Pimp Your Party Bar!

I was watching reruns of “Starsky & Hutch” when I suddenly realized that bartending on a budget is really about pimping.  No, not the bad kind of pimping practiced in the real world where loathsome parasites prey on society’s most base desires.  I’m talking about the good kind of pimping, like on television and in the movies, where lovable scamps add a bit of color to the screen: Huggy Bear from “Starsky & Hutch,” Bill “Blaze” Blazejowski from “Night Shift,” and my favorite TV pimp, Aaron Spelling.

Indeed, pimping a home bar pretty much boils down to taking some of the ordinary ingredients that you might have laying around and using them to liven up your cocktail offerings.  And, a few of my favorite pimping tools are citrus juice and soda.

Lemon and lime juice are powerful ingredients that bring flavor and acid to a drink.  Orange juice also brings the added bonus of sugar.  Citrus juices have a lot to offer the world of spirits, which is why they’re included in so many recipes.

Soda is a bit more controversial because it brings so much sugar and flavor, but I’m a big fan of sparkling party drinks -- it’s hard not to have fun when you’re holding an effervescing drink.  Lemon/lime soda is probably the most versatile because it’s flavor mimics citrus, but cola and even root beer have some serious pimping skills, too.

The best thing about citrus juices and soda is that they’re ingredients that bring a great deal of flexibility to most spirits' drink possibilities and you probably have them laying around.  An example of mad pimping skills, is the Tequila Fizz.  It’s a riff on my shortcut version of a Gin Fizz and shows how a few simple, inexpensive ingredients can dress up just about any spirit into a quick, easy, and fun cocktail.

                                                 Tequila Fizz

                                                 Ingredients

                  * 2 oz. Tequila  * 1 oz. Lime Juice  * 4-6 oz. Lemon/Lime Soda

Start with a Collins, Highball, or any 8-10 oz. glass about half full of ice.  Add the tequila and lime juice, then top off with the lemon/lime soda.  Garnish with a lime wedge, pop on your favorite, over-the-top, fringe-lined hat, and you’re ready to party!

Find more time and money saving ideas at 30-Second Bartender.com!  And, don’t forget to give a “like” on Facebook.