Stirred Art
App of the Day
from the creators of 
murmur
Layered
The six ratios
| Pattern | Ratio | Drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Sour | 2 : ¾ : ¾ spirit, citrus, syrup | Gimlet, Whiskey Sour, Bee's Knees, Gold Rush |
| Equal parts | 1 : 1 : 1 | Negroni, Old Pal, Last Word, Naked & Famous |
| Manhattan | 2 : 1 spirit, vermouth, plus bitters | Manhattan, Rob Roy, Martinez |
| Martini | 5 : 1 spirit, dry vermouth | Martini, Gibson, Vodka Martini |
| Old Fashioned | 2 oz spirit, ¼ oz syrup, bitters | Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Toronto |
| Highball | 1 : 2 spirit, mixer | Gin & Tonic, Whisky Highball, Moscow Mule |
The measures are the ones in the recipes on this site. Other books move them a little, and the pattern holds.
Sour: 2 : ¾ : ¾
Two ounces of spirit, three quarters of citrus juice, three quarters of syrup, shaken. Lemon or lime juice is in 58 of the 121 recipes here, so this is the pattern you'll meet most.
Change one part and you have another drink. The Daiquiri takes a full ounce of lime. The Sidecar and the Margarita use an orange liqueur as the sweet part.
Equal parts
A Negroni is one part each of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. Swap the gin for rye and the vermouth for dry, and it's an Old Pal. The Last Word runs four equal parts: gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice.
Equal parts are easy to scale. For four people, pour everything four times.
Manhattan and Martini
Both are a spirit stirred with vermouth. The Manhattan is 2 oz rye to 1 oz sweet vermouth, with 2 dashes of bitters. The Martini here is 2½ oz gin to ½ oz dry vermouth. Ask for it wet or dry and the bartender moves that second number.
Old Fashioned
A spirit, a little sugar and bitters: 2 oz rye, ¼ oz simple syrup, 2 dashes of Angostura. The syrup is there to round the spirit off, so the drink still tastes of whiskey.
Highball
One part spirit to two of something fizzy, over ice: 2 oz gin and 4 oz tonic. The Aperol Spritz has its own version, 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda water.
When a drink tastes off
- Too sharp: add a little syrup.
- Too sweet: add a little citrus juice.
- Too strong: stir or shake it a few seconds longer, so more ice melts into it.
Change a quarter of an ounce at a time and taste again.
The long version
The Death & Co team's book Cocktail Codex sorts every cocktail into six families, each named after a root drink: the Old-Fashioned, the Martini, the Daiquiri, the Sidecar, the Whisky Highball and the Flip. It is the book to read after this page.
Ratios and your taste
A ratio tells you how a drink is built. Your palate decides whether you'll like it. Stirred Art builds a flavour profile from drinks you rate, then shows how each recipe compares to it.
Sources
- The measures come from the recipes on this site
- Cocktail Codex, by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald and David Kaplan (Ten Speed Press)
Read on 11 November 2026.
Updated 11 November 2026.
Questions
What is the basic ratio for a sour cocktail?
2 oz spirit, ¾ oz citrus juice and ¾ oz syrup. The Gimlet, the Bee's Knees, the Gold Rush and the Whiskey Sour on this site all use it. The Daiquiri takes a full ounce of lime.
What is the ratio for a Negroni?
Equal parts: 1 oz gin, 1 oz sweet vermouth and 1 oz Campari.
What is the ratio for a Manhattan?
Two to one: 2 oz rye and 1 oz sweet vermouth, with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
What is the ratio for a Margarita?
The Margarita on this site is 2 oz tequila, ¾ oz triple sec and ½ oz lime juice.
What is the ratio for a Cosmopolitan?
1½ oz citrus vodka, ¾ oz Cointreau, ¾ oz cranberry juice and ½ oz lime juice.
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