Fully Belly Fundamentals: The Bartender's Golden Ratio

Many of the classic cocktails that we all know and love come down to the golden ratio. Following a simple recipe of

one part SWEET

one part SOUR

and two parts SPIRIT

is the perfect way to venture into the world of creating your own cocktails or to remember an easy way to avoid making a terrible cocktail.

This rule is the basis for cocktails such as the gimlet, the margarita, the whisky sour, the Moscow mule, and more. Using it as a home bartender (or a beginner bartender) will give you a starting point to ensure that your cocktail is balanced and drinkable.

Let's bartend!

Essential Equipment

My cocktail shaker is from Etsy, they are out of stock at the store that I linked but there are other cute ones available at other shops. I wanted a glass and gold one so that you can see the contents of the shaker in my video. Any basic set will suffice. I have seen them at thrift stores and they are always available at Target and other stores with a home goods section.

My jigger is from Williams Sonoma, it was expensive for a jigger but I love it! The are available for much cheaper in other places and you can also measure using a shot glass since this is such a simple ratio.

My cocktail glasses are from comingsoonny. I got them from my dear friend at my bridal shower and love them so much!

Let’s MIX!

Step 1- Add the SWEET!

The sweet in the golden ratio is most often simple syrup. You can buy simple syrup at your local grocery store but it is easier and cheaper to make it at home. You just combine equal parts sugar and boiling water in a heat safe mug or glass and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

The sweet element of your cocktail can also be agave syrup (perfect for many tequila based cocktails) or honey thinned out with boiling water (very nice in bourbon based cocktails).

Step 2-Add the SOUR!

The sour in the golden ratio is the citrus element. Most of the time this is fresh squeezed lemon or lime but you can experiment with grapefruit or other citrus fruits.

Lemon goes best with whiskey, lime goes best with tequila and rum, vodka and gin work with either one.

Step 3- Add the SPIRIT!

Spirit choice comes down to preference but the spirit that you choose should inform the choices that you make in the sweet and sour categories. Here is a table with some basic recipes, there are more refined and balanced recipes for most of these cocktails available but these are good starting points for beginners.

Cocktail	Spirit	Sweet	Sour
Margarita	Tequila	Agave/Triple Sec	Lime
Paloma	Tequila	Agave	Lime
Whiskey Sour	Whiskey	Simple Syrup	Lemon
Daiquiri	Rum	Simple Syrup	Lime
Gimlet	Gin	Simple Syrup	Lime
Kamakazie	Vodka	Triple Sec	Lime
Caipirhinia	Cachaca	Simple Syrup	Lime

Step 4- Add ice and SHAKE!

We just walked through the golden ratio of bartending, now here is the golden rule of bartending: shake if there is citrus and stir if there is not. The pulp in citrus can create a light or frothy texture in cocktails and the act of shaking opens up the appealing citrus aromas. The shaking also ensures that the citrus is well incorporated into the drink and that the cocktail is smooth.

This is a blog post on the golden ratio, which includes citrus so it logically follows that you WILL be shaking.