Bartending For Dummies
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Cocktails can fall into two categories. Some are strange and delightful; a few are strange and, honestly, awful. But cocktails get invented and catch on even though they offend the palates of most people. Maybe they have catchy names. Maybe they look neat when served. Who knows?

Here is a list of ten off-the-wall drinks that are worth sampling. And then, for your own protection, you find a list of drinks that you may want to avoid unless you’re really brave.

Crazy cocktails you really ought to try

Some of the following drinks look kind of gross when you make them. Some just don’t sound right when you read the recipe. But you’ll have an enjoyable experience giving any of these cocktails a try.
  • Anti-Freeze: It’s bright green, tastes like melon, and has a kick.

  • Between the Sheets: Many people generally prefer cognac by itself, but consider this cocktail as an exception.

  • Cement Mixer: Coagulation is cool.

  • Freddy Fudpucker: You wouldn’t think that tequila and Galliano really go together, but this one works.

  • Limp Moose: Yes, you can mix Canadian whisky and Irish cream.

  • Meat & Potatoes: You can’t go wrong with a slice of salami.

  • Monkey See Monkey Do: Fruity and creamy.

  • Pickleback: Jameson and pickle juice? How can that be bad?

  • S.O.B.: It looks nice in a martini glass.

  • Zipperhead: Who doesn’t like raspberry shots?

Cocktails that may not go down so easily

If someone places any of the following cocktails in front of you, your response should be something like, “Please don’t make me drink that!” But if you’re out at a bar having fun and one of your friends says, “I want to try something different,” then by all means suggest one of the following:
  • Gold Furnace: Tabasco goes well in a Bloody Mary, but not in a shot of Goldschläger. This one must have been invented at a frat party.

  • Iguana: This is one of those recipes where you have to assume that the person who invented it had three dusty bottles in his or her liquor cabinet and decided to mix all three to see what would happen.

  • Incredible Hulk: Looks good? Yes. Tastes good? You can do better. How about a snifter of fine cognac all by itself instead?

  • Lizard Slime: Melon and tequila? I’m not so sure.

  • Mind Eraser: People generally order Mind Erasers so they can drink them quickly through a straw in order to, well, get drunk quickly. Have a Black Russian instead and enjoy it by drinking slowly.

  • Neva: Well, it’s a good way to get your vitamin C.

  • Oil Slick: Peppermint and bourbon? Let someone else be the guinea pig.

  • Scorpion: There are better tropical cocktail options. Have a Hurricane or a Mai Tai.

  • Three Wise Men: Three Wise Men isn’t a cocktail recipe. When you order one at a bar, you’ll be served a shot of Jim Beam, a shot of Jack Daniel’s, and a shot of Johnnie Walker, and you’re expected to shoot all three rather quickly. To say the least, that’s not responsible drinking. Now if you have two pals and you’re going to share the shots, that’s a more reasonable proposition. And if you really enjoy these fine products, you may want to try sipping instead of shooting.

  • Wet Spot: The name raises an eyebrow (ahem), but tequila and Irish cream should never go together.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Ray Foley is the founder and editor of BARTENDER Magazine. A consultant to some of the United States’ top distillers and importers, he is responsible for creating and naming new drinks for the liquor industry.

Ray Foley is the founder and editor of BARTENDER Magazine. A consultant to some of the United States’ top distillers and importers, he is responsible for creating and naming new drinks for the liquor industry.

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