BASIC “LIST ONLY” EASY SHOOTER RECIPE ACROSTIC MNEMONICS

There are several newer members in my bartending groups on Facebook and LinkedIn who joined from links in other bartending groups I belong to, so I decided to give them a list they can dig into right away even if they know nothing about Mnemonics, so the can begin to experience some benefits more or less immediately.
(Scroll down to see several drinks to memorize quickly using the acrostic memory technique)

Just an FYI to you, I also have a non-bartending specific version of a mnemonics group (strictly memory techniques) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mnemonotechnique/

That said, in the mnemonic bartending group I mention “acrostics” a few times, which are popularly used to help memorize certain drink recipes. I don’t think I listed them here. First though, an “acrostic” is kind of like an acronym (an acronym is like NASA for “National Aeronautics and Space Administration”) where each letter of the acronym stands for the first letter of something else, only the acronym is just one word. An ACROSTIC uses the first letter of each word in a whole sentence to stand for what needs to be remembered.

EXAMPLES OF DRINK RECIPE ACROSTICS:

ORGASM: “Keep Bouncing Around”
Kahlua
Bailey’s
Amaretto

RED HEADED SLUT: “Just Pay Cash
Jägermeister
Peach Schnapps
Cranberry Juice

SURFER ON ACID: “Just Can’t Paddle
Jägermeister
Coconut Rum
Pineapple Juice

LYNCHBURG LEMONADE “Jack Tripper Sips 7-Up
Jack Daniels
Triple Sec
Sour Mix
7-Up

WASHINGTON APPLE: “Crazy Cran Apples
Crown Royal
Cranberry Juice
Apple Pucker

KAMIKAZE: “Very Tragic Landing
Vodka
Triple Sec
Lime Juice

B-52: “Kills Bad Guys
Kahlua
Bailey’s
Grand Marnier

BUTTERY NIPPLE: “Buttery Boobs
Butterscotch Schnapps
Bailey’s

LEMON DROP: “Very Tart & Sweet
Vodka
Triple Sec
Sour Mix

LIQUID COCAINE: “Just Get Ripped
Jägermeister
Goldschläger
Rumpleminze

OATMEAL COOKIE: “Just Bring Golden Butter
Jägermeister
Bailey’s
Goldschläger
Butterscotch Schnapps

KEYLIME PIE: “Very Likeable Lime Cake
Vodka
Licor 43
Lime Juice (Roses)
Cream

CARROT CAKE: “Bakers Keep Golden Butter
Bailey’s
Kahlua
Goldschläger
Butterscotch Schnapps

SIDECAR: (Sugared Rim) “Brandy’s Train Station”
Brandy
Triple Sec
Sour Mix

DREAMSICLE: “All Our Children (Dream)
Amaretto
Orange Juice
Cream

CREAMSICLE: “Wise Children Take Orange Candy
White Cacao
Triple Sec
Orange Juice
Cream

MUDSLIDE: “Very Bad Kids Cry
Vodka
Bailey’s
Kahlua
Cream

BLUE HAWAIIAN: “Little Blue People Surf
Light Rum
Blue Curacao
Pineapple Juice
Sour Mix

RED SNAPPER: “A Crown Catch
Amaretto
Crown Royal
Cranberry Juice

JOLLY RANCHER: “A Mix of Sheep & Ponies
Apple Pucker
Midori
Sour Mix
Pineapple Juice

GREEN TEA: “Irish People’s Shot
Irish Whiskey
Peach Schnapps
Sour Mix

PURPLE HOOTER: “Violet Colored Shooter
Vodka
Chambord
Sour Mix

SEX WITH AN ALLIGATOR:  “Many Singles Crave Jäger
Midori
Sour Mix
Chambord
Jägermeister

SEX ON THE BEACH: “Very Passionate Couples Only
Vodka
Peach Schnapps
Cranberry Juice
Orange Juice

There are a few more I’ve seen… if I find them I’ll post them tomorrow (Friday) probably later in the evening. I don’t use them much except for backups – and to teach others. They’re good though, and do come in handy.

I created one myself two weeks ago for the Scooby Snack:

SCOOBY SNACK: “President Biden Whipped Mario Cuomo” (whipped him as in during an election)
Pineapple Juice (¾ oz)
Banana Liqueur (¾ oz)
Whipped Cream (2 oz)
Midori (¾ oz)
Coconut Rum (¾ oz)

I think they work very well for shooters because most shooters combine all ingredients in equal amounts (all ½ oz or ¾ oz) so simple lists work great. They’re virtually always in shooter or rock glasses, and for the most part have no garnishes.

You can also rhyme or rhythm memorize. Rhythm memorization is a technique we all used (without knowing it was a technique at that time) when we learned the alphabet song.

Rhyming works too. One example is for the SEX ON THE BEACH:

Sex on the Beach
Is a Madras with Peach!

The same goes for remembering the difference between a “Sea Breeze” (vodka, cranberry, grapefruit juice) and a “Bay Breeze” (vodka, cranberry, pineapple juice). Since one gets pineapple (starts with the letter p) and one gets grapefruit juice – all you have to do to remember the difference between a Bay and a Sea Breeze is “No p(ee) in the sea.”

These are pretty convenient for memorizing simple ingredient lists, and most are easily associated with the names of the individual drinks. Moreover, where the bartender learns drink category standard formula pours (3 parts X, 1 part Y, for instance, then they work well enough, to get through alright, but they really shine with simple all equal ingredient parts shooters. Acrostics fall apart where drinks become complex and a lot of them need to be learned.