Neat
A synonym for a “straight,” a drink made without ice, water or any tasty mixers. More your grandma’s drink than yours, unless, you’ve had a very rough day.

On the Rocks
A drink poured over cubes of ice.

Poussé-café
A drink made of different alcohols arranged into colorful layers, like the American Flag.

Proof
A proof is the percentage of alcohol in the liquor—most spirits sold in American stores print the proof on the outside of the bottle. 100-proof equals 50% alcohol by volume. The higher the proof, the quicker you'll get tipsy, so be careful!

Shaken
All drinks that include juices, creams and liqueurs should be shaken in a shaker to distribute the flavor.

Simple syrup
You can buy this mixer in a store or make it at home. To make it yourself, combine one or two cups of granulated sugar (depending on how sugary you want it) with 1 cup of  boiling water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Leave it to cool and pour it into an airtight container to save for later.

Stirred
This refers to the preparation of a cocktail with clear ingredients (i.e. vodka tonic or a martini). You can use special glass or silver variations, or plastic ones you find at a grocery or liquor store and serve. Savvy Tip: If you weren’t prepare to play bartender, use a spoon but take it out before serving!

Strain
You do this when you want to serve a drink without the ice or fruit you mixed it with. There are spoon strainers, but it’s better to have a Hawthorne strainer on hand. A Hawthorne strainer has a short handle and a face that is large enough to cover the top of a shaker or a glass. Around the face is a wire coil that encircles the rim to keep the ice in, but allow a little bit of pulp through for texture.