Learning and perfecting bartending skills is a craft that requires several years of experience and hard work. It’s for this reason that making innovative cocktails can prove to be a tough task if you lack the skills or know-how.

Much like fine cuisine, it’s difficult to comprehend how difficult it is to make both classic and innovative cocktails until you try it yourself. You’ll soon find that unless you possess knowledge of cocktail-making as well as the right tools at hand, making a cocktail look and taste how it should — well, let’s just say it’s easier said than done. 

In this post, we’ll list a few innovative cocktails that are better to leave to the professionals. 

The Commonwealth

Let’s start with something very special and very, very complex. The Commonwealth uses a total of 71 ingredients — no, that’s not a typo. This innovative cocktail was created to commemorate the 2014 commonwealth games in Glasgow and uses ingredients sourced from all over the world — much like the athletes who took part in the games. Examples include honey from Jamaica and saffron from Pakistan. If you were looking for innovative cocktails, you’ve certainly got one in the form of the Commonwealth — but you may find it difficult to find a local bar with the ingredients at hand.

Fancy trying to make a Commonwealth yourself? Here’s the recipe! 

Bloody Mary

The Bloody Mary is among the most well-known and recognisable cocktails in history, but is it easy to make? Well, that depends on how you make it. It’s simple enough if you buy some pre-made Bloody Mary mix, some of which is actually pretty good. But if you intend to make it from scratch, it can prove to be quite a complex beverage. With ingredients that provide a sweet, sour, salty and almost savoury flavour, it’s safe to say that a Bloody Mary is something that requires utmost care, attention and balanced flavours.

Is it complex? Yes. Is it impossible? Absolutely not! Give it a try.

Ramos Gin Fizz cocktails

At a glance, the Ramos Gin Fizz is no more complicated than the next cocktail. The technique is simple enough: dry shake, add some ice, continue to shake, strain and serve. Simple enough, right? Unfortunately, where many people get this wrong is not the ingredients or poor straining method — it’s actually the shaking action that can be the problem. Shaking cocktails properly is a skill that requires practice, especially when using ingredients that need to be shaken vigorously to mix thoroughly. If the consistency of the cocktail is wrong, the end result will not be as you hoped. Correctly shaking, stirring, and straining cocktails are among the many skills that bartenders learn and perfect during their career. So if you’re keen to try some of the more innovative cocktails out there, a professional is always your best bet!

Ramos Gin Fizz recipe.

Rum Martinez

Japan has a rich history of innovation, whether it’s in regards to technology, food, drink or anything else. But let’s stick with what we know — cocktails! The Rum Martinez is a product of creative thought, tireless effort and a lot of bartending prowess. This cocktail is a perfect example of a bartender going the extra mile to ensure that every single ingredient is utilised brilliantly. With a recipe that includes toasted wood chips, smoke infusers, and 23-year old rum, this is undoubtedly one of the trickiest and most innovative cocktails around. Oh, and in Japan, they serve it with its own cigar. Does it get more sophisticated than that?

Do you have an upcoming event and want to impress your guests with professionally made innovative cocktails? Get in touch today to discuss your requirements with our team of professional mixologists.