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  • Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds in a glass? That's right, it's The Bijou — a one-stop shop for those seeking boozy, stirred, "up" cocktails, and another use for that bottle of Green Chartreuse you spent so long hunting down. Here to give us the virtual low-down is Adam Fournier, beverage director of Spago Beverly Hills. Listen on, or read below, to learn Adam's top tips and experience his very own "Bougie Bijou" recipe — and don't forget. to like, review, and subscribe!

    Adam Fournier's Bougie Bijou Recipe

    Ingredients

    ¼ ounce Charteuse Elixir Vegetal ½ ounce Chartreuse VEP Green ¾ ounce Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth 1 ½ ounces Navy Strength Gin, such as Plymouth Angostura Orange Bitters Garnish: Kirschwasser-soaked cherries

    Directions

    Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a freezer-chilled vintage glass, such as a coupe. Garnish with a Kirschwasser-soaked cherry.

    📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

     

    🍸Follow us:

    VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ Adam Fournier: https://www.instagram.com/bottledinbondla/ Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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  • We're diving into the history, styles, community, and culture of flair bartending today, with Lindsay Palumbo, a certified flair bartender, instructor, and competitor who plies her trade at the Circa Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas’s Fremont Street. Listen on for Blue Blazers, TGI Fridays, and a certain actor with the initials TC — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!


    📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

     

    🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

     


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  • Joining us on Cocktail College today is Aaron Goldfarb, a longtime VinePair contributor and author of the recently released “Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits.” As the names of both today’s episode and Aaron’s newest book suggest, this episode will take us on a historical deep dive, and shed light on one of the most fascinating facets of modern drinks culture: vintage cocktails. Listen on (or read below) to discover Aaron’s ultimate vintage cocktail recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! 

     

    Aaron Goldfarb’s 1953 Vintage Vesper Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 3 parts 1953 Gordon’s Gin 

    - 1 part 1953 Smirnoff Vodka 

    - ½ part Kina Lillet 

      

    Directions 

    1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. 

    2. Stir until well-chilled. 

    3. Strain into a vintage cocktail glass. 

     

    📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

     

    📕Get your copy: “Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits” 

     

    🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

     

     


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  • Fred Astaire in a glass? That’s right folks, it’s the world’s most underrated cocktail, serially disregarded by “serious” drinkers. But not us — not here at Cocktail College! To the Vodka Martini, we’re devoting more than an hour of hot takes, technical insight, and cultural analysis with none other than Tony Abou-Ganim. Calling in from Las Vegas, the author of “Vodka Distilled: The Modern Mixologist on Vodka and Vodka Cocktails" teaches us to leave our prejudices at the door and embrace the very spirit of hospitality. Listen on (or read below) to learn Tony’s Vodka Martini recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! 

     

    Tony Abou-Ganim’s Vodka Martini Recipe 

     

    Ingredients + Description: 

     

    Choose your favorite vodka; opt to drink it straight out of the freezer or stirred (or shaken) with ice, and with or without vermouth. Garnish with — you’ve guessed it — whatever you feel like in the moment. Just make sure the glassware is on point! 

     

    Helen David Relief Fund: 

     

    TAG Spirits: https://tagspiritsawards.com/the-helen-david-relief-fund/ 

    USBG: https://www.usbgfoundation.org/hdrf 

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehdrf/?hl=en 

     

     



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  • Live from Brooklyn’s Sunken Harbor Club, we proudly present: The Fog Cutter… and so much more! That’s right, it’s an episode of firsts and threes: the first Cocktail College recorded in front of a (sell-out) crowd; our first time featuring three guests (and audience questions); not one, not two, but three cocktails (at least one of which contains three base spirits, and a sherry float for good measure). Get ready for Garret Richard on the Fog Cutter, Scarlet Fog, and advanced cocktail techniques; Carlos Perez on his very own Brain Fog riff; and St. John Frizell on that drink’s newly launched, eponymous mug — a Sunken Harbor Club first! 

     

    Garret Richard’s Fog Cutter Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 1 orange wheel 

    - 1 ounce Denizen White rum 

    - ¾ ounce brandy (Capurro Pisco) 

    - ¼ ounce Ford’s Gin 

    - ½ ounce fresh lemon juice 

    - 1 teaspoon Orgeat (Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29) 

    - Lemon punch syrup (mix of oleo saccharum, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and citric acid) 

    - Almond extract 

    - Saline solution 

    - Float: ½ ounce Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry 

     

    Directions 

    1. Muddle orange wheel in a Collins glass and set aside. 

    2. Add rum, pisco, gin, lemon juice, orgeat, lemon punch, almond extract, and saline solution to a mixing tin. 

    3. Flash blend with ice. 

    4. Add to Collins glass with muddled orange. 

    5. Fill with crushed ice and top with sherry float. 

    6. Garnish with generous mint sprig, orchid, and serve with a straw. 

     

    (Note: We plan to update this recipe with more exact quantities for some of the ingredients — stay tuned!) 

     

    **Trader Vic’s Fog Cutter Recipe** 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 2 ounces Puerto Rican rum 

    - 1 ounce brandy 

    - ½ ounce gin 

    - 1 ounce orange juice 

    - 2 ounces lemon juice 

    - Float: sherry 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with cracked ice. 

    2. Shake until well chilled. 

    3. Pour into a tall glass with ice. 

    4. Top with sherry float and serve with a straw. 

     

    (For Don the Beachcomber’s version, replace brandy with pisco.)

    Order Here: 

     

    Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes (SIGNED COPY) 

     

    Brain Fog Mug (Limited Edition) 

     


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  • It's another historical deep dive today, as we cast our gaze hundreds of years into the past to explore punches, something the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails describes as "the foundational drink of modern mixology and the first mixed drink based on spirits to gain global popularity.” Helping us do so is Tural Hasanov, the director of Arts Club and Punch Room at the Tampa EDITION. Listen on to learn Tural's top tips on all things sour, sweet, strong, and weak — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!


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  • In the two years since we first covered the Espresso Martini, precious little has changed on the drink’s popularity front. In fact, it’s probably more popular now than ever. On reflection, this should come as no surprise, and today we’re joined by Stephen Kurpinsky — Mr. Black’s long-time U.S. brand ambassador — to learn exactly why that’s the case. Listen on (or read below) to discover Stephen’s Espresso Martini recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! 

     

    Stephen Kurpinsky’s Espresso Martini Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 1 ½ ounces Mr. Black Cold Brew coffee liqueur 

    - 1 ounce vodka 

    - 1 ounce fresh espresso or cold brew concentrate 

    - ¼ ounce rich simple syrup (2:1) 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 

    2. Shake until chilled. 

    3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. 

    4. Garnish with three coffee beans. 

     

     


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  • We’re stepping into the time machine today and digging deep into the Cocktail College vaults, as we resurface our conversation on the Vesper. Little did we know it when we first recorded this episode, but the Vesper has been on something of a quiet tear in recent times, with bartenders building on the Martini trend and lending their interpretations of this version of the cocktail to their menus. Join us for that chat was Patrick Smith, the then manager of bar openings for, and now senior beverage manager of, Union Square Hospitality Group. Listen on (or read below) to discover Smith’s Vesper recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe! 

     

    Patrick Smith’s Vesper Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 2 ounces London Dry gin 

    - 1 ounce vodka 

    - 1 ounce of Tempus Fugit Kina L'Aéro d'Or 

     

    Directions 

    1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 

    2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled coupe glass. 

    3. Garnish with an expressed, manicured lemon twist. 

     

     



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  • The Tuxedo is a complex cocktail in many different ways, but primarily because it has a number of… well, numbered variations, the most well-known of which contains sherry, which is a whole different category of variations itself. Luckily enough for us, we’re joined by the wonderful tutor (and bartender!) Kat Foster, an EMP alum and bar manager of Brooklyn’s Margot. Listen on (or read below) to discover Kat’s Tuxedo recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! 

     

    Kat Foster’s Tuxedo Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 1 ½ ounces Old Tom Gin, such as Hayman’s or Ransom 

    - 1 ½ ounces Manzanilla sherry, such as Lustau or Valdespino 

    - 2 dashes orange bitters 

    - 2 dashes absinthe 

    - Splash (⅛ ounce) Maraschino liqueur 

    - Garnish: lemon twist 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add ingredients to a mixing glass, fill with ice, and stir for 30-40 seconds until chilled. 

    2. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. 

    3. Garnish with lemon twist. 

     

     


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  • Named after "the most famous train in the world," today's drink sees us head to London with significant stops in New York and Chicago, as we explore the 20th Century Cocktail. Joining us to do so is Meredith Barry, the co-owner and operator of Platypus and New Society in St. Louis. Listen on (or read below) to discover Meredith’s 20th Century Cocktail recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! 

     

    Meredith Barry’s 20th Century Cocktail Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    1 1/2 ounces gin, such as Hayman’s or Plymouth 3/4 ounce Cocchi Americano 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/4 ounce creme de cacao, such as Tempus Fugit 2 dashes (1 dropper) saline solution

     

    Directions 

    Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

      

     

     


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  • In this planetary edition of Cocktail College, we’re joined by Ray Sakover to embark on a deep space exploration of The Saturn. Ray is the co-owner of New York’s recently opened Paradise Lost, and the cocktail in question is a lesser-known, gin-based blended tiki concoction. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ray’s Saturn recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! 

     

    Ray Sakover’s Saturn Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    5 drops 25% saline solution ½ ounce fresh lime Juice ½ ounce fresh lemon Juice ¼ ounce Boiron passion fruit puree ¼ ounce Orgeat Works Latitude 29 Orgeat ½ ounce Orgeat Works Toasted Orgeat ¼ ounce Thai Spice Falernum ½ ounce Hayman's Old Tom Gin  ½ ounce Bimini Gin 1 ¼ ounces Perry's Tot Navy Strength Gin 

     

    Directions 

    Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Flash-blend with 8 ounces (1 cup) pebble ice for 5 seconds or until the tin is frosty. Dump into a double rocks glass with 4 ounces of pebble ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel, lime wheel, round rosette paper cocktail fan, and alien toys. 

      

     

     


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  • We’re revisiting one of the world’s (and certainly America’s) most beloved cocktails with Maxwell Reis, beverage director at Los Angeles’ Mírate, and VinePair 50 and VinePair Next Wave Awards winner. Prepare to learn all about his distinct approach to the Margarita, and get ready to reconsider all things agave, from syrup to spirits. Listen on (or read below) to discover Max’s Margarita recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! 

     

    Maxwell Reis’ Mírate Margarita Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    1 ounce fresh lime juice ¾ ounce No-gave syrup** 2 ounces blanco tequila or mezcal Garnish: orange- or sal-de-gusano-salted rim 

     

    Directions 

    Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with 4 cubes of Hoshizaki ice. Hard shake until cold. Strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass over ice. 

     

    *No-gave Syrup Ingredients 

    2 parts water 2 parts demerara sugar 1 part honey, ideally single variety orange blossom 

     

     


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  • During this holiday week, a quick season’s greetings from everyone here at Cocktail College and the VinePair HQ. See you next year, as we return to our regular programming on Jan 4th!

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  • A bonafide West Coast classic — one whose history is pretty agreed upon — the Martinez holds a very important place in cocktail history, as many believe it to be the bridge between the Manhattan and the Martini. But it’s so much more than that, and a drink deserving of a standalone episode. So here we are! Joining us is San Francisco local Nicolas Torres, the bar director of True Laurel. The Martinez is a drink Nico’s made countless times in its classic guise throughout his 15+ year career. It also offered the inspiration for one of the most popular proprietary drinks at True Laurel — one that’s been on the menu since day one. Listen on (or read below) to discover both of those recipes — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! 

     

    Nicolas Torres’ Martinez Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 1 ¾ ounces Old Tom gin 

    - ¾ ounce sweet vermouth, ideally French 

    - ¼ ounce (scant) Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 

    - 1 dash orange bitters 

    - 1 dash Angostura bitters 

    - Garnish: orange twist 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. 

    2. Stir until chilled. 

    3. Strain into a petite coupe glass. 

    4. Garnish with orange twist. 

     

    In the Pines, Under the Palms Recipe (simplified) 

     

    Ingredients 

    - ¾ ounce coconut-washed rye 

    - ¾ ounce St. George Terroir gin 

    - ¾ ounce sweet vermouth 

    - ¼ ounce (scant) Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 

    - 1 dash Angostura bitters 

    - Garnish: pine tips, Arak 

     

    Directions 

    1. Mist a rocks glass with Arak.

    2. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. 

    3. Stir until chilled. 

    4. Strain into misted rocks glass over one large cube of ice. 

    4. Garnish with pine tips. 

     

     


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  • In Washington D.C., the Gin Rickey is not so much a preferred drink but part of the city’s cultural fabric. It is here, history and booze historians tell us, that gin cemented its status as the signature spirit of lime-scented highballs, before winning the hearts and palates of the social and political elite. Here to tell us how it did so, and why the Gin Rickey is so revered, is Andra “AJ” Johnson. A longtime D.C. resident and hospitality veteran, AJ is the managing partner of Serenata, in the city’s Union Market District, and founder of the Back to Black pop-up. Listen on (or read below) to discover AJ’s Gin Rickey recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! 

     

    Andra “AJ” Johnson’s Gin Rickey Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 2 ounces London Dry-style gin 

    - ½ ounce fresh lime juice 

    - 5 ounces club soda 

    - Garnish: fresh lime wedge 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add gin and lime to a chilled highball glass and stir slightly. 

    2. Top with club soda poured down a spiral bar spoon. 

    3. Carefully add ice. 

    4. Garnish with lime wedge. 

     

     


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  • In simple terms, El Capitán is a Manhattan made with Pisco and garnished with an olive. As is so often the case, though, it’s worth noting that this drink is also so much more than that. El Capitán is a snapshot of Peruvian history — a celebration of the country’s iconic national spirit. Here to divulge more and dive deeper into all of the above, is Chicago-based Mike Ryan, the corporate director of beverage for Acurio International. Listen on (or read below) to discover Mike's El Capitán recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! 

     

    Mike Ryan’s El Capitán Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 2 ounces Acholado Pisco 

    - 1 ounce sweet vermouth 

    - 2 dashes Angostura bitters 

    - Garnish: green olive 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. 

    2. Stir until chilled. 

    3. Strain into a chilled Coupe glass. 

    4. Garnish with a green olive. 

     

     


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  • It’s a whiskey sour with a red wine float — but it’s also so much more than that. With various different preparations in modern mixology, the New York Sour is also strange in that it's gone by many monikers over the years, and despite what we now call it, its creation holds little or no ties to the Big Apple. Here to explore the New York Sour with us today is the legendary bartender, consultant, and singer/songwriter, Frank Caiafa. These days, Frank works as the spirits portfolio director for Banville Wine Merchants but you may also be familiar with his work as an author, having published The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book in 2016 (link below). Listen on (or read below) to discover Frank’s New York Sour recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! 

     

    Frank Caiafa’s New York Sour Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

    - 2 ounces 86 proof rye whiskey 

    - ¾ ounce simple syrup (1:1) 

    - ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice 

    - Garnish: red wine, such as Bordeaux or Rioja 

     

    Directions 

    1. Add rye whiskey, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. 

    2. Shake until chilled. 

    3. Strain into a footed stem glass. 

    4. Float a small amount of red wine on top (no more than ¼ inch) over the back of a bar spoon. 

     

    The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book: https://handlebarsnyc.com/waldorf-astoria-bar-book


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  • Very recently (at the time of publishing, at least), the topic of organizing labor came up unexpectedly in the bar industry, as workers at one of the country’s most notable craft cocktail spots announced their intention to unionize. We’re not going to dig too deep into the specifics of that effort, though we will touch upon it throughout the episode. Instead, we're joined by returning guest and labor expert, Dave Infante, to discuss how bar workers might go about unionizing, and why they might want to do so in the first place. Don't forget to like, review, and subcribe!


    Dave's Fingers column on the union drive at Death & Co.: https://www.fingers.email/p/inside-the-union-drive-at-death-and


    Jill Cockson's Cocktail College episode referenced in today's show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-hospitality/id1583840832?i=1000611715875



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  • It’s our most ambitious techniques episode to date. It involves chemicals, special — and fairly pricy — equipment, and a not insignificant investment in time and effort. But don’t worry, listener, because not only do we have the perfect guest to explain the technique and hold our hands throughout the process, but he’s also devised a home bartender solution. The technique is and the returning guest is our go-to source for all things techniques: Mr. Jack Schramm.


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  • We're diving into the archives today at Cocktail College as we resurface an episode and cocktail we think you might have missed first go around: The American Trilogy. We're exploring it with the Applejack-based drink's co-creator, and owner of New York’s Dutch Kills bar and Hundredweight Ice Company, Richie Boccato. Listen on to learn the story behind the American Trilogy and to learn Boccato’s recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

    Richie Boccato’s American Triology Recipe 

     

    Ingredients 

     

    - 1 ounce applejack, such as Laird’s Bottled in Bond 

    - 1 ounce rye whiskey, such as Michter’s 

    - 1 cube Demerara sugar 

    - 2 dashes orange bitters (1:1 mix of Fee Brothers and Regans’) 

    - 1 splash soda water 

     

    Directions 

     

    1. Add sugar cube to a chilled Old Fashined glass and saturate with bitters and a splash of soda water. 

    2. Crush cube using a muddler and work to form a rough paste. 

    3. Add applejack, rye, and a large, singule cube of ice. Stir a few times to incorporate the sugar paste.  

    4. Garnish with an orange twist. 

     


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