A

Absinthe
High-proof anise-based spirit. Used as a rinse in classics like the Sazerac and Corpse Reviver No. 2.
Acid adjustment
Bartender technique using citric, malic, tartaric, or phosphoric acid to control sourness independently of citrus juice. See acid adjustment.
Agave syrup
Sweetener derived from the agave plant. Pairs naturally with tequila and mezcal.
Amaro
Italian bitter herbal liqueur. Campari and Aperol are aperitivo amari; Fernet-Branca and Ramazzotti are digestivo amari. See amaro explained.
Angostura bitters
The default aromatic bitter. From Trinidad. In almost every classic cocktail recipe.
Aperitivo / Aperitif
Low-alcohol drink served before a meal to stimulate appetite. Aperol Spritz, Negroni, Americano are aperitivos.
Aquafaba
The water from a can of chickpeas. Vegan substitute for egg white in foamed cocktails.
Asam boi
Malaysian salty-sour preserved plum. Modern cocktail ingredient. See asam boi in cocktails.

B

Bar spoon
Long, twisted-handle spoon used for stirring and measuring. One barspoon = 5ml.
Bénédictine
French herbal liqueur. Component of the Vieux Carré and Singapore Sling.
Bianco vermouth
White sweet vermouth. Lighter and more floral than rosso (sweet red) vermouth.
Bitter (cocktail family)
Drinks built around a bittering agent (Campari, amaro, etc). Negroni, Boulevardier, Americano. See the Negroni family tree.
Bitters
Concentrated flavour extracts used in small doses to season cocktails. Angostura, Peychaud's, orange. See bitters explained.
Bottled cocktail
Cocktail pre-batched, bottled, and served by pouring. Increasingly common at high-volume bars.
Build
To assemble a cocktail directly in the serving glass, no shaker. Mojito, G&T, Old Fashioned can all be built.
Bunga kantan
Malay name for torch ginger flower. Used in cocktails for floral-vegetal accents. See bunga kantan in cocktails.
Bunga telang
Malay name for butterfly pea flower. Colour-changing cocktail ingredient. See butterfly pea flower.

C

Calamansi
Malaysian small green-orange citrus. Limau kasturi. Tastes between lime and orange. See calamansi.
Campari
Bright-red Italian bitter aperitif. Defining ingredient of the Negroni.
Cili padi
Malaysian bird's-eye chilli. Used in cocktails for heat. See cili padi in cocktails.
Clarification / Clarified cocktail
Technique using milk or agar to remove cloudiness, producing crystal-clear cocktails. See milk-washing.
Cocchi Americano
Italian quinine-based aperitif wine. Substitute for Lillet Blanc in modern recipes.
Cointreau
French triple-sec orange liqueur. Component of the Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Sidecar.
Cold brew
Coffee or tea extracted in cold water over hours rather than minutes. Lower in acid, fuller in body. See cold brew cocktails.
Crème de cacao
Chocolate liqueur. White (clear) or dark. Used in Alexanders and Grasshoppers.
Crème de mûre
Blackberry liqueur. Used in the Bramble.
Crème de violette
Violet liqueur. Used in the Aviation.
Curaçao
Orange liqueur from the Dutch Caribbean. Component of the Mai Tai, Sidecar.

D

Dash
Small amount of bitters or flavour liquid. Roughly 0.5-1ml from a standard dasher bottle.
Demerara syrup
Syrup made from demerara (unrefined) sugar. Adds molasses notes; deeper than simple syrup.
Double strain
Strain through both a Hawthorne strainer (on the shaker) and a fine mesh strainer (over the glass). Removes ice shards and pulp.
Dry shake
Shaking egg-white-containing cocktails first without ice, to emulsify the protein, then again with ice.
Dry vermouth
Crisp white vermouth. Component of the Martini.

E

Egg white
Used to create silky foam in sours. Dry shake first. See why egg white in cocktails.
Elderflower liqueur
St-Germain is the brand. Floral, easy to use, in many modern cocktails.
Espresso
Pulled-shot Italian coffee. Component of Espresso Martini and modern coffee cocktails. See espresso in cocktails.
Expressed peel
Citrus peel oils sprayed over a drink by twisting the peel sharply. Aromatic finishing touch.

F

Falernum
Spiced syrup from Barbados. Lime, clove, almond, ginger. Tiki ingredient.
Fat-wash
Technique infusing spirits with fat (bacon-bourbon, coconut-rum). See fat-washing spirits.
Fermentation
Microbial conversion of sugar to alcohol (yeast) or acid (lactic-acid bacteria). See our journal for fermentation pieces.
Fernet-Branca
Intensely bitter Italian amaro. Component of the Hanky Panky.
Fix
Vintage cocktail format: spirit + lemon + sugar + ice + a fruit garnish.
Fizz
Sour-format cocktail topped with soda. Gin Fizz, Ramos Gin Fizz.

G

Gentian
Root used as the bittering agent in many amari and homemade bitters.
Genever
Dutch malt-based gin predecessor. Maltier and richer than London Dry gin.
Glassware
Coupe, rocks, highball, flute, Nick & Nora, hurricane, tiki, julep cup. See glassware explained.
Gula melaka
Malaysian palm sugar. Deep, caramel-clove flavour. See gula melaka.

H

Hawthorne strainer
Spring-coil strainer that fits over a shaker tin. The standard cocktail strainer.
Highball
Spirit + carbonated mixer + ice in a tall glass. G&T, Mojito, Moscow Mule.
Hibiscus / Roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa, dried calyces used in tart-tropical cocktails. See hibiscus and roselle.

I

Ice (clear)
Ice frozen using directional freezing so impurities are pushed out. Visually striking, slower-melting. See clear ice at home.
Ice (crushed)
Pebble-sized ice used for tiki and julep formats. Faster melt, more dilution.
Infusion
Steeping a flavour ingredient in a spirit, syrup, or water. The basis of customised cocktails.

J

Jigger
Two-sided measuring cup. Standard sizes: 30ml/15ml or 45ml/22ml.
Julep
Spirit + sugar + mint + crushed ice in a metal cup. Mint Julep is the canonical version.

K

Kaffir lime leaf / Makrut
Distinctive Southeast Asian citrus aromatic. See kaffir lime leaf.
Kahm yeast
White surface film on fermented vegetables. Harmless but ugly. Skim and discard.
Kombucha
Sweet-tea ferment using a SCOBY. Cocktail ingredient. See tropical kombucha.
Kopi-O
Malaysian black coffee. See Malaysian kopi explained.

L

Lacto-fermentation
Salt-based fermentation producing lactic acid. See lacto-fermentation.
Limoncello
Italian lemon-peel liqueur. Used as a digestivo and as a cocktail modifier.
Long drink
Cocktail served in a tall glass with significant non-spirit volume. G&T, Tom Collins, Mojito.

M

Maraschino liqueur
Cherry-pit liqueur from Croatia. Component of the Aviation, Last Word.
Mezcal
Smoky agave spirit from Mexico. Distinct from tequila. See mezcal vs tequila.
Milk wash
Clarification technique using milk to remove cloudiness. See milk-washing.
Mocktail / Zero-proof
Non-alcoholic cocktail. See the savoury mocktail manifesto.
Muddle
To press fruit, herbs, or sugar at the bottom of a shaker or glass to release flavour.

N

Nick & Nora glass
Small stemmed cocktail glass, smaller than a coupe. Used for spirit-forward cocktails.
Neat
Spirit served unmixed, room temperature, no ice, no glass chilling.

O

Old Fashioned
Spirit + sugar + bitters + expressed peel. The original cocktail format.
Oleo saccharum
Citrus oil and sugar extract. See oleo saccharum.
Orgeat
Almond syrup with orange-flower-water notes. Component of the Mai Tai.

P

Pandan
Southeast Asian leaf with perfumed-grassy flavour. See pandan in beverages.
Peychaud's bitters
New Orleans aniseed-citrus bitters. Component of the Sazerac.
Pisco
South American grape brandy. Pisco Sour is the canonical drink.
Prosecco
Italian sparkling wine. Lighter than champagne; component of the Spritz family.
Punch
Multi-ingredient batched format: spirit + citrus + sugar + water + spice. The grandfather of modern cocktails.

R

Reposado
Aged tequila (2 months to 1 year in oak). Between blanco and añejo.
Rich syrup
2:1 sugar-to-water syrup. Thicker and sweeter than simple (1:1). See simple syrup guide.
Rinse
Coating a glass with a small amount of strong spirit then discarding. Aromatic.
Robusta
Higher-caffeine, more bitter coffee species. Common in Malaysian kopi. See robusta for coffee cocktails.
Roselle
See Hibiscus.

S

Saline solution
20% salt-in-water dropper bottle. Amplifies flavour. See salt in cocktails.
SCOBY
Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. The kombucha mother.
Shake
To mix cocktail ingredients with ice in a sealed tin. Hard 10-12 seconds for sours. See how to shake.
Shrub
Vinegar-based fruit syrup, used as a cocktail mixer. See shrubs and switchels.
Simple syrup
1:1 sugar to water. The default sweetener.
Sour (cocktail family)
Spirit + citrus + sweetener in a balanced ratio. See the sour template.
Spritz
Wine-or-aperitivo + sparkling + ice + garnish in a wine glass. Aperol Spritz, Hugo, Negroni Sbagliato.
Stir
Mixing technique used for spirit-forward, no-citrus cocktails. Slower than shaking, more controlled dilution. See stirred vs shaken.

T

Tepache
Mexican pineapple ferment. See tepache cocktails.
Tincture
Single-ingredient flavour extract in high-proof spirit. See tinctures and bitters.
Tiki
Mid-20th-century rum-and-tropical-fruit cocktail style. Mai Tai, Painkiller, Zombie.
Twist
Strip of citrus peel used as garnish. Usually expressed before placing.

V

Vermouth
Fortified wine flavoured with botanicals. See vermouth explained.

W

Whisk(e)y
Grain-based spirit. "Whisky" in Scotland, Japan, Canada; "whiskey" in Ireland, USA. See whisky vs whiskey.

Z

Zest
The outer coloured layer of citrus peel. Where the aromatic oils live.
Zero-proof
See Mocktail.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use this cocktail glossary?

Jump straight to a letter using the A to Z navigation at the top, or use your browser's find function (Ctrl+F on Windows, Cmd+F on Mac) to search a specific term. Each entry gives a working one-line definition in plain English, and many link out to the longer journal article where the term is explored in depth. The glossary is built to be read in fragments, not cover to cover.

What is covered in the glossary?

Around 120 terms across technique (shake, stir, dry shake, muddle, double strain), ingredient categories (amaro, bitters, vermouth, orgeat), cocktail formats (sour, spritz, highball, julep, fix), classic recipes, glassware, and modern bartending vocabulary like clarification, fat-washing, lacto-fermentation, and acid adjustment. Each entry sits in alphabetical order with optional links to deeper reading on the journal.

Is the glossary focused on Malaysian cocktail terms?

The core is international bartending vocabulary, but Malaysian ingredients sit alongside the classics: asam boi, bunga kantan, bunga telang, cili padi, calamansi, gula melaka, kaffir lime leaf, kopi-O, pandan. The point is to give a glossary that works for someone learning the canonical cocktail terms while also explaining the regional ingredients that show up in Klang Valley bars.

How often is the glossary updated?

The page is reviewed and refreshed roughly twice a year. New entries are added as journal articles publish (each new long-form piece on an ingredient or technique earns its own short glossary line). The current version reflects updates through May 2026. If a term feels missing, WhatsApp either outlet and we will add it on the next pass.

How do I search inside the glossary?

On desktop, press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) and type the term. On mobile, use the browser's find-in-page menu (Chrome: three dots, Find in page; Safari: share sheet, Find on Page). For category browsing, use the sticky A to Z bar at the top to jump to a letter section. Internal links inside entries point you to the relevant journal article for deeper reading.

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