What exactly is the difference between neat, straight up and on the rocks, when it comes to cocktails? This is question you could be struggling with, if you are new to the world of cocktails.
These 3 different terminologies are related to the way the drinks are ordered in a bar and are devoured by cocktail lovers. If you do want to avoid creating an impression of being a novice in the bar, read along and get to know the difference.
This question is a common dispute in the bar and different people have different opinions, but only the experts know it all. There is a clear cut demarcation between these 3 methods.
One should be fully aware of the way these methods are used to order an awesome cocktail in the bar. When you go out with friends to have a good drink, you do not want to come across as an individual who doesn’t know what they are doing? So let us understand the 3 different methods.
Neat
Ordering drinks the neat way, is one of the most popular methods. Neat is used to order a drink that is served without any ice or any mixer. The neat way, is literally very neat. To put it simply, the neat way is nothing but pouring a good quality drink, directly into the glass. It is a very simple way to order drinks and is preferred by people frequenting bars. It is a no nonsense method that is pretty straightforward.
Neat drinks are mostly served at room temperature. They are serves in the best manner- in an undiluted state. You can enjoy the true essence of a drink without any change in its flavor.
Devouring an unadulterated drink is one of the best experiences a cocktail lover can have. Consuming a distilled spirit without any dilution is what a cocktail lover may need sometimes, and ordering a neat drink is the way to go about it.
Whiskey and Brandy are served neat in most of the bars. These drinks are loved by cocktail enthusiasts at room temperature. These amazing spirits are a great way to refresh oneself after a long hard day.
Happy hour drinks are mostly ordered neat as many cocktail lovers want to devour the raw drink without having any kind of combo available at the bar. Top shelf tequila drinks are also ordered neat by most of the people at the bar.
Sippers of this drink are called as neat drinkers. Neat pours will cost you a little more than the other orders. This is obvious, to be honest, as you would be frankly having more drink as compared to the others. Another classic difference would be the glassware.
A glass having short stem and wide bowl are used to have neat drinks. You would be surprised to know that there are many companies that manufacture glassware specifically dedicated to neat drinks.
Neat drinks are about 50 ml and are not chilled. There are no kind of extra ingredients in the drink and that makes up for an amazing spirit for cocktail lovers. A good neat drink has a high potency and thus not much glasses are consumed per individual.
Neat drinks also offer the raw flavor of alcohol without any additives and this is one of the many reasons that it is loved by cocktail enthusiasts. So if you want to devour a drink without any extra ingredient, order a neat drink the next time you are headed to the bar.
Straight Up
This is another popular method of ordering drinks at the bar. It is a method of ordering drinks which are iced, and are shaken or stirred. This is a classic type of drink order that is cherished by many drinkers at the bar.
A novice may know about the neat drink concept, but seldom do people with little knowledge of cocktails know about the straight up method. This method can be called a slight modification of the neat drink concept.
The drink is strained and removed of its ice before being served. This step is similar to what is done in the neat method of ordering and serving the drink. The drink is strained before being poured in a cocktail glass.
This is what makes this method different from the neat method. In the neat method the drink is served as it is, without straining the drink. Still there are many people, even those who frequent bars, who are not able to pinpoint the difference between the 2 methods.
So, let us understand this with an example. Suppose you want to order a drink that is neat. Let us say a neat whiskey is what you have in mind, to set your mood for the night. But you do not want the whiskey at room temperature.
What you do in this situation is that you tell the bartender that you want a whisky straight up. What they will do is that they will pour the whiskey into the ice long enough for it to chill. It’s temperature will come down and the ice will be removed.
The drink is then served after removing the ice from the drink. This is the essence of ordering drinks “straight up.” Straight up can also cause some confusion with “up”, another way to order your drink.
Some people use the term “straight” to refer to a white spirit chilled and served in a cocktail glass. Some use the term when they order a straight shot of darker spirits. It all depends on what you want to order and the way you want it.
On The Rocks
When it comes to the terminology related to bars, rock means ice. For example- if someone says that they want a scotch on the rocks, what they mean by this is they want to be served a straight pour of scotch over ice.
Though this seems pretty simple and straightforward , an expert of the bar knows that things in the bar are never as simple as they look. So, let us discuss about this amazing way you can order drinks at the bar.
Whiskey is a popular on the rocks drink. It is mostly ordered on the rocks in a bar. But dilution is a major disadvantage of adding ice to a good whiskey. A good cocktail lover knows that. They know that whiskey is mostly delicious when taken in its raw form, that is without adding anything to it. Ice melting is a natural phenomenon.
The longer you wait for the time to devour the drink completely, the more diluted it would get. So it is not a very good idea to mix ice to whiskey before consuming it.
The primary purpose of adding ice to any drink is making it chillier than it usually is. A splash of water can be replaced by few pieces of ice. So you would need to choose the best whiskeys to be served over ice. A whiskey which has a good flavor and excellent taste, can be served on the rocks, if prepared in the right manner. So, you will need to be pretty choosy about the drinks you choose to be order on the rocks.
All ice can never be created equal. This is a statement that any whiskey or cocktail lover needs to wrap their brain around. This is so because it’s true. The average ice that a bartender scoops out of the bin is not going to be the best choice for your drink on the rocks. It is small, dilutes way too quickly, and it may not be made with the cleanest water.
These are the 3 ways you can devour your drinks at a bar. All these methods are amazing and should be tried at least once by every cocktail lover. These methods are amazing ways to devour your favorite drink at the bar. Knowing about these methods will help you choose your preferences with ease. Knowing these methods will help you in being confident, the next time you order a drink!