Similar to cooking, preparing a cocktail involves the delicate balance of the right ingredients. Whether you’re ordering a lively libation at a restaurant or preparing a nightcap at home, the beverage should include an alcohol base, paired with sweet, acidic, and bitter elements. The below crash course on the different components will help you find a drink to suit your tastes. 

4 Key Cocktail Components to Know 

1. Alcohol

Spirits serve as the foundation of a drink, and they determine how much of the other components to use. Acidic elements combined with tequila, vodka, and gin tend to be tarter than those paired with whiskey and rum. The sugary component often depends on the natural sweetness of the liquor. 

2. Sweetness

Even the strongest concoctions have sugary notes. This is often achieved with the addition of simple syrup. Made of water and granulated sugar, the syrup enhances the flavor profile of mojitos, daiquiris, and other classics. Restaurants and bars also tend to keep fruit juice on hand to elevate the natural sweetness of rum in piña coladas and tequila in margaritas. 

3. Bitterness

Different herbs, spices, fruit peels, and other ingredients are marinated in alcohol to create tinctures. Different tinctures are then combined to make bitters. Depending on the combination, the resulting elixir can be very aromatic. Along with the acidic component, bitters give beverages a mouth-puckering taste. Bitters made from orange peel often give a zesty, citrus bite to drinks like Manhattans. 

4. Acidity

A splash of lime juice or a squirt of lemon adds a tangy taste to many alcoholic beverages, including whiskey sours, margaritas, and Moscow Mules. To tone down the tartness, grapefruit juice can be used instead. If a drink is too sweet for your liking, add more sour elements to curb the sugary aftertaste. 

If you want to sip a classic or creative cocktail in a warm, friendly atmosphere, head to Chances "R" Restaurant in York, NE. Along with its well-stocked bar and eclectic drink selection, the restaurant is known throughout the Tri-State area for its melt-in-your-mouth prime rib and savory fried chicken. Mostly everything on the menu is homemade, too. To learn about the weekly specials, including the prime rib buffet on Saturday nights and brunch buffet on Sundays, call (402) 362-7755. Visit the restaurant online to see the complete menu of homemade cooking and read reviews on Facebook.