Original cocktails

Our own cocktail ideas, built from classic templates. Each one explains the template it follows.

• Bacon Fat-Washed Old FashionedFat-wash bourbon with rendered bacon fat, freeze and strain it, then stir it with maple syrup and bitters. Step-by-step wash, spec, storage and fixes.
• Banana Bread Old FashionedBourbon infused with caramelized banana, stirred with demerara and bitters into a dessert Old Fashioned. Infusion timing, straining and fixes.
• Batch Chai Rum PunchA party-size punch of spiced chai tea, aged rum, lemon and soda for about 10 glasses. Chai steep method, make-ahead timeline, ice tips and serving notes.
• Black Sesame Espresso MartiniToasted black sesame syrup turns the espresso martini nutty, dark and savory-sweet. Syrup recipe, pours, foam tips, allergy and caffeine notes.
• Carajillo RecipeThe Mexican-style carajillo shakes hot espresso with Licor 43 over ice into a foamy, vanilla-sweet after-dinner drink. Ratio, shake and fixes.
• Chartreuse Swizzle RecipeGreen Chartreuse, pineapple, lime and falernum swizzled over crushed ice. How to swizzle properly, the full spec, nutmeg garnish, swaps and fixes.
• Clarified Milk Punch RecipeBrandy, rum, tea, lemon and spice curdled into whole milk and filtered crystal clear. Full batch method, filtering tricks, honest storage and fixes.
• Coffee NegroniA richer Negroni made with coffee-infused Campari. How long to infuse the beans, the equal-parts spec, stirring guidance and fixes for over-extraction.
• Cold Brew Old FashionedBourbon, cold brew concentrate, demerara syrup and bitters stirred into a coffee Old Fashioned. Concentrate strength, ratios, stirring time and caffeine notes.
• Dirty Pickle MartiniA dirty martini made with dill pickle brine instead of olive juice. Brine ratios, gin or vodka, how to stir it cold and fixes for a drink that tastes too salty.
• Division Bell Cocktail RecipeMezcal, Aperol, maraschino and lime shaken into a smoky, bittersweet Last Word cousin. Exact Division Bell spec, grapefruit garnish, swaps and fixes.
• Earl Grey MarTEAni RecipeAudrey Saunders' Earl Grey MarTEAni: bergamot tea-infused gin shaken with lemon, syrup and egg white. Infusion method, spec, safety and fixes.
• Fig and Thyme Bourbon SmashRipe figs and fresh thyme muddled with bourbon, lemon and honey for a late-summer smash over crushed ice. Muddling tips, fruit choice and fixes.
• French Martini RecipeVodka, black raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice shaken until foamy. The French Martini spec, how to get the pineapple froth, swaps and fixes.
• Frozen NegroniA blended frozen Negroni with the right ratio of spirit, juice, sugar and ice to form a smooth slush. Why a straight Negroni won't freeze, and how to fix it.
• Gin Basil Smash RecipeThe Gin Basil Smash is gin, lemon, sugar and a big handful of basil, muddled and shaken into a bright green sour. Spec, technique and fixes.
• Hojicha Whisky HighballAn original highball made with whisky quickly infused with roasted hojicha tea, then lengthened with cold soda. Infusion timing, ratio and fixes.
• Japanese Whisky Highball RecipeA crisp Japanese-style whisky highball: frozen glass, solid ice, 1:3 whisky to very cold soda, and a gentle stir that keeps the bubbles alive.
• Kombucha MargaritaA lighter, fizzy margarita topped with store-bought ginger kombucha. The shaken base, how much kombucha to add, sweetness tweaks and notes on caffeine and fizz.
• Lychee Martini RecipeVodka, lychee liqueur and a splash of canned lychee syrup shaken with a touch of dry vermouth and lime. Fragrant spec, garnish, swaps and fixes.
• Matcha Gin FizzA frothy green gin fizz made with matcha, lemon and pasteurized egg white, topped with soda. Clump-free matcha method, shake order, egg and caffeine notes.
• Miso Caramel Old FashionedAn original old fashioned sweetened with a dark caramel syrup whisked with white miso. How to make the syrup, the bourbon spec, swaps and fixes.
• Oaxaca Old Fashioned RecipeThe Oaxaca Old Fashioned stirs reposado tequila and mezcal with agave and bitters under a flamed orange peel. Spec, smoke balance, swaps and fixes.
• Old Cuban Cocktail RecipeAudrey Saunders' Old Cuban: aged rum, lime, mint and bitters shaken, then topped with champagne. Exact spec, how to handle the mint, swaps and fixes.
• Pandan Coconut DaiquiriA daiquiri reworked with homemade pandan syrup and a splash of coconut milk. Syrup method, exact pours, shaking notes and fixes for a split or grassy drink.
• Passion Fruit Mezcal SourSmoky mezcal and tart passion fruit shaken with lime, agave and egg white into a frothy sour. Pulp prep, the spec, foam technique and egg safety notes.
• Pornstar Martini RecipeVanilla vodka, passion fruit liqueur and puree shaken with lime, served with a prosecco sidecar. Full spec, the half-fruit garnish, swaps and fixes.
• Salted Watermelon Tequila CoolerFresh watermelon juice, blanco tequila, lime and a little salt topped with soda in a tall glass. How to juice the melon, salt amounts and summer batch tips.
• Sichuan Peppercorn MargaritaA margarita that tingles instead of burns, built on a toasted Sichuan peppercorn syrup. Syrup steep times, the spec, rim ideas and how to control the numbing.
• Siesta Cocktail RecipeThe Siesta shakes blanco tequila with Campari, grapefruit and lime for a pink, bitter-tart sour. Get the spec, the right grapefruit, swaps and fixes.
• Smoked Rosemary Maple Bourbon SourAn original fall bourbon sour sweetened with maple syrup and served in a glass filled with rosemary smoke. Smoking method, spec, safety and fixes.
• Spicy Margarita RecipeA spicy margarita where you set the heat: muddled jalapeño or a quick chile tequila infusion, plus agave and lime. Spec, heat control and fixes.
• Tomato Water MartiniAn original martini made with clear, salted tomato water drained overnight, gin and dry vermouth. How to make tomato water, the spec and fixes.
• Trinidad Sour RecipeA full ounce of Angostura bitters becomes the base spirit in the Trinidad Sour, with orgeat, lemon and rye. Exact spec, why it works, swaps and fixes.
• Umeshu Plum SpritzA low-ABV spritz of Japanese umeshu, dry sparkling wine and soda over ice. Ratios, how to pick an umeshu, build order and easy swaps for a lighter glass.
• White Negroni RecipeThe White Negroni stirs gin with Lillet Blanc and gentian-bitter Suze for a pale, earthy aperitif. Ratios, the grapefruit twist, swaps and fixes.

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