How to Make Saline Solution for Cocktails and Mocktails
This Saline Solution for Cocktails and Mocktails will soon become your favorite secret weapon on your bar cart next to bitters! It helps to balance out the flavors of all your drinks with just a few drops!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 g kosher salt diamond crystal brand, see notes!
- 80 g filtered water
Instructions
- Measure water. Using a kitchen scale, measure out 80 g of filtered water into a measuring glass.80 g filtered water
- Measure salt. Add 20 g of kosher salt into the measuring glass.20 g kosher salt
- Combine. Stir the mixture using a spoon and allow it to settle. It may take up to 5 minutes for the salt to dissolve, you may need to stir more than once.
- Store. Pour your mix into a dropper bottle for storage and use.
- Store your homemade saline solution in a cool dark place.
Notes
👀 no kitchen scale?
This recipe uses weight because that's the easiest way to make sure you are using the right amount of salt. 20 g of Diamond Brand Kosher Salt = 6 1/4 tsp OR 3 TBSP + 1/4 tsp 20 g of Maldon Flaky Sea Salt = 7 tsp OR 2 TBSP + 1 tsp 20 g of Morton's Coarse Kosher Salt = 3 1/4 tsp OR 1 TBSP + 1/4 tsp Do NOT use table salt.ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
Check the post for even more tips + tricks for making and using your salt solution!- perfect your ratio of salt - As a general rule, you need to use 20 grams of salt and 80 grams of water to make a 20% solution. 20 + 80 = 100 grams! And 20% of 100 is….that’s right, 20! Stick with a 20% solution instead of upping it to a 30% or 40% solution. You can always add more drops of the solution if you want it saltier. LOTS of bartenders have done LOTS of trial and error with cocktail chemistry and found that 20% is the ideal ratio of saltiness to water.
- type of salt - check out the mini guide of types of salt in the post to choose the best salt for you. Different types of salt will produce a different flavor of saline solution.
- bitter flavors - salt can cut bitterness, which is sometimes in certain bitter aperitifs on purpose, like in a summery Aperol spritz. In drinks where you want a certain amount of bitterness to be prominent (like Italian mocktails and cocktails), you’ll want to limit use of a saline solution.
- salt won't dissolve - If your salt won’t dilute from stirring, you can allow it to sit in the water until it dissolves, then give the mix a gentle shake or stir. You can also heat your water first to speed the process up!
Nutrition
Serving: 1dropSodium: 5mgPotassium: 0.001mgCalcium: 0.005mg
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Keyword: kosher salt, saline solution, salt, The Balancing Act