The Potential Downside To Drinking Sweet Cocktails

Whether your go-to cocktail is a simple and classic gin and tonic or you tend toward a more unique concoction, many things will work for an evening drink. While a bartender might make throwing together an impressive boozy beverage look easy, mixology is a complicated skill — part art, part science — that requires a lot of practice. Memorizing cocktail formulas is just the beginning, and perfecting the drinks comes with time.

There are many tricks to creating a flawless drink that can wow guests with appearances as much as taste. Details like memorizing how glassware and garnishes affect the experience, as well as how certain flavors work together (or don't), is essential to the learning process, according to Bartender Company. One of the most important lessons for anyone mixing up a cocktail is how sweet flavors can play a role in each drink, as this quality can easily make or break it.

The next time you go to mix up your favorite cocktail, keep in mind how sweet you're making it. According to Delish, sweeter drinks are an easy palate-pleaser, but they can easily lose their complexity. The site notes that the sweeter the drink, the more likely the subtler flavors get lost in the mix. A good cocktail should balance sweetness and its tart (or other underlying) components equally.

The golden ratio in bartending seems to be 2:1:1, meaning two parts alcohol, 1 part sweet, and one part sour, per Cocktail Mavenaz. But don't fear — if you shake up a cocktail that's just a little too sweet, there is a simple solution. According to Thrillist, all you have to do to re-balance an overly syrupy drink is add a few dashes of bitters.

However, at the end of the day, we know everyone has different preferences. If you prefer your nightcap dessert-sweet, mix away — just prepare yourself for the inevitable sugar crash.