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Short guides and references for someone ordering their first Negroni and for someone running a bar.
Bar fundamentals
The essentials of working behind the bar with craft.
Quick read · 3 min read
Behind-the-Bar Etiquette
The unwritten rules that make a bar feel professional: how you move, how you talk and how you look after your team.
Reference · 5 min read
Bar Tools
An illustrated map of the essential bar tools, what each one does and what to look for when buying them.
Reference · 5 min read
Glassware
Which glass to use for each kind of drink, and why shape changes temperature, aroma and the whole experience.
Practical guide · 5 min read
Ice and Dilution
Ice doesn't just chill: it adds water, and that water is an ingredient. Understanding dilution is understanding why a drink tastes right.
Practical guide · 4 min read
Opening the Bar
A clear checklist so the bar is ready, clean and stocked before the first guest walks in.
Practical guide · 4 min read
Mise en Place
Everything in its place: how to set up your station so every drink comes out fast, clean and without thinking.
Quick read · 3 min read
Garnishes
A good garnish adds aroma or flavor, not just looks. The essentials of twists, wheels, herbs and rims.
Practical guide · 4 min read
Running Service
How to stay calm and fast when the bar fills up: ticket order, economy of motion and communication.
Practical guide · 3 min read
Closing the Bar
A good close is the best gift to the next shift: cleaning, inventory, storage and notes.
Practical guide · 5 min read
Cleaning and Sanitation
Good hygiene practice for a safe bar: hands, surfaces, ice and storage. Always follow your local health regulations.
Practical guide · 4 min read
Measuring and Pouring
Why measuring is the foundation of consistency, and how to do it fast and clean with a jigger without losing style.
Practical guide · 4 min read
Guest Hospitality
Service is what you do; hospitality is how it makes the guest feel. Practical ideas to make people want to come back.
Practical guide · 5 min read
Responsible Alcohol Service
Taking care of guests also means knowing when to stop serving. Signs of intoxication, how to refuse service respectfully, and never serving minors.
Advanced mixology
Structure, balance and recipe development.
Technical · 6 min read
Cocktail Families
Almost every cocktail descends from a handful of templates. Learn them and you can understand, adapt and create hundreds of drinks.
Technical · 6 min read
Balance and Tasting
Sweet, sour, bitter, alcohol and dilution: how to taste a drink like a professional and adjust balance with intent.
Technical · 7 min read
Shaking, Stirring and More
Seven ways to mix a drink and what each one achieves: shake, stir, build, throw, roll, blend and swizzle.
Technical · 6 min read
Recipe Development
From an idea to a menu-ready recipe: how to start from a template, test, document and refine without losing the plot.
Practical guide · 5 min read
Menu Design
A good cocktail menu tells a story, guides the guest and works behind the bar. Keys to structure, language and operations.
Technical · 5 min read
Consistency and Quality Control
Making a drink taste the same every time takes systems: written specs, calibration, daily tasting and team feedback.
Service & hospitality
Wine, beer and how to talk with guests.
Practical guide · 6 min read
Wine Service for Servers
How to present, open and pour a bottle of wine with ease and professionalism, even if you're not a sommelier.
Practical guide · 4 min read
Describing Wine to Guests
Talk about wine in plain words and recommend by asking questions, not reciting tech sheets.
Practical guide · 6 min read
Food and Wine Pairing
Simple principles of weight, acid, salt, fat, sweetness and heat to pair with confidence, including Mexican food.
Practical guide · 6 min read
Beer Styles and Pairing
A quick tour of the styles you'll see most often, from lager to sour, and how to pair them with food.
Beverage knowledge
See all →Agave spirits
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit distilled from blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana Weber var. azul), protected by a denomination of origin since 1974. Young, it is fresh and herbal; after time in oak it turns rounder and spicier.
Agave spirits
Mezcal
Mezcal is a spirit that can be made from many agave species, protected by a denomination of origin since 1994. Its smoky character comes mainly from cooking the agave in earthen pit ovens.
Agave spirits
Raicilla
Raicilla is a traditional agave spirit from Jalisco and Nayarit, made by small producers. It received a denomination of origin declaration in 2019.
Spirits
Sotol
Sotol is a spirit from northern Mexico made from Dasylirion, the "desert spoon"; it is not an agave, though its process resembles mezcal's. It has had a denomination of origin since 2002.
Agave spirits
Bacanora
Bacanora is Sonora's agave spirit, traditionally made from Agave angustifolia. It has had a denomination of origin since 2000.
Spirits
Charanda
Charanda is a sugarcane spirit from Michoacán, protected by a denomination of origin since 2003. It resembles rum but has its own identity tied to the Uruapan region.
Traditional Mexican
Pulque
Pulque is a fermented, not distilled, drink made from maguey sap (aguamiel). It is milky, slightly tart and viscous, with pre-Hispanic roots.
Traditional Mexican
Tepache
Tepache is a traditional fermented drink, today almost always made from pineapple rinds, piloncillo and spices. It is refreshing, sweet-tart and very low in alcohol when young.