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Dustin Wright
21 Questions with Bartenders Your Favorite Juvenile Drinking Game
We asked the questions so that the next time you’re feeling chatty at the bar, you can dedicate that mental energy to less-chatty pursuits. Like keeping your elbows off the sticky bar or making sure your math is right on your check. You’re welcome for taking this one for the team.
Brett Hart Okeechobee Steakhouse
1. Dive bar or craft cocktail bar?
Dive bar. 3 p.m. Better music. All the cocktail bars have the same Spotify playlist.
2. Strangest drink request you’ve received?
Piña Colada, no pineapple. So just the colada then?
3. Do you prefer an opening or closing shift?
I’m all done with 2 a.m.’s.
4. Favorite garnish to snack on?
Strawberries. With a pinch of the margarita salt. Try it.
5. Where will you be on your day off?
It’s a secret spot.
6. If you could only choose one spirit to drink forever, what would it be?
Amaro.
7. Your unpopular opinion on bar etiquette?
Keep your voice down. You don’t have to yell. Bartenders hear everything, even from 50 feet away.
8. Beer or wine?
Wine. Especially Syrah from the Northern Rhône.
9. What’s your guilty pleasure cocktail?
Frozen Margs. Near water only.
10. What’s your rule of thumb for cutting people off?
Both eyes should face in the same direction. And obviously keep your forehead off the bar top.
11. Favorite top shelf liquor?
Del Maguey Iberico.
12. What are your must haves for a shift?
Sanpellegrino and a wine key. I can improvise anything else.
13. What’s your hangover cure?
I call it a Git Right. Amaro, lemon juice, bitters, club soda.
14. Favorite drinking game?
Bocce ball and beers.
15. Least favorite cocktail to make?
Espresso martinis obviously. No one can agree on a single recipe.
16. Which celebrity would you want to sit down at your bar for a chat?
Willie Nelson. That guy has probably got some stories.
17. What’s your favorite bar for a night off?
See question 5. Or question 1.
18. What’s your go-to shot?
Mezcal. Neat.
19. Do you have any cocktail tips or tricks for our readers?
Try adding a pinch of Maldon salt to your next cocktail. It makes flavors pop. Especially a Gibson.
20. Should a martini be shaken or stirred?
It should be stirred, but a lot of people like that semi-frozen lake effect on top.
21. What’s one drink you’ve sworn off?
Vodka. Most of it is just grain alcohol with glycerin in it.
Valeria Ruiz
Leftover’s
Cafe
1. Dive bar or craft cocktail bar?
Dive bar mostly, but definitely both.
2. Strangest drink request you’ve received?
Perfect Manhattan.
3. Do you prefer an opening or closing shift?
Closing shift obvs.
4. Favorite garnish to snack on?
Olives, I eat them all night.
5. Where will you be on your day off?
The pool or the bar.
6. If you could only choose one spirit to drink forever what would it be?
Tito’s vodka.
7. Your unpopular opinion on bar etiquette?
Don’t ask a bar guest to move if they’re already eating.
8. Beer or wine?
Wine ALL day!
9. What’s your guilty pleasure cocktail?
Lychee martinis.
10. What’s your rule of thumb for cutting people off?
When you start being rude to people around you, you’re done.
11. Favorite top shelf liquor?
Clase Azul or Don Julio 1942.
12. What are your must haves for a shift?
My water bottle, MY wine key and my favorite co-worker.
13. What’s your hangover cure?
Another drink, comfort food and lots of water.
14. Favorite drinking game?
TITS — it’s like flip cup but lasts longer and it’s way more fun.
15. Least favorite cocktail to make?
Mojitos.
16. Which celebrity would you want to sit down at your bar for a chat?
Vin Diesel, I’m obsessed with him.
17. What’s your favorite bar for a night off?
Food Shack ‘cause I know everyone and I get all the love every time.
18. What’s your go-to shot?
White tea shots.
19. Do you have any cocktail tips or tricks for our readers?
Shake it while you shake it.
20. Should a martini be shaken or stirred? Shaken.
21. What’s one drink you’ve sworn off? Jager.
Myles Robinson Kapow!
1. Dive bar or craft cocktail bar?
It depends on where I’m trying to take the night. If I’m trying to get into some drunken shenanigans, dive bar all day, but if I plan on staying a bit and keeping it calm and collected, then it’s craft cocktail bar.
2. Strangest drink request you’ve received?
Hmmm I would have to say a Henny, Bailey’s, and apple juice mix
BUT... the crazy part is when I did the straw test (if you bartend you know what that is) it was pretty tasty, no matter how bad I wanted to hate it.
3. Do you prefer an opening or closing shift?
Closing. Forever going to be a night owl.
4. Favorite garnish to snack on?
Blue cheese stuffed olives or at Kapow! we have mochi gummies as a garnish and I can’t get enough of them.
5. Where will you be on your day off?
In front of my bar at home probably working on new cocktails for another bar or event. Or the grocery store...Costco, to be exact, it’s like a grown-up playground.
6. If you could only choose one spirit to drink forever what would it be?
Whiskey without even thinking twice about it.
7. Your unpopular opinion on bar etiquette?
The guest isn’t always right. I feel like in this day and age and in this climate of cocktails that narrative has worn out its welcome.
8. Beer or wine?
I’m gonna give wine the slight edge because the hangovers don’t hurt as much.
9. What’s your guilty pleasure cocktail?
A sidecar.
10. What’s your rule of thumb for cutting people off?
Have you ever asked a 3 year old to write their name? If the words that come out of their mouth sound like how that looks, then it’s time to cut them off.
11. Favorite top shelf liquor?
Most of the time it’s some type of scotch or tequila. With so many choices I never just stick to one.
12. What are your must haves for a shift?
Bottle opener, wine key, breath mints (it happens to the best of us when we’re busy and no one likes a bad breath bartender), Ghost energy drink (sour patch flavor), pens, and boxing gloves to fight people over stealing pens.
13. What’s your hangover cure?
Heavy breakfast food and beer — in that order
14. Favorite drinking game?
Not into drinking games but I love playing nostalgic games. Drunk Uno, Rummikub, spades, Monopoly. Basically, any game that can break out in chaos at any given moment.
15. Least favorite cocktail to make?
A hot toddy. I just don’t see the point in it even if you’re feeling like crap I’m almost sure some rest and chicken soup would work out just a tad bit better.
16. Which celebrity would you want to sit down at your bar for a chat?
Gordon Ramsey.
17. What’s your favorite bar for a night off?
Bar Standish located right in my living room and the best part is the tab is always comped.
18. What’s your go-to shot?
The always reliable green tea.
19. Do you have any cocktail tips or tricks for our readers?
No tricks other than focusing on being the best you can be at your craft and remember at the end of the day as long as your guest enjoys what’s in their glass you’ve made them the perfect drink.
20. Should a martini be shaken or stirred?
I think there are too many variables in martinis these days to say one should be made exactly one way.
21. What’s one drink you’ve sworn off? Fernet! I know I’m going to get s*** for this, but contrary to popular bartender belief, Fernet is absolutely one of the worst drinks ever. Yeah, I said it.
Ashley Amann Sweetwater
1. Dive bar or craft cocktail bar?
Dive bar. A plus if there’s a jukebox for me to spend all my money on.
2. Strangest drink request you’ve received?
Scotch and milk. It wasn’t a joke. He had more than one.
3. Do you prefer an opening or closing shift?
Closing shift. The best stories come from a closing shift.
4. Favorite garnish to snack on?
Blue cheese olives.
5. Where will you be on your day off?
I can be found at the beach/at a show/any local haunt.
6. If you could only choose one spirit to drink forever what would it be?
Tequila, forever.
7. Your unpopular opinion on bar etiquette?
Your bartender will thank you for using venmo rather than asking for separate checks when it’s busy.
8. Beer or wine?
Beer — nothing better on a hot Florida day.
9. What’s your guilty pleasure cocktail?
A Dirty Banana from Banana Boat. Think frozen, chocolate piña colada. It can cure all things.
10. What’s your rule of thumb for cutting people off?
I believe you just have to let them know you can’t serve them anymore because we as bartenders care about their safety. I’ll pour water and order them some food.
11. Favorite top shelf liquor?
Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask. Unique and delicious.
12. What are your must haves for a shift?
Coffee. My bar tools. A barback.
13. What’s your hangover cure?
McDonald’s Coke. Ibuprofen. Chilled under eye mask. A beer. In no specific order.
14. Favorite drinking game?
For a big group: chandelier. For a small group: quarters.
15. Least favorite cocktail to make?
I’ll just say I’m glad we don’t have a blender behind our bar.
16. Which celebrity would you want to sit down at your bar for a chat?
Larry David. OR the entirety of Fleetwood Mac.
17. What’s your favorite bar for a night off?
For a proper cocktail: Driftwood. For fun: Hurricane Alley.
18. What’s your go-to shot?
Tequila, no training wheels. If it’s been a rough week, a Rumplemintz might be necessary.
19. Do you have any cocktail tips or tricks for our readers?
If you can, always use fresh citrus. Fresh is best. And, watch the movie “Cocktail.”
20. Should a martini be shaken or stirred?
Stirred 100%.
21. What’s one drink you’ve sworn off?
Long Island iced tea. Thank you, college.
The Designated Driver of Drinks
Carefully Curated Non-Alcoholic Recipes With Kapow!
With tons of flavor and no fuzziness, mocktails don’t get the credit they’re due. They’re best suited for occasions when you want to keep things lively, but lucid. Think brunches, baby showers, work events, and Tuesday nights when you want to binge-watch your favorite series without losing the plot. But truly, thanks to the lack of alcohol, mocktails can be incorporated on any occasion for a lot of fun and zero intoxication.
Angela Dugan, Kapow!’s top dog when it comes to all things behind the bar, has a healthy appreciation for the mocktail and created a whole menu of Chak-tails; mocktails that correspond with the chakras from Hindu scripture.
We were lucky enough to get the recipes for a few of the Chak-tails for our readers to try at home, but they aren’t quite as lax as the mocktails you may be familiar with. Making regular mocktails at home is easier than trying to remember the plot of “Inception” after two margaritas, and depending on your prowess behind the
bar, these mocktails — while a bit more complex — can still be a fun challenge at home. Us? We’ll be leaving it to the pros at Kapow! in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton. Speaking of the pros, special thanks to Myles Robinson for whipping up these photo-ready mocktails for our feature.
Next time you find yourself at a crossroads between another round of tequila shots and a quiet night of responsible fun, reference these handy recipes.
@kapownoodlebar
HEART Ingredients
1 ounce Cucumber and Cilantro Juice
1/2 ounce Fresh lime juice
4 ounces Ginger beer
Instructions
1. In a rocks glass add ice and juices.
2. Top with ginger beer and stir.
3. Garnish with rose buds.
Cucumber + Cilantro Juice
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber
½ bunch of cilantro
Instructions
1. Juice the cucumber and cilantro together.
THROAT
Ingredients
1 bunch mint
4 ounces coconut milk
2 ounces ginger juice
1 ½ ounces simple syrup
½ ounce lime
Crack of salt
Instructions
1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well.
2. Strain over pebble ice into a coconut milk can.
3. Garnish with a bunch of mint and a dusting of cinnamon.
THIRD – EYE
Ingredients
¼ ounce lime juice
¾ ounce Blueberry Compote
2 ounces Ritual Gin (NA)
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
3. Garnish with micro flowers.
Blueberry Compote
Ingredients
1 cup frozen blueberries
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon lavender buds
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Pull off heat and strain through a sieve.
3. Store covered and refrigerated.
Classic Coffee Cocktails
Double the Buzz, Double the Fun
BY DARIEN DAVIES
*Trying to get anyone to agree on recipes and origins is impossible.
We all know the benefits of cocktails. They make events more fun, good ideas great, and bad ideas happen faster. Happy Hour isn’t called Sad Hour for a reason. Just like how champagne is the celebratory drink of choice, if you have an important meeting and coffee isn’t hitting it, try an espresso martini instead. Kidding. (Or am I?)
Caffeine and cocktails go together just like… well, every classic combo that just makes sense. Burgers and beer, football and yelling, bars and bartenders. Name a Saturday night or a Sunday morning that a high-octane cocktail doesn’t complement. You can’t! It’s literally impossible.
If you are missing the caffeinated-cocktails boat or would like a few at-home recipes to have up your sleeve, read on, my thirsty Patriots of Perk. Not only are the following cocktails easy to make, you’ll find they’re also easy to drink (duh) and easy to put on your recipe-repeat list.
The pro tips are brought to you by none other than a caffeinated cocktail connoisseur herself, Annie Blake, EVP of sales of Cocktail Kingdom, who knows a thing or 20 about crafting the perfect cocktail.
Espresso Martini
If you’ve grown up from the average vodka and Red Bull scene and are wanting the next best, and more refined, option, the espresso martini is calling your name. Invented in the 1980s by a bartender who was requested by a patron to make a drink that would both wake him up and get him drunk, the espresso martini has grown in popularity ever since. And it’s easy to see why. Vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur come together in an electrified symphony of both delicious form and function.
3. Pour the vodka, coffee liqueur, maple syrup, and espresso into the shaker.
4. Shake the mixture vigorously for about 15-20 seconds until well-chilled.
Carajillo
The carajillo name, which is loosely translated as “liquid courage,” was adopted when Cuba was a Spanish province. Spanish troops would often drink this blend of coffee and liquor for a boost of coraje, or courage, before going into battle. While it is described as a perfect after-dinner drink, it can also be enjoyed in the morn ing because, well, why not, amirite?
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces Licor 43
4 ounces freshly brewed espresso
Instructions
1. Pull a shot of espresso.
2. Fill a rocks glass with ice.
3. Pour the Licor 43 over the ice, followed by slowly pouring the espresso on top.
4. Stir and serve with a cocktail stirrer.
Annie’s Pro Tip: Add a little good dark rum, like Plantation Original Dark.
If the Irish are experts about anything, it’s definitely how to succeed at drinking. After all, you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning. If champagne doesn’t get your engines running, then Irish coffee certainly will. Much like our other cocktails, it was designed out of need. Irish coffee was created in the winter of 1942 by Joe Sheridan, a chef at Foynes Port near Limerick, Ireland. This airport was a hub for transatlantic flights, used as a stop for, most often, famous passengers. The Chef created this drink after a flight had to return to the airport due to a particularly rough storm, with the goal to warm them up and console their defeated spirits. All hail Chef Joe!
1 tablespoon brown sugar (adjust to taste)
Heavy cream, lightly whipped Ground cinnamon or nutmeg, for garnish
Preheat a heatproof glass or mug by filling it with hot water, then discarding the water before making the drink.
Brew a fresh pot of coffee.
Add the brown sugar to the empty preheated glass
Pour the hot coffee into the glass and stir until the sugar
Add the Irish whiskey and stir to combine.
6. Gently float the lightly whipped heavy cream on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the coffee. This creates the classic layered effect.
7. Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg on top.
8. Serve and enjoy.
Annie’s Pro Tip: This cocktail can be made cold, too. Also, use whatever kind of whiskey you like, or try with bourbon if you’re a bourbon drinker.
White Russian
Shocker alert, this is not a drink that originated in Russia. A bartender in Brussels in 1949 created the Black Russian (no cream) — with cream being added in the ‘50s — for the then U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. The only aspect of this drink that is Russian is that it has vodka in it. Hey, no complaints here. While it might not be your go-to drink for Sunday Funday, it definitely has an oddly delicious aspect to it, much like rum and eggnog during the holidays. Bottom’s up, to your health!
Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Kahlúa
1 ounce heavy cream
Instructions
1. Fill an old-fashioned glass (or rocks glass) with ice cubes.
2. Pour the vodka and Kahlúa over the ice in the glass and stir.
3. Gently pour the heavy cream over the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the drink. This helps the cream float on top of the drink.
4. Serve and enjoy.
Annie’s Pro Tip: Take heavy cream in two shaking tins, shake aggressively for 30-45 seconds, then pour on top so it’s nice and foamy rather than pouring it over the spoon.
So, there you have it. Now you have no excuse to be tired at work (wink), weary of a difficult journey ahead, or freezing on a cold Florida evening (as you turn your thermostat to 60 degrees). All of these drinks have withstood the test of time and are still around to give you a delightful and delicious kick to the mouth.
F
REEZER DOOR
COCKTAILS
WITH THE GUY WHO LITERALLY WROTE THE BOOK ON FREEZER DOOR COCKTAILS
No, we’re not talking about the watered-down vodka that someone unaware of alcohols’ high freezing point tried to pass off by replacing in the freezer. We’re talking about intentionally batched cocktails that are made right in a liquor bottle (or in any empty glass bottle) and stored in the freezer to function as a ready to pour, perfectly-mixed-every-time cocktail.
We’ve seen this concept floating around and knew it was something we wanted to explore in our Cocktail Issue. There’s a lot of talk about the ritual, or ceremony, of making a cocktail in this issue. This is the other side of that. Freezer door cocktails are all about the cocktail itself — sans ceremony. With almost everyone gravitating toward convenience-orientated everything, freezer door cocktails are a practice in instant gratification that can be helpful for instances when you’d rather be in the moment than acting as a bartender. Think of it like meal prepping, but for a cocktail party.
Now, while we may know that gradually adding water to a bottle of vodka and putting it in a freezer drawer — where it’s colder than the door — will result in slushy vodka, there is a science to finding the perfect balance of mixer to spirit to ensure a cocktail will stay cold without freezing. And by “science” we mostly mean trial and error, but also a general understanding of freezing points and ratios. So, rather than fumble about and pour out more liquor than our hearts could handle, we ventured to talk to the guy who wrote the book on freezer door cocktails. Really, he wrote a book on them.
J.M. Hirsch got to thinking about batching cocktails after starting “Uncanned,” a video series on trying canned, pre-made cocktails. Not to spoil anything, but most of them were passes despite the convenience. That thinking about batched cocktails turned to tinkering with batched cocktails and led to a bottle of dry martini in the freezer door. He set out to make the concept work for other cocktails to replace the reliance on canned cocktails with the convenience of a perfectly tailored and pre-batched cocktail. Because “nothing says dependency like needing a full bottle of your favorite cocktail at the ready at all times,” joked J.M. in an “Uncanned” video.
J.M. is a journalist and editorial director at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street — a Boston-based food media company — but a scientist he is not. So, he hired food scientists to glean what could and couldn’t be done when freezing cocktails.
“Any bottle of 40% ABV liquor can be stored in the average home freezer without worry (and this includes pretty much all base liquors — vodka, whiskey, tequila, rum, gin, etc.). But adding cocktail ingredients, such as juices, syrups or even lower-ABV liqueurs, changes the volume of alcohol in the bottle, and that changes the freezing point of the mixture. To prevent the cocktail from freezing, a freezer door cocktail never should contain more than 20% no- or low-ABV ingredients, such as water or juice. That means you could replace a fifth of a full bottle of 40% ABV liquor with no- or lowABV ingredients, and it will freeze only if kept at -10°F (-23.5°C) or colder. This is why freezer door cocktails don’t always use the same ratios as conventional cocktails,” shared J.M.
J.M. said, “The ratios and ingredients of some conventional cocktails just didn’t adapt well to the freezer, so I needed to tinker with them to make sure they tasted great but held up to below zero temperatures.”
Worst case scenario you can just turn down the temperature on your freezer. Though, that tip has not been J.M. approved.
In his book, he compiled 75 tried-and-true recipes for freezer door cocktails that vary from classics to original creations — two of which are included in this feature. It’s all convenience and none of the guess work for times when the ceremony of making a cocktail doesn’t fit your schedule. “Freezer door cocktails are especially good for two occasions. First is after work, when you just don’t have the energy to craft a cocktail the classic way. At the end of one of ‘those’ days, it’s so nice to simply open the freezer, grab a bottle and pour your favorite drink, especially knowing it’s made exactly the way you want it. The second is when you entertain. I love having people over, but I hate being a bartender. I want to socialize, not serve drinks. Having a variety of batched cocktails ready for people to pour for themselves means I can focus on the guests, not keeping their glasses full,” said J.M.
As they say, everything in moderation — ceremony included.
Even knowing all that, it can be a struggle to properly determine measurements for high and low ABVs, especially because many cocktails rely on low-ABV liquids to cut the bite of alcohol. This led to some creative solutions on J.M.’s part, like using cranberry concentrate instead of cranberry juice in a cosmopolitan and instant espresso powder instead of a pulled shot of espresso in an espresso martini.
If your freezer is on the bottom of your fridge and top loading instead of a door on the side, then we don’t know what to tell you. You’re going to have to come up with your own fun little name for cocktails you keep in your freezer.
@jm_hirsch
FLIP FOR FREEZER DOOR COCKTAIL RECIPES
FREEZER DOOR
COCKTAIL RECIPES
BY J.M. HIRSCH
LEMON DROP
The classic lemon drop is a sweet-and-sour crowd pleaser perfect for a freezer door overhaul. Many people credit the original recipe to Norman Jay Hobday, a San Francisco bar owner from the 1970s, but it likely is based on the crusta, a drink that dates back more than 100 years before that. Traditionally, it’s vodka, equal parts lemon juice and sugar, plus a bit of orange liqueur. Here, we tamp down the lemon juice and sugar, both of which can make the cocktail susceptible to freezing. To compensate, we add a few ounces of limoncello, a sweet-and-sour Italian liqueur.
Starting with a full bottle? Pour off 13 ounces (390 mL). Makes five to seven cocktails
Ingredients
12 ounces (360 mL) vodka
4 ½ ounces (135 mL) orange liqueur
3 ounces (90 mL) limoncello
1 ½ ounces (45 mL) lemon juice
1 ½ ounces (45 mL) water
1 ½ ounces (45 mL) agave or simple syrup Lemon zest strips, to serve
Instructions
1. In a 750-milliliter bottle, combine the vodka, orange liqueur, limoncello, lemon juice, water and syrup.
2. Cap the bottle securely, then shake to mix.
3. Store in the freezer.
4. To serve, pour into a cocktail glass and add a lemon zest strip.
ESPRESSO MARTINI
This one is for when you want to raid the freezer door at midnight! Creating a freezer door version of Dick Bradsell’s classic espresso martini required a fair bit of tinkering. Using freshly brewed espresso — as is traditional — wasn’t an option. Adding enough espresso for the finished cocktail to taste rich and bold added too much water, which froze. The solution was instant espresso powder, which adds tons of flavor and no water. It also gives the cocktail a pleasant viscosity that mirrors the frothiness you get from shaking. To account for the dilution that occurs during shaking with ice, a bit of water is needed, but not nearly as much as with freshly brewed espresso. Be sure to use instant espresso powder, often sold near the baking ingredients, not espresso grounds, which won’t dissolve.
Starting with a full bottle? Pour off 10 ounces (300 mL).
Makes five to seven cocktails
Ingredients
15 ounces (450 mL) vodka
9 ounces (270 mL) Kahlúa
3 ½ tablespoons (20 g) instant espresso powder
1 ounce (30 mL) water
Ice cubes, to serve
Instructions
1. In a 750-milliliter bottle, combine the vodka, Kahlúa, espresso powder and water.
2. Cap the bottle securely, then shake very well to mix.
3. Store in the freezer.
4. To serve, pour into a rocks glass with one large ice cube.
B AR CAR T BUILD YOUR
With Annie Blake
Asolid bar cart setup at home makes for solid cocktails at home. With a few simple tools, you can elevate the ritual of making a cocktail — whether for a drink to be sipped on while you relax, or a drink to be the talk of the dinner party. Admittedly, what we know about professional cocktails could fit in a kitschy souvenir shot glass, so we brought in the big guns. Annie Blake, the EVP of sales at Cocktail Kingdom, is a friend and, also, a wealth of knowledge on the making of a great cocktail. She compiled a list of tools for any great home bartender and the spirits she would select if she were forced to build a bar cart from scratch. Read on to see what she considers her must haves on a bar cart.
Must Haves
Cocktail Kingdom Essential Cocktail Set: This set is a great place to start when building out a bar cart. All items can also be purchased individually. The set consists of a jigger, shaker, strainer, mixing glass and barspoon.
Jigger:
Jiggers aren’t just for cost savings. Using a jigger, particularly when making cocktails with more than one liquor/liqueur, will ensure drinks are properly balanced.
Shaker:
For shaken drinks the goal is to emulsify the ingredients while achieving proper temperature and dilution. Koriko Weighted Shaking Tins are ubiquitous in cocktail bars for that reason. The shape allows the ice to crack while quickly moving the liquid back and forth.
Strainer:
The Koriko Hawthorne Strainer has a super tight coil and a gate that closes to pour one or two drinks at the same time. You never want to dump “dirty ice” into a fresh drink. Ice that has been shaken will over dilute your cocktail — unless you have extremely thirsty guests — and no one wants ice floating on top of their drink.
Mixing Glass:
Cocktails with clear ingredients (no juice, cream, purees, etc.) should be stirred in a mixing glass. A martini, Manhattan and old fashioned are all stirred cocktails. This will allow proper temperature and dilution without serving a cloudy spirit. Your old fashioned should be crystal clear.
Barspoon:
While you could stir your cocktails with a butter knife, that’s no fun. Cocktails are about ceremony as much as they are about proper balance. Get a nice barspoon and stir like a professional.
$113.14 cocktailkingdom.com
Not Must Haves (But Still Fun to Have)
Coco/Fine Strainer: A fine strainer like the Cocktail Kingdom Coco Strainer is perfect for egg white cocktails, or if using an Usagi Cobbler Shaker. It’s an extra step to ensure your cocktails are perfectly strained of any egg white, mint leaf, etc.
Muddler: Many commercial muddlers have metal prongs that act to only bring out the bitterness in ingredients like mint or basil. You can either give these items a good smack, or let the bad ass muddler do it for you.
Cocktail Picks: If you’re taking the time to craft cocktails at home, it’s worth it to garnish them professionally.
Ice Trays: Ice is essential for proper dilution but can also elevate presentation. We have a number of ice mold options, but a 2”x2” cube is a must. Less surface area means your cocktails will dilute less quickly. It also looks cool. If you like a highball, the Collins Ice Tray is also a nice touch. Shaking/stirring with the 1.25” cubes is also a great way to ensure you get the correct amount of dilution.
Glassware: The correct glass for a cocktail elevates the presentation tremendously. Personally, I love the Beatrice Coupe for shaken up drinks, the Nick and Nora for stirred up drinks, and the Danuta Double Rocks Glass for drinks over a 2”x2” cube. These are
Spirits
Gin
I find a lot of people think they don’t like gin. Try Hendrick’s, Nolet’s or Fords. They are way more cucumber, citrus and floral forward versus London Dry gin, which has that Christmas tree juniper forward flavor. If you like a London Dry, Plymouth is a good choice.
Vodka
Vodka doesn’t bring that much to the party, but when you’re making an espresso martini or a salty dog it’s a must have. Ketel One and Grey Goose are both great. Wodka is a terrific budget-friendly option. Vodka is intended to be colorless and flavorless so if you don’t bargain hunt too much, every choice is just fine.
Rum
Rum is my favorite spirit and gets a bit of a bad rap because there are few laws governing the rum category, with the exception of countries like Barbados and Jamaica, who take their rum very se riously. Plantation Original Dark is a very versatile rum. It’s not expensive and can work in almost any tropical cocktail, as well as a classic daiquiri.
Whiskey
It’s very hard to pick a whiskey because bourbon, rye, scotch, Irish, Japanese, etc. all have such different profiles. That said, on this “desert island” seven spirit challenge I’d pick a bourbon. Old Forester 86 is extremely versatile and will nail an old fashioned and a whiskey sour (New York sour is my favorite variation). You can also make a Manhattan with it, though it’s not the classic preparation. Evan Williams is another good choice.
Tequila
Like rum, some tequilas have color and flavor added post distillation. Arette Blanco uses only blue agave and is additive-free, as is Tapatio Blanco (less budget friendly).
Modifiers
Modifiers will take you from mixed drinks to great cocktails. My honorable mentions are Licor 43, Mandarine Napoleon (or Triple Sec), and Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane. I’d also always have simple or demerara syrup on hand, get a bottle of Angostura Bitters and Orgeat Syrup (so long as there are no nut allergies).
With Juicy Cocktail Bar in West Palm Beach Worth the
BY DAVID ROLLAND
Since opening in November 2023, the team behind Juicy Cocktail Bar hasn’t hidden from their limited space, proudly describing their establishment as “a 22-seat hole-in-the-wall” and a “compact cocktail heaven.” A block off Clematis Street and right next door to its “sort of” sister establishment, Tropical BBQ Market, Juicy is proof that size doesn’t always matter.
What matters to co-owners Jason Lakow and Rick Mace, are the ingredients. Jason said, “We view cocktails through a fruit-forward lens. We celebrate the bounty of South Florida fruit and introduce our clients to the amazing fruits, plants and spices that we can cultivate right here.” But don’t worry, there’s no need to brace yourself for intensely fruity, sweet drinks perched with little paper umbrellas. “A perfect example on the menu right now is The Come Up, which is basically a Sazerac with passion fruit,” Jason said.
“Sometimes drink creation comes very easily,” Jason said. “Other times there is a lot of research and development involved like the Guava Pastelito, which is a clarified Milk Punch with Thai Tea, and kind of tastes a lot like the classic Cuban pastry.”
The current permanent cocktail menu features close to 20 original creations, but they’re not resting on their creative laurels. “During the summer, we will work on distilling fruits to make new flavors. That’s a big one on our list. Especially when it comes to sharp flavors or tastes like being able to remove the heat from a spicy pepper so we can just taste true habanero. That would be a cool margarita idea,” Jason said.
Right now, their focus is on establishing best practices while managing a very seasonal menu. Fruit can be finicky, but they’re working on expanding and rotating the menu so that they always have their best fruit forward.
Manager Josh Newcombe has a few recommendations for Juicy newbies unsure of where to start. “There are
During the summer, we will work on distilling fruits to make new flavors. That’s a big one on our list.
absolutely two pretty uncontested bestsellers, the Guava Pastelito and the Tony’s Masala Margarita. Besides the obvious fact that they are both delicious, I think the sweet potato, turmeric and cara cara oranges in the margarita intrigues people. Everyone loves a good margarita, and we tried to stay true to the classically refreshing citrus aspects of a traditional margarita while giving people a new take with some interesting flavors. I’d highly recommend starting with this one as it has quickly become one of our flagship cocktails, and, beyond that, I think it perfectly captures the essence of what we are striving to accomplish,” Josh said.
Josh also said not to sleep on their food menu. “Our menu is small and sometimes easy to breeze past, but I have personally eaten enough smoked brisket quesadillas to say, with confidence, that it is a must try.” If you’re not convinced, remember that Juicy comes from the minds that brought you Tropical Smokehouse.
Ihad
The origin of Juicy was a love affair, not only the love between Jason and his wife, Sandra, but also their mu tual love for fresh fruit. “Falling in love with fruit is like falling in love with wine. Everyone has their ‘epiphany fruit’ just like a glass of wine and it’s always the same reaction: “I had no idea things could taste like that,” said Jason.
“Sandra is from Seattle, so obviously no tropical fruit there. She has always been an avid gardener. I grew up here and my father, who loves plants, used to tell her that nothing grows in Florida but peppers. When we moved back to Florida in 2014, she started proving my father wrong fast and quick. We grow papayas, mulberries, elderberries, ginger, bananas, dragon fruit, blackberries, blue berries, monstera fruit, and Barbados cherry.”
Expect all of them in a cocktail at Juicy soon.
202 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach juicywpb.com @juicycocktailswpb
noidea
thingscould taste like that.
On the Wagon With Adaptogens
Zero-Proof and Highly Intoxicating Alcohol Alternatives
People just don’t drink like they used to. There must be something in the air — or in the booze.
Whether you’re sober curious, California sober, or you claim any other moniker, you may be realizing, like many others, that alcohol is sure catching up to you. Regardless of what label you claim, or don’t claim, we went on the hunt for what was out there besides alcohol. Of course, you could drink juice, or soda, or kombucha, or any other beverage, but where’s the fun in doing what’s expected?
We found a few companies that market their drinks as alcohol alternatives, and we decided to test them out to get the scoop on going straight. The common thread is that they each contain adaptogens, which are plants and mushrooms that are used medicinally to aid in physiologic homeostasis — typically stress relief. We’re not doctors, but that sounds a little different than what alcohol does to the brain. Of course, no alcohol alternative can perfectly mimic the buzz or taste that comes with alcohol. We kept an open mind in trying these by thinking of them more as better-for-you alternatives to drinking alcohol that are a little snazzier than a club soda and lime.
These beverages can, of course, be enjoyed any time — considering their ABV is 0% — but one of the most satisfying parts of any cocktail is the ceremony of it. With that in mind, we dreamt up some scenarios in which we think the imbibing should take place for optimal enjoyment and preservation of ceremony.
Curious Elixirs
Curious Elixirs has nailed the branding on making a cocktail — excuse us — a mocktail into an experience. Not only do they urge you to “use fancypants glassware” and “garnish with abandon,” they have curated their seven elixirs to mimic classic cocktails right down to how they recommend serving them. They are ready to pour straight from the bottle (after a gentle mixing) and each has its own instructions for glassware, ice and garnishes depending on the cocktail it’s functioning as. With seven different elixirs and one digestif, there’s an option regardless of what your go-to cocktail order is. Whether or not you’re limiting or abstaining from alcohol, Curious Elixirs are just fun to partake in. Of course, branding isn’t everything and outside the branding are the benefits. The herbs and adaptogens (along with organic fruit) vary between each elixir and can reduce inflammation, ease stress and balance hormones. All the elixirs are made with organic ingredients, without refined sugar, preservatives, sulfates or fillers, and are caffeine and gluten free.
We liked Curious No. 1, the Pomegranate Negroni Sbagliato, though it was missing the typical bite of alcohol. So, whether that’s a downside depends on your perspective. Curious No. 2, the Spicy Pineapple Ginger Margarita, was our favorite. We’re suckers for a spicy marg. Curious recommends a salt rim, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t suggest chili salt instead.
@curiouselixers
Occasion
We imagine Curious Elixirs would be perfect for a dinner party. The combination of ambient lighting, the nice dishes that you had to dust off, and the glass bottle of Curious on the table is sure to impress friends, colleagues, or a new beau. Regardless of what’s on the menu — and whether or not you actually did order it off a take-out menu — Curious has a perfect pairing. You can go for No. 5, the Smoked Chocolate Cherry Old Fashioned; No. 7, a French 77 riff with ‘champagne,’ elderflower, jasmine and lavender; No. 4, a Blood Orange Spritz, or whichever Elixir you feel would most complement a meal not worth forgetting.
PHOTOS BY TRACIE DAVIS
Ghia
This company was founded with the inspiration of Mediterranean summers and sipping limoncello long into a balmy night. Ghia created a zero-proof apéritif to inspire the bright and lively feelings of the drink’s tradition without any of the snooze from the booze. The Ghia Original Apéritif, and the more recent Berry Apéritif, are made with herbs and botanicals like elderflower, gentian root, cardamom, ginger and much more, to leave you feeling invigorated. Not like you just drank 8 ounces of sugar in a bottle labeled “juice.” Ghia technically uses nervines, which are herbs that affect the central nervous system, rather than adaptogens, but we won’t tell if you don’t. The apéritifs can be enjoyed sipped slowly on the rocks or with bubbles as a spritz. They also have dozens of recipes for “cocktails” such as a Berry Hot Toddy, a Ghia Colada, and even more original Ghia creations, on their website.
In our exploration of zero-proof herbal drinks, we decided to try the Le Spritz by Ghia. They are canned, pre-mixed mocktails using the apéritifs and taking out any guesswork. The four varieties are Ghia Soda, Ghia Ginger, Lime & Salt, and Sumac & Chili.
@drinkghia
Occasion
Because Ghia is inspired by the French and Italian culture of apéritifs and aperitivos, a specific drink for before a meal, we’re leaning into that and suggesting you pair Ghia with a big blanket, a stretch of grass — or sand — and a charcuterie board appetizer to nibble while you sip. Olives, cheese, meats and crackers are a necessary pairing with a Le Spritz in a coupe glass.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GHIA
Hiyo
This social tonic is a sparkling, canned alcohol alternative that will look completely inconspicuous in your hand at a backyard barbeque under the palms or in a cooler for a boat day on the inlet. Hiyo is made with organic ingredients that create “flavors so delicious that you crave them, not chase them,” as they say. The medicinal ingredients include herbs like ashwagandha, lion’s mane, l-theanine, ginger and more, that come together to create a mood-elevating and stress-relieving feeling that Hiyo refers to as “the float.” Many people consider alcohol a social lubricant and source of liquid courage, and Hiyo was created to tap into those same feelings by using ingredients that are good for your brain. Now, at first, we thought it sounded a little woo-woo, but “float” is really just a word that incites feelings of lightness. And couldn’t we all use the lightening of a load?
Hiyo comes in four flavors: peach mango, watermelon lime, blackberry lemon and strawberry guava. They were reminiscent of soda alternatives like Olipop with the carbonation and fruity flavors — just with added mental benefits. Each can has 30 calories and only five grams of sugar, which is definitely less than your favorite cocktail.
@drinkhiyo
Occasion
Pour Hiyo into your insulated cup over ice and sip while lounging on a pool float or between turns on the wakeboard. A nice cold drink is necessary to cut the heat, and Hiyo will keep you balanced, rather than dehydrating you the way alcohol would. The fruity flavors pair nicely with sunshine and a subtle note of sunscreen in the air. Cheers!
