Beverages

Bar and beverage covers what goes into a glass and the tools that put it there. That means teas and coffee, sodas and sparkling waters, zero-proof drinks, cocktail syrups and bitters, plus jiggers, shakers and strainers.

How to choose Beverages

  • Tonic. Its bitterness comes from quinine, which US rules cap at 83 parts per million in carbonated drinks and require on the label.
  • Bubbles. Bottled water sold as sparkling must hold the same carbon dioxide it had at the source. Seltzer falls outside that definition.
  • Pour size. A US standard drink is about 14 grams of alcohol: 12 ounces of 5 percent beer, 5 ounces of 12 percent wine or 1.5 ounces of 40 percent spirits.

About Beverages

Bar and beverage brings together drinks for the table and the gear to make them. Some are ready to pour. Others, such as syrups, bitters and tonic, are parts of a larger drink, measured out by the ounce or the dash. Tea and coffee belong here too: true tea and regular coffee carry caffeine, decaf coffee keeps a little, and herbal infusions such as rooibos have none.

Many classic drinks are simple ratios. A Negroni is equal parts gin, red bitter liqueur and sweet vermouth, stirred over ice in an old-fashioned glass. A Spritz is built in an ice-filled wine glass, three parts sparkling wine to two of bitter orange aperitif, topped with a splash of soda and stirred gently.

At a glance

Main types
Tea, coffee, sodas, waters, zero-proof drinks, syrups, bitters
Label terms
Nonalcoholic, alcohol-free, dealcoholized, contains quinine
Caffeine
Black tea about 71 mg per 12 ounces

Beverages questions

Is a nonalcoholic beer or wine completely free of alcohol?

Not always. In the United States, nonalcoholic means less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume, and the label has to state that figure beside the term. Only drinks labeled alcohol-free must contain none at all. FDA treats dealcoholized wine under 0.5 percent as nonalcoholic, but it cannot be called alcohol-free unless no alcohol is detectable.

How much caffeine is in tea compared with coffee?

Per 12-ounce cup, FDA figures put black tea around 71 milligrams and green tea around 37, while regular brewed coffee runs from about 113 to 247. A caffeinated soft drink falls between 23 and 83. Decaf coffee still carries a little, about 2 to 15 milligrams in 8 ounces.

How many standard drinks are in a cocktail?

Count the spirit, not the glass. Two ounces of gin at 40 percent alcohol is more than the 1.5-ounce pour that makes one standard drink. So a cocktail with 3 ounces of 40 percent spirit holds two standard drinks before any vermouth or liqueur goes in. Strong beer follows the same math, since a 12-ounce bottle at 10 percent counts as two.

Sources: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau; US Food and Drug Administration; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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