How Do Your Drinks Rate?

            Those of us who write about contemporary cocktails and drink trends naturally get caught up in reporting about the sensational top-end of the business. Complex, aperitif-laced Martinis and Manhattans, champagne cocktails featuring XO cognacs and Margaritas made with old añejo tequilas and Grand Marnier Cent Cinquantenaire are an unrivaled pleasure to sip and make for easy reading. For the well-heeled and nouveau riche, cocktails with price tags in the stratosphere are a marvelous diversion.

            But what about the cocktails that the stalwart majority are drinking these days? While not necessarily flashy, intricate or museum worthy, they are imminently drinkable and rate high in the global scheme of things. No, they may not feature freshly squeezed juices or garnishes purchased at gourmet shops, but they'll lift your spirits and grease the wheels of success.

            How can you quickly assess whether your bar's fare qualifies as contemporary classics?

There are five standards by which every drink or cocktail can be measured.

            • Balance -- In this context, balance is defined as no one ingredient being more prominent than another. Make sure the sweet and sour aspect is balanced and that all the flavors are working in harmony. For example, a great Margarita is one where all of the constitute ingredients are homogenous and fully integrated, where neither the tequila, triple sec nor lime juice is discernible.

            • Portioning -- A great drink isn't overly alcoholically potent. If you can taste the alcohol in the drink, you've likely been a wee bit heavy handed. Strong drinks tend to burn and scald the throat, while an alcoholically balanced cocktail tastes satiny smooth.

            • Appealing  -- Consumers buy with their eyes, meaning if a drink looks fabulous, it'll likely taste fabulous as well. To that end, use color as often as possible and present your drinks in great looking glassware. The better a drink looks, the more guests will appreciate it. Along the same lines, use aroma to your best advantage, Many liqueurs--for instance, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Licor 43--have pronounced bouquets and contribute greatly to the general appeal of a cocktail.

            • Branding -- In today's marketplace, cocktails made with premium spirits sell better, command higher prices, yield higher profit margins and increase guest satisfaction. Brand your drinks whenever possible.

            • Profitability -- To be financially successful, drinks need to yield cost percentages between 18%-22%, with the hard ceiling being 24%. A mixed drink priced to yield a cost percentage much below 18% is hardly a bargain and risks engendering ill will. Conversely, a mixed drink priced so low as to result in pour cost of over 22% is a bad financial investment and not worth the liability it incurs.

            Perhaps the soundest piece of advice is too only serve your guests cocktails that you'd be pleased to drink yourself. So, have fun, make some money and be proud of what you concoct.