I’ll Drink to That: A Cocktail Lexicon

A drink ordered properly is a sight to behold. Not only will it get you what you want, it’s also the path to your bartender’s heart. Our first tip: name your liquor first (preferably by brand), the mix second and the extras third. Our best tip: remember your please and thank-yous. Here are a few more to wet your whistle.

Neat—It means unadulterated and unmixed: a single spirit served in a room-temperature glass. “I’ll have a J&B neat, please.”

Straight Up—This means you’d like a mixed beverage, shaken or stirred with ice and served in a stemmed glass. But it used to mean neat and in a shot glass. “Make mine a Manhattan, stirred and straight up, please.”

On the Rocks—Yup. This one means on ice. Can you hear ice cubes bouncing in a heavy old-fashioned glass, cracking with mini thunder when spirits pour over them? It used to be that “on the rocks” meant neat with ice; now it may include mix. “Tequila lime margarita, please, on the rocks, with salted rim.”

With a Twist—This refers to the garnish on any particular beverage and is, typically, citrus: lime, lemon or orange. “Bourbon old-fashioned with an orange twist, please.”

Dirty—This request typically pertains to martinis and means you’d like a splash of olive brine in addition to (or instead of) vermouth. “Bombay martini, please, and make mine dirty.”

Dry—This commonly refers to how much vermouth you’d like in your martini. A dry martini would be made with less vermouth—or no vermouth. Substituting half or more sweet vermouth with dry would qualify your Rob Roy as dry. “Dry Victoria gin martini, please—just wave the vermouth over the glass on the way to the table.”

© Monika Olszewska / Dollar Photo Club