Posts tagged ‘terminology’
Cocktail Terminology
By Chad Upton | Editor
Ordering a cocktail can be as confusing as ordering at starbucks. Here’s a quick guide to help you get it your way.
- on the rocks – on ice (“rocks”)
- straight up – chilled in a shaker and strained to remove ice (aka “up” or “shaken”)
- stirred – served on ice and stirred with a bar spoon
- neat – served at room temperature, no ice
- back – a glass of non-alcoholic liquid served with your cocktail, such as water for mixing with Whiskey
If you like martinis, they have a language of their own. Traditionally, a martini is made with gin and dry vermouth, then garnished with a green olive. Many variations have become popular, especially swapping top shelf vodka with gin. Here are some terms for traditional martinis:
- dry – little to no vermouth
- wet – extra vermouth
- dirty – extra olive juice, making it look “dirty” (murky)
- perfect – equal parts dry and sweet vermouth are used
Cheers!
Broken Secrets
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Photo: Adrian Hoffmann (cc)
Sources: Wikipedia (on the rocks, martini), about.com, drinksmixer.com
Magazine Mastheads Have a Nautical History
By Kaye Nemec
At the beginning of most magazines and newspapers, somewhere near the editorial page, you’ll find the masthead — the page of a publication that lists who is responsible for the magazine “behind the scenes.” Everyone from editors and writers to advertising staff and designers are listed on the masthead. It may also include history of the publication, advertising rates, subscription and circulation information, contact names and numbers. So, why does this source of information have a clearly nautical name?
The term masthead did indeed derive from a nautical origin. Specifically, it came from a tradition within the shipping industry where brass plates were commonly displayed on the main mast of ships to showcase the owner of the ship, information about the ship and/or the location of its home port.
Broken Secrets
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Photo: hans s (cc)
