Why Your Homemade Cocktails Never Taste As Good As They Do At The Bar

Everyone has had the experience of trying to make a cocktail recipe at home and finding something inexplicable missing. It isn't immediately clear what's wrong, but something about the contents of that shaker just doesn't hit in quite the same — even something simple, like a classic three-ingredient Negroni. The first logical reason is that the missing ingredient is the ambiance and excitement of a night out, but we sat down with an expert who let us in on the real secret. According to Molly Horn, chief mixologist and spirits educator at Total Wine & More, it's a matter of both technique and an ingredient that often gets shunted to the bottom of the priority list at home: ice.

As Horn put it, "one of the most overlooked reasons a cocktail made at home isn't as good as one from your favorite bar is tied to dilution." Many of the ingredients at a good cocktail bar may be of a higher quality than most home bars — think fresh juices and homemade simple syrup — but for her, the biggest difference for home mixologists is likely in both the form and application of an ingredient that at first glance may seem like it is more about temperature than anything else. "Using good ice and proper shaking and stirring technique can hugely impact the overall balance, texture, and flavor of a cocktail," Horn explained.

You may not think of diluted cocktails as a good thing, but the water added during mixing is actually really important. To experience this firsthand, all you need to do is taste your mix before it is shaken or stirred. That sample inevitably tastes unbalanced and too strong. As Molly Horn explained, adding ice not only cools things down but also dilutes the mixture, improves the texture of the drink, and integrates all of the flavors. This is the same reason why it is important to dilute large-batch cocktails with water.

There is a technique to the proper application of ice. Too little ice leaves things strong and out of balance, while too much ice — or ice that is chipped and crumbly — results in a drink that is watery and bland. "Fill your shaker or stirring glass ALL the way up with ice — the more ice, the less it will melt in the production of the cocktail but the better it will chill your beverage!" The "good ice" for this job, as she described it, is 1 to 2 inch square cubes. If you're serving the drink on the rocks, make sure you fill the serving glass to the top with ice as well.

Making bar-quality cocktails at home isn't as easy as it looks. There is a reason, after all, that we are willing to shell out for a fine cocktail prepared by an expert. But with the right ice applied in the right way, you'll be one step closer to bringing those favorite cocktail recipes to your home bar.