Learning To Pour

1. When you pick up a liquor bottle, hold it by the neck, wrapping your index finger around the base of the pour spout. This will give you maximum control of the bottle, allowing you to direct the liquor stream, and will prevent the occurrence of having the pour spout slip out of the bottle.

2. As you pour keep the bottle just slightly off vertical. Tilting the the bottle more then this, inhibits the steady flow which is vitally important to proper pouring technique.

3. You will need to develop a "count" for measuring your pour. Every type of pour spout has its own rate of flow.

4. The best count is one which gives you a count of four for a one ounce measure. Here is a reliable way to test this:

Use a shot glass that is one ounce (a lined shot glass is perfect, the line is always one ounce)
Pour from the bottle into the shot glass and count. Experiment with counting until you can use a four count for one ounce of liquor. Try a faster or slower count if necessary.

Once you learn to pour to a count of four, you can easily judge the measurements. if four is 1oz., two is 1/2oz, ect.

Count ----------------- Ounces Poured
1 ------------------------- 1/4
2 ------------------------- 1/2
3 ------------------------- 3/4
4 ------------------------- 1
5 ------------------------- 1 1/4
6 ------------------------- 1 1/2

5. To stop a pour, drop the bottom of the bottle and, in the same motion, twist the pour spout towards you. making sure each shot is poured with a finishing snap of the wrist will knock the liquor back down and avoid dripping.