Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle Page B

water, freeze overnight, and peel away the waxy paper.
    M UDDLING : In some recipes, once you’ve filled a glass with the specified fruits, juices, or herbs, use a muddler ( page 6 ) to gently mash the ingredients, twisting lightly to release oils and flavors.
    R IMMING : Rub the lip of the desired glass with a lemon or lime wedge, then “rim” the glass (hey, now!) by turning it upside down and placing the rim on a plate of salt, cocoa powder, sugar, or whatever the recipe calls for. Then gently rotate the glass so the rim gets coated in the desired ingredient.
    S HAKING : Fill a Cobbler tin with all of the ingredients and ice, cap shut, and shake vigorously—harder than you think, bordering on “workout.” Uncap the lid and strain into a glass.
    S TIRRING : Experts use a bar spoon, which has a long, twisting handle, but an everyday cereal spoon will do just fine. For cocktails with carbonation, the bubbles do the stirring for you.
DECORATING A DRINK
    G ARNISHES : Like a truly memorable book cover (remember the puppeteer’s hand on The Godfather ?), garnishes are the promise of something special to come. Technically, garnish adds both color and flavor (like a lime wedge or lemon twist), garbage is any food or fruit that’s solely for aesthetic purposes (like a lemon wheel), and kitsch is something hokey (like an umbrella, or the entire plot of Valley of the Dolls ).
Garnish techniques include:
    T EARING : The easiest way to include mint in a cocktail. Simply wash, remove stems, and take out your frustration one rip at a time.
    T WISTS : Delicately flavors a drink and adds a little citrus pizzazz. The official method involves a channel knife , which peels a long, thin gouge out of a lemon. Our easier, preferred method is to wash a lemon and then use a vegetable peeler to remove a 2-inch strip of skin. Fold in half, twist over drink, wipe the rim of the glass with the twist, and then drop into the glass.
    W EDGES : The most widely seen lemon or lime garnish. Wash, dry, and cut the ends off the whole fruit. Then chop the fruit in half “the short way” and quarter the remaining halves. Wedges can either be squeezed and dropped into the drink, or balanced on the rim after cutting a notch into the fruit.
    W HEELS : Circular discs of fruits or vegetables. Wash, dry, and cut the ends off the whole fruit, then slice crosswise into “wheels.” Can be placed in the drink, or balanced on the rim after cutting a notch into the fruit.

TERMS
SPIRITS
    G IN : Distilled from grain and, though flavored with everything from juniper to cinnamon, smells a bit like rubbing alcohol—but in a fun way. Favored by Fitzgerald.
    R UM : Hemingway’s main hooch is the best sugar-water money can buy. The lightest kinds are the youngest; the darkest can be older than seven years.
    T EQUILA : Comes from the blue agave plant, not the cactus. The word “tequila” itself refers to a very specific region in Mexico, and the authentic stuff doesn’t harbor any wayward worms. Kerouac adored it.
    V ODKA : Odorless and clear, vodka is typically distilled from potatoes and grains. Russians drink it straight, but Americans mix it up—William S. Burroughs in particular.
    W HISKEY : Distilled from grains and hailing from America, Canada, Ireland, or Scotland. Dorothy Parker’s prized drink is serious stuff by its lonesome, but it plays nice with others. We feature both rye whiskey and bourbon, which is any good Southerner’s definition of whiskey.
LIQUEURS
    Strong, syrupy spirits that are flavored any number of ways, from fruits to flowers; also includes schnapps. The following liqueurs make appearances throughout: absinthe and ouzo (licorice-like flavor), amaretto (almond/apricot flavor), anise (brands like Galliano and Herbsaint), blackberry, butterscotch, cinnamon (a brand like Goldschläger), coffee (a brand like Kahlúa), crème de cassis (blackcurrant flavor), crème de menthe