For a while now I’ve wanted to write down ideas, recipes, tips and tricks and everything to do with my life as a bartender, but like most things in life taking that first step just seemed so difficult. As I stared blankly at a dimly lit computer screen brainstorming what would be the perfect introductory post. I couldn’t stop thinking about a drink I had while sitting at a famous New York bar by the name of Katana Kitten. The drink I couldn’t stop thinking about was named a “Calpico Swizzle”, served in an acrylic pearl diver glass I had never seen, and topped with crushed ice. I was introduced to a brand new classification of cocktail I was not familiar with. Not only did the glassware catch my attention, the bartender (shoutout Lily from Katana Kitten) was also spinning a funny-looking wooden stick in my drink, once again something I was unfamiliar with. Between the glassware, the technique used to mix the ingredients, and the funny but equally cool stick I had never seen before, I would go home to Las Vegas with a new obsession, the so-called “swizzle”. Unable to get this latest obsession out of my mind, I figured what better way to start blogging than to break down this new drink and figure out what exactly makes something a “swizzle”.

So what is a swizzle? Well, it actually refers to both a type of cocktail and the method used to mix it. Here’s a breakdown:

Swizzle Cocktail: The swizzle is typically a refreshing, tropical drink that often includes rum, fruit juices, and sometimes other liqueurs or syrups. Classic examples include the Rum Swizzle from Bermuda, the Chartreuse Swizzle or my personal favorite, the Queen Park Swizzle.

Swizzling Method: The term “swizzle” also describes the technique used to mix these cocktails. Remember that funny but cool stick I mentioned earlier? It’s called a swizzle stick or a “Le Bois Lélé”, (equally funny and cool name) and it’s pretty much a long twig used to stir the drink in a glass filled with crushed ice. The swizzling action involves spinning the stick rapidly between one’s palms to chill and dilute the drink while mixing the ingredients thoroughly. The result is a well-chilled, well-mixed cocktail with a frosty appearance.

So why swizzle instead of stirring? Apart from having an excuse to own a new bar tool and annoy my fellow bartenders by saying “swizzle dizzle wizzle” all day long, it actually has its noticeable advantages over other methods. 

Efficient Mixing: Swizzling combines the ingredients more thoroughly, especially when working with dense or syrupy components. The swizzle stick’s rapid spinning action ensures that all ingredients are well-integrated.

Textural Impact: The swizzling method often creates a frothy, slightly textured surface on the drink, which can enhance the overall drinking experience. This is particularly desirable for tropical and refreshing cocktails.

Presentation: Swizzling can create a visually appealing, frosty appearance that adds to the cocktail’s presentation. It’s a unique technique that stands out and can be part of the drink’s charm and appeal.

Enhanced Chill and Dilution: Swizzling with pebble or crushed ice rapidly chills the drink while also diluting it to the right balance. This process helps achieve the perfect temperature and consistency more quickly than stirring with ice cubes. When I say swizzling makes a drink cold, I mean very, very cold. This, in my opinion, is the main advantage to swizzling instead of stirring or even shaking a cocktail, since we know as a general rule of thumb the colder a drink is the better it tastes.

So is that it then? Is swizzling the end all be all technique? Should we all carry a cool stick in our bar bags? Not exactly. While swizzling is a fantastic technique, it’s not suitable for every cocktail. Classic cocktails like the Martini, Manhattan, or Old Fashioned are typically stirred rather than swizzled. Stirring helps to maintain clarity and avoid over-dilution, which is absolutely key for these drinks. Drinks that have delicate ingredients, such as those with fine spirits or intricate flavor profiles, often benefit from stirring or shaking to avoid altering their nuances. Finally, cocktails that include carbonated components, like a Tom Collins or a Mojito, should generally be stirred or shaken. Swizzling can cause excessive agitation and result in unwanted loss of carbonation.

Sorry for the long winded explanation, but with that i’ll leave you with something cool, a recipe for my absolute favorite swizzle, the aforementioned Queen Park Swizzle. https://ambiorisestevez.com/queens-park-swizzle/