This cocktail is made with high-proof bourbon (I used Old Granddad 114 but Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve was really nice too), a touch of quality vanilla liqueur and Rosato amaro; a bittersweet liqueur with fresh and fruity aromas of hibiscus and orange blossom. I also added some tropical spice bitters, but you can just as easily sub in aromatic bitters.
Read MoreThere, I said it! I still love whiskey too, but an agave-based Hot Toddy just hits different. Here’s an especially delicious Hot Toddy variation, made with one of my favorites: Punta Diamante Reposado from Casa Don Ramon.
Read MoreI was really fascinated by the “creaminess” of this gin, so I thought it would make a refreshing martini riff. I added just a few drops of sarsaparilla bitters to the finished cocktail, so when you take the first sip you’re instantly reminded of cream soda or even an old-timey cola.
Read MoreThis cocktail actually tastes like a cookie– but not in a sugary-gross way, more like “I’m drinking a cocktail and thinking of cookies” sort of way. I infused Steel Dust Vodka with brown butter, which gives it a creamy texture and a subtle caramel/toffee flavor.
Read MoreThis creation calls for a split base of funky pot still rum and my very favorite: Yellow Chartreuse. The eye-catching purple float on top of the drink is none other than Empress Gin of Instagram fame, which is made with indigo Butterfly Pea blossoms. As the gin sinks and mixes with the rest of the drink, it forms a soft gradient…
Read MoreIs it a Manhattan riff? Or is it a Sazerac riff? Both? I don’t really know, but honestly I’m just really enjoying the rye whiskey / cognac split base in cocktails lately.
Cardamaro Vino Amaro is also an interesting bottle (I find mine at the grocery store). It’s sort of a fortified wine, but it’s also sort of an amaro. If you can get your hands on a bottle, definitely give it a shot and use it like you would a vermouth.
Read MoreCognac Old Fashioned cocktail meets... tiki? Whatever it is, this cocktail recipe is an especially good one. Stirred and boozy, but with strong tropical vibes– try it out and let me know what you think!
Read MoreA Cognac Sidecar is pretty classic, but I thought this would be a fun spin. Most Cognacs have some banana notes (which has something to do with the French oak used for aging apparently 🤷♂️) so it was a no brainer to pair it with banana liqueur. Tiki bitters added some tropical spice, and finishing it off with a mist of funky, heavy pot still Jamaican rum just made this cocktail something special.
Read MoreFor this recipe, I wanted to make like a Last Word + Piña Colada sort of thing. I initially felt like it was my weakest recipe, but it ended up being the clear favorite of the night. Funny how that goes!
Read MoreI received a bottle of Trä Kál a while ago & finally got around to mixing with it. This bottle is crazy; so different from anything I’ve tried before! Apparently Trä Kál is a totally new type of spirit from Patagonia, & is made solely from local ingredients. It starts out like an apple & pear brandy but is then infused like a gin with local botanicals & essential oils. Like I said, I haven’t had anything quite like it.
Read MoreDon’t be disappointed when you try squeezing a lemon peel over your drink! Just take the peel in your hands and gently squeeze. You should see a very light mist of fragrant citrus oils that will rest over the top of your finished cocktail.
Read MoreFor whatever reason I’ve been on a big rosé kick lately. So naturally it’s been finding its way into more and more of my cocktail creations. One evening, I threw the tale end of a bottle of rosé wine in a sauce pan with some sugar and made a simple syrup. I had this idea of using my new syrup to make a Rosé Margarita. But I didn’t want it just to be a marg with rosé syrup in it. It had to be different and kinda “elevated.”
Read MoreSotol has to be the weirdest spirit I’ve ever come across. This incredibly vegetal spirit is made from Dasylirion or “desert spoon plant.” It primarily grows wild in Northern Mexico. Sotol is transparent, earthy and basically tastes like the desert from where it came.
Read MoreThere are a lot of orange liqueur options out there, so I can’t blame someone for just randomly picking a bottle off the shelf. However, liqueurs are often used as sweeteners in cocktails but the problem is that many of them are way too cloying & overly loaded with sugar. So the name of the game is finding a balanced orange liqueur that provides sweetness as well as a sophisticated flavor.
Read MoreCachaça + Drambuie + Amaro served Old Fashioned style. It just works so well. Maybe I’m behind the times & everyone is already aware of this magic, but I’m pretty thrilled with how this drink turned out.
Read MoreInfusing spirits always makes me kinda nervous because I’m never 100% sure it’s going to work out. If it turns out bad or just not up to my personal standards, I feel like I wasted a bottle.
Read MoreAny Baijiu fans out there? This Chinese spirit is really funky stuff. Even though it’s the best-selling liquor in the world, it’s not very well known in other parts of the globe.
Read MoreThe #totalsolareclipse hits tomorrow and apparently Oregon is the first place to experience it! "They" are saying it's going to be crazy, with millions of people flooding the freeways and city to don blacked-out paper glasses and stare up at the sky.
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