When it comes to homemade cocktails, you may think that eyeballing each ingredient isn’t a big deal; however, a cocktail made with the perfect amount of each component can elevate your entire evening. For your next batch of drinks, follow this simple ratio that bartenders use to ensure a perfect blend of ingredients.

The "golden ratio consists" of two parts liquor, one part sweetener, and one part sour. These proportions started out as the recommended formula to make fruit punch, which was especially popular from the 1600s to the 1800s; the ratio has stuck around since then because it works for countless other alcoholic drinks.

The golden ratio helps you find a balance between common flavors in cocktails, without any one taste overpowering the others. For example, if you look at the classic whiskey sour, you should use a ratio of two parts bourbon for complexity, one part simple syrup for sweetness, and one part lemon for sourness.