Est. 2026 · Cocktails, coffee & more

Stirred, shaken, explained.

Cocktails, mocktails, coffee and tea, explained in thirty seconds. Every recipe ends with the tools, machines and glassware to make it, at three prices.

Browse recipes Stock the bar

Tonight's menu

  1. Why is masala chai simmered, not steeped? How milk tames strong tea, with a chai builderTea & Infusions
  2. Why the Amaretto Sour stopped being sweet: fresh lemon, bourbon and egg white, with a balance builderModern Cocktails
  3. Why chill the glass? How much heat a warm glass steals from your drink, with a heat-balance toolBar & Barista Technique
  4. How to make a cordial: a batch scaler, a dilution glass and how long it keepsLow & No
  5. Why does French press coffee taste heavier than pour-over? Soaking versus flowing, with a brew plannerCoffee & Espresso

drinkMX

Drink of the week · Home Bar & GearPicker · 5 min Is a soda maker worth it for a home bar? A planner for fizz, drinks per week and gas cylinders A soda maker puts fresh, cold fizz on tap for highballs, spritzes and alcohol-free drinks, but the gas cylinder is the running cost people forget. This piece explains why cold… Get the recipe → Stock the bar Spare gasSodaStream Quick Connect CO2-reservecilinder CQC bruiswatertoestel€29.99 BargainSodaStream Terra Sparkling Water Maker - Starter Kit - Black€72.04 Best valueSodaStream DUO Grijs€99

On the menu

Everything we've poured →
Tea & Infusions Why is masala chai simmered, not steeped? How milk tames strong tea, with a chai builder Picker · 5 min Tea & Infusions · Picker · 5 min Why is masala chai simmered, not steeped? How milk tames strong tea, with a chai builder Masala chai is cooked, not steeped: spices, tea and milk all take real heat, and the milk is what makes such a strong simmer drinkable. Here is why the order of the steps matters…
4min Modern Cocktails · Picker Why the Amaretto Sour stopped being sweet: fresh lemon, bourbon and egg white, with a balance builder The Amaretto Sour got its bad name from bottled sour mix, not from the idea. Here is the modern spec… 5min Bar & Barista Technique · Picker Why chill the glass? How much heat a warm glass steals from your drink, with a heat-balance tool Why do bartenders chill the glass before pouring? A room-temperature glass holds a surprising amount of heat… 5min Low & No · Picker How to make a cordial: a batch scaler, a dilution glass and how long it keeps A cordial is a fruit or flower concentrate you dilute at the glass: one jug of syrup, then ice, water and a… 4min Coffee & Espresso · Picker Why does French press coffee taste heavier than pour-over? Soaking versus flowing, with a brew planner French press and pour-over can use the same beans and taste like two different drinks. The difference is how… 6min Classic Cocktails · Picker Why a Tom Collins is a gin sour made long: the spec and a soda and strength builder A Tom Collins is a gin sour made long: gin, lemon and syrup shaken, strained over fresh ice and topped with…

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No. 01 Why is masala chai simmered, not steeped? How milk tames strong tea, with a chai builder Masala chai is cooked, not steeped: spices, tea and milk all take real heat, and the milk is what makes such… Start · 5 min No. 02 Why the Amaretto Sour stopped being sweet: fresh lemon, bourbon and egg white, with a balance builder The Amaretto Sour got its bad name from bottled sour mix, not from the idea. Here is the modern spec… Start · 4 min No. 03 Why chill the glass? How much heat a warm glass steals from your drink, with a heat-balance tool Why do bartenders chill the glass before pouring? A room-temperature glass holds a surprising amount of heat… Start · 5 min No. 04 How to make a cordial: a batch scaler, a dilution glass and how long it keeps A cordial is a fruit or flower concentrate you dilute at the glass: one jug of syrup, then ice, water and a… Start · 5 min No. 05 Why does French press coffee taste heavier than pour-over? Soaking versus flowing, with a brew planner French press and pour-over can use the same beans and taste like two different drinks. The difference is how… Start · 4 min No. 06 Why a Tom Collins is a gin sour made long: the spec and a soda and strength builder A Tom Collins is a gin sour made long: gin, lemon and syrup shaken, strained over fresh ice and topped with… Start · 6 min

Behind the bar

The kit our recipes come back to most.

Bargain
SodaStream Terra Sparkling Water Maker - Starter Kit - Black€72.04
Starter kit · Sparkling water maker · Quick Connect gas
from “Is a soda maker worth it for a home bar? A planner for fizz, drinks per week and gas cylinders” RueDuCommerce
Best value
SodaStream DUO Grijs€99
Glass carafe · Plastic bottle too · 3 fizz levels
from “Is a soda maker worth it for a home bar? A planner for fizz, drinks per week and gas cylinders” Coolblue
Bargain
Pierre Waterkoker PWK7000 Glas met instelbare temperatuur€69
Adjustable temperature · Glass body
from “Do you need a temperature-control kettle? A picker by what you brew” Coolblue
Best value
Philips Baristina Melkopschuimer Zwart€83
120 ml jug · Hot & cold foam · Magnetic whisk
from “Which milk frother do you need? A batch picker by drink and cups” Coolblue
Bargain
Pierre Melkopschuimer PMF3000 Zwart€29.99
300 ml jug · Hot or cold froth · 4 settings
from “Which milk frother do you need? A batch picker by drink and cups” Coolblue
Squeeze
Braun TributeCollection citruspers CJ 3000€22.99
Electric citrus press · 350 ml juice jug · 20 W motor
from “How to make ginger fizz at home: a syrup scaler, no fermenting needed” Alternate.nl

The sections

01 Bar & Barista TechniqueIce, dilution, syrups, tamping and steaming milk. 10 02 Classic CocktailsThe drinks every bar should know, and why they work. 11 03 Coffee & EspressoBeans, brewing, espresso and milk drinks. 11 04 Home Bar & GearTools, machines and glassware, and what to buy first. 9 05 Low & NoMocktails, spritzes and alcohol-free drinks with flavour. 10 06 Modern CocktailsNewer recipes and twists worth learning. 10 07 Parties & BatchesPunches, pitchers and drinks for a crowd. 10 08 Spirits & LiqueursGin, whisky, rum, agave and how each is made. 9 09 Tea & InfusionsGreen, black, oolong, herbal and how to brew them. 10 10 Wine, Beer & CiderGrapes, styles, pairing and serving it right. 9

House rules

How we write recipes, how we pick the kit and how the shop works.

  1. 01Every recipe gives measures in ml, a method and the glass. We explain why it works, not just what goes in.
  2. 02Not every drink needs alcohol. Coffee, tea and alcohol-free drinks get the same care as cocktails.
  3. 03Picks are tools, machines and glassware chosen for the recipe at three prices. Nobody pays to be picked.
  4. 04Links are affiliate links, marked sponsored. We may earn a commission, but your price doesn’t change. Please drink responsibly, and only if you’re of legal age.