06-16-2024

This drink is by Brenton (@cheerstohappyhour), who created it in 2021. This cocktail is a great way to introduce folks to mezcal that might be put off by the smokiness of it. You still get some smoke, but it’s lightened by the creamy coconut. Plus, look at that color! Cheers y’all!

06-15-2024

This Negroni riff is by my friend Isaiah LaBelle (@onesipclub). You still get that quinnesential bitterness of a Negroni thanks to the Campari, but you also get some banana sweetness that is balanced with the sour lemon. You’ll want a high quality banana liqueur here. Cheers y’all!

06-14-2024

Meet a stirred classic cocktail from Cuba. This one was created in the 1910s in Havana. It has been described as the Cubanized answer to the Manhattan. As with many classics, the specs have changed over the years and from palate to palate. It is traditionally made with Cuban rum, but I encourage you try a wide variety of white or lightly aged rums. Cheers y’all!

06-13-2024

This drink was created by Ben Long at the John Dory Oyster Bar (NYC; now closed). He was mentored by late bar legend Sasha Petraske. He wanted to show that mezcal did have a place in cocktails (a rarity at the time). Shaking with the peel (regal shake) is a wonderful way to add flavor. Cheers y’all!

06-12-2024

The Absinthe Frappé is a classic from the 1870s where it is said to have been created by Cayetano Ferrer at Aleix’s Coffee House (New Orleans; now Old Absinthe House). The original is made with absinthe, sugar, and soda water; this version by Jordan Hughes (@highproofpreacher) adds almond and lime, which pair well with the green fairy. Cheers y’all!

06-11-2024

This equal parts cocktail was created by Devon Tarby (@tarbyparty) for Death & Co. (@deathandcompany). This bright cocktail is perfect for summer as it’s packed with grapefruit, herbal notes, and fresh lemon. Darby mentions that you can swap out the gin for any clear spirit (mezcal and pisco are highly recommended). Cheers y’all!

06-10-2024

This mojito is from Fairweather in San Diego. I found it appropriate to reshake and post as we head out today to San Diego for a few nights. The addition of dry vermouth mellows it out and the bitters are reminiscent of a Queen’s Park Swizzle. Cheers y’all!

06-09-2024

This beautiful concoction was created by Anders Erickson. Some days you just want a creamy cocktail and this is when you should have a flip. Flips are cocktails that contain a full egg, giving it a delicious decadence. A full ounce of bitters packs a lot of flavor and spice, making it perfect for dessert! The drink is meant to be garnished with a grated coffee bean, but I (accidentally) went with cinnamon…still delicious! Cheers y’all!

06-08-2024

Meet another corpse reviver! This riff comes from San Francisco’s Rickhouse (@rickhousebar). This one is light, refreshing, and a bit tropical with the addition of pineapple syrup. The syrup mellows out the drink, which makes it dangerously crushable. The absinthe is prominent on the nose as you sip. Cheers y’all!

06-07-2024

Meet an equal parts classic cocktail that is light, crispy, and herbaceous. This cocktail has an origin story of being perfect for a hangover cure. In fact, the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book states, “Four of these taken in swift succession would unrevive the corpse again.”. Cheers y’all!

06-06-2024

Meet the classic cocktail that is often forgotten because the prevalence of its sibling, Corpse Reviver No. 2. Honestly, I think this one might be my favorite. It is said that Frank Meier created it in 1920s at the Ritz Bar in Paris. Though, these specs are by Frank Caiafa, who added orange bitters to the recipe. Cheers y’all!

06-05-2024

Nicole Lebedevitch created this now modern classic in 2010 while at The Hawthorne (Boston). I read that she came up with this for a regular that loved Manhattans, but also appreciated some bitterness. This stirred drink was applauded by Robert Simonson (@robertosimonson) as being one of his top cocktails in 2017. Cheers y’all!

06-04-2024

What better way to celebrate National Cognac Day than with a Cognac Mai Tai? This drink originates from Roquette (@roquettesea) in Seattle, where Erik Hakkinen took a Mai Tai to France by using French Brandy (Cognac) to balance overproof Jamaican rum. Cheers y’all!

06-03-2024

The sidecar is a lovely classic cocktail consisting of cognac (French brandy), an orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and sometimes sugar in the form of simple syrup and/or sugar rim. I recently received some fig syrup from Liber & Co., and thought figs would work beautifully with cognac. I wasn’t disappointed with this one! Cheers y’all!

06-02-2024

This one comes from Liber & Co, an excellent high quality cocktail syrup company. This drink is made for summer and being out on your patio, or wherever. It is like as if a Last Word became a porch pounder. Cheers y’all!

06-01-2024

This one is by Simone De Luca (@cocktailsinrome) who made it at High Road House Club (London, England). This should stick out to you as a Last Word riff, both by the specs, as well as the Spanish translation of the drink meaning “Last Word.” The pineapple here makes this oh so smooth. Cheers y’all!

05-31-2024

Move over espresso martini, the Carajillo will be your new favorite coffee cocktail. The Carajillo is one of the most popular drinks in Mexico. Sometimes you see it layered, recently you see it shaken (who can say no to that foam?!). This is my take on it where I add smoky mezcal and pineapple syrup (coffee + pineapple = dream combo!). Cheers y’all!

05-30-2024

I had to make a drink to celebrate yesterday’s victory. A daiquiri is my go-to cocktail and I’m always shaking up variations. Pineapple and rum are a dream duo. Bitters and absinthe add depth. Of course, had to add orange. Cheers y’all!

05-29-2024

This drink is by Ryan Gannon at Cure (New Orleans). I’m lucky to have visited Cure a few times while in town for conferences. Now, I make their drinks at home from their cocktail book (a must have!). This one is described as a tiki drink that won’t knock you on your ass. Cheers y’all!

05-28-2024

This drink comes from Chris Vanderginst of Mutiny Bar (Detroit, MI). This tiki drink uses tequila as the base spirit, which is non-traditional for the rum-centric genre. "I think this drink is a great example of where tiki is and where it's headed," he says. Cheers y’all!