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Shrubs
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Gateway Frond
Mar 24, 2025
Tequila, aquavit, Sherry
Gateway Frond
Mar 24, 2025
Tequila, aquavit, Sherry

Fennel (the plant, and its seed) has many wonderful culinary applications, and I find it to be a gateway to the anise/licorice flavor profile if you’re not sold on the flavor in a more intense format. I made a “no waste” syrup using some leftover fennel fronds (15g) and some clementines that were about to go bad (50g, in coins). I combined those with 1tsp of darkly toasted fennel seeds and equal sugar by total weight. Muddle, refrigerate overnight, strain, bottle, refrigerate.

Mar 24, 2025
Tequila, aquavit, Sherry
She’ll Be Apples
Feb 24, 2025
kiwi, apple, rhum, chartreuse
She’ll Be Apples
Feb 24, 2025
kiwi, apple, rhum, chartreuse

Fun fact I just learned: Granny Smith apples originate from Australia. I named the drink in honor of a great Australian phrase I also just learned (meaning “she’ll be alright”). The cocktail is my submission to the exciting return of the @homebarawards! A huge shout out to Chris for resurrecting this awesome competition. The prompt: create a sour without citrus. There are a few approaches I considered here (most of you know I love shrubs), but ultimately I decided to acid-adjust non-citrus fruit juice.

Feb 24, 2025
kiwi, apple, rhum, chartreuse
Greenfire
Feb 10, 2025
margarita, tequila, spicy
Greenfire
Feb 10, 2025
margarita, tequila, spicy

I love a good spicy margarita (I do live in Texas, after all). This marg riff is as delicious as it is vibrant. And no, it doesn’t taste like Mountain Dew though you could easily fool me!

Feb 10, 2025
margarita, tequila, spicy
U Make Me Purple
Jan 27, 2025
tequila, plum liqueur, absinthe
U Make Me Purple
Jan 27, 2025
tequila, plum liqueur, absinthe

I won’t lie, I absolutely love the color of this drink. The gorgeous purple mostly comes from the primary ingredient, a delicious plum liqueur. What’s interesting about this spirit is that it’s not especially sweet, and even has a delicious tart edge to it. This means we can use larger quantities and also create enjoyable lower ABV cocktails (it’s 17%).

Jan 27, 2025
tequila, plum liqueur, absinthe
Fleur De Minuit
Dec 27, 2024
champagne, spiced grenadine, bubbly
Fleur De Minuit
Dec 27, 2024
champagne, spiced grenadine, bubbly

It’s almost New Years! To celebrate the occasion with my last post of the year, I have this beautiful number in collaboration with my friends at @totalwine. Of course, there are bubbles involved— here I used an amazing cuvée rosé from @borrascawines. It’s dry yet approachable and delicious by itself. For the cocktail-inclined, we won’t stop there. First, we’ll add a bit of cognac. I used a lovely expression from @abk6cognac (Grande Champagne).

Dec 27, 2024
champagne, spiced grenadine, bubbly
Never Say Cry
Oct 14, 2024
Irish whiskey, amaro, Manhattan
Never Say Cry
Oct 14, 2024
Irish whiskey, amaro, Manhattan

The temperatures are finally cooling a little bit (at least at nighttime…) so I tend to reach more for the stirred, boozy numbers. This one looks straightforward, but I was really happy with how it turned out. I often pick up on some stone fruit notes in Irish whisky, and this delicious option kindly sent by @writerstearswhiskey is no exception. As a result, it pairs beautifully with apricot.

Oct 14, 2024
Irish whiskey, amaro, Manhattan
Hopped Up Negroni
Sep 20, 2024
negroni, tropical, hops, amaro
Hopped Up Negroni
Sep 20, 2024
negroni, tropical, hops, amaro

Okay, okay, you didn’t really think I would go through Negroni week without posting something vaguely Negroni-esque, did you? Debates about what technically should be called a Negroni riff aside, the template is incredibly versatile and easy to play with.

Sep 20, 2024
negroni, tropical, hops, amaro
Nectarine Dreams
Sep 6, 2024
bourbon, aquavit, whiskey sour
Nectarine Dreams
Sep 6, 2024
bourbon, aquavit, whiskey sour

Annnd we’re back with the second half of this week’s content, starting off with a “no-waste” syrup and now building a cocktail around it. I love bourbon and peaches (or nectarines), so this is my core. I split the base with aquavit for its botanicals— specifically, coriander, clementine, and anise. A bit of Montenegro elevates the orange-y notes and lends a bittersweet balance.

Sep 6, 2024
bourbon, aquavit, whiskey sour
Trust The Process
Aug 15, 2024
gin, mezcal, strawberry pepper cilantro syrup
Trust The Process
Aug 15, 2024
gin, mezcal, strawberry pepper cilantro syrup

As promised, this post is a continuation of my last one, making a cocktail built around the syrup I discussed. While I highly recommend this syrup and the resulting drink, the bigger points here are 1) Consider making a syrup instead of throwing out overripe produce, 2) It’s not too complicated to make said syrup, 3) These spontaneous syrups can be a great launching point for new cocktails.

Aug 15, 2024
gin, mezcal, strawberry pepper cilantro syrup
Summer Focus
Jun 20, 2024
Mezcal, watermelon, summer cocktail
Summer Focus
Jun 20, 2024
Mezcal, watermelon, summer cocktail

It’s about time we bring some classic Summer flavors into the mix with a #sponsored cocktail brought to you by @TotalWine. Despite not being the world’s biggest watermelon fan (it’s a texture thing), I love the flavor. Today’s drink isn’t too hard to make, but it is absolutely delicious. It takes watermelon syrup (more on that below) and cucumber— which, besides being incredibly refreshing, pairs amazingly with watermelon (they’re actually closely related!). These are joined with some lime, a little dry vermouth, and the star ingredient: a delicious mezcal from @mimamamedijomezcal. I picked this awesome bottle up at @TotalWine, which is an awesome place to get spirits, beer, and of course, wine. You probably already know this if you’re lucky enough to have a store nearby!

Jun 20, 2024
Mezcal, watermelon, summer cocktail
Caff & Chill
May 13, 2024
Irish whiskey, Tequila, strawberry, Coffee
Caff & Chill
May 13, 2024
Irish whiskey, Tequila, strawberry, Coffee

This is the Spring of Strawberry. Don’t say you weren’t warned. This one is a sipper but is still bright and on the refreshing end of things, complex but all too easy to enjoy. The predominant flavors are strawberry (easy syrup, see below), coffee (incredible liqueur from @tempus_fugit_spirits), and mint (Braulio, fernet). The base is a split of Irish whiskey and reposado, bringing vanilla and gentle oak notes— here, it is more of a foundation for the primary flavors and is intentionally not assertive.

May 13, 2024
Irish whiskey, Tequila, strawberry, Coffee
Daiqu-tini
Apr 18, 2024
Rum, daiquiri, martini
Daiqu-tini
Apr 18, 2024
Rum, daiquiri, martini

Class switch alert! It’s been awhile since I’ve attempted to convert a classic cocktail to a different style of drink. It’s hard to mess with a classic like the daiquiri, but to me the essential essence of the drink is the freshness of the lime and the way it reacts around any given rum. Yes, there is sugar, but with the acidity of lime juice that serves more as a balancing measure.

Apr 18, 2024
Rum, daiquiri, martini
So Kozy
Mar 7, 2024
aquavit, old fashioned
So Kozy
Mar 7, 2024
aquavit, old fashioned

The aquavit kick continues, courtesy of my friends at @nordenaquavit. This drink uses a special bottle of aquavit aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in a bourbon barrel aged stout barrel. I enjoy sipping this one as much as most whiskeys, so the goal of a cocktail is to stay out of the way and help the bright spots shine.

Mar 7, 2024
aquavit, old fashioned
First Stop
Feb 26, 2024
rum, daiquiri, passionfruit
First Stop
Feb 26, 2024
rum, daiquiri, passionfruit

It isn’t the most featured spirit on this page, but I do really enjoy rum. There is something so refreshing and invigorating about a daiquiri, especially, and this tends to be my starting drink with a new rum. I recently received @dentedbrickdistillery’s Premium Rum, which is a deliciously complex white rum made primarily with sugar cane. It has some grassy, light funk as expected but it is rounded out with some molasses so can still function as rum more than rhum agricole.

Feb 26, 2024
rum, daiquiri, passionfruit

 

 

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