Basic mixing techniques for cocktails include shaking, stirring, throwing, muddling, spanking, double straining, dry shaking, sweetening, flaming, and floating. Common decorative garnishing techniques are citrus twists and knots, cherry drizzles, cocktail sticks, frosting or rimming glasses, olives or onions, and straws. These techniques are used to properly mix ingredients, extract flavors, add visual appeal and aromas to cocktails.

1. Basic Techniques in
Mixing

2. Shaking
 To shake, ensure your shaker contains lots of hard, very cold
ice, seal well, hold with two hands, and agitate for at least 10-
12 seconds to properly mix and dilute your ingredients.

3. Stirring
 The technique of stirring is designed to chill and mix
without aerating the drink, creating a silky, smooth
texture. Stirring is used with spirit only cocktails, and it's
very rare that you'll stir a drink containing citrus juices or
any other non-alcoholic mixers.

4. Throwing
 Throwing is a basic bartending technique that’s good to
have in your arsenal. It’s most frequently employed with
Red Snappers and Bloody Marys—which shouldn’t be
overly agitated—and involves gently pouring the
ingredients between two shakers. Fill one with ice and
seal with a hawthorn strainer; fill the other with the
ingredients and pour between the two.

5. Muddling
 Muddling is a bartending skill which allows us to extract
juices, oils, and flavours from fresh ingredients; it is the
ultimate way to add fresh produce directly into cocktails.

6. Spanking
 This technique may sound eyebrow-raising, but it’s a
tamer than its name suggests, and couldn’t be easier.
Simply take a basil or mint leaf or other delicate bit of
greenery, place it on your palm, and spank it with your
other hand. This expresses the oils in the leaf without
destroying it, making for a prettier and more fragrant
garnish.

7. Double
Straining
 This technique is often used when the cocktail is mixed
using torn herbs and other small, solid ingredients that
are not desired in the final drink. When double straining,
you will run the drink through two strainers: one of those
mentioned above and a fine mesh strainer.

8. Dry Shaking
 To dry-shake a cocktail means to shake the liquid
ingredients in a cocktail shaker with no ice. All recipes
that involve egg whites (which is used to make many
concoctions foamy), start with a vigorous dry-shake, one
that lasts at least 15 seconds.

9. Sweetening
 If you want to sweeten your drinks, in most cases, sugar
syrups are your best option: raw sugar adds grit and
takes forever to dissolve amidst ice, but syrups meld into
your drink instantly. The most basic sugar syrup involves
a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water, which should be heated in
a pan on the hob (until the sugar has dissolved and the
mixture is viscous) and then left to cool. To make flavored
syrups, simply add fruit, spices, or other ingredients when
the syrup is nearly ready to come off the heat, and leave
to infuse for 30 or so minutes before straining.

10. Flaming
 Oranges are the most common candidate for flaming, as
the technique lightly caramelizes their oils and adds a
heady, burnt-sugar dimension to the serve. Using a paring
knife, cut a perfect coin of orange peel, trying to avoid any
pith.

11. Floating
 Floating is the process of finishing off a cocktail with a
small amount of spirit, layered at the top of the drink. It’s a
slightly finicky process; the best way to float, however, is
to angle a bar spoon into the drink and pour slowly down
its twisted stem, which should deposit the ingredient
correctly.

12. Decorating Cocktail

13. Citrus Twist
 A basic citrus twist is simply a piece of citrus rind that is
bent slightly so it curves up. Though simple to make, the
basic twist brings visual appeal to a cocktail, and
the citrus oils in the rind add a vivid aroma and extra
flavor to your drink.

14. Citrus Peel
Knot
 Use strip of peel and carefully tie each strip into a knot.
Drop into the drink for a nice garnish.

15. Cherry-it
 To drizzle around the inside of the glass before you make
the drink. Can be served at a room temperature or chilled.

16. Cocktail
Sticks
 It is a useful wooden cocktail sticks are needed for
spearing through pieces of fruit and cherries.

17. Frosting/Rimm
ing
 Margaritas and other ,mixed drinks often call for the rim of
the glass to be coated with salt, sugar, or some other
ingredients.

18. Olive or
onion
 Martinis are often garnished with olives or cocktail
oinions.

19. Straws
 Straws are essential and go well with many cocktails.
These, of course should never be re-used.