5 Mistakes That Kill a Cocktail

Even pros slip up sometimes. From drowning your drink in melted ice to aggressive muddling, these are the slip-ups that separate a meh mix from a masterpiece.

Here’s what top bartenders told us they see way too often—and how to fix it fast!

1. Overcomplicating the Classics

When in doubt, less is more. The ANGOSTURA® team told us that the biggest mistake behind the stick is “over-complicating—too much sugar or too many ingredients.”

Fix it: Don’t dress an Old Fashioned like it’s going to prom. A perfect balance of spirit, sugar, and bitters is all you need.

2. Letting Ice Kill the Vibe

Bad ice = bad drink. One bartender told Chilled, “Ice is always last. I hate when someone builds a drink over ice and lets it sit there, melting.” Ice ice, baby!

Fix it: Chill your glassware first, add ice only when you’re ready to shake or serve, and never reuse cubes that have been sitting out. Click here for more tips!

3. Freestyling Your Pours

Free-pouring might look cool on TikTok, but in real life, it’s a fast track to a lopsided drink. Bartenders in our Chilled features constantly call out inconsistent jiggering as the silent killer of
cocktail balance.

Fix it: Use a jigger every time. A half-ounce too heavy (or too light) can totally wreck your flavor ratio.

4. Beating Up Your Herbs

We love a fresh Mojito or Smash over here… but over-muddled mint is basically a salad. Chilled bartenders warn that “muddling herbs too aggressively leads to bitterness and sludge.”

Fix it: Be gentle. You’re extracting oils, not making pesto. Learn more about muddling here.

5. Chasing Every Trend

As one mixologist told Chilled, “If it’s weird for the sake of weird, it’s not going to last.”

Fix it: Let creativity serve the drink. Innovation is great, but only when the end result still tastes amazing! Check out more bartender-approved trends here.

Final Sip – Keep it clean, balanced, and intentional—and your next round will taste like confidence in a glass.

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