When engineers meet after work for drinks, they design their cocktails the same way they design anything else, apparently: in the modeling software AutoCAD. Created by engineer Shaan Hurley, CAD Drinks is an engineer's breakdown of how to make more than 70 different cocktails: everything from a Tom Collins to a Sex On The Beach. Divided between whiskey and non-whiskey based cocktails, the two schematics can be downloaded, opened and tweaked in any AutoCAD reader. And they're astonishingly thorough.
What I like about both of these schematics is how well they demonstrate the density of information, which engineers make their living organizing and visualizing. At first glance, I was ready to dismiss these CAD Drinks as a rather shallow visualization of what goes into making even classic cocktails. The opposite is true: once you learn to read the schematics, you'll see that each chart contains everything you need to know to mix a classic cocktail, right down to what glass you should serve it in and whether it should be shaken or stirred. The schematics even have advice on proper mixing technique--although as a guy who has made his share of flips, I disagree that ice should only be added after the main ingredient. (Add it at the very end and you'll never have to worry about your drink getting too diluted. )
That quibble aside, the CAD Drawing schematics have given me a newfound appreciation for the engineering mind.
You can download both of Hurley's AutoCAD Drinks files here.