What Spices Should You Use in Cocktails? Tips, Tricks and One Thing to Watch Out For

In recent years, the use of spices in cocktails has seen increasing popularity, leading to the creation of sophisticated and complex drinks. It's not just about adding a pinch of flavor, but about exploring the aromatic potential of spices to create unique, intense and memorable cocktails. Spices are practically absent in classic drinks because they used to be very expensive, but in modern mixology they are starting to take their own niche, always with great parsimony. An important thing to keep in mind if you want to prepare drinks with spices at home is that you have to be really careful with the dosage because the risk of ruining the whole cocktail is really high. Let's see what spices we can use and above all how to use them because this is the most difficult thing.

Choose the Right Spices

Not all spices are suitable for every type of cocktail. Some are better suited to winter cocktails, while others are perfect for refreshing summer drinks. The world of mixology is constantly evolving and spices are one of the keys to creating original and surprising drinks. The use of spices in cocktails is not new (even if it was quite rare some time ago), but in recent years this trend has exploded, leading to the creation of increasingly creative and sophisticated mixes.

The most used spice is definitely cinnamon, excellent for hot and cold cocktails, it adds sweetness and warmth. Perfect for winter drinks like mulled wine or for a revisited version of the famous Old Fashioned. Ginger is also a widely used spice, with its pungent and spicy flavour, it is ideal for fresh and refreshing drinks. An example? The classic Moscow Mule. Pepper is used in the Bloody Mary or in revisited versions of the Margarita. Very popular are star anise and cloves, usually used in stronger and more aromatic drinks like the Hot Toddy or in any case winter drinks based on whiskey or rum.

Why Use Spices in Cocktails?

Spices can transform a cocktail, adding depth and complexity to the flavor. Some of these products release intense aromas that hit the palate and nose, enhancing the customer experience. But be careful: each spice has its own unique character, which means that there are endless possible combinations to create personalized cocktails but you have to be very careful about balance. In a well-balanced cocktail, spices can balance the sweet, bitter and alcohol flavor but should never overpower the flavor of the drink itself.

Our advice is to pair alcoholic beverages with spices by assonance, so as not to have difficulty with the flavors. For the technical use of the raw material, we suggest using whole and fresh spices to preserve their aroma and to use few: a pinch is enough to enhance the cocktail and too many spices could ruin everything. Depending on the spice, you can decide whether to grind it in a mortar, which we recommend for cardamom, pepper or chili pepper, or grate it, as in the case of nutmeg and ginger. A fundamental thing to do before serving the cocktail: use a mixing glass and then the strainer to pour the drink into the glass: you must eliminate all the scraps of spices that could bother the drinker. A few pieces can also be pleasant, like the ginger garnish, but too much is bad.