Zester – also called a channel knife, it’s used to cut twists of citrus fruit peel for fancy drinks.

Twist - a long, thin piece of lemon or lime peel that is twisted over a drink to release the oils, then rubbed on the rim, and dropped in.

Triple sec – orange liqueur made from triple sec oranges

Top shelf – premium spirits, usually kept on the top shelf in a bar.

Tequila slammer – a shot with a mix of tequila and carbonated beverage. You place your palm over the top of the shot glass, slam it down on the bar, then drink it fast as the bubbles rise.

Tequila – a spirit made in Mexico from at least 51% blue agave plants.

Tall drink – a cocktail made in a tall glass. It’s made with the same amount of alcohol, just more mix is added.

Sweet and sour – sweetened lemon or lime juice.

Straight up – chilled in a shaker tin with ice, and strained into a glass, without ice. “Up” means the same thing.

Simple syrup – a mixture of sugar and boiling water. Keeps in the fridge for 7-10 days.

Shooters – meant to be drunk quickly like shots, but they have a mix added to them.

Shots – 100% alcohol, meant to be drink quickly.

Sangrita—a sweet, sour and spicy drink typically made from orange juice, grenadine (or tomato juice) and hot chilies. Equal-sized shots of tequila and sangrita are sipped alternately, without salt or lime.

Sangria – a drink made with red or white wine with sugar and fruits added. Sangria can be frozen in a drink machine and “swirled” with a frozen margarita.

Rimmer – holds your salt, sugar, and juice to help rim glasses. Rose’s Lime cordial can be used in the spongy part to get it wet. Only the outside rim should be wet to prevent salt or sugar from falling into your drink.

Reposado ("rested") – aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels.

Proof - the strength of alcohol. If a bottle is labeled 43 percent, then you double it to get the proof. In this case, its 86 proof.

On the rocks – over ice.

Neat – a spirit poured and served at room temperature straight from the bottle, without any additional ingredients.

Muddler – looks like a small wooden or metal bat.

Mescal – made from any agave plant. Tequila must be made from at least 51 percent agave plant.

Joven ("young") or oro ("gold") – is the result of blending Silver Tequila with Reposado and/or Añejo and/or extra Añejo Tequila.

Grand Marnier (GRAN mahr-n YAY) - French cognac-based orange liqueur invented in 1880 by Louis Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle.

Float – to slowly pour on top.

Fifth – a measurement for a fifth of a gallon.

Extra Añejo ("extra aged" or "ultra aged") – aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. This category was established in March 2006.

Eau-de-vie(oh-duh-VEE) – French term for the water of life. It’s the most popular term to describe distilled spirits.

Don Jose Antonio de Cuervo – A Spanish settler who the king of Spain gave Mexican land to in 1758 in order to cultivate the agave plant.

Curacao (CURE-uh-sow) – orange-flavored liqueur made from orange peels grown on the island of Curacao in the Dutch West Indies.

Cointreau (KWAN-trow) – French orange liqueur made from Mediterranean and tropical orange peels.

Chaser – something drunk immediately after drinking something else; you are “chasing’ the first drink.

Chambord – French black raspberry liqueur made with honey, vanilla, and herbs that are steeped in cognac.

Blanco ("white") or plata ("silver") – white spirit.

Barfly – someone that hangs out at the bar all the time.

Añejo ("aged" or "vintage") – aged a minimum of one year, but less than 3 years in oak barrels.

Angel’s share – refers to the evaporation of spirits that are aging in barrels.

2 fingers – a type of measurement. Take a glass and wrap 2 fingers near the bottom to measure out how much spirit to pour. In most glasses, it will be about two shots. There’s even a tequila named Two fingers.