How Your Kitchen Scale Can Help You Craft Perfect Drinks

If you enjoy crafting your own cocktails at home, then you might be familiar with the emotional roller coaster of finally having made the best drink ever ... only to have forgotten how you made it. Luckily, there's a way to craft a perfect drink every time, and the answer could already be sitting in your drawer. For consistent, precise measurements to keep track of, try using a kitchen scale to weigh out each ingredient. 

Of course, there's nothing wrong with eyeballing your ingredients (especially if you're in a rush), but using a scale is super useful for trying out new recipes as they were meant to be tasted. Scales can also be more precise than just using a cocktail jigger or measuring cup, as scales measure weight instead of volume. This is particularly helpful when making a large batch of your favorite drink, like a hard iced tea or a pitcher of margaritas.

To use your kitchen scale for cocktails, simply place your glass or cocktail shaker on the scale and zero out the weight of the container. Then pour each liquid to your desired weight, zeroing out the scale in between each ingredient (unless you want to exercise your brain with a little extra math). Don't forget: Liquids and solids weigh differently, so it's best to use a conversion chart if you're adding things like fruits or whole spices, to make sure your ratios are just right.

The wrong ratio of ingredients in your cocktail is a surefire way to go from "pour another" to "pour it out." But even if you get the measurements exactly right, and your drink still isn't tasting like it does at the bar, there are a few other things you might want to double check.

One reason your drink might be tasting less flavorful is because it was shaken when it should have stirred. While shaking a drink is key when you're mixing together liquor with juice/syrup, or trying to achieve a foamy top, it can also dilute the flavor with melted ice. For drinks that are primarily liquor (such as with a martini or classic Manhattan recipe), opt for stirring with a spoon in order to preserve the drink's bold taste and smooth finish.

Another common mistake when making homemade cocktails is muddling incorrectly. This term refers to crushing herbs or fruit to release their juices and flavor, and knowing how to muddle mint and other herbs properly is key. You should lightly press on the leaves, firmly enough to release aromatics, but not to the point where they are destroyed, and in turn become bitter. Meanwhile, under-muddling ingredients such as berries and citrus rinds will prevent enough flavor from infusing into your cocktail. When it comes to muddling or any other aspect of creating your boozy concoction, it's important to maintain a balance of flavors by using both the right ingredient ratios and proper techniques.