Metric Measuring Tools for Cocktails

[cadmixes]

Here and elsewhere I've been encountering a decent amount of recipes originating in countries where metric measurements are standard. My general impression is that these recipes are hard to translate into customary units, probably because milliliters seem to lend themselves to a bit more precision and proportional variation than ounces. It's possible to convert and get "in the area" of the drink's intended proportions, but as soon as the dreaded dash (of all the measurements to be common ground between the two systems....) comes into play, I'm left wondering if all of my approximations have resulted in me missing the spirit of the drink.

So I'm wondering if anyone can point me to a good measuring product with metric units. There seems to be a set of metric jiggers commonly available online, but I don't really feel like keeping three different jiggers on the bar for the occasional metric recipe (and I'm not really a jigger guy anyway--I use Oxo mini angled measuring cups exclusively). So a single tool would be ideal. I've been considering just getting a 50 ml graduated cylinder from a scientific equipment supplier but they seem kind of fiddly, so I thought I'd check with you all before pulling the trigger.

[Karri]

Why don't you just extrapolate the ratio, and use that?

[EvergreenDan]

I spent some time thinking about these conversions and creating approximations that come close but allow reasonably round numbers in both system. In other words, they are intentionally slightly imprecise in order to achieve memorable nice measurements. Kindred Cocktails uses these approximations in converting to/from measuring systems. All cocktails entered by other users are presented in the preferred measuring system of the viewer. Maybe this will help?

Measurement Units

[Kent Wang]

The OXO mini has metric units on it.

[thirtyoneknots]

When discussing well in excess of 99% of cocktail recipes in existence, the slight variation in proportion resulting from metric conversion will not adversely affect the outcome of the final drink. We're making cocktails, not nitroglycerine, so no need to be anxious about it.

In general the standard baseline unit in American recipes will be an ounce, and the corresponding unit in British (and presumably other Commonwealth-origin) recipes is 25 ml--a little smaller. This may make conversion or at least approximation a little easier.

[EvergreenDan]

Odd. My OXO Mini has Tablespoons (i.e. 1/2 ounces) on the left and ounces on the right. Tablespoons are not very useful. Teaspoons would be useful, as would ml.

Andy -- why 25ml? It's not nearly as accurate as 30, and it doesn't divide evenly by anything other than the odd-ball 5. Are you confusing mm with ml?

1 ounce = 29.57ml

1 inch = 25.54mm

Edited May 29, 2011 by EvergreenDan (log)

[Will]

I use the metric jiggers (the Japanese ones from Cocktail Kingdom).

I find them pretty easy to work with whether dealing with metric or English measurements. Just remember that 2 oz is about 60 ml. The bigger Cocktail Kingdom one is 45 and 30 ml (1.5 oz / 1 oz), I think, and the 45 ml side has a marking inside at the 15 ml point, which means you can either do 2x 30 or 45 + 15 to get ~ 2 oz. As far as getting something like 8 or 10 ml, or 25 ml I just kind of eyeball it, because I just don't believe in being that scientific (yes, one bad thing about a jigger is that it gets wider near the top, so eyeballing things is rarely spot-on). Of course, those graduated multi-level-jiggers with ml measurements inside are very popular as well. I think I've got one, but I never use it.

I don't really like the Oxo thing, but don't they make a product with metric measurements?

ps - I think measuring a "dash" runs counter to the spirit of the thing. Just get the feel of what a "dash" is for you for a particular item. If the bottle spits out too much at once, you could invest in some dasher bottles, which look nice, and which will give you consistency from product to product. Or eyedroppers if you're one of those anal-retentive types.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Will (log)

[Riley_UK]

The reason that the UK uses 25ml is that it's a conversion from the old spirit measurement of 1/6th of a gill, which is actually 1/24th of a pint and so on...

Don't know when the change occurred, and I've never seen anything with a 1/6th gill marking on it, but one of the older guys I worked with when I first started 'tending had used them, so can't be that long ago.

I'd hazard a guess at early 70's, as that's also when the shilling went out of fashion....

[cadmixes]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Why don't you just extrapolate the ratio, and use that?

Because there are several recipes (especially when you're talking about newer recipes) that don't fit nicely into a ratio. For example, this is from the Boker's Bitters thread:

Mariachi

Created by Adam Elmegirab, 8th March 2011

40ml Tapatio Reposado

12.5ml Campari

10ml Agave Sec

25ml Fresh lime juice

4 Dashes Limited Edition Spanish Bitters

Dash sugar syrup.

I could approximate this into a 4:2:1:1, but the purpose here is to find a tool so I don't have to!

I spent some time thinking about these conversions and creating approximations that come close but allow reasonably round numbers in both system. In other words, they are intentionally slightly imprecise in order to achieve memorable nice measurements. Kindred Cocktails uses these approximations in converting to/from measuring systems. All cocktails entered by other users are presented in the preferred measuring system of the viewer. Maybe this will help?

Measurement Units

These appoximations make sense to me and I think this is a good approach! At least until I get some kind of measuring tool.

The OXO mini has metric units on it.

The metal ones do not. But you made me double-check and it seems that the newer plastic ones do (my old plastic one did not). As long as I remember not to accidentally melt them in the dishwasher, I would consider picking up a couple of the plastic ones again.

When discussing well in excess of 99% of cocktail recipes in existence, the slight variation in proportion resulting from metric conversion will not adversely affect the outcome of the final drink. We're making cocktails, not nitroglycerine, so no need to be anxious about it.

ps - I think measuring a "dash" runs counter to the spirit of the thing. Just get the feel of what a "dash" is for you for a particular item. If the bottle spits out too much at once, you could invest in some dasher bottles, which look nice, and which will give you consistency from product to product. Or eyedroppers if you're one of those anal-retentive types.

I appreciate the sentiment here but I don't really agree with it at all. It's 2011. It should not be hard to accurately measure liquid quantities in a variety of units. I make drinks at home--I have time to take the extra step of measuring very carefully. I guess this could be seen as "anal" but to me it's more just doing something to the best of my capability. And yes, I long-ago put all my bitters in dropper bottles just to make it clear about where I'm coming from

[KatieLoeb]

I'm a fan of eyedroppers (and small atomizer sprayers) for precision. It might be one of the few things in life I'm a bit anal about. However, I must agree that most drink recipes are at least a bit forgiving, certainly enough so that an ml or two here or there won't be perceptible to the average palate. It's a cocktail, not birth control or chemical weaponry. It'll be fine.

[Will]

ps - I think measuring a "dash" runs counter to the spirit of the thing. Just get the feel of what a "dash" is for you for a particular item.

I appreciate the sentiment here but I don't really agree with it at all. It's 2011. It should not be hard to accurately measure liquid quantities in a variety of units. I make drinks at home--I have time to take the extra step of measuring very carefully. I guess this could be seen as "anal" but to me it's more just doing something to the best of my capability. And yes, I long-ago put all my bitters in dropper bottles just to make it clear about where I'm coming from

Yes, but a "dash" is, by its nature, a non-precision term, and intentionally so. If someone wanted you to put 0.3 ml into a drink, they could write that. But one of the things that makes a "dash" interesting is that everyone's dash is different. Many people might agree that it's about 1/8 tsp or something. Measuring a dash of bitters is like measuring a "pinch" of salt. Of course we can measure things accurately in 2011, but that's hardly a new development. Accurate measuring devices for liquids have been around for quite some time. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

I do measure things when I make mixed drinks (which is not often, these days), and I think that overall, measuring is a good thing for consistency (as long as people also taste what they're making, not relying soley on measurements). But doing things by feel doesn't necessarily mean imprecision either. It takes more time to learn to do something by feel, and there are more mistakes along the way, but this approach has its rewards (and benefits) as well. When I put a "dash" of something (bitters, maraschino) into a drink, I know about how many shakes I want, or how it should look in the mixing glass / tin, and that's good enough for me.

Edited May 30, 2011 by Will (log)

[bmdaniel]

What about building the drink on a digital scale?

[jsmeeker]

What about building the drink on a digital scale?

I've seen this done before. At the Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland.

[bmdaniel]

What about building the drink on a digital scale?

I've seen this done before. At the Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland.

I do it all the time for savory cooking - much easier to just plop a bowl on there and tare between ingredients. No reason you couldn't throw a shaker on there and do the same.

[haresfur]

What about building the drink on a digital scale?

Well, I don't want to correct all the recipes for density, which is quite different across the range from sugar syrup to overproof rum.

I use a 4 oz measuring glass that also is marked in teaspoons, tablespoons, and ml. The main trouble is trying to find and read the right scale. I got 2 at a (US) grocery.

[thirtyoneknots]

I appreciate the sentiment here but I don't really agree with it at all. It's 2011. It should not be hard to accurately measure liquid quantities in a variety of units. I make drinks at home--I have time to take the extra step of measuring very carefully. I guess this could be seen as "anal" but to me it's more just doing something to the best of my capability. And yes, I long-ago put all my bitters in dropper bottles just to make it clear about where I'm coming from

To each his own, but I'll just point out that unless you're going to go to the trouble of getting not just the exact spirits called for in a recipe but the exact brand (assuming that brands are even specified), and in some cases from the same country the recipe creator bought theirs from, all this precision in measuring isn't really going to matter, because you can't recreate the drink exactly anyway. And to get the same balance effect intended, it may be necessary to adjust quantities anyway. And if it's not necessary to make adjustments, then you can rest assured it was not necessary to worry about the difference between 40 ml (approx 1 oz + 2 tsp) and 45 ml (approx 1 oz + 3 tsp, aka 1.5 oz) to begin with and you can safely estimate the conversion.

Edited June 7, 2011 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[Deus Mortus]

I have a solution! I have the exact opposite problem, I'll buy some metric measurement cups and jiggers here and you buy some with cups and ounces and we'll trade!

Edited June 7, 2011 by Deus Mortus (log)

[Seattle Food Geek]

If it were me, I'd use laboratory glassware for measuring and mixing. After all, that's what they're meant for :-) You just need to be OK with looking like Dr. Bunsen Honeydew while you're mixing drinks.

You can find cheap vessels at http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/4/category/42

[brinza]

I use a 4 oz measuring glass that also is marked in teaspoons, tablespoons, and ml. The main trouble is trying to find and read the right scale. I got 2 at a (US) grocery.

I use one of these too. Not exclusively, but I use it a lot. I agree about finding the right scale, plus it's also difficult to use looking at it straight on. I always turn it around and look at the scale I want through the far side of the glass. It's easier for me that way.