How to Pour Liquor Like a Champ!!

Don’t you just drop your jaw and clap your hands whenever you see bartenders throw liquor bottles in the air and catch them in another hand before pouring it into your glass? What a show, right?

Pouring liquor is as easy as gripping the bottle by the neck and turning it upside down, but is that all there is to it? If you are an aspiring bartender, you might want to master how to pour liquor before doing some tricks.

Read the full article here: How To Pour Liquor Like A Champ: A Beginner's Guide

1. Empty Liquor Bottle
2. Water
3. Liquor Pourer or Spout
4. Shaker Tin or Glass

Instead of wasting your liquor over fail pouring, why not work your way first with water.

1. Fill an empty bottle with water.
2. Attach the spout or liquor pourer to the bottle.

The free pour follows the famous count system done by bartenders mentally. Some do it with the clock counting speed while others follow the dance counting speed.

If you decide to use the clock speed, just count from one-one thousand, two-two thousand, and so on. You can also try the Mississippi version wherein every count measures ½ ounce. So, two counts are equivalent to one ounce.

Another way is to do the dance count when the first option won’t work. When you dance, the counting is faster to follow the rhythm of the song being danced to, but it’s really just cutting one clock count into half. So if you do the math, one dance count is equal to ¼ ounce and one whole ounce is 4 counts.

Every bartender has their preference of how to grip a liquor bottle. This depends on which one they’re most comfortable doing. Keep in mind that each grip will be done by the neck as this secures the bottle well.

The common one is the normal grip wherein you just simply hold the bottle by the neck as you would do when drinking. The second option is the reserve grip wherein you turn the bottle upside down and roll your arm the other way. When these two don’t work for you, you can opt for the milking grip just like how you would milk a cow.

After the last count, it’s time to stop or cut the liquor.

The first option is the swish or curls motion wherein you need to slowly swish the bottle as you turn it upright.

The second option is known as the jolt motion wherein you need to quickly shake the bottle down once to stop the pouring, then turn the bottle upright.

To make sure that you’ve done the technique right, you can check the measured liquor with a jigger.

1. Transfer the newly poured liquor into a jigger.
2. Check if it fills up to the 1-ounce line if you’ve counted for 1 ounce and so on.

Being a professional bartender won’t come easy. Still, just like anything you do, practice makes perfect. So, go ahead and bring out your water bottles and pourers. Good luck, future bartender!