Monday, November 17, 2008

The Green Wine of Italy

Tocai is an aromatic dry white wine that is made from the grapes of the same name. It is grown in the Fuilia area of Italy and it is named after small eccentric glasses it is served in Italian taverns. The glasses are small and look like juice glasses. The grape is also sometimes known as Sauvignon Vert which translates to mean "green wine." It is also grown in Chile and France. The name is pronounced Toe-Koi.

Tocai is not to be mistaken for a Hungarian wine called Tokay. These two wines are very different and in fact the Hungarian wine maker sued the Italian wine maker to exclusively own this name and lost. There is also a Japanese saki type wine known as Tokei. Tocai is quite different and is strictly grown in Italy.

This fussy and eclectic grapevine only grows in certain types of cool climates. It is rarefied because it is vulnerable to disease, much like Pinot Noir, and it often will rot if not grown near Fruilia. This is one of these wines that suffer if the crop is too big so most growers only keep a couple of the vines on their vineyards. The harvest for Tocai grapes is small each year. This is why the wine it creates is expensive and also very much prized by wine tasters.

The wine it creates is a pale yellow and often is strongly aromatic of pears, citrus and wild flowers. The beverage also has a clean, slightly crisp finish that is very fresh and dry on the palate. It is a sharp, yet perfumed wine that is quite strong. It goes great with sushi, Japanese food, grilled clams, and shrimp. This wine is usually of a very high alcohol content - 14%. It is also of a slightly thicker consistency than most wines. This means too that it stands up well to spicy cuisines such as New Orleans, Chinese, or Thai food.

Tocai is drank as a fancy wine in North America but in its native Spain this is a very pedestrian beverage that is drunk regularly the same way that we drink orange juice in the morning. The locals that drink it tend to eat it with humble foods including omelets, cheese, pork, and beans. It also pairs exceptionally well with chicken, fish, and pork. It is a serviceable cooking wine as well and excellent for frying up garlic onions.

The grape is usually harvested young which means midsummer. It is drunk young which means that it is not usually aged for long or at all. It grows best in sunny locations with well drained soils and in climates that have cold nights. That is why it grows so well in the mountains in Chile.

Other names for this thick and oily dry wine include Tocai Bianco Tokay Italian, Blanc Doux, Sauvignon à Gros Grains, Sauvignon de la Corrèze, Trebbianello, Sauvignon Vert, Sauvignonasse, Malaga. His wine is often mixed with Tokay, Tokay d'Alsace, or Tokaji which is a wine that is indigenous to Hungary.

About the Author

Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA. She specializes in travel, international cuisine, and fine wine varietals, such as Pinot Noir and Tocai. For a wide selection of wines, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

French 75- A drink Irresistible

For the party animals, French 75 is a known name. It's basically a cocktail prepared from gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. If Vodka is used instead of gin, it may be referred to as a French 76. French 75 is a refreshing drink which makes you feel as glamorous as a character in Casablanca. Though it is generally made with gin and champagne, other versions can be made with cognac or rose champagne.

The history, is as interesting as the drink. It was discovered by French air force pilot Raoul Lufbery who was part of Escadrille Américaine air fighting unit. Legend has it that he liked champagne, but wanted something with more of a kick to it, so he mixed it with cognac which was readily available. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece, also called a "75 Cocktail", or "Soixante Quinze" in French. The French 75 was popularized in America at the Stork Club.

The drink tastes best when served very cold,

Ingredients Required for Making French 75, for a Single Person

• 1 lemon • 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) gin • 1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup • 1 cup ice cubes • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) dry sparkling wine, such as brut Champagne, chilled

How to Prepare Mix the gin, sugar, and lemon juice in a shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Pour into a collins glass. Top with the champagne. Stir well and garnish with the orange slice and the cherry.

For more information visit http://www.planforme.com/know-your-drink/wine-cocktails.html

About the Author

A person who loves to share his views on food, drink and party.

Cocktails: Deli Mix for Perfect Kicks

Cocktails are usually referred to a style of mixed drinks. Nowadays the word cocktails mean mixing of two or more types of liquors with one or more fruit juices and flavors. The origin of cocktails is said to be in the 19th century. In 1806 an American Magazine published that a cocktail is stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters… Gradually the term cocktail became very famous and trendy. Usually it is made of gin, whiskey, rum, tequila, brandy and vodka.

Martini is considered as the first modern cocktail. In 1887, the recipe of Martinez which is similar to the Martini was given as Old Tom Gin, sweet vermouth, a dash of maraschino and bitters with a slice of lemon and two dashes of gum syrup. Now modern Martini is made of gin and dry white vermouth garnished with an olive. This cocktail is famous and has become very popular world wide.

There are wide varieties of cocktails available. It differs from region to region and bartender to bartender. Even the same names of cocktails may differ in taste because of the difference in the ingredients. There are beer cocktails in which other alcohols are mixed. You can find variety of cocktails made by mixing brandy or cognac. Such cocktails include Brandy Alexander, Brandy Manhattan, and Brandy Sour, Crunk Juice, Jack Rose, Four Score, French Connection, Horse's neck, Incredible Hulk, Panama, Paradise, Orgasm, Pisco Sour, Piscola, Porto Flip, Singapore Sling and lots more. There are cocktails with cachaca like Batida, Capiriniha, Caju Amigo, etc. Cocktails with gin are Alexander, Bijou, Bronx, Chocolate Soldier, French 75, Gibson, Hanky-Panky, Lime Rickey, Gin Sour, Pall Mall, Paradise, Pink Gin, Tom Collins, White Lady, Smoky Martini, Salty Lady, Ramos Gin Fin, Royal Arrival, My Fair Lady, Old Estonian etc. Different varieties of cocktails are available.

Mixing cocktail is considered as an art. The taste of the drink depends on the way of mixing the alcohols with fruit juices or milk or cream with flavor. Cocktail shaker is a device that is used to make the drink chill before serving. This device is used to mix the alcohols with ice. There are around three different varieties of cocktail shakers are available they are the Boston Shaker, the Cobbler Shaker, and the French Shaker.

Like beer glassware cocktail glasses are also there. A glass with a cone shaped bowl on a stem above a flat base is usually used to serve cocktails. For cocktail enthusiasts glasses like highball, tumbler, white wine, beer mug or shots can be used.

Nowadays cocktail parties are the best ways of celebrations. One can make such parties more enjoyable with some good ideas like inventing new recipes, new layered styles, new garnishes etc. Just enjoy cocktail party with new varieties of drinks, fresh juices and garnishes. There are many websites and publications which offer with tips on new recipes, and inspirational ideas to make cocktail party a grand.

About the Author

Find videos that explain how to mix cocktails. Visit http://www.oncocktails.tv now!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Lemon Drop Martinis - A Refreshing Version Of The Martini

If you like martinis then read on and learn about both the history of the martini and about a tasty, cool cocktail called the Lemon Drop Martini.

History of the Martini

The martini is a cocktail made with gin or vodka and dry white vermouth, and is considered by many to be among the top six variations of a cocktail type drink. It is believed that the martini originated in Martinez, which is the town where I grew up. Martinez is located on the south side of the Carquinez Strait in the San Francisco Bay Area, facing the city of Benicia. It's the birthplace of New York Yankee baseball star Joe DiMaggio, and was the childhood home of Norv Turner, head coach of the Washington Redskins football team. If you go to the corner of the intersection of Alhambra Avenue and Masonic Street, you will find a plaque commemorating the birth of the martini. The first known reference to the martini being invented in Martinez can be found in The Bon Vivant's Companion: Or How to Mix Drinks (1887 edition), by "Professor" Jerry Thomas, a head bartender who worked in many well know places, including the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, California. According to George A. Zabriske, who republished the original book in 1928, Jerry Thomas had a client who took a ferry from the Occidental Hotel to Martinez, each morning. Thomas mixed him a "Martinez" to keep the morning chill off, and named the drink after his client's destination.

The Lemon Drop Martini

One of my favorite versions of the martini is the Lemon Drop Martini. This drink is a sweet, lemony drink that became popular during the 1970's in California. Remember the lemon drop candies you used to get at the movies when you were a kid? This drink has become a favorite on the West Coast. One account suggests that this drink originated in a bar called Henry's Africa in San Francisco. This was a well-known singles bar and was said to develop and push "girl-drinks". These are drinks that are made very sweet to cover the taste of alcohol.

Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

The Lemon Drop Martini has become a favorite of my guests.

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 ounces vodka

1/2 ounce Triple Sec

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

3/4 ounce freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice

Ice cubes

Lemon Wedge or Twist

To prepare glass, put it into the freezer until it is frosty cold. Then rub the rim of the glass with lemon and dip the glass in super fine sugar to create an edge of sugar on the glass.

Mix the vodka, Triple Sec, sugar, and lemon juice in a shaker half-filled with ice; shake well until well blended. Pour strained liquid into sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with lemon.

Then enjoy!

Remember to be careful drinking these. They really are sweet, but potent!


About the Author

For more information, tips and advice on Mixed Drink Recipes, visit. http://www.cocktailsandbeerandwine.com .

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Why Wine Can Actually Be Good For You!

If a vinter were to tell you, in one of his advertisements, that you ought to drink wine because it is the best of all tranquilizers--one product of nature that relaxes you gently with no harm to your system--he would be promptly taken to task by the United States Government, which has the power to revoke his license and put him out of business. There is a certain federal regulation, ambiguous in its language but backed up by some unambiguous bureaucratic rulings, that effectively prevents him from advertising this important truth.

It is high time that someone came forth with that best of all reasons (there are plenty of others!) why tension-tormented America should include wine in its daily diet! Before anyone asks "Aren't beer, whiskey and gin the same as wine?" and "Are you advocating that we all become alcoholics?" lets address both questions.

Wine is essentially a natural product; malt and distilled beverages are manufactured. The grape is the only fruit that will preserve itself naturally, without anything being added or taken away. This is because it contains fermentable sugars and because the dust like "bloom" on its skin contains natural yeasts that can ferment those sugars into alcohol. If we crush a handful of grapes and leave the juice in a cup, it will turn into wine.

There is a great deal more in wine than mere alcohol. It has been medically substantiated that wines, depending on their type, contain not only fruit sugars valuable in the human diet, but in addition are the only common alcoholic beverages containing significant quantities of the B vitamins, plus all of the thirteen mineral elements recognized as essential to maintain animal and human life. They also have the ability to improve appetite and promote digestion. A glass of Malbec a day can actually improve your health.

It is their non-alcoholic components, not found in spirituous beverages that make wines behave differently in the human body. Somehow, in ways not yet fully understood by medical researchers, the organic acids, esters, and nitrogen-bearing compounds in wines slow down the rate at which the alcohol in wines enters your blood stream. The slow rate of absorption is important. Your blood-alcohol level, when you drink wine, reaches a plateau instead of a peak; the alcohol circulates at low levels through your body, where it lulls and helps to relax your jumpy nerve centers; you feel a pleasant glow. The pleasant feeling from wine lasts longer than that from other drinks. Alcohol from the others gets into your blood more quickly; its effects are more sudden and more pronounced.

In other words, don't drink wine for a "kick," because if it's a kick you want, you will get it fastest and hardest from vodka. Wine's alcoholic effect is more gradual. If you haven't already discovered for yourself the relaxing quality of a fine glass of Petite Sirah, ask a few of your friends if wine doesn't make them sleepy more readily than a stronger drink does.

Some noted medical authorities have said that wine could well supplant 90% of the drugs used to induce sleep. There is also reason to wonder whether Americans would be gulping well over 65,000,000 aspirin tablets every twenty-four hours to reduce pain if more people used wine.

About the Author
Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA. She specializes in fine wines, the history of California vineyards, and wine-making. She particularly enjoys a fine glass of Petite Sirah or Malbec. To learn more about the wide variety of grape types available, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

How can you make a Root Beer?

Root beer is a very common beverage that can come in an alcoholic and non alcoholic versions. In the old days it was traditionally used as an herbal medicine. If yo look at the history of this soft drink you will see that there have always been mildly alcoholic variations. The medicinal properties of the original root beer were for the treatment of coughing or mouth sores.

The mildly alcoholic version is made by adding sugar and yeast to the extract so there can be some fermenting. This will give you an alcohol percentage of about 0.4%, compare this with the more normal 4% in most beers these days and you will agree that 0.4% is mild. It is not that hard to make root beer at home and when you start out with an extract and leave the mixing of your own flavors until later it will only be easier.

Before 1960 most of the root beers were made with Sassafras tree roots, but then is was outlawed because it was deemed that this ingredient would cause cancer. Nowadays making this type of beverage includes ingredients like wintergreen with vanilla, licorice, sarsaparilla and ginger mixed in. Using an extract on the other hand is the easiest way and the one we would recommend when you are starting out with this hobby. The preferred extract would be the type that is sold at most brewing outlets and not the type you can get at grocery stores. Get yourself a container that can hold about five gallons of water and in which you can put that to a boil but still have enough room to ad sugar and other ingredients.

The extract from the supplier will often have a recipe accompanying it which tells you how much needs to be added to the boiling, sugar holding, water. But once you start getting the hang of making root beer you will start to experiment a little and taste the mixture and add more or less extract as you go along. Getting some bubbles in the mix Maybe you would like your root beer with bubbles, this means that it needs to be carbonated, then you will have to put some yeast in the mixture. Often you will hear that you need to add champagne yeast but if you were to ask it some home made root beer makers with some more experience they will probably tell you to use ale yeast. The problem with champagne yeast is that it lives much longer under pressure which can cause your bottles to burst.

The fizz will get in there because the yeast will react with the sugar once it is added to the flavored mix. You should have some patience then it will take a minimum of 12 hours to get some good carbonation in the home made root beer. When the kick is not there you should let it rest for another 12 hours to ferment. Once this is done you are ready to bottle the beverage. Always sterilize the bottle beforehand so you prevent any bacteria getting in. Keep the bottles chilled. Keep in mind that making home made root beer is a lot of fun and it's something you could do with all the family.

About the Author
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips & hints, Points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques & insights pertaining to Google Ad sense, Do please browse for more information at our website : http://www.dishadvice.com http://www.dishadvice.com

Daiquiri, one of the most famous Cuban Drinks Around the World

A name, a drink and a whole legend. That is a Daiquiri, which is part of the Cuban cocktail´s recipe book and is prepared from the irreplaceable rum.

What thousands of people from all over the world order when they first arrive in Cuba is a Daiquiri, but there are many variants of this refreshing drink, mainly in order to fight the heat on the hot island.

Its essentially about a blending of rum, lemon, sugar and crushed ice, from the ups and downs of the cuban with a mantle of rebelliousness and gourmets wishes. Its a kind of flag for any drinker and also for those, who are not.

The close relative to Daiquiri is the Canchanchara, a drink that is related to the Cuban struggle for independence in colonial times. The Mambises, Cuban rebels who fought in the scrubland against the Spanish colonialism in the 19th century, knew very well how nice it was drinking a preparation with 2/3 rum or aguardiente and 1/3 lemon, sweetened with natural honey.

This preparation undoubtedly quenched the thirst and was the perfect remedy for the feeling of nervousness that is naturally caused by the preparation for a combat or after been injured. So is recorded in the campaign chronicles of this era. Actually there are several versions for the origins of the Cuban Daiquiri. One of them tells that at the turn of the 19th century, the engineer Pagliuchi, captain of the Cuban Liberating Army, visited the iron mine of Daiquiri, in Santiago de Cuba, in the Eastern side of the island, by Santiago de Cuba.

There the soldier had a meeting with his North American colleague Jennings S. Cox, in order to rescue some mines in the area of El Cobre, where nowadays exist an important basilica and a copper deposit.

As the northerner didnt find any drink in the larder to quench the thirst, like Gin or Vermouth, he mixed the only ingredients he had, rum, sugar and lemon preparing an excellent refreshing drink.

The second version about this matter dates from 1898, when the US-troops landed on the beach belonging to the area of Daiquiri. The general Shafter, who commanded the troops, watched carefully Mambises by preparing the Canchanchara.

Then he added ice on the blending of rum, lemon and sugar, in order to give the preparation a touch of distinction, that without doubt owe its name to that beach in the Eastern part of the Cuban Island.

Rapidly the Daiquiri became traditional at the Hotel Venus in Santiago de Cuba, getting popular with the name Daiquiri Natural.

It really wins fame later in Havana City, when the Spanish barman Emilio Gonzalez, better known as Maragato, served it at Hotel Plaza. However, the man who gave the drink its real fame was his Spanish colleague, Constantino Ribalaigua, who sold it at the Bar-Restaurant El Floridita. This master made then the 4th and final version, the Daiquiri Floridita.

About the Author
San Cristobal UK is a Tailor-Made Cuba holiday specialist and has a vast experience in organizing holidays to Cuba. This is one of a series of articles devoted to promote the Cuban Culture and to give information on what to do and see in your Holidays to Cuba.

Friday, March 7, 2008

How to Mix and Drink Absinthe

When it comes to the actual drinking of absinthe one thing that you will find is that it isn't even mentioned in any cocktail recipe books. You can find a few drink recipes online but they are just recipes that people have recently arrived at through experimentation. There is a traditional method of drinking absinthe that involves the drizzling of cold water over a cube of sugar that is contained in a spoon suspended over a small glass of absinthe.

It seems that when a thick sugar solution is carefully dripped into absinthe it causes it to cloud as it reacts with the oils in the absinthe. If you wish to drink it this way you really don't have to go through all of the fuss with the spoon and sugar cube. Simply mix up a saturate solution of sugar in a small glass and then spoon it out as you need it. As for mixed drinks, you are most likely going to have to create your own using your favorite beverages.

Absinthe is generally 160 proof which means that it is 80% alcohol by volume which is pretty strong considering that that is twice the amount of alcohol that whiskey or vodka contains in it. So, when you mix it, it will logically have twice the amount of alcohol in the drink you make when compared against other types of liquor you have mixed drinks with in the past.

It is for this very reason that a great majority of absinthe drinkers generally end up taking shots of absinthe after it has been allowed to become ice cold by leaving it in the freezer for a while. Some people like to “chase” their shots with a good swig of a carbonated beverage such as 7up to rinse out the strong licorice taste from their mouth. So it is up to you how you drink your absinthe and if you come up with any good drink recipes be sure to share them with others.

About the Author
Written by Charise Frasier. Find the latest information on effects of absinthe as well as Absinthe For Sale

Monday, January 21, 2008

How to Mix and Drink Absinthe

When it comes to the actual drinking of absinthe one thing that you will find is that it isn't even mentioned in any cocktail recipe books. You can find a few drink recipes online but they are just recipes that people have recently arrived at through experimentation. There is a traditional method of drinking absinthe that involves the drizzling of cold water over a cube of sugar that is contained in a spoon suspended over a small glass of absinthe.

It seems that when a thick sugar solution is carefully dripped into absinthe it causes it to cloud as it reacts with the oils in the absinthe. If you wish to drink it this way you really don't have to go through all of the fuss with the spoon and sugar cube. Simply mix up a saturate solution of sugar in a small glass and then spoon it out as you need it. As for mixed drinks, you are most likely going to have to create your own using your favorite beverages.

Absinthe is generally 160 proof which means that it is 80% alcohol by volume which is pretty strong considering that that is twice the amount of alcohol that whiskey or vodka contains in it. So, when you mix it, it will logically have twice the amount of alcohol in the drink you make when compared against other types of liquor you have mixed drinks with in the past.
It is for this very reason that a great majority of absinthe drinkers generally end up taking shots of absinthe after it has been allowed to become ice cold by leaving it in the freezer for a while. Some people like to their shots with a good swig of a carbonated beverage such as 7up to rinse out the strong licorice taste from their mouth. So it is up to you how you drink your absinthe and if you come up with any good drink recipes be sure to share them with others.

About the Author
Written by Charise Frasier. Find the latest information on effects of absinthe as well as Absinthe For Sale

Monday, January 14, 2008

Essential Glassware You Must Know As A Bartender

As a bartender, it's essential to serve drinks in the correct glassware. The whole essence and experience of a drink is in the quality and style of the glass it's served in.

Would a nice cognac really be the same in a highball glass as opposed to a snifter?

Would a glass of wine really be the same in a rocks glass?

Would that sexy cocktail really be the same in a pint glass as opposed to a frosty, chilled cocktail glass?

Glassware isn't just designed for the look and feel of a drink either. There's often a beneficial purpose behind the design. For example, the slim, tapered neck of a champagne flute is designed to prevent the bubbles in the champagne from escaping. Also, the wider bowl of a red wine glass is designed to let the wine breathe.

Now I'm not going to list every shape and style of glassware in the universe. I'm going to focus on basic, ESSENTIAL glassware you'll be expected to use and be familiar with as a bartender. I want to help you succeed, not intimidate you with dozens of different glasses out there.
Remember also that good-quality, sparkling clean glasses make a huge difference to the customer. Drinking is a ritual and all aspects of the ritual should be perfect, so glassware is something you should take very seriously.

Ready? Let's go.

=-=-=-=-=-=-= Shot Glass 1 - 2 oz. =-=-=-=-=-=-=
You'll have more of these break on any given night than any other glass. The kind of people pounding shots back will naturally slam them down on the bar, which often chips and even shatters them.

The most common are 1 oz. or 2 oz. shot glasses. Shot glasses are used for any shot or shooter. From a flaming shot of Bacardi 151 to a layered B-52 shooter.

Shooters with juice in them, like a Broken Down Golf Cart, should go into a 2 oz. shot glass so that the customer gets their 1 oz. of booze in the shot.

Used as a measuring tool as well, shot glasses are a must have in every bar.

=-=-=--=-=-=-= Rocks Glass (Old Fashioned) 4 - 9 oz. =-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=
Known as a rocks glass because it's used to serve many drinks with ice in them. The rocks glass is used for serving any built, single cocktail on-the-rocks.

When you'd use this glass:
- if a customer asks for their drink "short"
- for a "scotch on the rocks"
- for a "vodka martini on the rocks"
- for a Black Russian
- for a Gin & Tonic

You get the idea.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Highball Glass 8 - 12 oz. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A "highball" is any drink that mixes alcohol and a mixer. i.e. vodka cranberry, rum & coke, gin & tonic, whiskey seven, etc. Thus, the highball glass was developed to accommodate these types of drinks.

While "highballs" can just as easily be mixed into a rocks glass, it all depends on what the policy is where you work, as well as the volume of the glass. I will use highballs for 'doubles' and rocks glasses for 'singles'. I'd rather give the customer a little less mixer on the 'single' which is why I use a rocks glass in that situation.

Highballs are by far your most versatile glass.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-= Cocktail/Martini Glass 4 - 6 oz. =-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This glass has true presence. You can take a simple cocktail, like a screwdriver, and shake it with ice, pour it into a frosty cocktail glass, add a nice garnish and voila! You've got a very sexy cocktail!

Any martini must go into this glass unless requested otherwise. Only shaken drinks will go into this glass as well, you'll never build a cocktail into this glass, that would be very low-class.
Also, because of its 'V' shape, having ice in this glass is very awkward because it will keep hitting your teeth when trying to drink the concoction. Never add ice to a cocktail in this glass, unless a customer requests it, which does happen occasionally.

=-=-=-=-=-==-= Brandy Snifter =-=-==-=-=-=-=

Despite the often large size of the brandy snifter, don't pour more than a couple of ounces of brandy into one. The short stemmed bowl design is meant to be cupped to allow you to use your hand to warm the brandy.

Also, the size of the snifter will greatly influence the strength of the aroma, and unless you warm your brandy you will likely prefer to have a snifter smaller than 16 ounces.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Beer Mug/Glass =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

For some, there's nothing better than a frothy, big headed mug of beer to satisfy one's craving. Not every bar has mugs but your bar should have some type of glass designated for beer.
There are so many types and styles out there. In Belgium for example, each beer has it's own signature glass!

Generally beer glasses are very thick and sturdy compared to other glasses.
~~~
About the Author
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips. 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!

How to Set-Up a Home Bar

Stocking your Home Bar is fun. Think of all the people you invite to your home when you entertain. What do they like to drink? Beer, Wine, Mixed Drinks, Champagne, or Coffee Drinks? You probably have a general idea of what you need then.
Lets take inventory of your home bar and properly stock it. You are going to need spirits, wines, champagne, mixes, garnishes, ice, bar tools, mugs, cocktail glasses, etc.
Keep a 750-milliliter bottle of each of these spirits listed below and you'll be able to make just about any combination of drinks that will satisfy everyone. It is less than a 20.00 dollar bill.

Spirits
Brandy, Port, Sherry
Bourbon
Flavored Liqueur (Butterscotch, Peach, etc.)
Gin
Red and White Wine
Rum (Light and Dark)
Scotch
Tequila
Vermouth (Sweet and Dry)
Vodka

When you know what your friends and family enjoy buy the fancier variations like: Irish and Scotch Whiskies, Puerto Rican and Jamaican Rums, etc.

Basic Mixers
Club Soda
Coffee
Coca-Cola and Pepsi
Canned Juices and Pineapple
Daiquiri/Margarita Mix
Fruit Juices ( Orange, Grapefruit, Lime Juice, Lemon)
Ginger Ale
7 Up and Sprite
Simple Syrup*
Tonic Water Or Quinine Water
Water

Simple Syrup-* In a sauce pan add equal parts water and granulated sugar dissolve to make simple syrup.

Garnishes
Bananas
Beef Broth (Bloody Bull)
Bitters
Cassis (Black Currant Syrup)
Celery Sticks
Cinnamon Sticks (Coffee Drinks and Hot Mulled Wines)
Horseradish
Jar of Cocktail Onions
Jar of Stuffed Olives
Lemons
Limes
Cherries
Mint (For Mint Juleps)
Oranges
Pineapples
Strawberries
Tabasco Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce

To make Tropical Drinks you need a few extra's that you normally wouldn't have on hand.

Cream of Coconut Mix
Grenadine (Pomegranates)
Creamer
Sweet and Sour Mix
Triple Sec
Whipped Topping
Don't forget about Salt, Black Pepper, Powdered Sugar and of course ice.
Glassware
When you make a Margarita you will need an electric blender.
Brandy Snifter
Beer Mugs
Pilsner Glasses
Flutes
Collins Glasses
Hurricane Glasses
Irish Coffee Mug
Margarita Glasses
Shot Glass
Wine Glasses
Bar Tools
Bar Spoon
7-Piece Bar Set
3 Piece Cocktail Shaker Kit
Corkscrew
Cutting Board
Ice Bucket with Tongs
Jiggers
Pitcher
Measuring Spoons
Muddler
Paring Knife
Cocktail Strainer
Margarita Rimmer
Beer

Whether you buy can or bottle beer like (Coors, Budweiser, Miller or Samuel Adams) you are going to need a way to chill your beer. A small fridge should do.

Now that you have all the supplies you need for your home bar. Who is going to make the cocktails?

The BarSims software recreates the entire drink making process in a fun, interactive and educational way.

This software teaches you how to pour, blend, shake, garnish and allows you to make 150 of the most drinks ordered while you learn interesting facts and the proper procedure in doing so. You play it like a game with others that want to challenge you at making drinks.

About the Author
I am ready to teach you how to bartend at home. Webmaster of Free Bartending Classes Online.