Whether you're new to the bar or brushing up for class, understanding bartending lingo is key to mastering the craft. We teach our students the language of bartending as part of our hands-on, real-world training.

Here are 50 must-know bartending terms to help your bartending career:

1. Back
A small glass of something served alongside another drink, like a beer with a whiskey back.

2. Barback
A bar assistant who helps restock, clean, and support the bartender during a shift.

3. Bar Spoon
A long spoon used to stir and layer drinks, often with a twisted handle.

4. Bitters
Concentrated herbal alcohol used to add complexity to cocktails.

5. Blender Drink
A cocktail mixed with ice in a blender… common for frozen drinks like daiquiris.

6. Build
To make a drink directly in the glass it’s served in, without shaking or stirring separately.

7. Call Drink
A drink where the customer specifies the liquor brand, like "Tanqueray and tonic."

8. Chaser
A mild drink consumed after a shot, like juice or soda.

9. Collins
A tall, refreshing cocktail typically made with liquor, lemon juice, sugar, and club soda.

10. Coupe Glass
A shallow, broad-rimmed glass used for cocktails like Manhattans and Sidecars.

11. Dirty
When olive brine is added to a drink, especially a Dirty Martini.

12. Double
Twice the standard amount of alcohol in a drink.

13. Dry
Used to describe a drink with less sweetness or less vermouth in cocktails like martinis.

14. Float
A small amount of liquor gently layered on top of a cocktail.

15. Free Pour
Pouring liquor without a jigger using timed counts and practice.

16. Garnish
Edible decoration added for flavor and presentation, like lime wedges or cherries.

17. Highball
A drink made with one spirit and one mixer, served over ice in a tall glass.

18. House Liquor
Also known as well liquor; the default liquor used unless a specific brand is requested.

19. Ice Scoop
A tool used to handle ice safely and hygienically.

20. Jigger
A measuring tool with two sides… usually 1 oz and 1.5 oz—for consistent pours.

21. Layering
Carefully pouring liquids to create distinct, visible layers in a drink.

22. Liqueur
A sweetened spirit infused with flavors like fruit, nuts, herbs, or spices.

23. Muddle
To mash ingredients like herbs or fruit in the bottom of a glass to release flavor.

24. Neat
A drink served straight from the bottle with no ice, water, or mixers.

25. Nightcap
A final drink of the evening, usually a spirit sipped slowly.

26. On the Rocks
A drink served over ice.

27. Overproof
Liquor that is higher than standard alcohol content, often used in flaming drinks.

28. Pony Shot
A 1 oz pour… smaller than a standard shot.

29. Pour Spout
A spout attached to a bottle to regulate the flow of liquor when pouring.

30. Prep
Short for “bar prep,” referring to chopping garnishes, batching mixers, and setting up tools before service.

31. Premium Liquor
Top-shelf or higher-quality brand-name spirits.

32. Press
A drink made with half club soda, half lemon-lime soda… like a vodka press.

33. Rail
The area in the front of the bar where well liquors are kept for quick access.

34. Rim
To coat the rim of a glass with salt, sugar, or spices (like a margarita glass).

35. Rocks Glass
A short, wide glass used for serving spirits over ice.

36. Roll
To gently mix a drink by pouring it back and forth between two containers.

37. Rounds
Multiple drinks ordered together, often for a group.

38. Runner
A staff member who delivers drinks or food from the bar or kitchen to customers.

39. Service Bar
The area where bartenders prepare drinks for waitstaff to serve to tables.

40. Shake
To mix a cocktail with ice in a shaker until well-chilled and diluted.

41. Shaker Tin
The metal part of a cocktail shaker used for mixing and chilling drinks.

42. Shooter
A small, mixed shot typically consumed all at once.

43. Simple Syrup
A 1:1 mix of sugar and water used as a sweetener in cocktails.

44. Sling
A tall, fruit-forward cocktail with a spirit base, often gin.

45. Speed Rack
The bartender’s quick-access area for frequently used liquors.

46. Splash
A small amount of a mixer added to a drink.

47. Stir
To mix cocktails gently in a mixing glass with ice, typically used for spirit-forward drinks.

48. Straight Up
A cocktail that’s chilled and served without ice, usually in a stemmed glass.

49. Tall
A drink served in a larger glass with extra mixer (same alcohol content).

50. Twist
A strip of citrus peel twisted over a drink to release its oils and used as garnish.

Want to Learn More?

This glossary is just a taste of what you’ll master in our hands-on bartending classes at ABC Bartending School in Phoenix. Learn the tools, techniques, and terms while working behind a real bar with professional instructors!