"Hey Siri, what's the Spanish translation for Vieux Carre?"

I don't know why no one has ever thought to use a split base tequila in a Vieux Carre, but together with my friends at @mijenta tequila, we're creating the Plaza Vieja, which translates to "Old Square" in English and 'Vieux Carre' in French.

It's traditionally a New Orleans-born recipe, using a split base of rye (for the bold, spicy flavor) and cognac (for the mellow fruitiness) to balance. Today we're using Mijenta's Reposado and Gran Reserva Anejo Tequilas to achieve the same balance. This split base plays perfectly with the Benedictine and spices in vermouth. All of it is tied together with a flamed lemon twist to give it a kiss of smokiness.

Give this one a try - or heck, this would be a great one to batch too, let me know if you want to see me make that recipe.

Cheers y'all.

PSA: You need to add this to your Negronis this summer...

The Negroni Sbagliato was born from a happy accident when sparkling wine was poured in place of gin, creating a lighter, more refreshing take on one of Italy's most iconic cocktails. This version takes that idea a step further.

@weberranchvodka brings subtle roasted agave character and a clean, crisp backbone that plays beautifully with Campari's bittersweet orange notes. A scoop of Tipsy Scoop Rodeo Queen Sorbet adds bright citrus and tartness that slowly melts into the drink, softening the bitterness while adding texture and refreshment. Finished with Prosecco, it's equal parts spritz, Negroni riff, and summer dessert.

Cheers, y'all!

Everyone is talking about Negroni Sbagliatos when we should be making these 🍸(x2)…

You can’t go wrong with a classic gin martini (always stirred). Lets make one that maybe even @livkatecooke can be fond of, but maybe just two she doesn’t get too pissed 🐉

Also feel free to change it up, everyone has their own “perfect martini” - so feel free to add some olive brine or a couple dashes of orange bitters. Maybe even throw in some olives (castelvetranos are my fav) or make it a Gibson by adding some cocktail onions to it too (video coming soon). What’s your go-to martini recipe?🍸

It's like if a Mojito with bit more style…

Together with my friends at @mountgayrum and @devereuxgolf, we're going to add some style to something familiar.

These two brands have teamed up to showcase their shared love of craftsmanship and leisure by putting together a line of limited edition designs that are comfortable enough to wear on a golf course to being stylish enough to wear on a sailboat. Check out the collection in the link in my stories.

The Queen's Park Swizzle is named after the historic Queen's Park Hotel in Port of Spain sometime in the early 1900s. Built with rum, mint, lime, and bitters, it's bright, refreshing, and dangerously easy to drink — basically the Caribbean cousin to a Mojito with a little more spice and depth.

For this version, I'm using @mountgayrum Eclipse Rum, whose warm vanilla, baking spice, and oak notes fit perfectly into the drink's tropical backbone while still letting the mint and bitters shine through.

Cheers, y'all!

Gentlemen, start your HORSES (?) 🐎🥃 #ad21+

Together with my friends at @churchilldowns and @kentuckyderby, I’m going to show you how to prep a whole batch of Mint Juleps for your #DerbyAtHome party this weekend.

The Mint Julep has been a staple of Southern drinking culture for well over a century, but it became nationally recognized when it was named the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. Since then, it’s become synonymous with race day at Churchill Downs, where hundreds of thousands of juleps are served each year.

Cheers, y’all!

A smashed spicy Margarita? 🌶️ Why not?

My friends at @thelostexplorer just dropped their brand new Reposado Tequila so of course we had to work together to make a recipe together and this one is a banger. Pineapple, lime, habanero and agave are at the forefront of the drink here and is really highlighted by the layered and agave-forward resposado. What sets it apart is the resting process in 3 different casks: Sauternes, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and Bourbon - not only is this combination super rare for tequila, but it adds a layer of richness and complexity you won’t find in any other tequila.

Top this cocktail with some freshly crushed ice to make it truly crushable and you’ve got yourself a drink worthy of summer.

Cheers y’all.

My bad habits are back…

#ad Together with my friends at @tanduayrum, I’ve taken one of my favorite Filipino street foods and found a way to make it into a cocktail. Turon is kind of like a Filipino dessert egg roll, but I made it with jack fruit and I thought, wait a minute, this would be killer as a cocktail, so here we are.

If you’ve never had jackfruit before, it tastes like if a pineapple, banana and mango had a baby. It’s tropical and sweet and I figured it would be perfect as a syrup in a Rum Old Fashioned using Tanduay Overproof. I just figured the tropical notes in the jackfruit would just play really well with an aged, higher proof rum and I wasn’t wrong.

As always, with these drinks, I have to make the a little snack as the garnish, so we’re going to skewer a little piece of turon to caramelize later.

What filipino dessert should I make into a cocktail next? Drop it down below!

Cheers y’all.

Weird (but good).

Jackfruit or ‘Lanka’ (in Tagalog), tastes like if a pineapple, banana and mango had a baby - it’s tropical and sweet and figured it would make for a killer syrup in a tiki drink or hell, even an Old Fashioned (subtle foreshadowing).

Fun fact: The average jackfruit weighs between 15 to 35 pounds (7 to 16 kg). However, as the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, they have a massive size range; smaller varieties can weigh under 10 pounds, while exceptionally large specimens can easily reach 80 to 120 pounds (36 to 55 kg)

Follow along for Part II because I’ll be making something amazing with it but let me know what you’d make with this too!

Ever had a jackfruit before? 🍈🇵🇭

Today I’m making one of my favorite Filipino desserts that my mom used to make when I was a kid.

Everyone is familiar with Filipino lumpia, but turon is like its sweeter, dessert-style cousin. It’s typically stuffed with Saba bananas but today we’re using jackfruit which tastes like if a pineapple, banana and mango had a baby. It’s tropical and sweet and if you can’t get it fresh, just use the canned version like my mom used to. This version is stuffed with fruit, brown sugar then coated in a caramel glaze and so damn good.

Truth be told, this is my first time making this from scratch [without my mom] because I’m doing some R&D on a drink recipe coming soon but I’m so glad I did because it was as delicious as it was nostalgic.

Hope y’all enjoy this one - what filipino dessert should I make next?

Cheers y’all

#ad Is the BEST rendition of an Old Fashioned? 🥃 🍒🍊

Together with my friends at @angosturahouse, we’re going to find out. When I think of an Old Fashioned, the first ingredient that comes to mind is always ANGOSTURA bitters, so we teamed up to make a summer version of this classic and trying their brand new ANGOSTURA demerara syrup with some help from our friends in Wisconsin.

This cocktail is straightforward but we’re going to make some subtle tweaks like substituting 100 proof bourbon for Brandy and using this Demerara simple syrup. If you know me, you know I’ve always preferred Demerara sugar in my old fashioneds because of the rich complexity of the molasses content in the sugar. It just pairs perfectly with any dark spirit like a classic old fashioned.

The Wisconsin-style old fashioned gets a lot of hate due to the fact that you muddle fruit into the cocktail but if you change your mindset from “old fashioned-style” to “smash-style” cocktail served over plenty of crushed ice, I think you’d agree that this is a sippable, refreshing cocktail that you can enjoy in the summer.

Do you agree? Let me know what you think, cheers y’all.

A smokey, caramelized pineapple 🤝 tequila #ad21+

Smoky, sweet, and just a little salty, this one is my type of summer margarita.

The pineapple gets a quick run on the @traegergrills Westwood XL grill, picking up that smoky, wood-fired flavor that takes this margarita to another level. Paired with nice blanco tequila and a touch of smoked sea salt, it’s balanced, refreshing and built for warm days by the grill. Don’t forget the caramelized, charred pineapple garnish!

Cheers, y’all!

Some cocktails are better when they're ready before you need them.

This Flasked Spiced Pear Boulevardier is built for two. Perfect for a cozy date night in or passing it around the firepit with friends as the air starts to cool. WhistlePig 10 Year Rye is the backbone here, bringing bold spice, oak, and a touch of sweetness that plays perfectly with spiced pear and rich sweet vermouth. It's a balanced, rye forward fall sipper that only gets better once it's batched and rested.

Cheers y'all.

Have you ever made fizzy grapes? 🍇🫧

#ad21+ Together with my friends at @Codigo1530 Tequila I made a recipe that I’m calling the Enzita - and it’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

It’s called the Enzita because it’s a cross between a tequila-based Rosita and borrows elements from the Italian-inspired Enzoni which involves muddling sweet green grapes into a sour-type cocktail.

Both cocktails have a bitter sweet citrus element to complement the grape so I figured it would be a perfect match with Codigo Rosa, where they take their Blanco and rest it for one month in uncharred French white oak barrels that previously housed a Napa valley Cabernet, which gives a fruity, floral and wine-forward aroma.

I also thought it would be fun to force carbonate it since the bubbles really bring out those fruity, floral wine aromas that really open up the cocktail here. All in all, it turned out amazing, especially with the fizzy grape garnish.

Cheers y’all!

NOTE: you can’t just do this in any old soda machine so check to make sure your manufacturer’s instruction manual to see if its capable of sweetened carbonated beverages and/or has a slow pressure release valve.

The smoked pineapple syrup is a smokey, fruity syrup that can go into any summer cocktail like a Margarita or Daiquiri riff.

The Oaks Lily is the official cocktail of the Kentucky Oaks, held the day before the Derby. While it doesn't get the same spotlight as the julep, it's just as much a part of the weekend.

This drink leans lighter and more approachable. Vodka, citrus, orange liqueur, and cranberry come together in a way that's bright, refreshing, and easy to drink throughout the day.

#ad21+ Listen, if you're planning on giving someone a bottle of bourbon this season, you need to save this recipe.

Together with my friends at @BasilHayden, we're going to make a festive bourbon cocktail called Season's Greetings, which would make for perfect recipe to go along with your gift. The spice notes in the amaro and the pear liqueur in this cocktail play perfectly with the baking spice notes in #BasilHayden and I guarantee you'll be making this one all holiday season.

Comment "PEAR" and I'll send you this recipe in the form of a recipe card that you can save, print out to include with your gift or send to a friend. Whether you're gifting or shopping bourbon this season, make sure to keep a look out for Basil Hayden -- its #TheOneWithTheBelt #BasilHaydenPartner

Cheers y'all.

10 Renditions of my favorite classic cocktail? Yup.

WEEKLY COCKTAIL ROUND-UP | BOULEVARDIERS

Back in 2022, I had 10 Charleston-based bartenders make their most creative take on my favorite classic cocktail: The Boulevardier.I honestly can’t pick a favorite out of the bunch so y’all will just have to try them out for yourselves and let me know. Drop a line below and tell me what you want to see in the next round up,

cheers y’all.

I’ll take a Negroni… Shaken, not stirred.

Calling it now — THIS IS THE COCKTAIL OF 2026.

(Re)introducing the Tucci Negroni - a revised version of Stanley Tucci’s Negroni. He recommends using vodka if you don’t have gin so I figured I’d give it a try and served it over ice. COMPLEXITY is the first thing that comes to mind, this may be how I make my Negronis from now on and maybe you should too.

Cheers, y’all!

Not to flex, but Spring in Charleston is unbeatable 🫶🏽

On this episode of Fits + Sips: me and my friend at @fahertybrand are putting together an easy Spring outfit AND drink that are BOTH inspired by Charleston.

If you didn’t already know, Faherty’s Spring Collection is inspired by Charleston, SC. Which just so happens to be where I live. It’s literally the ‘Holy City’ part of ‘Holy City Handcraft’. The coastal, laid-back vibe is exactly what I’m going for here. In Charleston, spring outfits are all about comfort and staying cool, so here I chose something lightweight and functional.

With this series, we always make a drink to match. Enter, the Peninsula Punch. This recipe showcases some local honey, rum (because of Charleston’s historical ties) and of course the unofficial symbol of this city, the pineapple, because Charlestonians truly pride themselves on hospitality. Combined with smoked salt and finished with a black strap rum floater, this is a recipe you’ll be sipping all season long.

Cheers y’all.

WEEKLY RECIPE ROUNDUP: Tiki drinks! 🗿🍹

Cheers, y’all!