Bar Terminology

A glossary of terms for behind the bar - Over 350 useful terms if you work behind a bar, whether in New York or London, from cocktails to cask ale, here's some terminology and slang that you may find helpful.

Working behind a bar can mean anything from pulling pints, pouring wines and spirits and of course, mixing cocktails. Just like restaurants, bars have plenty of terms that can confuse anyone starting out in their career. There are some terms in common with my Front of House terminology and Sommelier's Wine Terminologypages but lots that are very bar specific. I hope you enjoy this a useful guide!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z

9 - A '9' refers to a 9 Gallon cask, known as a Firkin

11 - An 'eleven' refers to an 11 Imperial gallon (50 litre) keg in the UK AKA '88'

18 - An '18 ' refers to an 18 Gallon cask, known as a Kilderkin

86 - 1. Something is 86'ed if it has run out and is no longer available to order.
2. It can also mean throwing someone out of a bar due to their behaviour or drunkenness.

88 - An '88' refers to a 50 litre keg that carries 88 (imperial) pints/ 11 Imperial gallons in the UK. AKA '11'

30/70 Gas - 30% Carbon dioxide and 70% Nitrogen gas for draught dispense of nitrogenated beers such as stouts (e.g. Guinness). Sometimes known as G-gas. Also known as 70/30 gas but officially the CO2 is quoted first in the blend. Sometimes the ratio 25/75 is used. AKA G-Gas

60/40 Gas - 60% Carbon dioxide and 40% Nitrogen gas for draught dispense, usually for long draw draught systems where the pressure needed to push the beer through the extended lines would over carbonate the beer, but nitrogen will not dissolve onto the beer. Also known as Beer gas

A

Absinthe glass - A squat, stemmed glass, usually etched with facets to reflect colour and light of the green Absinthe. Some are designed with a lower reservoir bowl, marking the correct amount of Absinthe to pour. Typical capacity is 210ml to 250ml (7 to 8.5 fl oz).

Absinthe grille - A three-pronged, metal implement, used instead of an Absinthe spoon. The three arms or prongs sit on top of the Absinthe glass and there is a small well in the centre for placing a sugar cube. Water is then poured over the top to dissolve the sugar and dilute the Absinthe.

Absinthe spoon - An ornate, almost flat slotted spoon. The slots or holes are for water to be poured slowly through to mix with the absinthe, and the handles have a notch to aid stability when balancing on an Absinthe glass. Many versions have room for an optional sugar cube to be able to be placed in the middle for the water to dissolve as it is poured onto the spoon.

ABV - Alcohol By Volume. The percentage of alcohol in any given beverage.

ABW - Alcohol By Weight. An alternative way to express alcohol content of a beverage. Used by a few states in the US. Measured in a different way to the more widely used ABV, usually by multiplying the ABV value by the specific gravity of water giving a different percentage than ABV. e.g. A 5% ABV beer is 3.95% ABW.

Aitken Fount /Font - A type of tall draught fount used for cask-conditioned beer where the beer is propelled from the cask to the tap using compressed air or a pump rather than being hand-drawn with a beer engine. Rarely seen outside Scotland.

Alcopop - An alcoholic drink that has the flavours and sweetness of a soda pop or soft drink. Alcoholic lemonade or other fruit-flavoured fizzy drinks would be typical examples. AKA Hard soda.

Ale - A top fermenting beer. A beer of any colour or strength that has been fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae  yeast, usually at warmer temperatures of 18 - 22°C. This beer can be dispensed by keg or cask.

Amaro - An Italian bitter herbal liqueur.

Americano - A term with two definitions outside of coffee. The cocktail name is the most commonly used.
1. A form of aromatised wine where the main flavouring component is Gentian root or flowers as well as wormwood. An example of brands are Cocchi Americano or Rinomato. q.v. Vermouth; Bitter vino; Quinquina.
2. A name of a cocktail using Vermouth, Campari and Soda water.

Aquafaba - A starchy water from cooked chickpeas, garbanzo or other beans that can be used for creating foam for cocktails as an alternative to using egg whites.

Aperitif/Aperitivo - A drink that is served before any food is ordered or served. Usually a cocktail, sparkling wine or gin & tonic but potentially any drink taken before a meal. q.v. Digestif.

Aromatised Wine - A fortified wine that has been flavoured with botanicals including herbs, bark, roots and spices. q.v. Vermouth; Americano; Quinquina; Bitter Vino.

Atomiser/Atomizer - A spray bottle that pumps an extremely fine mist of the contents onto the glass or on top of the cocktail. Often used with tinctures.

Atmosphere (pressure) - An atmosphere of pressure is measured at about 1 Bar (0.99 Bar). This equates to approximately 14.5 PSI (pounds per square inch). Pressure is key when working out correct carbonation and balance for beer dispensed through a pressurised draught system.

Auto-stillage - A mechanism for cask ale where the cask is automatically tilted towards the keystone as it empties.

B

Back - General term for a chaser, preceded by the type drink. e.g. pickle back or beer back.

Back bar - The area of a bar that is located behind a bartender as they are facing towards the customer area of the bar. Usually bottles of spirits, liqueurs and glassware are located on stepped shelves, as well as a flat surface for drinks preperation.

Bar - 1. A unit of measuring gas pressure. In a draught system it is measured and applied to kegs of beer (or any other beverage)
2. The area where drinks are prepared, poured and served from.

Bar 5 (qualification) - The Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) highest qualification for bartending and cocktail making skills.

Barback - Someone who works at the bar but usually not making the drinks, although they can when asked. They are usually washing/polishing glassware, prepping garnishes, keeping fridges stocked, replenishing ice, washing cocktail tools. Often bussing tables to get glassware back to the bar or glass-washer.

Bar blade - A flat crown top (pry-off) bottle opener.

Bar caddy - A plastic or metal tray that holds cocktail napkins, straws, cocktail sticks and numerous other items

Barfly - A customer who sits at the bar drinking, often on their own, for long periods of time on a regular basis.

Bar gun - See Soda gun.

Bar key - Slang for a bottle opener, usually the Bar blade type.

Bar Manager - The person in charge of a bar and its staff

Bar mat - A rectangular rubber mat, usually with prongs or grooves to catch water, used for draining washed glasses, shakers and the bar tools behind the bar and often branded ones are used on the bar top to serve drinks on called bar runners.

Bar runner - A type of bar mat that is usually branded and sits on the bar top. It has a rubber base and top made from absorbent polyester.

Bar service - Usually a pub or bar that does not serve at each table but the customers must come to the bar to order and receive their drinks, which they then carry back to their table.

BarSmarts - An organisation, owned by Pernod Ricard, that educates and trains bartenders in cocktail making

Bar Spoon - A long mixing and stirring spoon used in making cocktails. It also has a capacity of around 5 ml (millilitres) of liquid equivalent to a teaspoon .

Bar tools - The collection of equipment used by a bartender for mixing cocktails, preparing garnishes and opening bottles. A typical list includes: Cocktail shaker, mixing glass/jug, peeler, zester, channel knife, cocktail picks, bar spoon, muddler, strainers, kitchen knife, swizzle stick, jiggers, chopping board, bar blade, waiters friend, skimmer, speed spouts and a bar mat.

Bar top - The main surface where drinks are served to customers, and guests sit up at to drink. Usually made of wood, granite or sometimes copper etc.

Bar towel - See Beer towel.

Barrel - 1. A generic term for any keg or cask. e.g 'I'm going to change the barrel'
2. A wooden barrel used in aging wine, spirits and occasionally beer.
3. A specific brewing measure. see Brewers barrel.

Bartender - A person who works behind a bar, dispensing beer, wine, spirits and making cocktails.

Bartender's handshake - A drink, when ordered, that lets the bartender know you are also a bartender. The classic example is Fernet Branca.

Bartender's mouthwash - Any kind of shot that contains some sort of mint liqueur, peppermint schnapps or menthol/medicinal flavoured alcohol. A humorous reference to a shot a bartender with a hangover can have as a restorative without detection on their breath.

Barred - Used to describe a customer who has been banned from the premises and is not allowed in or to order anything. Usually due to bad or drunken behaviour.

Batching (cocktails) - Making a larger amount of a cocktail in advance to make serving easier and quicker, particularly useful at a large event where there is a limited cocktail list and numbers are predictable.

Beer - Any fermented beverage made from malted grain, usually barley and generally flavoured with hops. Includes all ales and lagers.

Beer cocktail - A cocktail where beer is used as one of the ingredients. It is usually a long cocktail where the beer is added after other ingredients have been mixed. After the beer has been added, the cocktail must be gently pulled through (to mix in the beer) and avoid de-carbonation.

Beer cellar - A cellar usually located under a bar but not necessarily, where kegs and casks of beer are kept and served from via a draught system. It is kept at a steady cool temperature of 11° to 13° Celsius (52°- 55° Fahrenheit), and is used where cask ales are common. q.v. Beer cooler

Beer cooler - A walk-in refrigerated room for draught beer kegs. Part of a draught system. The temperature is kept between 3° and 4°Celsius or ~38° Fahrenheit

Beer engine - The hand pump and system whereby a cask ale is drawn by vacuum from the cask in a cellarto dispense at the bar.

Beer gas - A mix of 60% Carbon dioxide and 40% Nitrogen gas for draught systems see - 60/40 Gas

Beer line - The vinyl or plastic tube that makes up part of the draught system that carries the beer from a container such as a keg or a cask to the bar to be poured via a font/draft tower and tap.

Beer Sommelier – A specialist in beer and beer service, usually working in (craft) beer-focussed bars and restaurants. They will have passed exams and have certifications to demonstrate that expertise. q.v. Cicerone

Beer Style - There are many different types of beers divided by flavour, bitterness, strength, colour and general profile into styles. This makes understanding what type of beer is available easier although there are now so many beer styles that it can be more confusing than helpful.

Beer tap - The device that is affixed to a bar (or sometimes attached to a keg/cask) that when flipped or turned allows beer to be drawn from the draught system and served into a glass. AKA Faucet.

Beer towel - Brewery branded towel that sits on a pub bar as a bar runner. AKA Bar towel.

Beer Tower - A table-top beer dispenser that is a large clear cylinder filled with beer, usually holding about 3 litres or 6 pints, located on a table and allows customers to pour their own beer.

Behind the stick - Slang term for working behind the bar.

Bell jigger - A style of measuring jigger that has two bell-shaped cups on either end, looking somewhat like an hourglass. The volume it measures is usually 1 fl oz on one end and 2 fl oz on the other, or metric ones vary with either 25ml or 30ml on one side and 50ml or 60ml on the other.

Best before date - Also Best by. A date printed on packaged foodstuffs/beers etc. where the manufacturer recommends the product is consumed by to guarantee best quality. This does not mean the product is dangerous if consumed after this date, just that it will not taste its best and may be stale. q.v. Shelf life; Use by date.

Bevnap - Beverage napkin. A small black or white paper napkin used to serve drinks on or for general use at the bar. Also known as a ‘cocktail napkin‘

BIB/Bag-in-box - A box with an internal bladder used for drinks and syrups. Most commonly used for post-mix soda/soft drink syrups used for dispense machines or soda guns. Occasionally used for cider.

Bitter aperitivo - A term that potentially can refer to any aromatised wine or liquor served before a meal, but usually it refers to drinks such as red-coloured bitter liqueurs such as Campari and Aperol, that are usually mixed with either soda water, fruit juice and/or sparkling wine to make a spritz. AKA Italian Red Bitter Liqueur; Red Bitter Aperitivo. q.v. Bitter Vino.

Bitter lemon - A mixer originally made by mixing lemon and/or lime with tonic water in the 19th Century. Now a standard carbonated mixer pre-made and bottled for use.

Bitters (Cocktail) - A tincture or infusion that contains essence of aromatic herbs, roots, bark, spices, fruit and other botanicals extracted into a concentrated liquid, usually in alcohol. They are used to add flavour, complexity and/or bitterness to a cocktail or other drink. The most famous brands are Angostura Bitters and Peychaud's Bitters.

Bitter Vino - A fortified wine and aromatised wine that has been flavoured with Gentian amongst other botanicals. q.v. Quinquina; Americano; Vermouth; Bitter aperitivo.

Blazer - A family of simple short cocktails that contain a spirit and a sweet element, mixed with water. Traditionally set alight while being thrown. e.g. Blue blazer

Blend - To mix drinks in a blender, often for frozen cocktails.

Blender - A mechanised blending jug to crush ice and to make blended or frozen cocktails.

Block Ice - A large solid block of ice that can be made as clear ice that used to be seen in bars before ice machines but is making a comeback as a point of interest. This large block needs to be broken down and cubes cut and shaped from it.

Blow/Blown -As in 'A keg has blown'. This means a keg has emptied and needs changing.

Blue roll - A large roll of thin blue tissue paper used around restaurant kitchens and behind bars for general drying hands, cleaning and wiping up.

Boston Shaker - A two-part cocktail shaker consisting of a larger tin (Boston tin) and a shaker glass or smaller tin (Toby tin) that can be joined at the open ends pushing together forming a seal so that cocktails can be shaken.

Boston shaker glass - (AKA Shaker glass). The flared US Pint (16 fl oz/ 473ml) glass that is often used as the smaller half of a two-part shaker instead of a toby tin, as well as being the standard draught beer glass used in the US.

Boston tin - The larger of the two tins of the two-part shaker or Boston shaker. Capacity is about 28 fl oz or 800ml. q.v. Toby tin.

Botanicals - Natural ingredients commonly distilled with spirit to make gin or used as a flavour for liqueurs and vermouths. Includes fruit, herbs, spices, roots, nuts and bark. Flavours can be extracted by maceration, infusion or distillation.

Bottle bin – A large plastic bin, sometimes on wheels where empty glass bottles are put during service, usually behind a bar, ready for recycling or disposal.

Bottle dump cooler/fridge – (sometimes dump cooler/fridge) A large chest fridge that is used in a bar where large numbers of bottles of wine and sparkling wine can be chilled standing up. Useful for very busy bars or pubs and for venues that host a lot of large events.

Bordeaux Glass - A large oversized red wine glass for full-bodied, often oaked, red wines. More upright than the Burgundy glass.

Bowl - The rounded part of the glass that attaches to the stem.

Brandy Balloon/Ballon - A short stemmed large rounded glass, initially designed for swirling Cognac and other brandies, but used now for a number of drinks. AKA Snifter.

Brewers Barrel - Often shortened to BBL. A traditional measurement of beer based on an actual wooden barrel used in the 18th/19th Centuries. In the US it equates to 31 US Gallons or 117 Litres. A UK/Imperial Brewers Barrel equates to 36 Imperial Gallons or 164 Litres.

Broach - A verb meaning to open or tap a keg or cask.

Bruise - A lighter, more gentle form of muddling, just enough to release the flavour without smashing the herbs, fruit or other ingredient to a pulp.

Buck - A family of long cocktails served on ice that contain a spirit and ginger ale/ginger beer and lime juice.

Bucket glass - A term sometimes used for a lowball tumbler such as a rocks glass.

Building - A technique of making cocktails where the ingredients are added carefully into the glass in which it is served in. Usually ice is put in the glass before any liquids and the drink is not shaken but can be gently stirred. If some integration is required, especially if carbonated mixers have been used, then the bartendercan gently pull through the cocktail with a bar spoon, or in the case of swizzle cocktails they can be whisked or swizzled using a swizzle stick.

Burgundy glass - A large, broadly rounded, chiefly red wine glass designed for red Burgundy wine or any Pinot noir, but often used for wines based on the Nebbiolo grape as well.

C

Call brand - A spirit that is more expensive or premium than the house brands used. i.e. It must be called for by the customer by name and usually costs more.

Calling time - AKA Time. Announcing the end of service so customers know they can no longer order any drinks.

Canele knife/cutter/peeler - A specially shaped implement for cutting twists for fruit peel as a garnish for cocktails. AKA Channel knife

Carafe - See Cocktail Carafe

Cask - The metal barrel that contains cask-conditioned ale. Historically it was made from wood (and there are only rare examples found today). It is not pressurised with external CO2 gas like a keg and must bestillaged and conditioned before being served.

Cask ale/beer - Beer that is dispensed on draught via a cask and is conditioned in the vessel itself. Lager can be served from a cask as well but it is rare and the term cask lager is almost never used.

Cask-conditioning/conditioned - The process whereby a beer is allowed to continue fermentation or go through secondary fermentation with yeast in the vessel it is dispensed from. This creates a moderate amount of CO2 (about half that of keg draught beer).

Cask Sizes -
•Pin - 4.5 Imperial Gallons (~20 Litres)
•Firkin - 9 Imperial Gallons (~ 41 Litres)
•Kilderkin - 18 Imperial Gallons (~82 Litres)
•Barrel - 36 Imperial Gallons (~164 Litres)
•Hogshead - 54 Imperial Gallons (~245 Litres)

Cellar - 1. A cool, dark storage room where wine is stored before being needed at the bar or floor for service. The recommended temperature for wine storage is between 10° and 15° Celsius (50°-59° Fahrenheit)
2. A cellar (rather than a fridge or cooler) for draught beer is generally kept at between 11° and 13° Celsius (52°-55° Fahrenheit). Commonly found in countries, especially the UK, that serve cask beer.

Cellar drop - A hatchway sometimes outside of a pub, where kegs and casks can be dropped onto a thick mat for delivery directly into an underground cellar.

Cellar temperature - The best temperature that wine is stored in for the long term 10°-15° Celsius (50°-59° Fahrenheit) in a cellar, or else standard beer cellar temperature of 11°-13° Celsius (52°-55° Fahrenheit).

Champagne flute - see Flute.

Change (a barrel/keg) - To replace an empty keg (or cask) with a fresh, full one.

Channel knife - A specially shaped implement for cutting twists for fruit peel as a garnish for cocktails. AKACanele knife

Chaser - A drink that immediately follows another, served at the same time. It is usually a milder drink that is drunk directly after a strong one. e.g. Whisky chased by a beer. Sometimes called a back.

Chimney glass - A general term for the tall, straight-sided tumbler style of glasses. e.g Highball, Collins glass, Slim Jim.

Choker-line - A short piece of draught line tubing that is sufficiently narrow enough to increase resistance in a draught system. This is done so that the pressure of the keg is balanced with the resistance of the line - this ensures correct speed of pour.

Chopping board - Plastic or wooden board for preparing and chopping fruit etc. for garnishes.

Church key (Bottle opener) - Slang term for a small, short crown cap (pry-off) bottle opener that looks somewhat like a large, old-fashioned key.

Churning - Using a bar spoon to mix ingredients in a glass with crushed ice and/or muddled ingredients. The spoon picks up some of the mixture and pulls-up and back on top repeatedly until the ingredients are fully mixed (usually 5-10 seconds).

Cicerone© – (Pronounced siss-er-own) A qualified/certified beer sommelier. Refers to the Cicerone Program – a trade-marked suite of certifications that qualify specialists in beer and beer service.

Cider - (Hard cider in the USA) Alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice. (or potentially pears depending on local legal definition, q.v. Perry) Various countries have different minimum percentage of apple juice in the legal definition. In the UK the minimum is just 35%, so many 'alcopop' style flavoured fruit ciders fall into this category. In the US the minimum is 50% and in France it must be 100%.

Cigar keg - A nickname for a small narrow keg that holds 20 litres of beer (Europe) or 1/6 of a US barrel (5.16 gallons or 19.5 litres). AKA Sixtel; torpedo keg.

Clarify (cocktails) - Using one of several methods to clarify and create star-bright cocktails. Methods include milk washing, centrifuging and ultra-fine straining.

Clear Ice - When regular ice freezes it looks cloudy, and has minute bubbles frozen inside making that cloudiness. If ice freezes directionally it can look crystal clear with no cloudiness.

Club Soda - American term for Soda water - carbonated water.

Cobbler - A family of cocktails that contains a spirit or wine, fruit juice and a sweet element e.g. Sherry Cobbler.

Cobbler shaker - A popular name for a three-part shaker. This consists of a large tin, a top that has an integral strainer and a cap to cover the strainer.

Cocktail - An alcoholic mixed drink usually consisting of a spirit and other beverages mixed together by a bartender and served ready to drink without need to add further mixers etc.

Cocktail bitters - see Bitters (Cocktail)

Cocktail Carafe - A small carafe (90 to 120ml or 3 - 4 fl Oz) that can be used in conjunction with a small bowl of ice to keep the carafe chilled that is served alongside a cocktail. It contains a second serving of the cocktail or half the cocktail, that allows the drinker to top up their drink with a fully chilled refill at their own table. Often referred to by the leading brand name as a 'Dividend service set' or 'Dividend carafe and bowl'

Cocktail foamer - A vegan cocktail ingredient that can be added instead of egg whites to give a shaken cocktail a foam on top. AKA Foamer.

Cocktail glass - This term usually describes the classic glass to serve short cocktails in. It is a triangular, conical, stemmed glass that is more usually called a Martini glass. The term cocktail glass can also refer to the stemmed rounded glasses that predate the Martini glass design that look somewhat like a coupetini glass or a flared nick and nora glass.. Capacity ranges from the traditional 120ml to modern oversized versions up to 300ml.

Cocktail napkin - A small black or white paper napkin used to serve drinks on or for general use at the bar. Also known as a ‘Bevnap‘

Cocktail pick - A sharp metal or plastic stick with small head to hold in the fingers that garnishes such as olives or pickled onions can be served by spearing on to allow the drinker to easily pick it out of the glass and consume. An alternative to a smaller, more simple cocktail stick. AKA Garnish pick.

Cocktail stick - Usually made of wood or bamboo, this is a disposable sharp stick that garnishes are speared with to serve in a cocktail.

Cocktail stirrer (stick) AKA stir-stick. - A simple stick, usually made from plastic that can be served in the glass of cocktails served on the rocks for customers to stir their own cocktail or as a simple adornment. Not to be confused with a swizzle stick.

Cocktail umbrella - A small umbrella made from paper and matchstick wood used to garnish some tropical types of cocktails.

Colada - A family of long blended or frozen cocktails that consist of a spirit, a fruit juice and a sweet component and blended over/with crushed ice.

Collins - A family of cocktails that consist of a spirit with lemon or lime juice, a sweet element and topped up with soda water. A long cocktail built and served in a highball or collins glass over ice.

Collins glass - A type of tall tumbler, similar to the highball glass but slightly larger capacity. Tall, with straight sides and slim, it typically holds between 350ml and 400 ml (12oz-14oz) and allows room for lots of ice and a sparkling mixer such as soda water. Named after the collins family of cocktails. Zombie glass is a term largely used interchangeably.

Conditioning - See Cask conditioning.

Connecter (draught) - See Coupler.

Cooler - 1. A broad and general term for a long cocktail served over ice consisting of a spirit or sometimes wine and a carbonated mixer like soda, ginger ale, lemonade etc. It is commonly used to describe a range of pre-mixed, packaged RTD drinks.
2. A refrigerator

Copa Balón - A large-bowled glass on a long stem, like a large round over-sized wine glass, used in recent years for gin and tonics as well as Aperol spritzes. AKA Fishbowl glass.

Copita - A classic sherry wine glass that is small (capacity 120ml - 150ml /4oz-5oz) and tapers in at the mouth. A few cocktails may be served in this glass but it is rare. It is generally used for fortified wines. q.v. Dock glass.

Cordial - 1. In the UK it is concentrated usually fruit-flavoured syrup. Rose's Lime Cordial is a common and classic example. More complex examples also use floral and herb elements and infuse the ingredients into the syrup. AKA Squash.
2. In the USA a cordial can also refer to an alcoholic sweet fruit liqueur.

Cordial glass - see Liqueur glass

Coupe - Sometimes also known as a coupette. The absolute classic glass for cocktails served up. It predates the Martini glass by more than 200 years and offers a glass that's easy to carry on a tray without slopping around. Stemmed with a short, flat, rounded bowl. Vintage coupes are about 120ml capacity, a perfect size for a Martini. Modern versions can reach 250ml.

Coupetini - A type of cocktail glass that is like a flared coupe or a cross between a flared conical martini glass and a rounded coupe.

Coupette - This term is usually used to refer to a coupe glass, but some catalogues also use this name for a Margarita glass.

Coupler - A piece of draught system equipment that is connected to the beer line and gas line and then is locked into the keg allowing beer to be drawn out and CO2 to be let in keeping the correct pressure for the line to propel the beer and correct carbonation level.

Cracked ice - Ice pieces that are somewhere in size between whole ice cubes and crushed ice. The technique is to take whole ice cubes and hit them with the back of a bar spoon to crack them into shards. This is usually done in a clean hand or in an ice bag. Used either to optimise chilling during stirring or in a cocktail served on ice that works better than either whole ice cubes or crushed ice, e.g. a Caipirinha.

Craft beer - A term with broad interpretations around the world, but generally refers to beer made by independent breweries, who brew a large range of beer styles. These breweries tend to have a brewer behind much of their creativity and beer choices rather than led by marketing teams as with large multi-national brewers. Over the years this term has been interpreted differently especially when small independent breweries have been bought up by larger mainstream global breweries, where some still classify those beers as craft beer and others do not classify them as such.

Crowler - A sealed metal container for draught beer to be taken away from a bar, pub or tap room that looks like a large can. A metal and fully sealed version of the growler. Most crowlers hold 32 fl oz (946 ml).

Crown cap - A pry-off bottle cap. q.v. Twist-off cap.

Crushed Ice - Ice that has been broken down in an ice crusher or blender to make frozen cocktails.

Cuban Roll AKA Throwing- A method of mixing a cocktail by pouring the contents from one tin to the other tin of a two-part shaker repeatedly until the desired temperature is achieved.

Cut-off - To stop serving alcohol to a customer, usually because they have drunk too much and are obviously intoxicated.

D

Daisy - A loose family of cocktails that are generally sours, from lemon or lime juice, that have been sweetened with a liqueur (usually orange), syrup or Grenadine and served over ice. They are sometimes topped-up with soda water/club soda.

Dash - An imprecise measurement that varies between ⅛ and ¼ of a bar spoon but in metric terms usually is about 1ml.

Day-dot stickers - Small round coloured stickers to label foodstuffs with the days of the week (day made or opened) printed on them and space for written information to be added such as use-by date or recommended shelf life of the consumable product. In a bar these would be used to label any freshly prepared juices or syrups etc.

Dead stock - Old bottles of (usually) spirits/liqueurs that don't sell and probably never will. AKA Dusties.

Dehydrated Garnish - A method of preparing fruit garnishes for cocktails where slices of fruit are dried in warm air or a dehydrator to change their appearance. Dehydrated fruit can also absorb liquid from the cocktail and then give more flavour than a fresh garnish.

Digestif/Digestivo – An alcoholic drink had at the end of the meal after dessert. Usually a liqueur or spirit such as Cognac, but can potentially be any beverage. q.v. Aperitif

Dimple mug - A handled glass beer mug with multiple round facets moulded to the glass. Versions of this are popular in the UK, Ireland, Czechia and Germany.

Direct draw - A very short beer draught system that connects the keg beer to the tap/draft tower/font with very little distance such as with a kegerator. q.v. Long draw; Short draw.

Dirty - Adding the water that olives come in to a Martini, or occasionally other cocktails. e.g. Dirty Martini.

Dirty dump/pour - Dumping the entire contents of a cocktail shaker, including ice into a glass to serve, not straining over fresh ice. Commonly used in busy club bars where time is of the essence. q.v. Dirty ice

Dirty Ice/Rocks - Using the ice from the shaker, pouring directly into the glass. q.v. Dirty dump

Distillation - The process where alcohol is separated out via heat and condensation from fermented beverages to produce a spirit alcohol.

Dispense bar - A bar where drinks are prepared, mixed and poured for table service but is not open for customers to drink at or order anything. Also called a Service bar.

Dive bar - A basic wet-led bar that has no frills or fancy drinks. The food offerings are either basic or non-existent, and it has mainstream beers and spirits, rather than craft beers or eclectic spirits. The decor is basic and usually somewhat shabby, often with a small TV showing local sports behind the bar. They often have loyal local regulars who have drunk there for many years A term mainly used in the US and Canada named after the bars that were in basement levels of buildings and customers had to 'dive' down some steps to the entrance. Sometimes a pub in the UK would have a downstairs bar, out of the prying eyes of passers-by and this was known as the dive bar.

Dividend service set/Dividend carafe - A brand of cocktail carafe and bowl.

Dock glass - A somewhat old-fashioned name for a small tulip-shaped wine glass. Similar if not identical to a sherry copita. Named after the small tasting and nosing glass merchants used when checking their newly arrived shipment of spirits at the dock in the 17th to 19th centuries.

DOF glass - See Double Old fashioned glass .

Double - Two single shots in one glass. e.g. "I'll have a whisky - make it a double".

Double-fisting - Slang for holding and drinking two drinks at one time. q.v. Double parked.

Double Old fashioned glass AKA DOF glass- An oversized version of the classic Old fashioned glass. A tumbler with a thick base and capacity of between 350ml and 470ml (12 -16 fl oz) it is somewhat larger than a Rocks glass.

Double parked - When a customer has two 'active' drinks in front of them.

Double strain - Using two different strainers when straining the liquid from a cocktail shaker filled with ice into a glass. A shaken cocktail has little ice chips, and most can be removed using a hawthorn strainer in conjunction with a fine strainer.

Down - see Served down

Dram - An informal or slang term for a single shot or a small measure of spirits. Usually in reference to Whisky in Scotland, but wider usage is common in other countries. Originally it referred to a small measure of an 1/8 of an Imperial fluid ounce, approximately 3.5 ml for pharmaceuticals.

Dram shop - A bar or similar establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, particularly in reference to spirits. The term has largely fallen out of use but is still a legal term in some US states.

Drainer plate - The metal, slotted grid that sits at the base of an ice well allowing the water melting from ice to drain away from the ice.

Draught/Draft - Beer that is served from a tap/faucet or in the case of cask beer, a beer engine/hand pumpthat is drawn from a keg or cask, usually located in a beer cellar or beer cooler.

Draught system - The system where beer from kegs are kept under pressure with Carbon dioxide (CO2) or a combination of CO2 and Nitrogen, and is fed through beer lines to the taps

Draft tower - The unit attached to the bar with a tap or faucet that draught beer is served from. AKA Beer Font

Drip-tray - The plastic or metal tray, often with a grid on top that catches the drips and spills from pouring beer on draught. It is located underneath a beer tap.

Drop bright - When a cask of beer is delivered to a pub or bar it will be cloudy from the yeast and finingsthat are in suspension. It requires a period of 2 or 3 days for it to settle on its stillage and the yeast and finings collect at the bottom of the cask leaving the beer clear before it can be vented and tapped/broached and served.

Dropper - A small glass or plastic tool with a rubber bulb at one end to suck up or release tiny amounts of liquid. Used to put individual drops of cocktail bitters or other liquids in a cocktail or on a foam for decorative reasons. A drop is usually around 0.05 ml.

Dry - 1. When referring to a broad range of drinks, meaning not sweet to the taste. e.g. dry wine or dry ginger ale.
2. When referring to a Martini, it usually means only a small amount of dry vermouth is used. The drier the Martini, the smaller the amount of vermouth is used.

Dry shake - Shaking the ingredients of a cocktail in a shaker with no ice. A technique used with cocktails that contain egg whites or cream as it froths them up more effectively. Once frothed, the cocktail is then shaken with ice afterwards. q.v. Reverse dry shake

Dump cooler/fridge – see Bottle dump cooler/fridge.

Dusty bottles/Dusties - The bottles of spirits/liqueurs that sit on the back bar and never seem to run out. AKAThe un86ables.

E

Emulsion - A combination of oil and liquid that have been forced to come together, usually with the addition of an emulsifying agent, in cocktails this is often gum arabic. Emulsions are used in cocktails to make butter syrups such as found in Buttered Rums, or used to make foams as well as many other possible emulsions as a cocktail ingredient.

Expiry date - See Use by date.

Express/Expression - A method of twisting and squeezing a swath of citrus peel so the oils are released over the cocktail.

Eye-opener - A drink or simply a shot that is taken early in the morning to help wake someone up or make them feel better, often when suffering from a hangover.

F

Falernum - A sweet lime cordial that has been spiced, often with ginger and clove and other aromatic spices, as well as almond. It is usually lightly alcoholic at ~11% ABV, but some versions are alcohol-free.

Fat washing - Infusing/mixing a spirit or cocktail with fat like butter, oil etc. and then it is chilled so the fat solidifies, the fat is then removed with a strainer. It can infuse a spirit/cocktail with a savoury flavour especially if flavoured oils are used.

Faucet - North American term for beer tap.

Fine strainer - A fine mesh sieve for straining and/or double straining cocktails. Specific cocktail strainersare usually finer and a little deeper than a generic tea strainer. It helps strain out ice chips formed while shaking. It is used when double straining.

Finings - A processing aid added to cask ale (amongst other beverages) to help precipitate out yeast so it sinks to the bottom and the beer settles clear or 'dropped bright' for service. Finings can be made from derivatives of animals, eggs or diary but are often silica or plant based.

Firkin - A 9 imperial gallon cask for the storage and service of cask ale. It is equivalent to 72 pints (Imperial) or 40.9 litres.

Fishbowl glass - A large-bowled glass on a long stem, like a large round over-sized wine glass, used in recent years for gin and tonics as well as Aperol spritzes. AKA Copa Balón.

Fizz - A family of cocktails that consists of a spirit, citrus juice, sugar and topped up with soda water or other carbonated mixer. Similar to a collins except that a fizz is shaken with ice, strained and topped up with a smaller amount of soda water. It is usually served without ice, unlike a collins.

Fizzio cocktail glass - A modern name for a squared, often etched, style of stemmed coupe glass used for many cocktails served up at the turn of the century (19th/20th C). Undergoing a renewed interest from many retro-styled cocktail bars.

Flag (garnish) - A style of garnish where the fruit(s) used are impaled on a cocktail stick and either balanced across the rim of the glass or made to stick out of the top of the glass above the rim.

Flagon - Broadly a term for a large jug, usually with a lid. A modern use of the word is a sealable ceramic, glass or (usually) plastic jug used to take away draught beer from a pub, with a similar shape to a growler.Historically, it came in lots of sizes and was made from ceramic stoneware and was used to carry beer, ginger beer and many other beverages, but modern plastic ones for pub take-away beer hold 4 Imperial pints. q.v. Growler; Crowler.

Flair bartending - A style of mixing and pouring cocktails that uses tricks of flipping and juggling or throwing and catching bottles and bar tools as well as lighting and flaming drinks as a method of entertaining the guests. It requires much practice before being attempted in a live environment.

Flaming - 1. Flaming a drink (flambé) - setting light to a cocktail that is strong enough in alcohol to combust. 40% will produce a small flame unless warmed slightly where it will combust more readily but lower than this may not light efficiently. Some cocktails layer a high strength spirit on top of the drink which is then lit.
2. Flaming a twist/swath - Setting light to the peel of a citrus fruit by cutting a fairly thick round or oval shaped swath and bending it between finger and thumb, (outside facing out) over a lit match (held with the other hand). As the peel is bent more sharply it releases a spray of citrus oil which ignites briefly before being put into the cocktail.

Flight - A set of usually three to five small pours of wine, beer or spirits presented together in a line so that the customer can try a range of different types.

Flip - This is a type of cocktail that contains egg, sugar and a spirit or occasionally a fortified wine. Flips originate in the 17th century in Britain and were served hot and often contained ale. Today they are usually cold e.g. Brandy Flip.

Float - see Layer.

Floater - the last/top ingredient of a layered cocktail. q.v. Layer

Flute - A tall, narrow, stemmed, straight-sided sparkling wine glass, generally associated with Champagne.

Foam - As part of a cocktail, a foam can be formed by shaking the ingredients with egg white, an emulsion or a cocktail foamer. Also the foam head of a beer.

Foamer/Foaming agent - AKA Cocktail foamer A vegan cocktail ingredient that can be added instead of egg whites to give a shaken cocktail a foam on top.

FOB detector - Literally 'Foam On Beer' detector. This is a small device connected to the draught lines, in line and close to the keg that detects at empty keg when it blows and stops beer foam from filling the line. Sometimes known as a 'Cellar buoy' after a leading brand.

Fobbing - Beer foaming too much at the tap. From FOB - Foam On Beer.

Font/Fount - A British term for draft tower. The unit attached to the bar with a tap or faucet that draught beer is served from.

Foot - The round base of a stemmed glass.

Footed (glass) - Any glass with a foot - a separate round base on which a stem and/or bowl of a glass sits.

Forkage - A fee charged for food consumed in bars/pubs that don't serve food and allow customers to order in delivery and eat it as long as drinks are consumed. q.v. Corkage.

Fortified wine - A wine that has had distilled spirit alcohol added during its production, a process called fortification. The wine's finished alcohol is between 15% and 22% ABV. It may be sweet, dry or anything in between. Well known examples are: Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala and Vin doux Naturel. Aromatised wines are also a type of Fortified wine.

Free Pour - A method of pouring spirits and liqueurs, using speed spouts but without any jiggers or measures. A skilled bartender can accurately pour single and double shots without the need to measure the volume. q.v. pro pour.

French cocktail shaker - See Parisienne shaker.

Frosted glass - A glass that's been wet, shaken and left in a freezer to give a frosted appearance. Not recommended for beer as it makes it foam excessively, although popular in Australia and the US.

Frozen cocktail - A cocktail that is made and served with crushed ice, often in a blender.

Fruit Cup - A British type of mixed liqueur flavoured with fruit and spices that is then mixed with fresh fruit, mint leaves and lemonade to make a tall cocktail over ice. Pimms No.1 is the classic example. AKA Summer cup.

Fruit fly - A common pest that can infest bars. A small flying insect that is attracted to sugary liquids, cut fruit and fermented beverages as well as drains, damp surfaces and unhygienic areas.

Fruitini - See Fruit Martini

Fruit Martini - A family of short cocktails containing fruit juice and/or fruit liqueur with little or no connection to the classic martini, other than they are served in a martini glass. These cocktails usually have a vodka base. The Pornstar martini or strawberry martini would be popular examples. AKA Fruitini. q.v. Liqueur Martini.

G

Gallon - A unit of measurement used in the US and traditionally in the UK. A Gallon is 8 pints. A US Gallon (3.79 litres) is based on the US 16 fl oz pint (473ml); the UK Gallon (4.55 litres) is based on the Imperial 20fl oz pint (568ml).

G & T - Gin and Tonic.

Garnish - A piece of fruit, peel or other adornment used in drinks especially cocktails.

Garnish pick - A sharp metal stick with small head to hold in the fingers that garnishes such as olives or pickled onions can be served by spearing on to allow the drinker to easily pick it out of the glass and consume. An alternative to a cocktail stick. AKA Cocktail pick.

Garnish tray/caddy - A plastic tray with separated inserts that stores cut garnishes behind the bar during and for service.

Gas blender - A unit in a beer cooler or cellar that blends Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide gasses for draught dispense. The percentage of the blend can be set manually.

Gas line - A line (tube) that connects the CO2, beer gas or 30/70 gas from the gas tank to the beer draught system. q.v. Coupler; Beer line.

Gill - (pronounced Jill) An old measurement equivalent to ¼  Imperial Pint. Spirits used to be dispensed in 1⁄6or ¼ of a gill in the UK & Ireland until metric measures were mandated.

Ginger ale - A non-alcoholic, transparent (not cloudy) carbonated mixer lightly flavoured with ginger and sometimes other flavours. Some are a little sweet, others have less sugar and are dry. Mellower and lighter than Ginger beer.

Ginger beer - Originally a fermented, alcoholic, cloudy, highly-flavoured beverage. Today it is generally alcohol-free and sold as a soft drink but alcoholic versions are rarely available. Much more highly spiced and flavoured than Ginger ale and always cloudy in appearance.

G-Gas - Guinness gas. see 30/70 Gas.

Glass carrier - A plastic carrier for stackable glasses. It has a handle and 8 or 10 deep rounded slots, positioned with 4 or 5 either side of the central handle for the glasses to be stacked into. Often used in busy, large pubs especially with large beer gardens.

Glass rimmer - A plastic circular dish or group of dishes that can be filled with salt or sugar etc. for rimmingglasses for specific cocktails such as a classic Margarita.

Glass rinser - A device on many bars that when an upturned glass is pushed down on it it sprays small jets of cold water to rinse or refresh the glass before pouring.

Glycol chiller - A cooling unit that beer lines are fed through to chill them to service temperature in a draught system that is based in a cool (not fully chilled) cellar. Typically found in the UK.

Gnat cap - A top for a speed spout or speed pourer that attaches to the end, and has a mesh screen to prevent insects such as fruit flies from entering.

Gomme syrup - see Syrup de Gomme.

Grappa glass - A small capacity, elegant, tall, stemmed glass with a curvaceous bowl and flared lip designed to sip Grappa from. Typically around 90ml (3 fl oz) capacity.

Gravity dispense - A form of cask ale dispense without the use of draught lines or a beer engine/hand pump. The cask sits on a bar and is tapped directly. The beer is poured through the tap that has been hammered through the keystone.

Grenadine - A brightly red-coloured syrup flavoured by pomegranate, although commercial versions today are all artificially flavoured and don't relate to pomegranate. Many are flavoured with a range of artificial and/or real berry flavours.

Grog - A group of cocktails with a heritage of being issued in the Royal Navy that consists of a tot of rum that's been watered down and added to lemon or lime juice and sometimes other ingredients. q.v. Tot.

Growler - A large resealable jug, usually made from glass, but ceramic and stainless steel ones are also made. Used to take away draught beer from a bar or brewery tap room. The standard size is 64  fl oz or approx. 1.9 litres but half sizes are available.  An open growler lasts for about 24 to 36 hours if resealed and kept cold. An unopened growler lasts a week, or sometimes longer depending on the style of beer. q.v. Crowler; Flagon.

Gum Arabic - A cocktail ingredient that is a natural gum consisting of the sap of two species of the Acacia tree. It forms part of Sirop de Gomme It is used for making emulsions. It is also used to give cocktails a silky and smooth mouthfeel.

H

Half and half - Usually refers to a number of mixed beers that is half one kind of beer and half of another. In different areas or countries it can mean a number of combinations. In Ireland it is half stout and half Bass Pale Ale or else Kilkenny/Smithwicks. In England it is either half bitter and half mild or half bitter and half light ale, but in Scotland it refers to a glass of whisky and a half pint of beer chaser.

Half barrel - A term for a standard US beer keg that equates to half a US brewers barrel or 15.5 US Gallons(58.6 litres).

Half-moon slice - A slice of fruit (most commonly citrus) cut for a garnish for a cocktail or other highball/mixed drink. It is a semi-circle cut flat at least 0.5 cm (¼  inch) thick.

Half-rim - Rimming half the glass rim with salt etc. allowing the customer to drink from a side without the tasting the rimming salt or sugar etc. AKA Partial rim.

Hand pump/pull - The hand-operated pump for the service of draught cask beer. It is drawn towards the bartender and creates a vacuum to pull the beer through the lines.

Hard - A term used in the US to mean alcoholic. e.g. Hard seltzer, hard lemonade or hard cider

Hard shake - A method of shaking a cocktail shaker developed by Japanese bartender Kazuo Uyeda. The method combines a shaking pattern over three points in a triangular shape as well as a twisting motion of the shaker. This method supposedly aerates the cocktail better than a standard up-and-down motion. In Japan, the 3-part cobbler shaker is generally used so the method may be more beneficial using this style of shaker.

Hard soda - An alcoholic drink that has the flavours and sweetness of a soda pop or soft drink. Alcoholic lemonade or other fruit-flavoured fizzy drinks would be typical examples. AKA Alcopop.

Hawthorn strainer - The main strainer used in cocktail making. it fits inside a shaker or large Boston tin to strain out the ice and any other solid particles from shaking the cocktail.

Head - 1. The foam on top of the beer after pouring. This helps the aromas of the beer escape the liquid to the drinker and makes the finished beer look good.
2. The round disc-shaped piece of a barrel/cask etc. on either end.

Hectolitre - A hundred litres. A measurement often used in brewing as well as wine/spirits production. (176 Imp. UK pints/211 US pints)

Highball/Hi-ball - 1. A standard tall, slim tumbler type glass that is used for simple mixed drinks that contain a spirit and a mixer such as a Gin and Tonic or Vodka and orange, or other long cocktails. Smaller than a Collins glass. Typical capacity is 200ml to 350ml (7oz - 12oz). AKA Slim Jim.
2. A term used for a simple tall mixed drink e.g. Gin & tonic.

Hogshead - A 54 Imperial Gallon (254 litre) beer barrel. It used to be the standard size barrel for shipping beer but now is rarely seen. They are more commonly used to age whisky in Scotland but for spirits the size can vary, and is usually between 220 and 260 litres.

House made - An ingredient, usually for cocktails that is made from scratch, in-house on the premises.

House pour/brand - The brand of spirits that is poured when no specific brand is asked for; the same as the well brand or pour brand. q.v. call brand

Hurricane glass - A type of cocktail glass associated with a hurricane cocktail. It is a stemmed, large (approx 500ml+/16-18 fl ounce capacity), hourglass curved glass. Other tall cocktails such as a Singapore Sling may be served in one.

I

Ice bag - A bag, usually made from cotton/canvas to crush ice in with an ice mallet. q.v. Crushed ice.

Ice bucket - A bucket made from metal or plastic that is designed to chill a wine bottle submerged in ice or ice and water.

Ice crusher - A manual or electric machine designed to crush ice cubes into small pieces for use in frozen cocktails. q.v. crushed ice.

Ice machine - A machine that continuously makes large amounts of ice cubes.

Ice mallet - A flat-sided usually wooden mallet, used for manually crushing ice up in an ice bag for cocktails that are served over crushed ice.

Ice scoop - A metal or sometimes plastic scoop used to get ice from the ice well or ice machine. A glass must never be used for safety reasons as it may chip or break in the ice.

Ice tongs - Tongs specifically to carefully place ice cubes one-by-one in a glass.

Ice well - A specially designed and integrated, walled sink, made from stainless steel, under or behind the barwith slotted drainer plate to allow water to drain away from the ice, preserving the ice for a prolonged period.

IBA - International Bartenders Association - An association for the promotion, education and representation of professional cocktail bartenders.

Imperial measurements - Weights and measurements standardised in the UK in 1824 that include the Imperial Pint (mostly used for draught beer and cider) - equivalent to 568ml.

Improved - A variation on a classic cocktail recipe, adding either Absinthe or Maraschino liqueur.

In-and-out (Martini) - 1. This usually refers to a Martini that has been made with dry vermouth that has been shaken in the cocktail shaker or stirred in a stirring jug with ice and strained out before adding the gin and stirring or shaking (as requested) on the same ice before straining into a cocktail glass.
2. It can sometimes refer to a very dry Martini where the dry Vermouth has been rinsed around the cocktail glass and dumped before the chilled gin (or vodka) is strained into it.

Infusion - To infuse a liquid with a flavour means soaking the source of that flavour (usually herbs, fruit, spices or other botanicals) in a liquid. This can potentially be anything from a tea (infusing tea leaves in hot water for a few minutes) to making Sloe Gin (infusing sloe berries and sugar into gin over a period of months). Many unique cocktail ingredients are made by infusing something in alcohol to extract a flavour and impart into the host liquid. Sometimes also referred to as maceration although in cocktail terms this is often differentiated by virtue of the fruit or spice breaking down or softening during the soaking, or else the ingredient is somewhat broken down or ground before macerating. In reality the terms are often used interchangeably.

Irish Coffee glass - AKA Liqueur Coffee glass. A tempered, heat proof glass often handled mug that is used for hot cocktails such as hot toddies and liqueur coffees. q.v. toddy glass

Italian Red Bitter Liqueur - See Bitter Aperitivo. AKA Red Bitter Aperitvo.

J

Jars - Slang (plural) for pints or glasses of beer. e.g. "I went to the pub for a few jars last night". Usually used in the plural only.

Jigger - 1. AKA Thimble. A small measuring cup to measure ingredients of a cocktail, spirits or specific volumes of wine for pouring by the glass. Cocktail/spirits jiggers are usually double ended so that one end is a single measure and the other is a half measure.
2. A measurement of liquor equivalent to 1.5 fl oz or approximately 45ml, commonly used in vintage cocktail recipe books.

Jockey box - A portable insulated box that contains ice, water and stainless steel, coiled beer lines or cold plate that allows beer to be chilled in between a keg and a tap. Usually used as a temporary chilling system at events or beer festivals.

Juicer - A mechanical or manual device to juice fruit. Usually used with citrus fruits, machine juicers ore often designed to be able to juice any fruit. Manual juicers are usually called lemon/citrus squeezers. q.v. Mexican elbow.

Julep - A family of tall cocktails containing muddled mint leaves, sugar and a spirit, most famously, but not originally, Bourbon, served over crushed ice.

Julep cup - A metal (usually stainless steel or copper) tumbler cup associated with julep cocktails. It generally has a gentle flare towards the mouth of the cup, and often a decorative beaded rim.

Julep strainer - An oval-shaped concave metal strainer that was originally designed to be used by the drinker (before the use of straws) to exclude ice and mint leaf pulp etc. from being consumed. It evolved into a strainer for the smaller tin (toby tin) or glass part (Boston shaker glass) of a two-part cocktail shaker.

K

Keg - Historically a name for a wooden barrel, but today refers to a pressurised metal container used for beer (or cider) in a draught system. q.v. Barrel; Tub

Keg sizes - Standard keg volume sizes vary around the world but the main ones are:
US Sizes
• 15.5 US Gallon (58.6 litre) AKA half barrel
• 7.75 US Gallon (29.3 litre) AKA Pony keg /quarter barrel
• 5.16 US Gallon (19.8 litre) AKA torpedo/cigar keg/sixtel sixth barrel
EU/UK sizes
• 100 litre (22 Imp. Gallon)
• 50 litre AKA '88' (pint); '11' Imp. Gallon
• 30 litre
• 25 litre
• 20 litre AKA torpedo/cigar keg

Keg well - A. part of the keg at the centre of the head or top where a coupler can be attached, connecting the keg to the draught system.

Kegerator - A small, self-contained draught unit combining a refrigerator for a keg and a tap for beer dispense.

Keystone - Part of a cask located on one side of the head where a tap is hammered in forbroaching/tapping.

Kilderkin - The name of an 18 Imperial Gallon / 144 Imperial pint cask used for cask-conditioned real ale. The metric volume is 81.8 litres.

Kosher salt - An additive free, coarse, pebble-like flakey salt that is perceived to have an ideal texture for rimming cocktails. Harder to find in many places outside the US where coarse flakey sea salt is often used instead.

L

Lager - Along with ale, one of the main families of beer. A lager is defined not by colour but by the brewing process and yeast selected to ferment it. The 'lagering' process is a cold-conditioning period after fermentation. Lagers use a cool-fermenting yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus that typically ferments at 7 -15°Celsius.

Lantern tankard - A classic British handled beer glass/mug that consists of ten straight glass panels. Often called a ten-sided lantern tankard.

Large - Used to ask for a double shot of spirits. e.g. 'I'll have a large G & T'. q.v. Small.

Late pop - A small rush of customers that come in late on in the service/shift.

Layered cocktail - A cocktail where the ingredients are carefully poured in order of density so they float or are layered on top of each other. q.v. Layering; Floater.

Layering - A technique of building cocktails ad drinks where one liquid is carefully layered on top of another without any mixing and the distinct layers can clearly be seen through the glass. Used in cocktails and drinks such as liqueur coffees, B52s and mixed beers like a black and tan. q.v. Floater.

Lemonade - A soft drink with two different interpretations around the world.
1. In the USA and Canada it refers to a cloudy, sweetened beverage made with lemon juice, sugar and water, and is often homemade. It can either be still or fizzy if made with carbonated water. In The UK etc. this is known as cloudy lemonade or old-fashioned lemonade
2. In the UK, Ireland, Australia and other countries it refers to a clear lemon or lemon and lime flavoured carbonated pop or soda. Brands like R. Whites, Sprite or 7up would be common examples. In the US these are known as lemon soda or lemon-lime soda.

Lemon squeezer - A manual, hinged tool for squeezing juice from citrus fruits by pressing, found behind the bar. AKA Mexican elbow.

Lens - A tap or fount lens is a rounded or oval brand identity badge with a glass-like cover that looks like a lens on the front of beer taps on a bar. It is usually backlit so the beer brand shows up. q.v. Pump clip.

Lindr - A brand of portable draught beer dispense machines. Often used at events or beer festivals. Kegs connect to them an they are cooled and pressurised and served through a tap. Compressed air or CO2 can be used.

Line-cleaner - A caustic (alkaline) chemical that is used to clean and sanitise beer lines. This is toxic if consumed and burns on the skin so care should be taken and training should be undertaken before it is done. Line cleaning should be done when no beer is being served and once every 14 days for fully chilled draught systems and once every 7 days for cellar cooled draught systems.

Lines - see Beer lines

Liquor - A general term for alcoholic drinks especially spirits, chiefly used in the USA and Canada.

Liqueur - A spirit that has been blended with sugar and a flavouring element based on fruits, herbs, nuts, spices etc. Legal definitions vary around the world with minimum sugar and alcohol levels. The general minimum alcohol is 15% ABV although most liqueurs are over 20% and go to 30%ABV, but some can be stronger. They are an important flavouring and sweetening ingredient in many cocktails. Some fruit liqueurs are referred to as cordials in the US.

Liqueur coffee - A coffee made with a liqueur to give it flavour and alcohol. The liqueur is mixed with the coffee and the cream is layered on top. Irish coffee, made with Irish whiskey is the most common type found. Served in a Toddy glass or Liqueur coffee glass.

Liqueur Coffee glass AKA Irish coffee glass. A tempered, heat proof glass usually handled mug that is used for hot cocktails such as hot toddies and liqueur coffees. q.v. toddy glass

Liqueur glass - A small stemmed glass for serving liqueurs after dinner. The capacity varies but traditionally would hold about 60ml or 2 fl oz. Used as a measure in some vintage cocktail recipes. AKA Cordial glass.

Liqueur martini (AKA Liqueurtini) - A family of short cocktails that contain a liqueur with little or no connection to the classic martini, other than they are served in a martini glass. These cocktails usually have a vodka base and contain a sweet liqueur. The espresso martini would be the most popular example. q.v. Fruit martini.

Liqueurtini - See Liqueur Martini. - Rarely used term.

Long cocktail - A cocktail served with a mixer in a tall glass usually over ice.

Long drink - See Tall drink.

Long draw - A type of draught system where the kegs of beer are an extended distance (Usually over 7.5 metres or 25 feet) away from the service bar. q.v. Short draw; Direct draw.

Long spout - AKA Swan neck spout. With service of cask ales there are two lengths of spout that can be used. the long spout forces small bubbles out of the beer enabling a tighter foam head. q.v. Short spout.

Loom - See Python or Trunk

Louche/Louching - A term to describe the clouding that occurs when water is added to anise-based and other similar spirits. Sometimes known as the Ouzo effect.

Lowball glass - A rarely used term for a rocks glass or old-fashioned glass.

M

Macerate - Literally to soak a flavouring ingredient in a liquid, aka infusion, in the sense of bar work, it would be in some form of alcohol. Some interpretations of macerate include breaking down or grinding the flavouring ingredient.

Maraschino cherries - Pronounced 'marra-skeeno'. A preserved, sweetened cherry that is used in many drinks as a garnish. Luxardo is a popular brand of Maraschino cherries. They are preserved in Marascacherry syrup and typically have a deep colour. Not to be confused with candied glacé cherries that are cooked in syrup.

Margarita Glass - A tall stemmed cocktail glass associated with the Margarita cocktail. Based on the coupeshape, the margarita glass is stepped and has a small conical bowl, or well, under the main bowl that narrows to the stem. Occasionally known as Coupette glass.

Martini - The classic cocktail, with early iterations dating from the 1880s, made from Gin, (sometimes vodka from the 1950s although this should correctly be called a Vodka Martini) vermouth and sometimes (historically) with the addition of cocktail bitters. A name much misused to describe any cocktail served in amartini glass, but are more correctly called fruit martinis or liqueur martinis.
General rules on Martini ratios of gin to dry vermouth: 50/50 = 1:1 Wet = 2:1 Damp = 3:1 Regular Martini = 4:1 Dry = 5:1 Extra Dry = 8:1 Bone Dry = 10:1 Monty's/Montgomery's Martini = 15:1.

Martini Glass - A stemmed flared, triangular, conical glass associated with a classic martini cocktail. Introduced in 1925 as part of the early Art Deco movement. AKA Cocktail glass.

Masskrug/Maßkrug - A handled tankard usually made from glass but stoneware/ceramic ones can be found. It has a capacity of 1 litre with room for a foam head. Literally 'Mass' means a measure and refers to a litre and 'krug' means a jug/mug.

Mexican elbow - A slang term for a lemon squeezer.

Milk washing - A technique to clarify a cocktail where a cocktail is mixed with milk which then curdles. The curds coalesse with solid particles in the cocktail and they are then strained out leaving a clarified cocktail.

Mistelle - (vin de mistelle) A type of sweet fortified wine where spirit alcohol is added to unfermented grape juice or grape juice that has just started fermenting. Examples include Floc de Gasogne and Pineau de Charentes.

Mixed drink - A general term for any drink that uses two or more ingredients.

Mixed fermentation - Refers to beers that have been fermented with standard brewers yeast, usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as other wild yeast or bacteria.

Mixer - A non-alcoholic beverage that is designed to be added to spirits to make a highball or a long cocktail. e.g. Tonic water, Soda water, Ginger ale, Bitter lemon etc.

Mixing glass/jug - AKA Stirring jug - A thick-walled, wide, glass or metal jug with a spout designed for stirring cocktails. Glass versions should be tempered so won't shatter due to thermal shock. The size makes it easier to stir in than a tin or Boston shaker glass, and allows more servings of a cocktail to be mixed at once. It is recommended if using a glass version, like a cocktail glass, they are chilled down by swirling ice or ice and water (which is dumped) before filling with ice and the ingredients of the cocktail, or if you have room they can be kept in a fridge or freezer for service.

Mixologist - A term for a specialist cocktail bartender, especially one that designs and formulates new cocktails.

Mixology - The study of the mixing and creating cocktails as well as their history and culture.

Mocktail - A cocktail with no alcohol in. q.v. Virgin

Mod - Modification. These are customer requested changes to an order. e.g. ‘Can I have the olives on the side and not in my Martini ?’ These changes get written on the ticket or entered into the POS when the order is made or sometimes communicated verbally to the bar.

Moonshine - Homemade distilled spirits or hard liquor. So called as it had to be made at night to avoid detection by the authorities.

Muddle - To muddle ingredients of a cocktail means to crush them with a round blunt wooden or rubberised metal baton called a muddler. Ingredients that tend to require muddling include fruit and herbs. q.v. Bruise.

Muddler - A tool used to muddle cocktail ingredients such as fruit and fresh herbs. It is a blunt hand-held wooden or rubber-coated metal baton rather like a pestle used to crush spices for cooking.

Mule mug - A copper or copper-coated metal handled mug used to serve the Moscow mule cocktail in. Capacity approximately 350ml or 12 fl oz.

Mulled - To mull a drink means to gently heat it usually with spices and sometimes fruit. The most common example is mulled wine (Glühwein), although spirits, beers and cider are commonly mulled with spices during the winter. q.v. Wassail

N

Neat - Served straight with no mixer and no ice, usually in a rocks glass.

Nick and Nora glass - A classic small stemmed cocktail glass from at least the 1930s that has a small conical bowl shape and a capacity of about 150ml (5 fl oz) It was rediscovered in an old catalogue in the 1980s and new moulds were commissioned. The name given in the catalogue was 'small martini glass'. They are now named after the main characters of a 1930s and 40s fictional detective couple.

Nightcap - A final drink before going home or going to bed. Supposedly to help you sleep or just to finish off an evening. Usually a complex aged spirit like cognac, calvados, single malt whisky or similar but not necessarily.

Nip - (short for Nipperkin) An antiquated British measure of a ⅓ of an Imperial pint or 189ml. (6.4 US fl oz).

Nitrogenated beers - Beer served on draught and sometimes in can with nitrogen gas dissolved into it to create small, smooth bubbles and a creamy head. Stouts such as Guinness are renowned for using this dispense method.

Nitro nozzle - The restrictor plate that is attached to the end of a beer tap for nitrogenated beers. This enables the nitrogen to come out of solution, be released and create the fine bubbles and creamy head on the beer.

Noggin - Antiquated term for ¼  of an Imperial pint (142ml) in the UK. q.v. Nip; Schooner.

Nonic - A beer glass shape, usually as a pint measure but smaller sizes are available. The glass has slight flared straight sides with a bulge near the lip of the glass.

Nutmeg grater - A small, fine metal grater with a hinged lid, used for grating nutmegs and other spices as ingredients or a garnish for cocktails.

O

Oaked - A term that refers to wines that have been aged and/or fermented in oak barrels and have taken on some flavours associated with the process. New oak barrels give more flavour than older barrels. After about four years of use oak barrels give little or no flavour. Flavours include vanilla, toast, cedar, clove, spice, smoke, cocoa, coffee and coconut.

Old-fashioned glass - A low tumbler, similar to a rocks glass but usually a little smaller with a thicker base for crushing sugar with a muddler. Named after the cocktail it is associated with, it is also sometimes a term used interchangeably with rocks glass. typical capacity is 180 to 270ml (6 to 9 fluid ounces). Oversize versions are called double old fashioned glasses. q.v. Low ball glass.

On the rocks - A drink served over ice in a rocks glass.

Optic - A device that is attached to bottles of spirits on a wall-mounted rack that measures a single or double shot of liquid when pushed upwards, activating the device.

Orphans - Odd bottles of wine (or other beverages e.g. spirits) that are left over from a case and won't/can't be re-bought. Often packed in a box as an orphan case/box.

Ounce (fluid) - Behind the bar, talk of ounces refers to fluid ounces and usually in terms of cocktail recipes or shots of spirits. Most recipes that use this measurement refer to US fluid ounces which are 29.6 ml. Otherwise an Imperial fluid ounce is 28.4 ml. Usually metrication of cocktail recipes either rounds up to 30ml for 1 fl. ounce or occasionally down to 25ml.

Ouzo effect - see Louche/Louching.

Over-serve - To serve a guest too much alcohol so they are visibly drunk. Illegal in many countries.

P

Parisienne shaker AKA French cocktail shaker- A 2-part tin cocktail shaker with one large tin and a much smaller fitted top tin with an inverted tea-cup shape, giving a similar outline to a three-part cobbler shaker

Partial rim - Rimming some of the glass rim with salt etc. (usually half) allowing the customer to drink from a side without the tasting the rimming salt or sugar etc. AKA Half rim.

Party pump - A device that has a pump and a beer tap that can manually pump pressure on a keg, so the beer can be poured from the attached tap. Usually used for home parties or small beer festivals. (As the keg is pumped with air, the beer must be consumed within a day).

Peated - A term used in reference to Scotch whisky and sometimes Irish whiskey. It means that the malted barley (malt) was heated by burning peat which imparts a smokey and somewhat medicinal aroma/flavour to the whisky. Much associated with whiskies from the island of Islay.

Peeler - A simple vegetable peeler is a standard bar tool to peel a swath or twist of fruit skin to be made into a garnish.

Peg - see Spile

Perfect - Used when making a cocktail with vermouth in it, indicating a 50/50 split of sweet and dry vermouth e.g. Perfect Manhattan or Perfect Martini.

Perry - A traditional specialty beverage made from fermented pear juice mostly found in the UK but has found some niche interest in the USA amongst other countries. It is usually made by cider producers with which it shares a heritage and methods of production.

Pickle back - A chaser of pickle brine, usually after a shot of whiskey or other spirit.

Pick-me-up - A type of drink or cocktail that gives the drinker a burst of energy and puts them in a god mood.

Pilsner glass/flute - A tall slender elegant glass, sometimes footed, or with a short stem, associated with the classic pale lagers of Czechia and Germany.

Pin - A small cask with the capacity of 4.5 Imperial gallons (20.5 litres) for the dispense of cask ale.

Pint - A measurement of liquid especially for beer. In the US, it refers to the US customary measurement of a pint which is 16 US fluid ounces or 473ml. In the UK, Ireland and Canada the legal definition of the pint is the Imperial Pint based on 20 Imperial fluid ounces or 568ml.

Poco Grande - A stemmed hourglass shaped glass, similar to a Hurricane glass but usually with a smaller capacity and longer stem. Typical capacity is about 350ml /12 fl oz. Piña Coladas are a typical cocktail served in a Poco Grande

Polypin - A plastic bag-in-box container for beer that has the same approximate capacity as a pin cask (20 litres). It is primarily used for people to purchase or takeaway larger amounts of beer to be served at parties or events.

Pony 1. An antiquated measurement in old cocktail books that equates to 1fl oz or 30ml.
2. A stemmed shot glass of the same measurement (1 fl oz/30ml) .
3. Sometimes used as a broad term for a small measure of something to be drunk.

Pony keg - A slang term for a keg of 7.75 US Gallon/quarter barrel/29.3 litres.

Pop - A term for a fizzy soft drink or soda, chiefly used in Canada and the UK.

Posi-pour spout - A brand-named spout the pours a measured amount of liquid from a bottle usually used for spirits and liqueurs. They are available in a variety of sizes from ¼ fl. ounce to 2 fl. ounces. Metric versions are also available in increments between 25ml and 50 ml.

Post mix - A concentrated syrup that is mixed with carbonated water on site for dispense at the bar via a soda gun. Well known brands of soft drink/pop are available as a way for busy bars to expedite dispense.

Potman - The job in British and Irish pubs that collects glasses. A somewhat old-fashioned term but still used. Formerly potboy in years gone by.

Pour Brands - The brand of spirits that is poured when no specific brand is asked for; the same as the well brand or house brand. q.v. Call brand.

Power pack - The air cooling unit that chills a walk-in beer cooler for a fully chilled draught system.

Pressure gauge - A gauge or regulator that measures and displays the amount of pressure applied to a keg (secondary) or shows the amount of gas left in a cylinder or that is pressurising a draught system (primary).aka Regulator.

Proof - A traditional American method of measuring alcohol content which equates double that the percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV). i.e. 80 proof is the same as 40% ABV.

Pro-Pour (Training aid) - A measured training aid for testing that free-pour bartenders are accurate with the volume they are pouring. It's a large plastic flared cup that fits inside a shaker tin with all required measurements on it.

Pry-off cap - A crown cap style bottle cap that requires a bottle opener to open. q.v. Twist-off cap.

Pub - Short for Public house, a pub is the general term for an establishment that specialises in drinks service, particularly beer, that has a friendly, informal atmosphere. Food is not necessarily offered or consumed but some pubs offer a good range of traditional food. Traditional pubs are associated with and are an essential part of British and Irish culture that are copied with varying degrees of success around the world.

Pull through - A gentle way of mixing ingredients that can't be shaken or stirred where a bar spoon is put into the glass at the bottom and gently pulled up. Sometimes used with cocktails that are built in the glass, or after a carbonated mixer has been added.

Pump clip - A simple plastic badge, displaying the name of the beer, that clips onto the handle of beer engineor hand pump used for the dispense of cask ale.

Punch - An old family of cocktails containing a spirit, fruit juice (traditionally citrus), sugar and spices and often diluted with water to taste. Historically the most used spirits were Indian arrack and rum. Served from a communal punch bowl into a punch cup or else on the rocks in a collins or highball glass.

Punter - A slang term used in the UK for a customer in a pub.

Purée - Fruit that has been blended or mashed and sieved/strained to the consistency of a smooth soup. It should not contain little pieces but the texture should be smooth and consistent. Commercially prepared purées may also contain sugar or sweetener and other ingredients like stabilisers and preservatives. Used in cocktails like fruit martinis.

Python - The bundle of beer lines that connects the beers in kegs and/or casks in a beer cooler or cellar to the taps at the bar for dispense. Part of the draught system. aka Trunk

Q

Quart - A measurement of two pints. Still a legal pour of beer in the UK, it is rarely seen except at music festivals etc.

Quash© - A brand of cleaner and lipstick remover for glassware that has become genericized as a name for a cleaning dish that has fingers of sponge cut into it for pressing down and twisting in order to remove the lipstick marks.

Quinquina - An aromatised wine that has been fortified and flavoured with herbs, spices, bark and other botanicals. A Quinquina differs from Vermouths, Bitter vino and Americanos as a main flavouring ingredient should be Quinine. Examples: Byrrh, Dubonnet, Lillet.

R

Radler - A mixed drink of Bavarian origin similar to the shandy. A 50/50 mix of pale lager, like a pilsner or helles mixed with cloudy lemonade or other cloudy citrus flavoured soft drink (Grapefruit is a popular option).

Rail brand - House brand of a spirit. AKA Well brand.

Ratio (Cocktail recipe) - Recipes for cocktails are often given or memorised as ratios of the ingredients. For example a Margarita is often given as 2:1:1. This means for 2 parts tequila there is 1 part Cointreau and 1 part lime juice.

Reach-in - A standard under-counter, front opening bar refrigerator.

Regal (shake/stir) - Shaking or stirring a cocktail with a large swath of citrus peel, then removing it or straining it out before pouring in a glass.

Regular - A frequent customer.

Regulator (gas) - A device that regulates the pressure of the gas between one part of the draught system and another. see pressure gauge.

Restrictor plate - See nitro nozzle

Reverse dry shake - Shaking your cocktail ingredients with no ice, but with the reverse dry shake, you do it after shaking it with ice. i.e. Shake you cocktail with ice as normal, drain into the small tin, discard the ice and then shake again. Cocktails with egg white or cream develop a better foam than just a standard shake with ice. Doing it in reverse (i.e. after the shake with ice) is preferred by some bartenders as a better foam is created. q.v. Dry shake

Rice wine - Usually refers to Sake or Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing).

Rich syrup/Rich simple Syrup - Sometimes known as '2:1 simple syrup'. A syrup made from sugar and water at a ratio of 2:1 sugar to water. 1 bar spoon (5ml) is equivalent to 1 bar spoon (a teaspoon) of sugar. q.v. Simple syrup

Rickey - A group of simple mixed drinks with a spirit, lime juice and soda water/Club soda served over ice. e.g. Gin Rickey.

Rimming a glass - Some cocktails have the rim of the glass frosted with salt or coloured sugar. This is done by dampening the rim with water or wiping a citrus piece around the rim or the part of the rim that is being rimmed. The rim is then gently dipped and turned into the rimming powder so that it adheres to the rim of the glass. q.v. Glass rimmer; Kosher salt.

Rinse - As in rinsing a cocktail ingredient (usually Vermouth or Absinthe) in a glass and pouring it out, leaving a hint of the flavour in the glass before filling with the rest of the mixed cocktail. AKA Wash.

Rocks - Ice. q.v. On the rocks

Rocks glass - A low, straight sided, stemless tumbler used for some drinks served over ice or neat. Capacity is typically between 8 - 12 fl ounces/ 240 to 350ml. q.v. Old fashioned glass; lowball glass.

Rolling AKA Tumbling- 1. A gentle method of mixing a cocktail in a two-part shaker where the shaker is slowly rotated end-over-end to mix the contents without frothing up. Mainly used for cocktails that contain tomato juice, such as a Bloody Mary or Caesar, as the tomato juice can froth and bubble excessively as well as loose texture.
2. Sometimes refers to throwing which is a method of mixing a cocktail by pouring the contents from one tinto the other tin of a two-part shaker repeatedly until the desired temperature is achieved, although this is more correctly called a Cuban Roll.

(A) Round - A common way for a group to buy each other drinks over the course of a session. One person at a time goes to the bar to buy a round of drinks for the group. Each person then takes their term. This is common for bar service pubs in the UK and Ireland.

Royale/Royal - Used in a cocktail name, commonly as an adaptation from the normally found recipe where champagne or sparkling wine is used, replacing still white wine or lemonade or soda water. e.g. Kir Royale; Royal Pimms Cup.

RTD - Short for Ready to drink. These are a type of drinks sold in cans or bottles that are already mixed before packaging. They include premixed spirits and mixers like gin and tonic, alcopops or ready made packaged cocktails.

S

Safety meeting - A slang term for bar staff disappearing out back, storeroom or in the cellar for a quick shotor a smoke, returning quickly to work to avoid the absence being noticed.

Sake - A fermented rice beverage, originally from Japan sometimes referred to as rice wine, despite having more in common with beer than traditional wine.

Saline solution - A solution of salt dissolved in water that can be used in very small amounts (two to four drops from a dropper) to boost flavour and balance sweetness in a cocktail. Solutions are generally 20g of salt to 80g/ml of water dissolved (ratio of 4:1). For best results, natural sea salt and mineral water are used.

Salting the rim - Also see Rimming the glass. Some cocktails (e.g. Margarita) call for the rim of the glass to salted. This is done by dampening the rim with water or wiping a citrus piece around the rim or the part of the rim that is being salted. The rim is gently dipped while turning in a saucer of salt so that the salt adheres to the rim of the glass.

Saloon bar - 1. US. An antiquated term for a licensed public bar.
2. UK. Archaic. A part of a pub that was furnished more luxuriously and was a bit smarter to attract wealthier drinkers. The drinks were more expensive as it was a more premium area.

Saucer (Champagne) - The same glass as a coupe.

Scaffa - A description of cocktails that are mixed with no ice or dilution and served at room temperature.

Scant - Used in cocktail recipes to indicate a slightly short measure. e.g. a scant bar spoon of simple syrupwill slightly mean less than a spoonful.

Schooner - A name of a style of glass and a legal measure in the UK and Australia that differs.
1. A legally defined measurement for draught beer in the UK of ⅔ of an Imperial pint or 379ml.
2. In Australia a legal measure for draught beer defined as ¾ of an Imperial pint or 425ml.
3. A rounded, footed glass, sometimes slightly flared, the shape varies considerably around the world in its definition.
4. A stemmed sherry glass that has a trumpet shape.

Screwdriver - A vodka and orange juice.

Seltzer - Carbonated water. q.v. Club soda; Soda water

Served down - A rare term for serving a cocktail on the rocks, particularly if it is usually served up.

Served up - A short cocktail served in a tall stemmed glass (e.g. Martini glass, Coupe etc.) with no ice. Some cocktails are usually served down or on the rocks but a this is a common mod. e.g. A classic Negroni is served on the rocks but many drinkers prefer it stirred and strained into a coupe. q.v. Straight up.

Service bar - A bar where drinks are prepared, mixed and poured for table service but is not open for customers to drink at or order anything. Also called a Dispense bar. q.v. Service well.

Service well - Working the service well means exclusively working a part of a bar that focusses on orders coming in from the servers on the floor of a restaurant rather than the part that serves the public who sit at the bar. i.e. The bartender that works the service well doesn't serve customers at the bar and just makes drinks for servers to take to tables in the dining room. q.v. Service bar; Dispense bar.

Session - An extended period of drinking in a pub. Often shortened to 'Sesh'. Possibly derives from old pub opening hours in the UK when pubs were open for a lunchtime session from 11am to 3pm and an evening session from 7pm to 11pm.

Session beer - A beer of relatively low ABV that can be drunk in volume over a long period or session without leaving the drinker completely inebriated. There seems to be no agreed maximum alcohol level but usually the beers are no stronger than 4.5% ABV and often a lot lower with under 4% ABV being a popular range to have a session on.

Shake/Shaking - A main way to mix cocktails. The ingredients are put into a cocktail shaker with ice and vigorously shaken for 10 to 12 seconds, which will get the temperature down to -4° to -6° Celsius. Cocktails that can be shaken tend to be those with any fruit juice or egg white in them. Cocktails that can be seen through (not opaque) tend to be stirred.

Shaker glass - (aka Boston shaker glass). The flared US Pint glass that is often used as the smaller half of a two-part shaker, as well as being the standard draught beer glass used in the US.

Shandy - (AKA Shandygaff) A 50/50 mix of beer and clear lemonade/lemon soda etc. or ginger ale or ginger beer. In some countries especially the UK, the type of beer is specified as a lager shandy or bitter shandy. q.v. Radler.

Shebeen - (Síbín in Irish). Originally meaning home made whiskey in Ireland, a form of moonshine, it evolved into meaning a hidden, secret and illegal bar. q.v. Speakeasy. Today it is often used to name a hidden away bar or part of a bar or club, primarily to drink whisk(e)y.

Shelf life - The time before a perishable product can legally be served or used. q.v. use-by/expiry date.

Shelf-life stickers - Stickers that are attached to any prepared juices, syrups etc. that must be consumed before a certain date. Freshly squeezed citrus juices last 3 days in a refrigerator and simple syrups up to a month chilled. q.v. day dot stickers

Shelf matting - Plastic or rubber grids that line shelves for glassware storage. This allows air circulation in the upturned glass and avoids unwanted aromas or moisture accumulating.

Shifty/Shift drink - A drink before, during or directly after a shift, usually free.

Shive - A bung in a cask where a spile/peg is hammered in to vent the cask to prepare it for service.

Short cocktail - A cocktail where the volume is generally beneath 150ml and is not mixed or diluted with large amounts of mixers or juices. q.v. Long cocktail.

Short draw - A draught system with a relatively short distance between the keg and tap, generally under 25 feet or 7.5 metres. q.v. Direct draw; Long draw.

Short spout - A short tap spout used with a beer engine or hand pump for cask ale. q.v. long spout.

Shot - 1. A single measure of spirits. In the US this is 1 US Fl ounce (29.6 ml). In the UK and other metric countries the amount is usually 25ml or 30ml. Often drunk from a shot glass if having neat.
2. It can also refer to a very short cocktail served in a shot glass, often layering the ingredients to create a visually appealing look. AKA Shooter. e.g. B-52.

Shot girl - A person, generally a young woman who sells shots of liquor/spirits as they walk around a bar or night club. Sometimes called a Tequila girl when specifically selling Tequila.

Shot glass - A small stemless glass that has a capacity of a single shot. Depending on where, it ranges from 25ml to 30ml or 1fl oz.

Shooter - A term to describe a drink that is drunk in shot glasses in a single gulp, often a layered cocktail in a shot glass e.g. a B52. q.v. Shot.

Shrub - 1. A type of (often homemade) liqueur made from brandy or rum blended with sugar and citrus juice and sometimes citrus peel.
2. A mixture of sugar/syrup, vinegar (usually cider vinegar), fruit/fruit juice or other botanical and sometimes a spirit that can be aged for use as a base for a drink. It can be diluted with soda water or used as a cocktail ingredient.

Siedel - Pronounced 'seedel' German for a tankard, a handled mug made from glass, metal or ceramic, usually for beer.

Silver - Indicates a version of a cocktail with egg white added and shaken to give a froth to it. e.g. Silver Gin fizz.

Simple syrup - A mix of sugar dissolved into water to make a sugar syrup, sometimes with gentle application of heat. Often done in a weight ratio of 1:1 (i.e. 1 Kg of sugar is dissolved into 1 litre [1kg] of water). Or else made as a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water for a rich simple syrup. This ratio is often preferred as 1 bar spoon(5ml) of granulated sugar in a recipe equates to 1 bar spoon of 2:1 rich simple syrup, making it easier to convert for recipes. Simple syrups are also preferred to adding granulated sugar in cocktails as it is already dissolved and mixes in more easily.

Single (shot) - A single standard measure, usually referring to spirits. The measure differs slightly depending on which country you are in. In the US it is generally 1 fl oz, In metric countries it is usually either 25 or 30 ml with a few places using 35ml.

Sink - To pour a cocktail ingredient allowing it to sink to the bottom of the glass either by pouring down the handle of a bar spoon or very gently on the inside wall of the glass. This technique is used in a Tequila sunrise amongst other cocktails.

Sink Colander/Strainer - A strainer specially designed for a sinks, Often used in bars so that cocktail shakers/dirty glasses etc. can be dumped in the sink and the colander catches all the garnishes, fruit and straws etc.

Sirop de Gomme - AKA Gomme syrup; Gum Syrup. A sugar syrup made with gum arabic which is the sap of the acacia tree. This adds a smooth texture to drinks it is added to in place of sugar or simple syrup.

Sixtel - A nickname for a small narrow keg that holds ⅙ of a US barrel (5.16 gallons or 19.5 litres). AKA Cigar keg; torpedo keg.

Skimmer - A small handled blunt blade that is used to skim or slice of the foam from the top of a beer by a bartender after pouring, usually on draught.

Slam-dunk - An illegal practice of bartenders putting money in their tip jar for draught beer sold for cash that requires no change.

Slate - A term used in pubs and bars for the credit an individual owes for drinks etc. purchased. AKA Tab.

Slice - A type of cut of fruit, often citrus, for a garnish for a cocktail or other highball/mixed drink. It is a semi-circle cut flat at least 0.5 cm (¼  inch) thick. AKA Half-moon slice.

Slim Jim - A name for a Highball glass. Typical capacity is between 200ml to 350ml (7oz - 12oz).

Sling - A family of tall cocktails that contain a spirit, citrus juice, simple syrup or sweet liqueur and topped up with soda water.

Sling glass - A tall footed glass with a short stem that flares slightly outwards toward the mouth. Large enough for serving long cocktails such as a Singapore sling. Typical capacity 10-12 fl Oz or 280 to 340 ml

Sleeve - A Canadian term (not legally defined) for a beer glass with capacity of less than an Imperial pint. Usually anywhere between 12 and 16 fl ounces or 340 to 470ml.

Small - Used in conjunction with a spirit, e.g. 'I'll have a small whisky on the rocks' meaning a single measure or single shot. q.v. Large.

Small pack (beer) - Refers to beer that is packaged in cans and bottles rather than in large formats such as kegs and casks for draught.

Snake - A very tall stack of beer glasses collected by a Potman or similar, usually at events like football matches etc.

Snakebite - A mixed drink, usually a pint, that's half beer and half cider (hard cider). It's often asked for as Snakebite and black which would add either a shot of blackcurrant cordial/squash (syrup) or a blackcurrant liqueur like creme de cassis in the glass.

Snifter - A short stemmed large rounded glass, initially designed for swirling Cognac and other brandies, but used now for a number of drinks. AKA Brandy Balloon/Ballon .

Snort - Slang term for a shot of hard liquor or a spirit. Usually inferred to be cheap and drunk quickly.

Snug - A separate, small area within a pub that is often partially closed off or in a private nook of the seating area for customers to enjoy a cosy and secluded area for drinking.

Soda - 1. Shorthand for Soda water
2. Mainly American term for carbonated soft drinks or pop.

Soda gun - A soft drink dispensing device attached by a hose to a variety of syrups and carbonated water. It mixes the syrups and fizzy water to dispense at the bar. AKA Bar gun.

Soda water - Carbonated water, chiefly used to mix in drinks. Originally called "soda" water as sodium bicarbonate was used to make it fizzy. q.v. Seltzer.

Soda syphon - A pressurised bottle/container that holds a small gas cylinder and water, so when pressed it ejects carbonated soda water from the spout. Usually found in the home rather than bars these days.

Soft drink - A general term for any non-alcoholic drink, usually flavoured and sweetened. q.v. Soda; Pop.

Sommelier - A person with professional wine knowledge, expertise and usually wine/sommelier certifications in a restaurant. Serves and recommends wine and pairings to the guests. They will also potentially have knowledge of spirits and cocktails as well.

Sour (Cocktail) - A family of cocktails that consist of a spirit, citrus juice and sugar or liqueur . They have a notable sour/acidic profile, although should show balance from the sugar or liqueur. They are often served with frothed egg white. Commonly served down - on the rocks, historically they more commonly were served upin a sour glass.

Sour beer - A family of beer styles that contain elevated levels of acidity. The acidity can come from bacteria used during the brewing or maturation process or else can be added in the form of lactic acid. An example of a traditional sour beer are the Lambics of Belgium.

Sour glass - A small stemmed, rounded glass, somewhat like a small wine glass. Used for serving sour style cocktails when they are served up rather than on the rocks in a rocks glass.

Sour mix - A pre-made blend of lemon and/or lime juice(s) and sugar syrup. Some versions contain egg whites or other foaming agent. These can be bought commercially or made fresh in house.

Sparkler - A small, plastic tip that screws on to a spout of a beer engine for cask ale. It has tiny holes in it so the beer is forced through and ejects small bubbles of CO2 to create a thick, creamy foam.

Sparkling wine - Wine with CO2 dissolved into it , coming in an array of quality, prices and methods. Includes Champagne, Prosecco, Cremant and Cava amongst many other fizzy wines from around the world. Often nicknamed Fizz.

Speakeasy - Originally refers to an illegal drinking establishment, especially during the prohibition era in the US. Today it refers to a style of bar that is hidden away, usually small and may require an invitation to get in. So called because you had to speak quietly about the bar to avoid it getting discovered by the authorities.

Speed rail/rack - A metal railed shelf where high turnover house spirits are kept in the underbar area for quick and easy access.

Speed spout/Speed pourer - A small metal or plastic spout that is inserted into a bottle (usually spirits and liqueurs) that allows for fast dispense as well as accurate pouring into jiggers. They allow liquid out and air in for fast and consistant pouring speed when the bottle is inverted. Essential for free-pouring as well as speeding up service in a busy cocktail bar.

Spile - The peg that is hammered in to the shive to vent a cask in preperation for broaching and serving/attaching to the draught system.

Spill - Writing off a drink that's been made incorrectly and hasn't been served yet. Some POS systems have this as an option if everything has to be put through the till.

Spirit - An alcoholic beverage that has been distilled. Some countries have minimum alcohol levels in the definition, others have minimum alcohol levels that are determined by the type of spirit.

Split base - Splitting the normally used base spirit in a cocktail with another to change it up, or as a bespoke recipe for a guest. eg. A split based Negroni would use half the amount of gin and replace the half with another spirit.

Spritz - A family of cocktails/mixed drinks that contain sparkling wine (usually Prosecco) and either a bitter liqueur (often an amaro) or more commonly a bitter aperitivo such as Aperol or Campari. This can be topped up with soda water and or a flavoured mixer depending on the individual recipe.

Spritzer - A mixed drink with a wine base and soda water, although sometimes lemonade soda can be added or substituted but is not traditional. Variations on a simple wine base include substituting wine with vermouth or other aromatised wine. Other variations can add tonic water in place of soda water. Some versions also add orange juice, especially in variations where bitter aperitivos are used in place of wine.

Squash - A term used primarily in British English for a sweetened concentrate of fruit and sometimes other ingredients such as elderflower that is designed to be diluted with water or sparkling water. It is somewhat like a light syrup. Also known as a cordial (Br. Eng.). The most common flavours are orange squash and blackcurrant cordial. A widely available example would be Rose's Lime cordial (Called Rose's sweetened lime juice concentrate in the US.

Squeezy bottle/squeeze bottle - A small, plastic, squeezable bottle with a nozzle that has a narrow aperture that allows the bottle to be inverted and squeezed gently to accurately pour a small amount of the contents. The nozzle should have a small cap attached to seal it from the air. Behind the bar they are commonly used to hold lemon or lime juice, fruit purées, syrups or any other regularly used ingredient for cocktails. They are not designed for long-term storage but are used for liquids that have been prepped for service.

Skewered - Descriptor used in a cocktail recipe describing how a garnish is to be presented so that it is spiked with a cocktail stick or cocktail pick.

Startender - A cocktail bartender or mixologist who entertains and enjoys being the focus of attention behind the bar. Formally used as a purely positive description, but has evolved into a pejorative as a bartender who loves showing off but does little to no side work.

Stein - Pronounced 'sht-eye-n' The full German word is Steinkrug (Stone mug/jug). Stein literally translates as 'stone' This is a ceramic (stoneware) handled tankard in the German tradition. Sometimes incorrectly used to describe any glass tankard. Usually holds 500ml but larger 1 litre ones are commonly found. q.v. Masskrug.

Stem - The part of a glass that connects the base or foot to the bowl.

Stemmed Highball glass - A straight-sided footed and stemmed version of the highball tumbler. It has a rounded base that attaches to the stem. Somewhat like a sling glass without the gently flared sides.

(The) Stick - Slang term for the bar, used by bartenders when working. Also see Behind the stick.

Still - 1. When referring to a beverage, means without carbonation or CO2 e.g. Still water.
2. The device in which spirit alcohol is made with the process of distillation.

Stillage - The rack on which a cask sits to drop bright or settle until clear. A cask stays on the stillage and is not disturbed after it has been tapped and attached to a beer line ready for service.

Stirring/Stirred - A method of mixing cocktails where the ingredients are poured into a stirring jug or sometimes the large tin or Boston shaker glass with ice and are stirred with a bar spoon. There is a technique to stirring where the bar spoon must be allowed to twist and not be pinched so that the back of the bowl part of the spoon is kept against the glass. The time stirring depends on how cold you want the cocktail. Manhattans and Negronis are often not served as cold as Martini for example. Stirring for 10 seconds takes the temperature of the cocktail to 5° Celsius (41°Fahrenheit) and 30 seconds takes it down 0 ° Celsius (freezing), 45 seconds to -2° Celsius and a minute down to -4° Celsius. (Source: 'Liquid Intelligence' by David Arnold) Remember that the longer you stir and the colder the cocktail the more diluted it will become.

Stirring jug AKA Mixing jug - A thick-walled, wide, glass or metal jug with a spout designed for stirringcocktails. They should be tempered so won't shatter due to thermal shock. The size makes it easier to stir in than a tin or Boston shaker glass, and allows more servings of a cocktail to be mixed at once. It is recommended if using a glass version, like a cocktail glass, they are chilled down by swirling ice or ice and water (which is dumped) before filling with ice and the ingredients of the cocktail, or if you have room they can be kept in a fridge or freezer for service.

Stir-stick - See Cocktail stirrer

Store and pour - A large, plastic storage bottle that has an angled, tapered spout, when inverted pours the contents easily and neatly. Usually used for fruit juices that are poured as mixers and drinks. As they are superior to cartons many bars will decant the juice into a store and pour for speed and ease of service. Also used if juices are mixed or seasoned for specific drinks to make service faster. e.g. for Bloody Mary tomato juice that has been seasoned.

Straight - A spirit (or other drink) served with no ice or mixer. aka Neat.

Straight-up - When a drink is mixed with ice, stained and served in a stemmed cocktail glass like a coupe,martini glass or Nick and Nora.

Strain - The act of pouring out the mixed cocktail from a cocktail shaker or stirring jug through a strainer, keeping the ice out of the glass.

Strainer - A number of types of strainer are used in making cocktails for straining out ice as well as any other solid particles. q.v. Julep strainer; Hawthorn; Fine strainer

Suds - Slang for beer.

Summer cup - See Fruit cup.

Swan neck spout - AKA Long spout. With service of cask ales there are two lengths of spout that can be used. the long spout forces small bubbles out of the beer enabling a tighter foam head. q.v. short spout.

Swath - A type of garnish cut from the peel of fruit. It's a simple, rustic piece of the skin cut with a vegetable peeler in an elongated oblong shape. This can be trimmed with a knife to have straight sides and pointed ends to look less rustic and more stylish. If long enough it can be twisted before being put in the drink to form a loose spiral shape. q.v. Twist.

Switchel - A non-alcoholic mixed drink that contains water, vinegar (usually cider vinegar), ginger, a type of syrup or honey or molasses and sometimes other flavouring ingredients, usually lemon or lime. A spirit can be added to make an alcoholic version.

Swizzle - 1. verb - A method of mixing a cocktail with a swizzle stick. Separate from stirring, swizzling uses the pronged stick to whisk the drink and is rotated by rubbing between two hands quickly back and forth in the glass (a collins or highball) gently moving up and down the length of the glass until mixed, aerated and fully chilled. Mainly used to mix the Swizzle family of cocktails.
2. A family of cocktails originating in the Caribbean that contain a spirit (often rum) or liqueur, syrup or other sweetening element, fruit juice (usually citrus or pineapple) and bitters, served over crushed ice. Falernum is often the sweetening element traditionally used or else is used in addition to another sweeting element. The cocktail is mixed by building in the glass over crushed ice and swizzled using a swizzle stick or churned.

Swizzle stick - A bar tool that was originally made from a branch or twig of a swizzle stick tree in the Caribbean. Most are metal or plastic today but real wooden ones can still be found. It is a stick, usually between 15 and 20cm (6 - 8 inches) long with 4 or 5 short prongs at one end in a flat star shape, which is inserted into the drink to mix, chill and aerate it by swizzling. q.v. Cocktail stirrer.

Syrup - Behind the bar it refers to a reduction with sugar. In its most basic form just sugar and water making a simple syrup. syrups can be flavoured with a potentially huge number of flavourings from spices, nuts, herbs and most commonly fruits. This can be done by infusion or adding fruit that has been broken down by heating with the sugar syrup. q.v. Rich syrup.

T

Tab - A term used in pubs and bars for the credit an individual owes for drinks etc. purchased. AKA Slate.

Tajin© - A Brand of spiced rimming salt for cocktails that also contains lime and chilli. Popularly used for Micheladas and Margheritas.

Tall cocktail - See: Long cocktail

Tall drink - Any drink, especially a mixed drink that uses a mixer or has a total volume over approximately 125ml to 150ml (4 to 5 fl oz). AKA Long drink.

Tankard - A handled mug for serving beer in, usually made from glass but pewter and ceramic examples can be found. The capacity is often a pint, but other volumes are available. q.v. Siedel; Stein; Lantern tankard; Masskrug; Dimple mug.

Tap - 1. see beer tap
2. As a verb - to tap it means to initially open or connect a cask or keg to a draught system. AKA broach.

Tap (Beer Tap) - The device that is affixed to a bar (or sometimes attached to a keg/cask) that when flipped or turned allows beer to be drawn from the draught system and served into a glass. AKA Faucet.

Tap handle - The wooden, ceramic, resin or plastic, often heavily branded, handle that is attached to the beer tap, when flicked over opens the faucet allowing beer to be poured.

Tap room - Usually refers to a bar attached to a working brewery, but can potentially be another name for a generic bar or pub.

Thimble - A measuring jigger for cocktail ingredients or wine glass measures.

Three-part shaker - This is a cocktail shaker that consists of a large tin, a top that has an integral strainerand a cap to cover the strainer. AKA Cobbler shaker.

Throwing - AKA Cuban Roll - A method of mixing a cocktail by pouring the contents from one tin to the other tin of a two-part shaker repeatedly until the desired temperature is achieved. Sometimes referred to as rollingalthough this more accurately means tumbling. AKA Tossing.

Tiki - A family of cocktails developed and promoted in the 1930s by Donn Beach. These are kitsch faux-Polynesian cocktails that usually include various rums and lots of exotic tropical flavours. They tend to be strong and have very flamboyant garnishes and are served in a Tiki mug.

Tiki mug - A tall, ceramic, glossy mug with a face of a faux pacific totem or god moulded on to the front, used for Tiki cocktails.

Tilt jigger - A measuring jigger, that has two prongs, one on each side so it can balance on the rim of a glass, and once filled can be tilted so the cup is inverted and empties into the glass or mixing tin.

Time - As in Calling time. Announcing the end of service so customers know they can no longer order any drinks.

Tin - The term used for the metal cups that make up cocktail shakers. q.v. Boston tin; Toby tin, Three-part shaker; Two-part shaker.

Tincture - A preparation made by infusing or steeping an ingredient such as a spice, fruit or herb in high percentage neutral alcohol. It is used very sparingly in tiny amounts to add flavour or complexity to a cocktail, usually dispensed via a dropper or sprayed using an atomiser.

Toby tin - The smaller tin of the two-part shaker. Capacity is about 18 fl oz or 500ml.

Toddy AKA Hot Toddy - A hot mixed drink, often claiming medicinal qualities. It consists of a spirit, usually whisky, brandy or rum, a sweet element, usually honey, and hot water. Lemon and/or spice is sometimes added. It is served in a mug or a toddy glass

Toddy glass - A tempered glass cup with a handle for hot mixed drinks such as a Toddy or liquor coffee. q.v. Liqueur coffee glass.

Tonic water - A mixer made from carbonated water with a slight bitterness and sweetness with flavour derived from quinine, which the original versions were flavoured with, historically as a way to ward off malaria in the tropics, especially by the British in India in the 19th Century.

Top shelf - A term used to describe the premium spirits on offer at a bar. q.v. Call brand.

Torpedo keg - A nickname for a small narrow keg that holds 20 litres of beer (Europe) or 1/6 of a US barrel(5.16 gallons or 19.5 litres). AKA Sixtel; Cigar keg.

Tossing - see Throwing.

Tot - Today, a general term for a small amount of liquor or spirits, often a double but generally unspecified. Originates as 1/8 of an Imperial pint or just over 71ml, for a rum ration in the Royal Navy from 1866 to 1970 q.v. Grog.

Trunk - A term for the bundle of beer lines that runs between a beer cooler or beer cellar and the bar. AKA Python; Loom.

Tub - Slang term for a keg.

Tulip glass - 1. A stemmed tulip glass has a short stem and hourglass shape, popularly used with strong golden Belgian beers.
2. A stemless Tulip pint glass is generally associated with stouts, especially Guinness.

Tumbling - AKA Rolling (see note vs throwing/Cuban Roll)- A gentle method of mixing a cocktail in a two-part shaker where the shaker is slowly rotated end-over-end to mix the contents without frothing up. Mainly used for cocktails that contain tomato juice, such as a Bloody Mary or Caesar, as the tomato juice can froth and bubble excessively.

Tumbler - A general term for stemless , flat- bottomed glasses of any size that include the Collins glass, Highball, Rocks glass, Old fashioned glass.

Tut - The piece of a shive that is pushed out when a spile is hammered in for a cask to be vented.

Tweezers - A tool used for very precise garnish assembly on a glass. Most commonly used to place individual coffee beans in a pattern on Espresso Martinis.

Twist - A garnish of a line of fruit peel, usually citrus, that has been cut in a long thin line with a channel knife, that has been twisted around a metal straw or bar spoon handle in a spiral. It can also just be a simple oblong swath of peel that has been twisted in the hand.

Twist-off cap - A bottle cap, primarily for beer, that can be twisted off by hand. q.v. Crown cap; Pry-off cap.

Two-part Shaker - A cocktail shaker made of two tins, one smaller (a Toby tin) and one larger tin (a Boston tin). It can also consist of a Boston tin and a Boston shaker glass. This shaker fits together as the mouth of the smaller tin fits snugly into the mouth of the larger tin, forming a seal.

Two-touch drinks - A drink with two ingredients. Usually a spirit with a mixer.

U

Ullage – 1. Beverage wastage that can be written off against tax or other costs. This can be due to leakage or deterioration, or else used in accounting to account for wastage when pulling beer through the lines or spilled during pouring into drip-trays. 
2. The air space in a wine bottle (or barrel). Older wines will show more space from evaporation or cork absorption. The lower the level the more likely the wine may be spoiled.

Un86ables - The bottles of spirits/liqueurs that sit on the back bar and never seem to run out. AKA Dusties.

Underbar - (AKA under-the-bar)The area beneath the bar top where sinks, the ice well, garnish tray and a general preparation area is located.

Up - see served up

Use-by date - AKA Expiry date. In any hospitality venue, a legal date printed on packaging whereby a perishable foodstuff must be used by or else thrown away. Consumption of products beyond their use by date may risk contamination with pathogenic bacteria and cause food poisoning. q.v. Best before date; Shelf life.

Usual - An order from a regular to have the drink they order every time they're in the bar/pub. e.g. "I'll have a pint of the usual please"

V

VAT - Vodka and tonic.

Vent (a cask) - Cask ale is sealed in the barrel (cask) with live yeast that keeps slowly fermenting or conditioning producing carbon dioxide (CO2). This CO2 needs to be released before tapping. This process is known as venting, where a porous soft spile or peg is hammered into the shive, releasing the gas.

Vermouth - An aromatised wine that is fortified and flavoured with a blend of botanicals which (by law in the EU) must have a dominant note of wormwood, where the drink gets its name from the German for wormwood 'Wermut'. It comes in a number of varieties, the classic styles being: dry white vermouth, sweet red vermouth and sweet white vermouth. The more recent additions of pink and amber vermouths are also now easily available.

Vintage - Literally from a single year. This term is used predominantly with wine, where it means the grapes used in the wine were all harvested from a single year and the year is stated on the label and is known as the vintage. It has no meaning as to the quality of the wine in itself, a common mistake, although some years or vintages can be more highly regarded than others.

Virgin - Used to describe a drink, usually a cocktail without any alcohol. e.g. Virgin mojito or Virgin (bloody) Mary.

W

Waiter's friend - The classic corkscrew used by sommeliers and bartenders the world over. A small folding tool that consists of the worm, the lever, a small knife and a crown cap bottle opener.

Wall - The sides of a glass. Used when teaching people to pour beer against the inside 'wall of the glass'.

Wash - AKA rinse. As in rinsing a cocktail ingredient (usually Vermouth or Absinthe) in a glass and pouring it out, leaving a hint of the flavour in the glass before filling with the rest of the mixed cocktail.

Wassail - A warm, spiced, mulled ale or cider traditionally served on and around Christmas. Flavoured with baking spices such as clove and nutmeg, sometimes fruit and possibly fortified with other alcohol like madeira, sherry, liqueur or spirits. Historically heated with a hot poker and some recipes had pieces of bread or chunks of apple soaked in it so it was known as Lambswool due to the frothy wool-like appearance of the floating additions. Today mulled cider and occasionally mulled beer can be found in traditional pubs in the UK around Christmas.

Wedge - A way of cutting fruit for a garnish. A solid triangular, tapered slice that can be used by simply being put into a highball mixed drink or it can be partially cut in the middle and slid onto the rim so it perches on the glass. Limes are usually cut into 6 wedges and lemons are cut into 8, but it depends on size.

Well - A recessed area behind the bar, more specifically under the bar (underbar), like an ice well where high volume drinks can be stored for easy and quick access. This has largely been replaced by a speed rail in smaller bars, but busy cocktail bars will still use a well for a larger range of popular spirits, liqueurs and aromatised wines used in their cocktails. q.v. dump fridge

Well brands/drinks - The brand of spirits that is poured when no specific brand is asked for; the same as the house brand or pour brand. So named as the drinks were in a well under the bar within easy reach of the bartender, now kept in a speed rail. q.v. Call brand.

Wet led (bar or pub) - A bar or pub that predominately or entirely makes its income from drinks and offers no food or else serves basic snacks and meals that make up only a small part of their income.

Wheel (garnish) - A full slice of fruit in a full circle shape of at least ½  cm or ¼ inch thick. Usually used by cutting a line from the edge to the centre of the wheel and sliding the wheel onto the rim of the glass.

Whipped cream dispenser - A pressurised, refillable bottle using a nitrous oxide gas canister to froth and dispense whipped cream. Used in bartending more as a method to foam egg whites or create foamed cocktails. It can also be used as a way to rapidly infuse liquids with flavours from fruit etc.

Wine - An alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice.

Wine cooler - 1. (drink) - A cocktail or mixed drink based on wine and can contain a spirit or liqueur, fruit juice and/or carbonated mixer or soft drink. Often available as a pre-mixed, packaged RTD beverage.
2. A plastic or metal thermal container to keep wine bottles cold when served at a table.
3. A specifically designed refrigerator for wine that can have different temperature zones for different colours/styles of wine. AKA Wine fridge.

Wine glass - 1. A stemmed goblet-shaped glass used for wine as well as a few cocktails, although its use as a type of cocktail glass declined during the second half of the 19th century as other glass shapes became more widely available.
2. An antiquated unit of measure used in late 18th and early 19th Century that equates to about 2 fl oz, or 60 ml. Later recipe books use this measure but wine glasses had got a lot larger by the end of the 19th and 20th Century, so it isn't always clear what exact measure they are referring to.

Wine key - A waiter's friend style corkscrew.

WSET - Wine and Spirits Education Trust - An educational and certification body that focusses on alcoholic beverages including wine, spirits, beer, and sake.

Z

Zebra drinking/Zebra striping - Alternating alcohol free or low alcohol beverages with the standard alcoholic ones. Usually used in reference to beer drinking.

Zester - A tool that can either grate the skin of citrus fruit creating zest or in combination with a channel knife, four small holes can be pressed and dragged across citrus fruit skin, giving little coils of zest. Zest is often sprinkled on top of cocktails as part of a garnish.

Zombie glass - see Collins glass.