3. COBBLER
This category is way more vague in its requirements! The formula here is slightly ominous:
- spirit
- sweetener
- “something else”
I mean, that could be anything– even milk! Traditionally, though, true “cobblers” have come to include mainly fresh fruit. And don’t forget the crushed ice and straw. What a classy drink! Because of the ice and light, fruity flavors, a cobbler is the perfect cocktail for a hot summer’s day.
Interestingly, the cobbler cocktail also gave rise to the cocktail shaker, perhaps even lending its name to the cobbler shaker.
Cobblers are very similar to juleps and smashes, and we’re kind of including them all under the umbrella of “cobbler” here. (Please don’t come at me with pitch forks.)
If you’re like me, you could fall down a real rabbit hole trying to figure out the differences. Honestly, I don’t recommend it– I have two professional bartenders working with me to make sense of all the subtle differences, and it’s still confusing to weed through all the arguments smashes vs. juleps vs. cobblers.
But this is where subcategories come in and why there is so much debate about the official list of cocktail families.
Julep: Spirit, sugar, muddled mint– served in a julep cup with crushed ice and fresh mint leaves (or in a Collins glass if a tin is not available– presentation is quite important here!)
