Ina Garten's Simple Tip Will Elevate Your Cocktails

Whether you shake or stir your cocktails, one thing remains true for most: they've gotta stay cold. Though there's the occasional warm exception, most cocktails benefit from being chilled from "cheers" to ordering a second round. The trick many cocktail bars use to ensure beverages stay frosty is freezing the cocktail glasses before serving. Ina Garten champions this technique in "Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," encouraging amateur bartenders to replicate it at home.

Garten suggests placing clean, empty cocktail glasses in the freezer for 30 minutes before pouring and serving. Many drinkers order their cocktails up — without ice — because they don't want the ice to slowly dilute the flavor as it melts, so serving a cocktail in a pre-chilled glass is especially handy as it has the same temperature effect as ice without mellowing the drink's flavor.

Similarly, effervescent drinks are typically stirred with ice but served up, preventing melted ice from flattening the carbonation. Freezing a coupe or flute for a French 75 or a Gin Fizz, for example, keeps the liquid both fizzy and chilly. Perfect for fireside cocktails on New Year's Eve or a summertime garden party refresher.

Upscale mixologists always prepare cocktails in pre-chilled glasses, so this simple trick will bring the experience of a high-end cocktail bar to your home bar cart. Though the main reason for setting a cocktail glass in the freezer is to keep a beverage cold for longer, there are also other benefits. In terms of aesthetics, freezing the glass will result in a frosted tint that will make your cocktails look even more refreshing and professional. 

To complement the aesthetic and improve the tasting experience, don't forget to garnish your cocktails. A garnish — whether it's a twist of citrus peel, a dried-out orange wheel, rose petals, or a sprig of rosemary — does more than finish a drink and give it a sophisticated look. Garnishes also serve as aromatics, imparting a scent and additional taste to the cocktail that can transform the drinking experience. Fancy cocktails aren't totally out of reach for at-home bartenders, either — many classy cocktails can be concocted with ingredients that are already in your refrigerator.