Spicy bitters don’t need to be a mystery. Learning how to use them can be a fun exercise in experimenting with both flavor and mouthfeel. They can be so firey just a drop can be detected in an 8 ounce drink. Or they can be a subtle addition that adds a subtle increase in heat […]
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This Sherry Old Fashioned Will be Your New Favorite
Tasting a sherry-finished whiskey gave me the idea for this Sherry Old Fashioned. The nuttiness and elevated dried fruit notes made me wonder how an Old Fashioned would taste if I substituted a sweet dessert sherry for the simple syrup. Spoiler alert: it makes it taste rich and complex. It’s a delicious Old Fashioned that’s […]
Must Try Apricot Whiskey Sour Evokes Long Summer Days
Even when apricots aren’t in season, this delicious and nuanced Apricot Whiskey Sour is a wonderful reminder of the honeyed and mouthwatering flavors of fresh apricot. The ginger-infused honey syrup is a creative combination of flavors perfect for both warm and cold cocktails. But in this Boston Sour it’s softened by the egg white and […]
Everything You Need to Know about How to Stir a Cocktail
Looking like a pro behind your home bar is easy once you learn how to stir a cocktail. Part of the mystique of a great craft cocktail bar is the sight and sound of great bartenders stirring drinks in mixing glasses. That tinkling sound of ice brushed against the interior of the mixing glass or […]
Everything You Need to Know About Making Simple Syrup at Home
One of the most basic skills you can master for at-home bartending is how to make simple syrup for cocktails. While many recipes instruct you to heat the water and sugar on the stove, you can create simple syrups without heat if you prefer. I generally create them by using very warm water, then adding […]
Skip the House – Make this Gingerbread Old Fashioned Cocktail Instead
That gingerbread syrup I made last week was crying out to be used in a Gingerbread Old Fashioned cocktail so I gave in to the pressure and made one. It tasted more delicious better paired with an actual gingerbread cookie. It had a touch of bite from the ginger, plenty of sweetness from the syrup […]
How Santa Prefers His Cookies: Gingerbread Whiskey Sour
I start craving gingerbread cocktails in November, and this year, this Gingerbread Whiskey Sour was at the top of my must-make list. After creating a luscious gingerbread syrup, I wanted nothing more than to try it out in every iteration of a whiskey cocktail, and my first impulse was to see how it fared in […]
Sip Your Cookie in a Cocktail with this Gingerbread Syrup
I’ve got a delicious and fun gingerbread syrup for cocktails in winter. I love to eat gingerbread, but I don’t love making it. The array of spices, that slight heat of ginger, the clove and molasses, all those flavors just epitomize the season. I just don’t have the patience for cookies, but give me a […]
The Best Christmas Manhattan Cocktail
This Christmas Manhattan cocktail has all the flavors I associate with the holidays: cinnamon, orange, clove, allspice, and nut. By using a vermouth infused with mulling spices, and a bit of orange spice-infused syrup all the sentimental flavors of the season can be nosed and tasted in one easy cocktail. (Post may contain affiliate links.) […]
Santa Needs This Christmas Old Fashioned – STAT
When you come up with a fabulous holiday simple syrup that soars with the flavors of the season it is a fait accompli that it should go into a Christmas Old Fashioned. Two weeks ago I created a vibrant infused Christmas simple syrup (really, it’s an all-holiday simple syrup) with orange, cinnamon, clove, allspice and […]
Make Your Manhattans Merry with this Mulled Christmas Vermouth
We mull wine all the time, so why not create some mulled Christmas vermouth for use in cocktails like the Manhattan, Negroni, Boulevardier, Americano, Martinez, Old Pal, Vieux Carre, Hanky Panky and more! Instead of heating the wine, we’ll opt for a long, chilled infusion to set the flavors in the vermouth. This is one […]
Shut Up and Make this Killer Tiramisu Cocktail
Skip the meal and head straight to dessert with this Tiramisu Cocktail. It’s unabashedly sweet and rich. It combines all the wonderful flavors of tiramisu – coffee, chocolate, vanilla and rum/cognac – with a cream float and a dusting of cocoa powder. Make a batch of these for any holiday gathering that includes coffee- or […]
Best Christmas Syrup for Cocktails. Ever.
Give all your drinks a little holiday spirit with the addition of this Christmas syrup for cocktails, mocktails, and all things cheery! Awash in flavors of citrus and spice, this easy-to-make and delicious holiday simple syrup will brighten up the flavors in your bourbon cocktails, gin drinks, and vodka tipples. Because it’s made with whole […]
Mock Hot Buttered Rum – Zero Proof Holiday Cocktail
This post about a Hot Buttered Rum Mocktail will be short and sweet. This is a delicious and easy recipe to make for the kids, your friends who aren’t drinking, and any family members who have to stay away from the strong stuff. You can read about my favorite hot buttered tum (with rum) at […]
7 Stellar Flavors for Your Christmas & Holiday Syrups at Home
No matter what holidays you celebrate in December, you’re likely to have favorite flavors and aromas (and favorite dishes you associate with this time of year. Adding those flavors to your holiday syrups can be easy to do to add those seasonal flavors to your favorite cocktail. As I was putting together this week’s article […]
Create a Thanksgiving Cocktail Win With this Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned
The perfect bourbon thanksgiving Old Fashioned does exist with this fast and easy pumpkin spice cocktail that whiskey aficionados and newbies can enjoy. With a quick simple syrup you can make in the microwave or on the stove and batch instructions below it’s perfect to sip one by one or with a crowd. While the […]
Pumpkin Spice Syrup Takes Fall Cocktails to the Next Level
Fall means pumpkin spice everything, but I’ve got a simple way to add fall flavors to a pumpkin spice syrup you can use for cocktails and mocktails at home. Some people like to make their own pumpkin pie spice, but if you’re like me, you’ve got some pie spice in the spice rack that needs […]
Easiest Method Ever to Batch a Cocktail for Your Next Party
Learning how to batch a cocktail isn’t rocket science. And I’ve got a way for you to do it that doesn’t require a lot of math or a calculator. It’s so easy my Mom now uses it for all of her favorite cocktails. And I use it as an easy thank you gift to a […]
Four Easy Ways to Smoke a Cocktail at Home
If you’re a whiskey cocktail lover, you’ve likely ordered a smoked cocktail out at an establishment, but there are easy ways to smoke cocktails at home. Some require nothing more than what you already have, while other techniques require some special tools to get that lovely smoked aroma into your cocktails. (Post may contain affiliate […]
Treat Yourself With This Cranberry Gin and Tonic
Nothing smells like the holidays to me more than my hand after it’s run through a rosemary bush, and this easy cranberry gin and tonic gives me that aroma in spades. While many people think of the gin and tonic as a summer drink, the pine-scented notes of juniper in gin can evoke lovely memories […]
The 7 Best Whiskeys for a Killer Hot Toddy
by Hunter Branch When winter comes, so do hot toddies. And few things can warm you up and quell cold symptoms quite like this beautiful drink. But when it comes to making one, there’s one question I get asked all the time… “What whiskey should I use?” And it’s a great question because there are […]