Bar lingo can be confusing and even a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. Here is a quick list of common bar and cocktail terminology to help get you started.

Back: Similar to a chaser. A small drink, usually water or soda, ordered with liquor to cleanse the palate (e.g. whiskey with a water back).

Box: to quickly mix a drink by pouring once into and then back out of a shaker.

Call Drink: A drink made with a brand name liquor (e.g.

Disaronno Sour opposed to Amaretto Sour).

Chaser: A beverage drank quickly after a shot of liquor to eliminate the flavor and cleanse the palate.

Cocktail: A drink made by combining multiple liquors and mixers.

Cup: Similar to a punch but mixed one cup at a time rather than in a batch (e.g. Pimm’s Cup, Gin Cup).

Double: Twice the amount of beverage. A shot or cocktail doubled in size.

Eggnog: A rich, creamy beverage made with egg, cream, and liquor such as bourbon, brandy, or rum.

Fizz: A drink made with a carbonated mixer such as club soda, tonic, or other flavored sodas.

Highball: A drink served with ice in a tall, slender glass.

Jigger: A double sided measuring utensil used to measure shots and other cocktail ingredients. A typical jigger measures 1.5 ounce on one side and 1 ounce on the opposite side.

Liqueur: A strong, usually sweeet, distilled spirit commonly drank after a meal.

Liquor: An alcoholic beverage, distilled spirits.

Mixer: A liquid added to a liquor or cocktail to provide flavor and volume (e.g.

juice, soda, milk).

Muddle: To crush or grind with a mortar and pestle to release flavors.

Neat: Served straight, without mixers, ice, or other additives.

Nip: A small amount or taste.

Nightcap: A beverage consumed before bedtime.

On the Rocks: Served over ice cubes.

Punch: A large batch cocktail mixed in a bowl. Punches usually consist of one or more liquors along with various mixers such as juice, soda, or even wine.

Rickey: A cocktail made with club soda, lime, and liquor (e.g. Gin Rickey, Vodka Rickey).

Rinse: Coating the inside of a glass with a liquor to provide just a hint of flavor.

Shake: A method of mixing drink ingredients, usually with ice to chill at the same time. This is usually done in a specially designed bar shaker with a strainer in the spout to separate the ice after shaking.

Shot: A typical bar unit of measure equaling 1.5 ounces.

Shooter: A shot of any liquor without any mixers or additives.

Simple Syrup: A syrup made of sugar and water used to sweeten drinks.

Sour: A cocktail made with a liquor, lemon or lime juice, and sugar (or pre-made sour mix).

Sparkling: Carbonated.

Spirit: A liquid produced by distillation, in this case containing alcohol.

Straight, Straight-Up, or Neat: A drink poured straight from the bottle without ice, mixers, or any other additives.

Toddy: Hot water, lemon, and liquor (usually whiskey or bourbon).

Top Off: Filling the glass the rest of the way with the specified liquid (e.g. top off with soda).

Twist: Served with a small amount of citrus squeezed into the drink.

Virgin: A cocktail or other drink made without alcohol.

Well: Non-brand name liquor or a drink made with generic, low quality liquors and mixers.