for really small amounts of juice. So I took the berries, threw them into a cloth and twisted the hell out them to release the vestiges of alcohol and juice. This was rack#5. The left over pulp can be used with ice-cream. Note that this step is entirely optional, four racks were plenty enough (but why waste alcohol :-).

Now comes the fun part.
Invite several friends (I used 5) and mix the different racks in various proportions and get some feedback on how they taste (too sweet, too alcoholic, too dry, etc). Don't use too many friends or else you won't have any left after the tasting. Now you should know what proportions to mix the final product in. Disposing of juice _not_ used in the final mix is left as an exercise to the reader (I had some sweet stuff left over and use it on ice cream).

Thoughts on the final mix:
In my case the final mix was very close to the ratio of rack#1: rack#2: rack#3 etc. This was convenient because I got the maximum of liqueur with minimal leftovers.

After a visit to a friends house in Poland and a sampling of his Cherry Liqueur (THE BEST liqueur I have EVER tasted)- I have decided to make liqueur also. Here are the directions he gave me (for cherry liqueur):

Fill a Jar with cherries.
Add alcohol to cover all the cherries.
Let sit for a week or so, the cherries should have swelled and there should be less liquid in the jar.
Pour off the liquid.
a)Layer the cherries with sugar and let sit another week.
b)Pour off resulting fluid.
c)Repeat steps a) and b) until the cherries are so small that they're just basically the pit covered with a very thin skin.

Now mix all the batches that you poured off to suit your taste. The first is most bitter, the last is the sweetest.

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Fruit Liqueur - Citrus
Find a glass container with an opening large enough to comfortable accept a medium size orange. the small the container the better.
Invert a glass shot glass and center in the bottom of the container.
Pour a cup of Everclear into the container without wetting the shot glass top. Place a fresh orange on top of the shot glass. The orange should have a moderately thick skin, but not excessive.
A ground glass top is ideal, if not, a closely fitting plate will do to cover the brue.
Check daily as the orange "sweats" its oils. It will slow after three or four days (a week is OK but not necessary). DO NOT OPEN AT ANY TIME till done.
Remove orange and shot glass and pour in a cup of bar syrup. There is no magic here, find your own sweetness level, this is just for openers.
Pour into a regular bottle and stopper tightly (after you've tasted it, clear, crisp, intense, pure, WOW, no more of those orange liqueurs again).
This stuff is fragile so plan on using it soon and don't make more than you can use, one week is fine, after two it very drinkable but the flavor is noticeably less. And, it will get cloudy with no apparent affect.

Yes any citris will work (never tried a grapefruit), we even put two dozen mint leaves on a thread and hung over. The leaves turned black and crumbly, but the taste; sheer POWER.
 
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intoxometer
http://www.webtender.com/handbook/toximeter.html
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Dr. I. M. Bibe's Anti-Hangover Tips
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Well, having done YEARS of research (;-D) on hangover cures, here are my scientific findings:
There is one preventive measure that is absolutely foolproof for every person in the world:
Don't ever drink. You'll be guaranteed to avoid hangovers for the rest of your life.

Since 99.9% of the people who are concerned with hangovers will never follow method #1, then the next best preventive measure is this:
Never drink enough to get really drunk. That way, hangovers will be rare, if not nonexistent.

Methods #1 & #2 apply to ALL people. From this point on, we enter the mysterious realm of experimental preventives:
The problem here is that all people are not alike in such things as size, weight, metabolism, chemistry, etc. So, what works for me may not work for you. But I offer these as good ideas to try when you've done what 89% of us do - namely, said to hell with methods #1 & #2.
You've just opened your eyes to find yourself crumbled into a collapsed mess, hopefully in a bed, hopefully in somewhat familiar surroundings, but, worst of all, awake. Your mind gradually manages to reconstruct some sort of memory of some portion of the previous night's activities. You feel like the worst part of hell (this is the cue for the proverbial "I'll-never-drink-again" declaration, one of the most pitiful demonstrations of bull$#!+ in all of human behavior). You need help. Quick.
A little understanding of what a hangover actually IS really comes in handy here. It's a combination of a few physiological things:
Dehydration - the alcohol has forced evaporation of a certain vital portion of the body's water.
Nervous shock - you're coming off the effects of a mild overdose of a depressant drug, so your nerves are displaying the great Newtonian natural law of action/reaction by going into a relatively hypersensitive state.
malnutrition - pumping all that alcohol and liquid through your body has effectively flushed away a significant supply of your storage of vitamins and nutrients, chemicals which would stimulate natural defense systems, but you're running seriously low on them now.

What you need to do is take some restorative steps to begin a recovery process. This means doing the same things that you should've done in method #3 (it's really too late now, but it can't hurt). It means rest and as little nervous stimulation as possible. It also means trying to eat something that will help to replace the nutrients you've lost. That really should be in the forms of fruits/vegetables, NOT fatty, greasy junk, not dairy foods, something that isn't too tough on the already beat-up digestive system. Bananas are great for key vitamins. But I'll tell you what I've found to be a real miracle medicine for me - tomatoes!
Strange but true. This came to me by pure accident. I was a suffering bastard one day following a night of revelry, and I knew I needed some food, but I found myself in a situation where I didn't really have any choice about the lunch that I'd been served. It was a basic Italian-American dish that included a tomato sauce (something like lasagne or spaghetti). In less than an hour after eating, I felt rejuvenated, almost back to normal! I couldn't believe how quickly I had gone from hangover hell to basically ok. I figured it was just a fluke. But the next time I was in a similar situation, I deliberately tried it again, and it worked! This sort of explains half of the reason that a Bloody Mary is the standard morning-after drink. (The OTHER half, of course, is that more alcohol - "hair-of-the-dog" - acts to relax your shattered nerves and numb the pain in the head, but more alcohol is also a great step on the road to alcoholism, not a habit I'd suggest.)
So, next time, try it. Maybe a little light pasta with a meatless, greaseless, tomato sauce. Cold gazpacho or a mild salsa may work too, but your stomach will be in no mood for onions and peppers. A glass of V8 may be just the thing. Citrus juices tend to bother the stomach too; but tomatoes are highly acidic, so I can't explain that part.

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If you know you're going to be drinking a LOT of something, there are certain definite DON'Ts:
Don't mix a lot of different types of alcoholic drinks (liquor, then wine, then beer). Loudon Wainwright wrote a song about this:
Drinks before dinner and wine with dinner and after-dinner drinks
Single-entendre
Help me, Rhonda
Locate my cufflinks
Come with me and you all will see that it all be alright
Rudolph the red-nosed wino will guide our sleigh tonight.
Don't overdo it with colored liquors (red wine, whiskeys, cordials, dark rum). A cheap red wine hangover is absolutely THE WORST. Death without actually passing into the next world.
Don't overdo it with sweet blended concoctions. This is the classic mistake of high-school idiots, dumb college undergrads, and basic novice drinkers (who will probably never drink again). All of these sick sugary trendy drinks with cream of whatever, and doughnut-flavored schnapps, and layers of nifty floating colored syrups and liquers. Oh, please. Gag. Gallons of Coca-Cola mixed with hard liquor. Imitation raspberry-flavored margaritas and "daiquiris". (Raise your hand if you've ever even SEEN a real daiquiri.) The combination of all of that sugar in the stomach with the mandatory alcoholic kick in the head - the end-result is almost always the same. (I STILL remember the sight of the sidewalk outside of a cheezy teen bar in Underground Atlanta back when they served 18-yr.-olds.) Most kids still have to learn the hard way. Some people think it's a rite of passage to "adulthood". Yeah, right.