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!

04-26-2024

This is an original of mine I came up with last night. The name is a nod to the fusion of Mexican and Brazilian spirits and flavors. Mezcal brings a slight smoke, cachaça is grassy, banana and cinnamon are sweeteners that work well with coffee. Mole for a bite. Cheers y’all!

04-25-2024

This drink is by Matthias Soberon and was created for a Soundtrack My Drink challenge. He was given the song “Express Yourself” by N.W.A., from their 1988 album, “Straight Outta Compton.” As a nod to Dr. Dre and California, he uses cognac and tropical flavors. Cheers y’all!

04-24-2024

This Mai Tai variation was created in 2019 by Jeremy Oertel at Donna Bar (Brooklyn, NYC). The name very much tells you what you’re going to get. The red bitter liqueur is front and center here, though you still get all the components of the Mai Tai you love: orange, lime, and almonds (orgeat). Cheers y’all!

04-23-2024

This drink was created by the brilliant Anders Erickson (@anderserickson). The story goes that a regular of Erickson asked him to make a tiki-esque mezcal drink, which led to this creation. The name was given by the regular as See No Evil by Television was playing at the time. It’s smoky, spicy, and juicy. Cheers y’all!

04-22-2024

This cocktail was created by my friend Isaiah (@onesipclub). I like to consider this the love child between a Last Word and a Naked & Famous. In this riff, your tongue will be dancing from all the herbal nuance here. The added benefit is that this is equal parts. Cheers y’all!

04-21-2024

This classic has an interesting history, though some of it may be a bar legend. The name is said to be derived from the Southside of Chicago, where mobsters drank this as it made bootleg liquor palatable during prohibition. In fact, it is said this was Al Capone’s favorite cocktail. Others say this drink emerged in the 1890s and a riff of a mint julep. Cheers y’all!

04-20-2024

This espresso martini riff comes from Jordan Hughes. This is yet another example of taking the standard espresso martini and giving it more depth and complexity. An aged tequila gives it body, while the chile liqueur and mole give it a bite. Cheers y’all!

04-19-2024

This drink was created in 2015 by Ran Duan (@cocktail_lens) for the Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden (Massachusetts). This tropical drink is named after one of the states in Brazil, which is fitting given the base spirit is the National Spirit of Brazil. The grassy and funky cachaça works so well with passionfruit and chocolate. Cheers y’all!

04-18-2024

This cocktail was created in 2008 by the brilliant Phil Ward for Death & Co in New York. This is a dry martini with a light touch of orange and hint of anise from the absinthe. The origin of the name likely plays homage to the English rock band. If martini riffs are your thing, this is a must try. Make sure you chill that glass! Cheers y’all!