Making good cocktails is, like pretty much anything else, mostly a matter of practice. The problem of course is that even cheap liquor adds up after a while, and it can get frustrating to keep wasting it on stuff that’s undrinkable. Trust me, I know: I’ve been into mixology and cocktail crafting for several years now, and I still sometimes come up with something that’s just straight-up gross!

On that note, my latest article is up over on Primer Magazine — I talk about improvising cocktails and things you can keep in mind to help make sure you don’t end up crafting drinks that would be better off poured down the drain.

Here’s a clip:

As you begin building a bar and exploring the world of cocktails, at some point you will find yourself in one of two situations. Either you will be filled with the desire to create beverages of your own, or you’ll end up wanting to make a drink but not having any recipes handy. In both cases, you’re going to have to improvise, and there are a few simple practices you can follow that will help ensure that what ends up in your glass wouldn’t be better-off poured down the sink.

Here are five tips that will help you craft cocktails that amuse and delight, even if you don’t have any books on hand.

You can read the entire thing over at Primer!