Same Drink, Different Garnish

Today, I thought I'd give you a few drinks that putting a different garnish on it changes the name of the drink. You might be able to trip up your bartender by ordering one.

First up is the Rum Sour. In a mixing glass 2/3 full of ice, pour in 1 oz. of light rum (I prefer Castillo's... it's inexpensive, but it tastes like it's not) and 2 oz. of sour mix. Shake it and strain it into a chilled glass and garnish it with an orange and cherry. Now, make that same drink, but leave off the garnish and you've got the original recipe for the Daiquiri. Don't confuse it with the frozen Strawberry Daiquiri.

Next on today's menu is the classic Margarita. First, take a lime wedge and wet the outside of the rim of a margarita glass. Then roll the outside rim of that glass through some salt. The reason you don't really want to simply set the rim in the salt is you don't want the salt getting on the inside of the rim and then falling down into the drink. Hold the glass over the salt and gently tap it to knock off the excess. Next, in your mixing glass with ice, pour in 1 oz. of tequila, 1/2 oz. of triple sec, 1/2 oz. of lime juice (about 1/2 of a lime) and 1 oz. of sour mix. Shake it and strain it into the margarita glass. Do all of that, but don't salt the rim and you've got a drink called the Naked Lady. Now, there are other recipes for drinks called the Naked Lady, but this is just another one of them. Most people in the Midwest don't ask for their margarita this way simply because most bartenders will ask if the customer wants salt or not.

And finally, another classic, the Rum & Coke. In a highball glass with ice in it, pour in 1 oz. of rum, 2 oz. of Coke (Pepsi will work too, if that's what you have). Gotta love the simple ones, right? Garnish that drink with a lime wedge and it becomes a Cuba Libre. If you've seen the movie Cocktail, you may remember the scene where Tom Cruise is going nuts trying to figure out what a Cuba Libre is and finally asks the server, "Why didn't you tell me that it's a Rum & Coke with a lime?" The server shrugs and walks away.

That's all for today, folks. Remember, please drink responsibly.