Anyone who says that bartending isn’t an art form hasn’t spent time watching highly skilled mixologists whip up showstopping, flavorful cocktails in the middle of a packed cocktail bar. Sure, you can go into a dive bar and get a lackluster Jack and Coke made with the enthusiasm and flair of Oscar the Grouch. But the cocktail renaissance of the early aughts has led to a new enthusiasm for the art of cocktailing. But it’s not an easy job. Making epic mixed drinks takes a lot of practice, time, and precise measurement.
In my years of writing about alcohol, I’ve spent a lot of time in cocktail bars. I’ve enjoyed drinks from Taipei to Tampa and everywhere in between. I’ve also spent a lot of time watching bartenders work in fast-paced environments, which has often left me wondering how they remember the measurements for everything. I just type words and hope they entertain and inform people. They create drinkable art day in and day out.
Deciphering the different ways bartenders measure
Especially the uniquely-named measurement terms like a “finger” of whiskey, a jigger, and more. That said, it’s time to decipher the different ways bartenders measure alcohol. To give us some answers, I’ve enlisted the help of José María Dondé, Beverage Manager & Head Mixologist at The Bedford Stone Street in New York City.
The first measurement doesn’t even have anything to do with mixology. It’s something you’ve likely heard in a movie, television show, or bar and wondered about. What exactly is a finger of whiskey?
“Jiggers haven’t always been around, so people used to measure their pours according to the fingers,” says María Dondé. “A finger is a one-ounce pour, and the usual pour was two fingers, meaning two ounces.”
This brings us to one of the more confusing forms of measurement. You’ll see the term “dash” in many cocktail recipes. What exactly is a dash? According to María Dondé, a dash is simply a heavy pour of around 10 drops or about 1/8th of an ounce.
As for a splash? This one even had María Dondé scratching his head. But that’s mostly because it’s not something that often comes up in the mixology world.
“I usually do not have splash as a measurement element in my cocktails, but I would say it’s about a bar spoon.”
What should drinkers know about the specific measurements used by bartenders?
Bartenders use a variety of tools to help measure cocktail ingredients. These include jiggers, bar spoons, dashers, drops, measurement cups, and more. But, even if you own all of those tools, María Dondé says that the most crucial thing home mixologists should know is that precision is essential to the overall flavor of the drink. It’s important to be consistent throughout.
“I think the most important part of using measurement tools is to have consistency with the recipes you are working on, he says. “1/8 and ¼, it can be a big difference in the final product. Follow the recipe as it should be and follow the recipe steps.”
