02-29-2024

This cocktail was created by Beth Dixon of Pasture (Richmond, Virginia). This drink is a riff on the Jungle Bird where here gin replaces rum and orgeat replaces simple/demerara syrup. Dixon describes it as a love child between a Mai Tai and a Negroni. I’m always here for a tropical gin drink! Cheers y’all!

02-28-2024

This is an original that I felt encapsulates spring. I went with a floral gin and used a delicious amaro from Accompani (@drinkaccompani). Mari Gold is a light and bright amaro that has flavors of orange and gentian. The cucumber brings freshness, and the honey balances the bright lime. Cheers y’all!

02-27-2024

Tiny cocktails need more love! You may have seen the Snackerac, Snaquiri, Tiny ‘Tini, among others on a number of pages (like @highproofpreacher and @holycityhandcraft), so I had to make the Mini Mai Tai. Thanks to the help of folks on Threads (shoutout @epicfahl) for helping me with a name for it. This is perfect for folks who want to drink less or a great welcome drink to those at a get together or dinner party. Cheers y’all!

02-26-2024

This Negroni riff was created by my friend Morten Krag (@thecocktail.blog). Who can say no to a banana Negroni appropriately named after the species name for banana?! Instead of Campari, a split of a sweeter Aperol and banana liqueur are used. To help balance the extra sweetness, there’s a heavier pour of gin. I’m not going to lie, I made a second one right after finishing this! Cheers y’all!

02-25-2024

This cocktail was created by Troy Tingling of The Rum House (New York City). This is very much a Jungle Bird that took a twist and went the sour route. The egg white gives this tropical drink a nice little, but of course you can always use aquafaba or other foamer. Cheers y’all!

02-24-2024

This is a fun espresso martini riff I created that is inspired by the Rye Tai and Espresso Martiki. The spice of the rye works so well in tropical drinks. And, believe it or not, pineapple and coffee are a lovely combo. If you’re wondering which pineapple liqueur to use, Giffard Caribbean Pineapple is my go-to. Give this one a reshake! Cheers y’all!

02-23-2024

Let’s take the classic martini to New Orleans. This cocktail was created in the 1940s at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop in the Crescent City. The absinthe addition as opposed to bitters is traditional of many NOLA classics. This dry martini variant would pair beautifully with some fresh oysters 🤤 Cheers y’all!

02-22-2024

This classic was first mentioned in 1895 when featured in George Kappeler’s, “Modern American Drinks.” The drink uses two French herbal liqueurs that pair well with the notes of apple from the brandy. Most specs I see do not include cognac as well, so this is a recent addition that likely helps balance the sweetness of the liqueurs. Cheers y’all!

02-21-2024

Happy World Margarita Day! This is my go-to recipe for a margarita. This recipe was created in the late 1980s by Julio Bermejo and named after his family's Mexican restaurant and bar in San Francisco, CA. It’s simple and it’s delicious. I often find myself keeping my margaritas to three ingredients instead of adding an orange liqueur. Cheers y’all!

02-20-2024

This drink was created by Mickaël Lenin at Ancestral (now closed) in Wellington, New Zealand. I love the play on words in the name. It resembles a Blood and Sand with the scotch and orange. Fernet gives it herbal notes which pairs with the smoky scotch. Maple brings it all together. Cheers y’all!

02-19-2024

I found this Corn ‘n’ Oil riff by Jon and Siobhan (@subtletiki) and had to reshake it. This is built in the glass, and involves stirring to get a nice frosty glass before adding even more crushed/pebble ice. Nixta is a Mexican corn liqueur with a nutty taste — a fun one to add to the bar! Cheers y’all!

02-18-2024

This drink was created by Matthias Soberon (@servedbysoberon). It’s not often I find recipes calling for blood oranges, which give drinks such a beautiful color, that I had to make it. You should use your favorite unpeated scotch (perhaps something with a winter spice or butter vibe). Cheers y’all!

02-17-2024

Meet a wonderful sipper created by the brilliant Phil Ward in 2008 for Death & Co. (@deathandcompany). This martini variation has added complexity of cherry and herbal notes. The original calls for Beafeater gin, which makes sense as Beafeater is a nickname given to the Yeoman Warders (guardians of the Tower of London). Cheers y’all!

02-16-2024

Meet a classic loved by many. Although there are few ingredients, letting the whiskey shine, the specs may vary depending on the person and their palate. This may mean using bourbon instead of rye, upping the vermouth to a 2:1 ratio, or using an orange twist instead of cherries. As always, make sure you mix something that YOU like. Cheers y’all!

02-15-2024

This is an original of mine, which is a Trinidad Sour riff. The name comes from the scientific name of the Scarlet Ibis, a red tropical bird, and also the name of the rum I used here. This Trinidad rum is particularly dry which works well with the two sweeteners: pineapple and orgeat. Cheers y’all!

02-14-2024

Let’s pretend it’s not still winter and we can enjoy a refreshing spritz. They’re fun and easy, plus you can build it in the glass (yay, for less dishes!). Here, I use a citrus infused vodka (infused with bergamot, grapefruit, and oranges). A botanical gin would be lovely here as well. Go ahead and call this an ANY Day Spritz because why limit yourself to a holiday designed for commercialization, excessive consumerism, and the pressure to express love through material gifts…I mean 😬 Cheers y’all!

02-13-2024

This old fashioned riff was created by Cody Goldstein (@muddlingmemories) and this adjusted recipe is by Prankthik Samal (@parttimemixologist). The original uses bourbon and baked apple bitters. The spice of the rye paired with the apple (Calvados) and cinnamon are perfect and tastes like an apple pastry. Cheers y’all!

02-12-2024

This tiki drink was created by the one and only Don The Beachcomber. This is an adjusted recipe by Matthias Soberon (@servedbysoberon). Although it is traditionally blended, here the specs have been adjusted to be shaken and served over crushed ice. Anyone else ready for spring/summer? Cheers y’all!

02-11-2024

If you’ve opened up Cocktail Instagram over the last week, you’ve likely seen this refreshing Mexican cocktail: Batanga aka Charro Negro. This simple and delicious concoction is Mexico’s take on the Cuba Libre (rum and coke). It was created in 1961 by Don Javier Delgado Corona in Tequila, MX. I decided to complicate things by making, clarifying, then recarbonating it…and oh my, it is DELICIOUS. It is dangerously easy to drink and the deep Coke flavors are there but subtle. It is deliciously different! Cheers y’all!

02-10-2024

This robust sipper was created by Joe Briglio (Chicago) and is featured in the book, “Nightcap: More Than 40 Cocktails To Close Out Any Evening.” He describes the drink as, “my interpretation of the flavors of the early American West and possibly a cowboy’s campfire.” Cheers y’all!