05-16-2024

This drink was created in 2008 by Alex Day at Death and Co (@deathandcompany). Day named this cocktail after Dutty Boukman, a Haitian priest who started the Haitian slave revolt in 1791. The daiquiri template is so fun to riff on and here Day adds a split base of rum and cognac. The lime juice cuts through the cinnamon and Cognac and gives the drink an “unexpected astringency,” which keeps it light and refreshing. One of my favorites! Cheers y’all!

05-15-2024

Here is yet another espresso martini riff I created. I came up with this while listening to Self Care by Mac Miller (RIP). The foam (recipe by @thebittergringo) is made by combining all ingredients and using a milk frother or you can use an iSi whipper. If you haven’t noticed, I love Tiki Bitters (Bittermens is my go to brand!). Cheers y’all!

05-14-2024

This is a cocktail by my friend Isaiah LaBelle (@onesipclub). This split base sour uses almond syrup to sweeten it up. Jamaican rum has a nice funk that pairs well with the spice of rye. Tiki bitters can transform a cocktail and are worth getting. Nutmeg is an olfactory must. Cheers y’all!

05-13-2024

This recipe is by the brilliant Erick Castro-Diaz (@hungrybartender), who created the drink for his Polite Provisions bar in San Diego, CA. This piña colada riff subs out rum for the delicious (and now hard to find) Green Chartreuse. Since I just scored a bottle over the weekend, what better way to put it to use? Cheers y’all!

05-12-2024

A Batida is a popular Brazilian cocktail made with the national spirit, cachaça, a type of distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. It's like the cousin of rum and adds a unique flavor to any drink. I stumbled across this first at Hale Pele (Portland, OR), where they add tangy passionfruit to the mix. Cheers y’all!

05-11-2024

This cocktail was created in 2006 by bartender Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club (New York City). This is a great example of taking a classic cocktail (Southside) and adding one ingredient (absinthe) to add an extra layer of complexity. The name is a nod to the late 1800s French architecture, where folks used to sip absinthe. Cheers y’all!

05-10-2024

This espresso martini riff comes from Leandro DiMonriva (@theeducatedbarfly). Aquavit is a Scandinavian spirit distilled from potatoes or grain, which is then redistilled with a number of flavors, but most importantly caraway or dill. Originally, it was praised for its apparent medicinal properties in the 1500s. Cheers y’all!

05-09-2024

This tropical cocktail was created by Chase Hoffman (@cnh.photo). I hope this finally convinces you to go buy some quality banana liqueur (Giffard and Tempus are great). There’s so much tropical spice from the falernum and Angostura here. Cheers y’all!

05-08-2024

This Last Word riff was created by Isaiah LaBelle (@onesipclub). Here, Isaiah swaps out maraschino for a red bitter liqueur (Campari). The orgeat (almond syrup) introduces some sweetness that calms down the bitterness from the Campari. It also adds a nice mouthfeel to the cocktail. Cheers y’all!

05-07-2024

This drink was created by Ivy Mix and is found her book, “Spirits of Latin America.” If you love agave spirits, I highly recommend getting this book. This sipper is perfect for these warm days ahead. You really get the delicate sides of mezcal here. Cheers y’all!

05-06-2024

This mint julep riff is by Barlow Gilmore (@theweekendmixologist). I have heard the julep be described as the bright and refreshing cousin to the old fashioned. Here, we take that to the tropics by swapping out whiskey for cognac and a high ester rum and adding pineapple. Cheers y’all!

05-05-2024

This past weekend was the Kentucky Derby, so your cocktails were likely flooded with mint juleps (along with all of the margaritas for Cinco de Mayo). Here’s a cocktail by Jordan Hughes that is refreshing and a bit tropical. Who can say no to bourbon, amaro, and some freshly slapped mint? Cheers y’all!

05-04-2024

Matthias Soberon created this, which is perfect for both Star Wars Day and Cinco De Mayo. This Margarita riff has some bitterness from the Campari and passionfruit tang. The smoke and absinthe comes through nicely as you sip. May the 4th be with you! Cheers y’all!

05-03-2024

This cocktail was created by the brilliant Sam Ross (@samueljoelross). It is a delicious equal parts cocktail that lets you break out that bottle of St-Germain you have. This drink is a riff on the Corpse Reviver No. 2, where Lillet is subbed out for the elderflower liqueur. That absinthe rinse is key! Cheers y’all!

05-02-2024

This cocktail was created in 2010 by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin at Dutch Kills (Queens, NY). This whiskey sour variation adds Cynar for complexity and herbal notes. Cynar is an Italian bitter amaro that is usually served as an aperitif or digestif. It is produced from herbs and spices, most notably artichoke. Cheers y’all!

05-01-2024

This drink was created by Matthias Soberon. He described that this cocktail started out as a Bermuda Hundred (a gin Jungle Bird). You see the similarities here, but the addition of banana, Aperol, and orange make it stand out. This is definitely a lightning bolt of tropic flavors. Cheers y’all!

04-30-2024

This cocktail was created in 2019 by Daisuke Ito at his bar Land Bar Artisan (Tokyo, Japan). This recipe was then published in the book, “Tokyo Cocktails,” by Nicholas Coldicott. This drink is a blend of Scotch whisky for oak and smoke, Bénédictine for herbal spice, and lemon for balance, making it simple yet flavorful and easy to make at home. Cheers y’all!

04-29-2024

This modern classic was created in the mid 1990s by Paul Harrington at Townhouse Bar & Grill (Emeryville, CA). He named the drink after his friend, Matt Jasmin, who told Harrington to make him something he’s never made before. Years later he realized he misspelled his name! This is a bitter, bright, and tart. Cheers y’all!

04-28-2024

This cocktail, pronounced "mah-lah-GAY-nyah,” is named after the Venezuelan folk style of music. My little research didn’t give much about the origins of the cocktail, though this Manhattan riff uses a dark rum that is often found in Venezuelan cocktails. I will definitely be restirring this one again! Cheers y’all!

04-27-2024

This Last Word riff was created by David Jordan Melia (@speakeasieruk). Mezcal brings the smoke, which pairs well with the bite you can get from the chile liqueur. The Aperol and lime help brighten the cocktail and bring a bit of sweetness to balance it out. On the nose, you get bright sweet orange aromas. Cheers y’all!