Mixed Drinks: Absolutely Cranberry Smash

Series Summary

Alcohol has been a cultural staple of the West for many of years. As many as six and a half years ago, wine was a large part of Greek culture and religion. Beer is probably equally as old, being brewed by royalty and peasants since the birth of European civilization. Monasteries were early producers and distributors of beer during the Dark Ages. By the eighth and ninth centuries, Muslim alchemists had produced distilled alcohols and “spirits” that became popular beverages. The American tradition of alcohol is centered on the bar, known in England and English-speaking countries as a public house, or pub. In this free video series on bartending drinks, bartender Babz Zerillo demonstrates how to create a variety of mixed alcoholic drinks. Zerillo discusses the steps and ingredients necessary for creating several delicious beverages, such as: the black martini, Caribbean dream, Chambord royale, Jamaican sunrise, raspberry Russian, beach bum and even a mudslide. Watch these free videos and learn more about mixing alcoholic beverages today.

Video Transcript

"Now I'm going to show you how to make an Absolutely Cranberry Smash. Now this drink, is going to be made in a Tom Collins glass, because it's a little bit bigger than a highball glass. So first, we're going to fill our glass up all the way to the top, with ice. Next, we're going to add our liquor. In this drink, it's just going to be one liquor, and it's vodka. I chose Absolut, because it kind of goes with the name. Really, any vodka will do though. And, we're going to put about 2 ounces of vodka, into your Tom Collins glass. And then, we're going to add our two mixers. Now obviously, the name is Absolutely Cranberry Smash, so you can tell by the name, there's going to be some cranberry. So, put that in first. And then finally, we're going to add our ginger ale. And, I tend to like to put the juices in first, and then the sodas after, because the sodas will mix better than the juices will on top. And, this drink does not get a garnish. So, you're just going to add your stirrer to it, and serve."