For decades, chefs have been using Salt when cooking. It's a commonly accepted practice that when salt is not used, food tastes Bland. The whole reason chefs use salt is to enhance flavours. It elevates dishes to no end. Even a pitch on your favourite vegetables brings them to life. We bet 100% of professional Kitchens have salt on hand and probably 95% of all households have it.

But here's the mind-boggling thing. As accepted as Salt with Food is. Adding Salt to Cocktails is still a relatively unheard-of practise. In fact, we'd bet that probably 90% of venues don't have any salt behind the bar, and the few that do simply have Salt for the Tequila club!

Isn't Salt bad for you?

Before we go any further, let's clarify one thing. While we're not doctors, dieticians or nutritionists, we can all accept that too much salt in our diets can be unhealthy. But used in moderation, like sugar or anything else good in our lives, we all know it makes things taste better.

So why do we rarely add Salt to Cocktails?

Steve the Barman thinks it's just misunderstood and not taught in basic training. In fact, after nearly 30 years of bartending, the concept was alien to him up until about 2016, when he stumbled upon adding a small pinch of salt to a Pina Colada. Steve said, "That simple addition made the Coconut pop to new heights!" If more Bartenders published recipes with Salt amplifying flavours, it might be more widely accepted.

How does Salt affect Cocktails?

Salt has this uncanny knack of amplifying hidden flavours in Food and Drinks. As mentioned above, let's look at the Pina Colada. To many people, it's a fun Tropical Cocktail that needs no messing around. However, adding a small pinch doesn't give the Cocktail a salty taste. In fact, it makes the Coconut taste even more Coconutty! It makes it take real. We know that most Bars would use Coconut Puree, which tastes amazing on its own. We sell 5 different Brands, and we stand by all of them. But adding that pinch of salt to a finished Pina Colada...WOW!

We've even tried it with the Woo Woo! THE Disco Drink of the 90s. Vodka, Archers and Cranberry. The Archers brings the sweetness, the Cranberry brings the Tartness. But again, adding a pinch of Salt makes the Cranberry taste more fruity. Again, not to the point where the Drink tastes salty, but where the drink tastes more fruity!

Salt can also go the other way too. For example, let's look at the Margarita. Let's face it: Bartenders only Rim the Glass with Salt because customers expect it. Bartenders have done it for decades without understanding salt's role in that Drink. So it's just become this whole "It's not proper unless it's served with a Salt Rim". But actually, if you serve without a Salt Rim and add a Pinch to the Cocktail, not only do you enhance the Citrusy notes, but you also get this lovely savoury note from the Tequila. For many, that Salt Rim destroys the Cocktail.

How to easily add Salt to a Cocktail

In the rapid turnaround of making a Cocktail, Salt might not dissolve that quickly and can leave a drink a little bitty. So, adding a saline solution to a drink is easier and more accepted.

If you relate this to sugar, it's why most Bartenders work with Sugar Syrup these days instead of adding Granulated Sugar to a Cocktail. It's just quicker and mixes easily into Drinks.

With a Saline Solution, you can keep it in a Bitters Bottle and use a Pipette to add the required amount to a drink without worrying about adding too much. Simply adding 4-5 drops will be enough to change the profile of a cocktail completely. Especially something like a Margarita or a Daiquiri. Even a Manhattan or a Whiskey Sour. However, the practice is no different from what Steve preaches with Daiquiris and Mojitos on masterclasses and adding sugar. Always err on the side of caution. Add less than you think because you can always add more. However, you can never take away. So even if you think you want more than 4-5 drops, start there, because you can always add another couple of drops later.

How to make a Saline Solution

We don't know who to credit this to. We just know it's the standard practice when making a Saline Solution. It's referred to in one of 2 ways;

• 20% Saline Solution
• 4:1 Ratio

These 2 things basically mean exactly the same thing. But the crucial thing is that you have to focus on Weight, not Volume.

The quickest and easiest way to make a Saline Solution is to grab a set of Scales. Weigh out 20g of Salt. The type of Salt doesn't really matter, although Steve, being Steve does obviously prefer Cornish Sea Salt! Apparently, it's the best... Then weigh out 80g of water.

20g of Salt to 80g of water is obviously 20% or a 4:1 ratio. There's no need to boil the solution like a Sugar Syrup. The Salt will simply dissolve after a few vigorous shakes, over 10 to 15 minutes. And because the salt acts as a preservative, this will last for ages.

And just an FYI, the whole 20g of salt to 80g of water is the perfect amount for an old Bitters bottle with a Pipette! (but also good for remembering 20%!)

Still not convinced about Salt in Cocktails?

If you still need convincing, try it for yourself or one night in your Bar. It'll cost you practically nothing apart from a few minutes. Then start experimenting with your favourite Cocktails. Anything from Daiquiris and Pina Coladas to Espresso Martinis and Manhattans! Start with 3 drops and work up. As we said above, 5 drops is normally the sweet spot. But some Cocktails require less, some require more.