Spirit & Spoon

Little quick Humpday Mezcal Negroni variation for y’all RAMBLIN’ FEELNG 1 oz @bozalmezcal Ensamble 1 oz @campariusa 1/2 oz @geijerspirits Amaro 1/2 oz @lofiaperitifs Sweet Vermouth 🍊 Oil Simply decided to split base with a funky Sweet Vermouth & an Amaro ~ both from California. Do you have fun Negroni variations up your sleeve? As always, cheers my friends.

Happy Repeal Day. This day in 1933 Prohibition finally ended. Figured I’d celebrate with this little agave Old Fashioned Winter riff in honor of it. SPOKEN SOFTLY 1 oz @ilegalmezcal 1 oz Reposado Tequila 1/4 oz @tempus_fugit_spirits Banana 1/4 oz Cinnamon syrup 2 Dashes @scrappysbitters 🔥 💧 🍊 Oil What’s in your glass today? As always, cheers my friends!

There’s just something about the holidays that makes a cold brew cocktail so perfect!  For this one I decided to use simple holiday flavors to create a cocktail that is crowd pleaser and works well with a few different spirits. This one was so dang fun to create. I first started with a visit to @krogerco and went the Simple Truth Organic route.  (#sponsored 21+) Decided to make a clove syrup to make the flavors pop, not wanting it too sweet I went with an Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk.  For a creamy frothy texture I added egg white.  The rest kind of wrote itself THE WAKE UP 2 oz Spirit of Choice 1.5 -2 oz @simpletruth4u Cold Brew 2 oz Simple Truth Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk 1/2 oz Clove Syrup Egg White Clove Garnish For the spirit I recommend either Whisky, Rye, Amaro, Aged Rum, Reposado or Mezcal. #KrogerPartner

Oh hey there Old Pal.! Yes you ... and also the cocktail. This is a fun riff that I did by simply infusing the apertivo with Sarsaparilla. HEY THERE OLD PAL 1 oz @blackenedamericanwhiskey 1 oz Sarsaparilla @campariofficial 1 oz @vermouthdolin Dry 🍊 oil I generally prefer to infuse the modifier as it’s usually a smaller commitment and easier to R &D into other cocktails. Do you have any infusions you’ve been digging lately? As always, cheers my friends!

I love a good seasonal cocktail … especially this time of year when California finally cools down a bit.  For this one, I decided to go the rum route as it takes me back to my early 20's via the cold Michigan winters. I made a syrup last week with cinnamon, star anise, cloves & peppercorns with a touch of chili. This syrup is somewhat close in relation to Chai so I decided to use  @drinkwildtonic Chai Pear 🍐 Kombucha, a holiday seasonal flavor, for warmth. It's something I enjoy drinking regularly but I have not thought to use often in my cocktails ~ so I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I also knew that pear would work well with these flavors. To help give the flavors a pop, I added in another element that I often overlook, Oloroso Sherry. I then added a little touch of citrus, and the rest was history!  LOOKIN’ BACK 1.5 oz  @copallirum Barrel Aged 1/2 oz Olorosso Sherry 2 oz @drinkwildtonic Chai Pear Kombucha 1/4 oz Seasonal Syrup 1/4 oz 🍋 Rosemary Garnish

I seriously love a good Negroni riff Threw this play on a White Negroni together last week ~ and I’ve low key been craving it ever since. LOST IN A DAYDREAM 1 oz @cincorotequila Blanco 1 oz @vermouthdolin Blanc 1 oz @giuliococchi Cocchi Americano 🍋 twist Do you have any Negroni riffs you’ve been digging on? Please feel free to share if so. As always, cheers my friends!

Here’s the latest creation from COCKTAIL ROULETTE ~ the crowd sourced recipe chosen from a list of multiple ingredients. For this go around y’all choose Mezcal, Amaro, a first ever tie with 🍌& ☕️ liqueur, a cinnamon & strawberry infused modifier and cardamom bitters to be served in a rocks glass with a big cube. This was super fun to create. I first started with the infusion. Decided to infuse both the banana & coffee liqueur together. I simply took 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cut up 🍓 with 1.5 oz of each spirit into a small glass container. I let it sit for an hour or so ~ holy moly it’s so tasty. This is definitely my takeaway from this Cocktail Roulette as I would of never ever thought of doing this : definitely has my mind working on other weird infusions. SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK BLUES 1.75 @pelotonmezcal 3/4 oz @grappanonino Amaro 1/2 oz Infused Blend of @tempus_fugit_spirits 🍌 & @mrblackspirits ☕️ 3 dashes @scrappysbitters Cardamon 🍊 oil Definitely love the way it drinks, makes me a bit homesick, .so my thanks for choosing these ingredients as this drink would never exist without you! As always, cheers my friends!

As the Holiday season approaches, I love creating cocktails that evoke memory and appeal too many palates.  I recently tried the new expression Royal  by @glyph.spirit . The nose & mouth of it immediately took me back to childhood senses.   Inspired by Old World scotch it has notes of coffee, dried fruit, fig and burnt sugar.   After revisiting it like 3 times on separate occasions ~ I finally had that Aha moment.  It reminds me of one my favorite candies ~ a tootsie roll in the highest regard possible.  I knew I wanted to create a simple Manhattan riff ~ so I simply split base the sweet vermouth with low abv Gentian Amaro with citrus. ginger & exotic spice notes. For the bitters I used Black Lemon for earthy, smoky & spicy notes.   Not going to lie, I’m seriously smitten with this cocktail.   THE ROYAL TENENBAUM   2 oz @glyph.spirit Royal 1/2 oz @lofiaperitifs Gentian Amaro 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth 3 dashes @scrappysbitters Black Lemon Bitters 🍋  Oil I seriously hope you recreate it!  #Glyphpartner Ad21+ As always cheers, my friends!

Here’s a seasonal goto I’ve had in my bag for many of moons that I slightly transformed by adding egg white ~ works well with or without. UNCLE BUCK 2 oz @cincorotequila Reposado 1 oz Granny Smith Apple 1/2 oz Lemon 1/2 oz Fresh Ginger 1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup Egg White Cinnamon dusted dehydrated 🍋 Also works super well with Mezcal, Whisky & Amaro as the main spirit. If not using egg white or even with ~ feel free start with a 1/4 OZ of Ginger. I like mine on the spicier side As always, cheers my friends!

Some days you just need a martini @fastaf . So I decided to make a simple riff on the Vesper by subbing in a coconut fat washed Cocci Americano to add a bit more depth with a super botanical gin and chamomile & marigold forward vodka. SECRET AGENT MAN 1.5 oz @amass.botanics Gin 1 oz @amass.botanics Vodka 1/2 oz 🥥 Cocchi Americano 🍋 Twist Shaken, not stirred Super easy to make, actually I'll be making this today along with another tasty cocktail on my IG live at 2pm with my rad friends over FastAF ~ hope to see you soon! #FastAFpartner

Throwing it back with a new look at this riff on a Blue Hawaii. About a year ago, I was going thru a phase of recreating old school cocktails that use to be called for in my early days of Bartending. A Blue Hawaii (rum, blue curacao, 🍍 sour mix) was an often called for favorite by some regulars. Here’s my twist on it. HAWAIIAN BLUE DREAM 1.25 oz White Rum 3/4 oz Blue Curacao 1.5 oz Pineapple 3/4 oz @liquidalchemist Coconut 3/4 oz Meyer lemon shrub Egg White  Neon green 🐘 surfing on a 🍋 peel The original drink itself was invented in 1957 by Harry Yee, legendary head bartender of the Waikiki Hawaiian Village Hotel.  Harry Yee, who served as head bartender for 30 yrs,  is attributed with being the first bartender to use paper parasols and Orchids in tiki drinks. I had a lot of fun reimagining & transforming the original into something a bit more modern day. Are they any old school / clubs drinks you want to see me recreate? As always, cheers my friends!

Fun Fact : While I’ll create & taste cocktails / spirits by myself ~ I don’t imbibe solo. Always prefer a companion or many for the occasion. This last Saturday my dear neighbor @tallmia came up for a little afternoon happy hour. Created this impromptu recipe, that is designed to be built for 2, that we both enjoyed ~ so figured I’d share. SYNCHRONICITY 2 oz @mezcalmalbien Espadin 2 oz @campariofficial 3:4 oz @lofiaperitifs 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth 1/2 oz @mrblackspirits 1 oz Fresh Blood 🍊Juice Salted Blood Orange Wheel Garnish Bonus points if you get the name reference ~ clue is in photo. As always cheers my friends!

Okay, it’s been a day. Digesting it with a weird & happy impromptu version of an Americano. Sending everyone air hugs & nothing but love YOUNG AMERICANO 1 oz @campariofficial 1 oz @oddsocietyspirits Vermouth @lacroixwater 🍉 🍊 Essence

Just found out today that’s its National Old Fashioned Week!  Figured I’d share one I had recently ~ sure we all could probably use one right about now. Also, since we’re here ~ another simple photography tip.    OLD FASHIONED   2 oz @blinkingowl Bourbon 1/4 Rich Simple Syrup 2 dashes Angostura  🍊 Peel  Photography Tip : If you primarily shoot with natural light, like I do,  when you’re in spot where you’re digging the 💡 keep a watchful eye on it.  These pics were taken maybe 10 minutes apart from each other.  Simply used different angles & slight repositioned it. Feel free to “Pic Game’ it if you like.  I think I’m Pic 1.  As always, cheers my friends 🥃 🥃

While I try to keep balance between my personal & work life I realized there are some important things I felt like sharing with you.  If it touches or inspires a few of you than I‘m more than happy.  In a non preachy way, please take the time for your personal health wellness & care. Whether it be time in nature, getting swoll, yoga, meditating, farting in the elevator or healthy conversations with yourself and/or friends. Feed you body nutritious healthy food & more importantly thoughts! (Believe me it’s not always easy in these times).   I’ve been an avid Yogi for about 8 years, generally practicing 3-4 times per week.  The psychical benefits are amazing, but don’t hold a candle to the mental.   I always feel lighter, less stressed and most importantly breathe awareness into parts of mind & body that need healing.  The flow of life has changed for a lot of us & these times are certainly unprecedented ~  we’re digesting a lot, so make sure we take the time to process it and shed what doesn’t serve us.   I often wish I had a magic wand that could cure everyone's pain & sorrow, unfortunately I  don’t .   But I do have the power to start these conversations of self care, awareness and supporting our own individual & communal happiness.    Please feel free to share any tips or pointers you do for self care : SHARING IS CARING   As always, cheers my friends and my line is always open if you wanna chat privately.     Air hugs, Karl