Get to know the harmful properties of some well-known cocktail ingredients. By Sostene Costantino.

The world of cocktails is in many ways defined by creativity. Bartenders are often some of the most inventive individuals you’ll ever meet, constantly on the lookout for new ingredients or techniques to improve their creations.

However, while creativity might be boundless, reality has its limits, especially when it comes to the safety of cocktail ingredients. For a bartender, the knowledge about what goes inside their creations is as important as the imagination that led to it.

Click through the slideshow for a breakdown of of 12 ingredients that should warrant a great deal of precaution and understanding.