Sugar and acid hide each other. A drink that tastes too sour is very often a drink that is short on sugar, and a guest who says "too sweet" is frequently asking for more lime. This week, prove it on yourself. **The challenge** 1. Build a sour you know well — Daiquiri, Margarita, Whiskey Sour — three times. 2. Change ONLY the sugar: your usual amount, a third less, a third more. Spirit and citrus identical in all three. Identical. 3. Shuffle them so you don't know which is which, then rank them from most sour to least sour. **What to look for:** whether the one you called most sour is actually the one with the least sugar — because the citrus never changed. If it is, you just measured sugar masking acid, on your own palate. **Post in the comments:** your ranking, and whether you got it right. That's it. A single line is a complete answer. This one humbles almost everybody, including people who have been behind a bar for years. I'll reply to every one. The full protocol lives in THE PALATE in the classroom, which opens at Level 4 — but you don't need it to run this today. Everything you need is on the card.

Question: What’s the correct Negroni build? Vote below, then answer this in the comments: Shaken or stirred? And why?

We’ve got bartenders, home enthusiasts, and pros from all over. Drop this in the comments: 1️⃣ Name 2️⃣ City 3️⃣ Bar (if you work in one) 4️⃣ Favorite cocktail I’ll start in the comments.