Amaretto Almond Liqueur

Amaretto is a liqueur, a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno. There are different brands and each have their slight variations and ingredients vary from apricot kernel, bitter almonds, peach stones or almonds, all these are natural sources of the benzaldehyde that brings the almond flavour to the liqueur. Amaretto usually contains a 21% to 48% Alcohol by Volume.

Amaretto liqueur can be drunk straight or used as an ingredient in mixed drinks, or with coffee.

The name Amaretto originated from the Italian word amaro, meaning bitter. Amaretto's bitterness is derived from the drupe kernel and although the bitterness of Amaretto tends to be mild, sweeteners and at time sweet almonds are added to enhance the flavour of the final product.

Everclear Alcohol

Everclear is an American grain spirit, rather a neat rectified spirit and since it's bottled at as high as 95% purity too, it's nothing but rectified spirit. Everclear is bottled at 60%, 75.5% and 90% ABV and despite it's ban in several US states, it's ridiculously high alcohol content and a hard to put out flame when lit, has made it an iconic spirit of notorious reputation.

Some often ask if this is clear distilled grain spirit, then why is it not Vodka? It's not Vodka because Vodka never had this high alcohol content and Vodka is not this rectified, Vodka still retains some flavours of the ingredients but Everclear is almost medical grade pure alcohol.

If you are in the following states of the USA, it will be illegal for you to drink Everclear.

States that currently ban the sale of Everclear include California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Washington, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Minnesota - The Badger Herald

Ginger Ale

Ginger Ale is a non-alcoholic carbonated soft drink with a distinct ginger flavour. it is drank on its own and as a mixer. There are two types of Ginger Ale, the classic Golden developed by Irish Doctor Thomas Joseph Cantrell, and the dry pale style with milder flavours. by John McLaughlin of Canada.

Traditional Ginger Ale is fermented using ginger, yeast (or ginger bug), water, sugar and other flavourings. Sugar is added to speed up fermentation since Ginger's sugar content is lower than needed for fermentation. In classic Ginger Ale the carbonation is not artificial but comes from the fermentation of sugar by yeast into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Pineapple Juice

Rich in antioxidants, this juice pressed from the pulp of the Pineapple is a good protection against cell degeneration, It contains bromelain, a group of enzymes known to reduce inflammation, improve digestion and boost immunity. In drink mixing, there is nothing like the tropical flavour of pineapple juice to add that tropical freshness and nuance to a cocktail.

In drink mixing pineapple having a fruity tropical aroma pineapple juice is a good companion for tropical fruits such as mango, banana, passion fruit, and also pairs well with oranges and grapefruit juice.

Pineapple juice is the juice pressed out of the pulp of the pineapple fruit, several varieties of pineapple are used to manufacture commercial pineapple juice. High on Vitamin C and enzymes that have been shown to activate healthy immune response, it’s a good juice to start a day. The enzyme bromelain in pineapple juice, triggers analgesic response in the body to fight pain and reduce swelling. In cocktails, Pineapple juice goes best with Vodka and is often a regular juice in many Vodka cocktails.

Ice Cubes

Ice is so obvious in most drinks, be it a straight drink or a mixed drink, that we often forget it's importance or even reason behind using a crystal clear good quality ice in a glass of whisky, or crushed ice in a tall glass to enjoy a cocktail.

Ice tempers a hard liquor, and as is in the case of whisky for example, if you prefer the flavours of whisky reach your nose without the hard note of spirit lingering around, or want to avoid the mild sting of a neat whisky, a cube of ice mellows the strength down a little and as it melts slowly, the aroma and flavour is released from the whisky slowly and makes whisky progressively weak, lingering and palatable.

Ice in Vodka helps release the little flavour a Vodka has, slowly, instead of letting the Vodka hit your nose all at once,

In mixed drinks, ice plays an important role in creating the perfect temperature a certain drink requires and bartenders use ice in several different ways, crushed ice for long drinks that will allow the cocktail to slowly water down like a Mint Julep, Moscow Mule, Rum Swizzle, Sherry Cobbler and other Tiki drinks, a large block or cubes of ice for drinks that are spirit heavy, such as the Old Fashioned, Negroni, and Manhattan