House Poured

So this is what I did with that deep blue infusion I made a few weeks back. There were some great guesses with jolly ranchers, blue spirulina, and a Smurf (not sure how that would work, but I’m terrified), but no one got it quite right. Painstakingly sorted blue Froot Loops. Sorry to break it to you, they do all taste the same, slightly malty candied citrus, but the color from separating it out was crazy vivid… until I milk clarified it and stripped out most of the color. Oh well, live, learn, libate. At least it got this crazy sea foam green out of it. Cerealism 2 oz Blue Froot Loop infused Rhum Agricole .5 Lemon orange oleo 1 oz Lime juice .5 oz Dry Curacao .5 oz Honey nut Cheerio milk to clarify Mix everything except for milk. Pour into milk. Cover and set in fridge overnight. Strain twice through a coffee filter and you’re good to go. Stir with ice or batch up in the fridge and serve over a big ball of ice. #tropicaldrink #tikituesday #clarified #homebartender #cocktails #rhum #cocktailphotography

Going to be posting this drink every Super Bowl Sunday until my Raiders make the Super Bowl… so forever then? “I’m not that bitter, I’m just a little Salty” 1 oz aged Jamaican Rum 1 oz Bourbon .5 oz Cynar .5 oz Ancho Reyes Kansas City BBQ rub for garnish. Stir on ice and season with tears. #superbowl #superbowldrinks #superbowlcocktails #drinkingathome #homebartender #raidernation #stirrednotshaken #raiderfans

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on some pimento bitters for a while. In general I’m a giant nerd about new bitters. Where else are you going to find such a game changing punch of concentrated flavor. If you haven’t, just try switching out the bitters in a classic cocktail for something new and you’ll see just how much of a difference they can make. That said, @goodstirs has never steered me wrong, so when I told him I had some pimento bitters on the way and me mentioned that a Dante’s Old Fashioned needed to go on my list, that was the first thing I did… Okay second after a little club soda with bitters. Killer drink. Spice, florals, weird kind of olivey/savory notes. Absolutely beautiful drink and One I’ll return to. 2 oz Rye Whiskey .5 oz Amaro Montenegro .25 oz 3:1 Honey Syrup 2 dashes Pimento Bitters 1 dash Saline Stir with ice in a mixing glass like this one from @barflybymercer and strain over a big ol’ cube. Express an orange peel over the top and enjoy. #Oldfashioned #fridayvibes #amaro #wintercocktails #drinkoftheday #bitters #cocktailphotography #rye #tw50bc

Citrus season is one of the absolute best for making cocktails, but when you combine that citrus with something like Madagascar Vanilla Reàl, something magical happens. (sponsored) Rich, buttery, marshmallowy vanilla is the perfect ingredient to pair with tropical flavors like orange and pineapple. Adding aged spirits that bring their baking spice flavors into the mix can make it that much better. 1.5 oz Aged Dominican Rum .5 oz Norwegian Aquavit 2 oz Fresh Mandarin Orange Juice 1 oz pineapple juice 1 oz Madagascar Vanilla Reàl .5 oz lime juice Fresh grated nutmeg for garnish Shake it all together with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Dust with some fresh grated nutmeg and enjoy. #tropicaldrink #cocktailrecipes #backyardbartender #freshcitrus

I couldn’t let Dry January pass by without posting at least one N/A option. Dry, tart, and with loads of juicy florals, this was a favorite of mine this month. Robin 1.5 oz Optimist fresh .5 oz Three Spirit Livener .5 oz Lemon juice .75 oz Hibiscus/green jasmine tea syrup 1 dropper All the Bitters Orange bitters Shake with ice, strain into a glass and then top with crushed ice. Express a lemon peel over the top and enjoy. #cocktailrecipe #nonalcoholic #cocktailoftheday #feedfeed #spiritfree #dryjanuary

It has been a bracingly cold couple of weeks. And yes I know I’m a Californian wimp compared to the rest of the county but it’s more than cold enough for me. That cold had me stirring up something just as bitter and frigid as it feels. Black Dog .5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Scotch 1.5 oz Gin .5 oz Braulio .5 oz Averna 1 Barspoon simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Orange coin and sage Stir with ice and strain into large cubes in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange coin and a sage leaf. Alpine amaro, joining gin and a hint of scotch, all of which reminds me of a walk through the forest on a cold winter day. Ideally with a fire to come home to at the end. Cheers and stay warm out there! #cocktailrecipe #amaro #wintercocktails #mixologist #drinkoftheday #tw50bc

#Soundtrackmyfriendsdrink Holiday edition coming at you! @soundtrackmydrink gave us all a secret santa assignment this time around. My Secret Santa Cocktail is for @turnstylepoet , and his tropical drinks and #garnishgame always serve as an inspiration for me. That said, here’s a tikiesque holiday cocktail based on his favorite Christmas song, “Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time,” by Sufjan Stevens. In the song, the singer seems to find joy in all of the possibilities that the Christmas season gives them, where it seems like everything is announcing that the holiday season is finally here and embracing it. So thank you Ed for your song choice and opening me up to Sufjan Stevens immense catalog of Christmas songs (I mean if I have to hear the same 5 Christmas songs over and over again on the radio, I might run myself over with a reindeer.) Cheers and Merry Christmas! The Quilt say’s “It’s Christmas Time” 1 oz Rye Whiskey 1 oz Brugal Extra Viejo Rum 1 oz Lime Juice .5 oz Galliano .5 oz Coconut Water Cinnamon Syrup 2 dashes chocolate @scrappysbitters 1 dash Angostura Bitters Shake with ice and fine strain into a hurricane glass. Top with crushed ice and add a straw. Or two if you feel like sharing. The Galliano and the coconut water/cinnamon syrup were actually the first ingredients I brought into this one. I wanted a ton of vanilla/herbal complexity and that bit of salinity that coconut water can bring to a cocktail. After that everything sort of fell into place. What you’re left with is a drink that could be just as at home on a beach as it is stuffing stockings. #holidaycocktail #christmascocktail #cocktailoftheday #christmasdrinks #tikichristmas #tikidrink

Not to self, make sure to clear extension cords from the path before trying to take a picture of a glass that’s too full. Even with the cleanup from my spill, this flip was well worth the effort. And luckily my @staggerleegoods apron mitigated much of the damage. 1 oz Bourbon .5 oz Mezcal .5 oz Amaro Lucano 1 oz Horchata .25 oz simple syrup Whole egg 2 dashes Angostura bitters Nutmeg to garnish Shake wet shake everything with ice, strain and then dry shake. Strain into a coupe and dust with fresh grated nutmeg. While this has some unique notes, especially with the amaro, and touch of smoke in the mezcal, the horchata and the egg nog like texture of the flip were nice and familiar. All the holiday cocktail vibes in a single serving format. Cheers and may your drink end up in your mouth and not on your shoes! #holidaycocktail #mezcalcocktails #eggnog #drinkspiration #festivecocktails #holidayrecipes

This is probably one of my most bonkers preparation for ingredients on a drink I’ve ever done, but worth it. The ultimate answer to what do you drink on Taco Tuesday? The layers of flavor making me wish I had prepared a much bigger batch of ingredients. Taco Cart 2 oz Birria oil washed Mezcal .75 Lime Juice 1 oz Pineapple juice .75 oz avocado pit orgeat Barspoon chamoy Shake everything with ice and strain into a glass of crushed ice. Feel free to top off with more crushed ice, Smokey, savory, tart, juicy… I mean damn this was good. Let me know if you want more in depth steps on the birria wash, but let me just say that it made the drink. . . . #mezcal #bartender #margarita #tacotuesday

This drink has been on my list for a good long while and I’m glad I finally had the chance to shake it up. The Oaxacanite by Ben Long, is one fantastic way for agave lovers to break out of their margarita rut with a wintery twist. The hearty helping of Angostura gave pretty much all of the spice notes you could possibly want out of a cocktail this time of year. The only thing I changed was to add just a pinch of sea salt to temper the bitterness a touch. Oaxacanite - Ben Long 1 oz Mezcal 1 oz Tequila .75 oz Honey Syrup .75 oz Lime Juice .5 tsp Angostura Bitters Grapefruit Peel Add all ingredients to a shaker tin like these beauties from @barflybymercer. Express a grapefruit peel and add to tin. Shake with ice and fine strain into a coupe. Feel free to add another peel as garnish. #tequila #margarita #mezcalcocktails #agave #craftcocktail #drinkspiration

It’s no secret I love a good sour. The cocktail template of sweet, sour, and spirited is delicious and endlessly “riffable.” A New York Sour with its float of red wine is that much more delicious with its layers of complexity and tannins that help balance things out. Also the layers are pretty and make everyone go wow at holiday parties. Just putting that out there for your next get together. This was one of the early versions of my entry for Diageo World Class that ended up being incredibly delicious and I knew I had to share with people. Moving Blanket Sour 1 oz Bourbon 1 oz Aged Rum .75 oz Lemon juice .25 oz Orange juice .75 oz Chai tea syrup 1 oz Red wine float Shake everything but red wine with ice and strain into glass with ice. Pour red wine on back of barspoon into the glass to create float. Cheers! #christmasdrinks #christmascocktails #bartender #newyorksour #easycocktails

Due to my deep seated love of all things coffee and whiskey, this is probably one of my favorite recipes that I’ve made in a while. #AD Scroll down for my syrup and whipped cream recipes. @keepersheartwhiskey is a beautiful combination of Irish and American whiskey making traditions so I thought that I’d add it to a little tradition of my own. Mornings just shouldn’t happen without coffee and Holiday morning’s are made that much better with some special coffee. Keeper’s Koffee 1.5 oz Keepers Heart Irish + American Rye Whiskey* .25 oz toasted cinnamon oat syrup 6 oz fresh brewed coffee Dollop of banana whipped cream** Fill an Irish coffee glass with boiling water so it heats up and pour it out. Add whiskey, syrup and coffee and give it a stir with a barspoon. Add whipped cream, a dusting of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick. The rich toasted syrup serves to highlight the rye spice and the banana whipped cream brings out the sweeter slightly tropical notes of the Irish whiskey. It’s like a warm slice of banana bread with a cup of coffee and a perfect way to start a holiday. *Toast 2 cinnamon sticks and .5 cup whole cut oats on medium heat in a saucepan until lightly browned and very fragrant. Add 1 cup light brown sugar and 1.25 cups water. Stir, and take off of heat. When cooled, strain through cheesecloth and store in the refrigerator. *Beat 8 oz heavy cream, 2 oz white sugar and .5 oz banana liqueur until stiff peaks form. Store in the refrigerator. #thanksgivingdrinks #thanksgivingcocktails #whiskey #thanksgivingrecipes #irishcofffee #coffee #coffeecocktails

A million different things go into making a good cocktail. Not just the ingredients, but the dilution, the glass it’s sipped from, and in this case, the way that the ingredients are incorporated. I tried muddling and stirring (good, but a little heavy). Shaking with ice was better, but thin. Finally I opted for a shake and a throw which gave me those tiny bubbles that brought it together. Razzpino 1.25 oz VS Cognac 1 oz Ramazzotti .75 oz Braulio 5 raspberries Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain and then throw cocktail 4 or 5 times (You could probably just dry shake without ice, but throwing it to finish gave it a great silky texture.) I’ll be adding this one to my list of drinks that are legitimately way better off when being thrown. (Sitting there next to the Bloody Mary). . . . . #Amaro #feedfeedcocktails #cocktailart #fallcocktails #glassware #cognac #cocktails

Here’s a Tropical drink to take you on into the weekend! Let’s face it, this one is basically a Jungle Bird made with whatever I had on hand large enough to batch up for a party. It was absolutely killer though and even better the next day. 1 oz Plantation 3 Star Rum .75 oz Black Strap Rum 1 oz Acidified Pineapple juice (comparable to lemon) .75 oz Ginger Syrup .5 oz Coconut washed Campari 2 dashes Chai Tea Bitters Cocktail Cherry to garnish You can either make this individually by shaking with some ice and fine straining into a glass or like I did with a big ol’ batch, adding 20% water and then straining through a coffee filter to remove every last bit of pineapple pulp. . . . . . #tropicaldrink #tiki #junglebird #mixology #campari #drinkpic