Bartending Terms

The Language of Liquor

If you’ve ever stood at a bar and wondered what “up,” “dirty,” or “86’d” really means, you’re not alone. Bartenders speak a language that’s equal parts art, science, and swagger. Whether you’re mixing drinks at home, managing a bar, or just looking to sound like you know your way around a shaker, learning the lingo opens up a whole new world of flavor and confidence.

This glossary is organized alphabetically — from A to Z — so you can easily find what you’re looking for while you’re reading, practicing, or even setting up your own home bar. Think of it as your bartender’s dictionary — quick to search, fun to read, and made to impress your friends next brunch.

At Stu’s Bloody Mary, we believe every great cocktail starts with a ritual. Understanding bar language is part of that ritual — it’s how creativity and craft come together behind every pour.

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Bartending Terms: A–G: The Basics & Bar Starters

1. 86 / 86’d – Bar slang for “we’re out” or “don’t serve that anymore.”
2. A.B.V. (Alcohol by Volume) – The percentage of alcohol in your spirit or cocktail.
3. Angel’s Share – The portion of spirit lost to evaporation during barrel aging
4. Aperitif – A light drink served before a meal to awaken the appetite — often low in sugar and high in aroma.
5. Back – A small chaser (like water or soda) served alongside a stronger drink.
6. Back Bar – The display of premium bottles behind the bartender — think of it as the bar’s trophy shelf.
7. Barback – The behind-the-scenes helper keeping ice, bottles, and garnishes stocked.
8. Bar Spoon – A long, spiral-handled spoon for stirring and layering. It’s one of the bartender’s essential tools.
9. Bitters – A concentrated flavor enhancer made from herbs and botanicals — just a few dashes transform a cocktail.
10. Blend / Blended – Mixing ingredients in a blender with ice, usually for frozen cocktails.
11. Blind Pour – Pouring without measuring — usually done by feel or count.
12. Box – Quickly pouring a drink into and out of a shaker to chill without shaking.
13. Bruising – Over-shaken gin that becomes slightly cloudy and bitter.
14. Build – Making a drink directly in the serving glass, ice first.
15. Burnt – A martini with a smoky Scotch rinse.
16. Call Drink – When a guest specifies both brand and mixer (“Tito’s & tonic”).
17. Chaser – A mild beverage consumed after a shot — water, soda, or even a pickle brine if you’re in the Stu’s universe.
18. Chill / Chilled – Cooling glassware before pouring your cocktail.
19. Collins – Tall, fizzy cocktail with spirit, citrus, and soda (like a Tom Collins).
20. Congeners – Flavor compounds found in alcohol; they add complexity but can contribute to hangovers.
21. Cocktail – A mixed drink made with one or more spirits and modifiers.
22. Cooler – A carbonated mixed beverage, typically light and refreshing.
23. Crusta – A 19th-century cocktail with citrus peel and a sugar rim — the ancestor of many modern sours.
24. Dash – Just a few drops of an ingredient, often bitters or syrup.
25. Digestif – A post-meal drink meant to aid digestion, often herbal or bitter.
26. Dirty – A martini made with olive or pickle brine (Stu’s loves a little dirt).
27. Double – Twice the booze, same size glass.
28. Down / On the Rocks – Served over ice instead of neat.
29. Dry – Less vermouth or sweetness; opposite of “wet.”
30. Dry Shake – Shaking ingredients without ice to emulsify egg whites or cream.
31. Feather – Floating a small amount of spirit on top for aroma.
32. Finger – A loose pour measurement — roughly one finger’s width in a glass.
33. Fix – Cocktail served over crushed ice with syrup and fruit.
34. Fizz – Shaken, citrus-based drink topped with soda (like a Gin Fizz).
35. Flame – Lighting an ingredient on fire briefly for aroma and drama.
36. Flip – Cocktail with egg, spirit, and sugar — creamy and dessert-like.
37. Float – Layering one ingredient gently atop another.
38. Flair Bartending – Tricks and flips — part show, part service (Tales of the Cocktail).
39. Free Pour – Pouring directly from the bottle without a jigger.
40. Frost / Frosted – Chilled glass with a light frozen mist.
41. Garnish – The edible signature — citrus, celery, or bacon if you’re making a Stu’s Bloody Mary. FULL LIST of Bloody Mary Garnishes)
42. Grog – Rum mixed with water and citrus; born on British Navy ships.

Bartending Terms: H–N: Mixology in Motion

43. Highball – Spirit and mixer in a tall glass (like whiskey-ginger).
44. House / Well / Rail – Default liquors used when no brand is requested.
45. Ice Well – Where the bar’s ice is stored for speed and efficiency.
46. Infusion – Soaking herbs or fruits in spirits to extract flavor (The Spruce Eats).
47. Jigger – A two-sided measuring tool (1 oz and 1.5 oz). (Learn about the Japanese Jigger HERE)
48. Lace – A gentle pour of liquor floated on top.
49. Last Call – The bartender’s signal that it’s time for one more round.
50. Layered – Creating visible, stacked layers in a drink.
51. Lowball – A shorter glass with a stronger pour (think whiskey on the rocks).
52. Macerate – Letting fruit or herbs soak in liquid to release oils.
53. Middy – Small beer glass, common in Australia.
54. Mixer – The non-alcoholic component (tonic, juice, soda).
55. Mixologist – A bartender with a focus on flavor balance, history, and technique.
56. Muddle – Pressing herbs or fruit to release flavor (essential in mojitos and Bloody Marys).
57. Mull – Warming wine, cider, or spirits with spices — cozy and aromatic.
58. Neat – Spirit served straight up, room temperature, no ice.
59. Nightcap – Final drink before bed, usually smooth and rich.
60. Nip – Miniature single-serve bottle of liquor (around 50 ml).

Bartending Terms: O–T: Tools, Techniques, and Tradition

61. Old Fashioned – Classic blend of whiskey, bitters, sugar, and citrus peel.
62. On the Rocks – Served over ice cubes.
63. Perfect – Equal parts dry and sweet vermouth in a martini or Manhattan.
64. Pitcher – Large batch serving vessel for groups.
65. Pony – A one-ounce shot.
66. Pour Spout – Metal or plastic spout controlling pour flow.
67. Premium / Top Shelf – High-quality spirits displayed prominently.
68. Punch – Fruity, crowd-sized cocktail mix (Difford’s Guide).
69. Quinine – Bitter compound in tonic water.
70. Rack / Speed Rail – Where your most-used bottles live.
71. Rim – Coating the glass edge with salt, sugar, or Stu’s Bloody Mary spice blend.
72. Rocks Glass – Short, wide tumbler for drinks with ice.
73. Roll – Gently mix by transferring between two tins (key to Stu’s smooth Bloody Marys).
74. Shaken – Mixing ingredients with ice for aeration and chill.
75. Shake & Strain – Shake, then pour through a strainer.
76. Shooter – A quick-drink shot.
77. Sidecar – Either a Cognac-based cocktail or a small side glass of mixer.
78. Sling – Spirit, citrus, sugar, and soda (a 1700s staple).
79. Speed Rack – The bartender’s quick-access shelf of well liquors.
80. Spill – A lost drink recorded for inventory.
81. Splash – Just a small pour of mixer.
82. Stir – Gentle mixing using a bar spoon.
83. Straight / Straight Up – Chilled and strained, no ice.
84. Strain – Filtering a cocktail to remove ice and solids.
85. Syrup / Simple Syrup – Sugar dissolved in water — the backbone of balanced drinks.
86. Tall – Same spirit, more mixer — lighter in alcohol.
87. Tiki – Polynesian-inspired cocktail culture: rum, fruit, and fun.
88. Top Off – Adding a touch more mixer or soda at the end.
89. Twist – Thin peel of citrus used for garnish and aroma.
90. Tonic – Carbonated drink with quinine, perfect for gin or vodka.

Bartending Terms: U–Z: Closing Out the Glossary

91. Up – Chilled and strained, served without ice (e.g. martini “up”).
92. Virgin – Non-alcoholic version of any cocktail.
93. Wet – Extra mixer, less alcohol — opposite of dry.
94. Well Drink / Rail Drink – Made with the bar’s house liquors.
95. Whip Shake – Quick shake with little ice to create froth.
96. Winchester Measure – Standard UK bar measure.
97. Wrist Catch – Bartending flair move catching a spinning bottle.
98. Zest – The flavorful outer peel of citrus, used for garnish or oils.
99. Zombie – Tiki legend made with rum, fruit juice, and firepower.
100. Zymurgy – The science of fermentation — where all alcohol begins.

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Bartending Language Is a Ritual

Knowing the vocabulary of bartending terms isn’t just trivia, it’s a way to connect with the craft. Each word tells a story about technique, history, and the culture behind the counter.

At Stu’s Bloody Mary, we treat cocktails like conversation — something to be enjoyed slowly, shared openly, and crafted with care. When you understand the words, you understand the ritual. From “rolling” the perfect Bloody Mary to adding just the right “dash” of bitters, language becomes part of the flavor.

So next brunch, surprise your friends by ordering with confidence: “Rolled, extra dirty, and rimmed with Stu’s spice.”
They’ll smile. You’ll sound like a pro. And your drink? Spot on.