The Buildout

We’re breaking all the Martini purists’ rules today, as we shake up some Vespers with Patrick Smith, the manager of bar openings for 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 gin, such as Beefeater - 1 ounce vodka, such as Belvedere - 1/2 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stepping away from the bar (and the bee hives) for a quick chat today, Caledonia Spirits’ Sam Nelis checks into Cocktail College to dive into the Bee’s Knees. We’ll study history, apiology, and sweet, shaken, sours. Listen on (or read below) to discover Nelis’ Bee’s Knees recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!  Sam Nelis’ Bee’s Knees Recipe  Ingredients - 2 ounces gin, such as Barr Hill - ¾ ounce honey syrup (2:1 honey to water by weight) - ¾  ounce fresh lemon juice  Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. 2. Shake until cold and double strain into a chilled coupe glass. 3. Garnish with an expressed lemon twist.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hopping into your feed today we have New York's Pamela Wiznitzer talking all about The Grasshopper — a cocktail she counts in her top-five drinks, and one she's made sure to always have a variation of on bar menus throughout her career. Listen on (or read below) to discover Wiznitzer's Grasshopper recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!  Pamela Wiznitzer’s Grasshopper Recipe   Ingredients - ¼ ounce absinthe - ¾ ounce crème de menthe - 1 ounce crème de cacao - 1 ½ ounces heavy cream - 1 ounce gin, Cognac, or Irish whiskey - ½ pinch salt  Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with three Kold-Draft ice cubes. 2. Shake until cold and strain into a cold coupe glass. 3. Garnish with a shaving of bitter chocolate.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Richard Boccato, the owner of Dutch Kills bar, as he delves into the intriguing world of the Jungle Bird cocktail. With a rich history dating back to 1978, Richard shares how he played a pivotal role in its resurgence. He reveals the cocktail's unique flavor balance, featuring Campari and blackstrap rum, and tips on crafting the perfect drink. Discover the significance of quality ingredients and ice in cocktail preparation, along with personal anecdotes from his experiences in the vibrant bar scene.

A boozy Tiki classic, the Zombie’s reputation has benefitted from ample helpings of marketing and mysticism. With a lengthy list of ingredients, it’s also a drink that can seem overwhelming when viewing the recipe at first glance. In today’s episode, spirits educator, author, and Tiki expert Shannon Mustipher breaks down those ingredients and teaches us how to master its preparation. Listen on (or read below) to discover Mustipher’s Zombie recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe! Shannon Mustipher’s Zombie Recipe Ingredients- 1 1⁄2 ounces aged rum - 1 1⁄2 ounces pot still Jamaican rum - 1 ounce 151-proof rum - 6 drops absinthe - 1⁄2 ounce falernum - 1 teaspoon grenadine - 1⁄2 ounce Don’s Mix - 3⁄4 ounce fresh lime juice - 1 dash of Angostura bitters Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with cubed ice. 2. Shake until cold and strain into a Collins glass or vessel of your choice over crushed ice. 3. Garnish with mint, a lime wedge, and an orange twist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The importance of technique is one of the major foundations of Cocktail College. So, in today’s episode, we’re going to focus on one aspect of bartending that’s grown in prominence and gained a lot of attention in recent years: acid adjusting. We do so with a master of that technique — and friend of the show — Jack Schramm. Listen on to learn everything you need to know about altering the acidity of fresh citrus and how to deploy those ingredients in cocktails — and don’t forget to subscribe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pornstar Martini seems custom designed to grab our attention, with its gaudy name, striking appearance, and dessert-inspired ingredients. And this drink is deserving of our attention — especially with other cocktails from a similar era now seeing a revival. In today’s episode, Pornstar Martini expert Laura Newman breaks down the cocktail in fine detail and offers multiple solutions for some of its trickier-to-obtain ingredients. Listen on (or read below) to discover Newman’s Pornstar Martini recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe! Laura Newman’s (Classic) Pornstar Martini Recipe Ingredients - 1 1⁄2 ounces vanilla vodka, such as Grey Goose La Vanille - 1⁄2 ounce passion fruit liqueur - 2 ounces passion fruit puree - 2 barspoons vanilla sugar - 2 ounces sparkling wine, ideally Champagne Garnish:- 1⁄2 fresh passion fruit Directions 1. Add all ingredients except sparkling wine to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 2. Shake vigorously until well-chilled and aerated. 3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. 4. Garnish with fresh passion fruit and a demi tasse spoon. 5. Serve with sparkling wine sidecar.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rum blends, juicing pineapples, late 70’s pop music, and a special little something called “coco biz” — these are all on the menu in this week’s episode, which focuses on the Piña Colada. Leading our tropical escape is Ivy Mix, owner of Brooklyn’s Leyenda, author of Spirits of Latin America, and co-founder of the Speed Rack competition. Listen on (or read below) to discover Mix’s Piña Colada recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!  Ivy Mix’s Piña Colada Recipe  Ingredients - 1 ounce Novo Fogo Cachaça - ¾ ounce Don Q rum - ¼ ounce El Dorado 3 Year Old - ¾ ounce fresh pineapple juice - 1 ounce “Coco Biz” (equal parts Coco Lopez and full fat coconut milk) - ½ ounce fresh lemon juice- 1 tsp simple syrup Garnish: - Freshly grated nutmeg - Pineapple frond - Jamaican dark rum float  Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with one ice cube. 2. Shake vigorously until well-chilled and aerated. 3. Strain into a crushed-ice-filled collins glass. 4. Float a small amount of Jamaican dark rum on top and garnish with nutmeg and pineapple fronds.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Traditional Long Island Iced Teas break all the rules that have since defined the craft cocktailmovement. But that doesn’t mean that — when made to more exacting standards — we shoulddiscount its merits as a quality cocktail. In today’s episode, Porchlight beverage directorNicholas Bennett teaches us how to upgrade the LIIT. Listen on (or read below) to discoverBennett’s Long Island Iced Tea recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!Nicholas Bennett’s Long Island Iced Tea Recipe Ingredients - 1⁄2 ounce vodka- 1⁄2 ounce London Dry gin- 1⁄2 ounce white rum- 1⁄2 ounce blanco tequila- 1⁄2 ounce Cointreau- 3⁄4 ounce fresh lemon juice- 1/2 ounce simple syrup- Coca Cola, to top- 4 dashes Angostura bittersDirections 1. Add vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Cointreau, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice.2. Shake until chilled.3. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass.4. Top with Coca Cola.5. Finish with 4 dashes Angostura bitters and garnish with an optional orange or lemon wedge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Among the world’s most refreshing and flavorful two-ingredient highballs, the Paloma is a simple composition that combines just tequila and grapefruit soda. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be treated like a “proper” cocktail, nor that you can’t apply some of the most advanced mixology techniques to take the drink to the next level. In this week’s episode, Jack Schramm teaches us how to do just that. Listen on (or read below) to discover Schramms’s Paloma recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!  Jack Schramm’s Paloma Recipe  Ingredients - 2 ounces tequila, preferably Siete Leguas Blanco - 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice - ¾ ounce fresh lime juice - ½ ounce simple syrup - 5 drops 20 percent saline solution - Club soda, to top  Directions 1. Build all ingredients except soda in a shaking tin. 2. Fill with ice and shake until chilled. 3. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. 4. Top with soda.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.