* If a drink has three or more ingredients, shake it for 30 to 45 seconds to mix, chill, and dilute the liquor.
* Want red rims on a cocktail glass? Wet a paper towel with grenadine syrup, place the top of the glass on it, then dip the rim in sugar or salt.
* Buy prepared lime juice. Fresh limes are often bitter.
* When preparing punch or a pitcher of drinks, let the mix stand for an hour to make sure the flavors blend.
* Never pour a just-shaken drink into a warm glass. Fill the glass with ice and swirl a few seconds first.
* Use very ripe fruit for drinks such as daiquiris. Even overripe fruit is good because it's the sweetest.
* If mixing a drink with cream, shake for an extra long time to blend. Then shake a bit more.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
