Style is personal. So why should your cocktail try to copy somebody else’s?

I teamed up with my friends at Ralph Lauren Fragrances to build a cocktail around their Ralph’s Club New York Parfum, and the fragrance did most of the talking. Black currant, cognac, oud wood. That’s basically a drink order.

So we built a Manhattan style sipper with cognac as the base, swapped the sweet vermouth for creme de cassis and a touch of dry vermouth, added a barspoon of absinthe and a few dashes of bitters, then finished it with an expressed lemon twist for brightness. Given the NY roots on this bottle, I’m calling it The State of Mind.

Cheers, y’all!

The Corpse Reviver No. 2 belongs to a family of cocktails that date back to the late 1800s. These drinks were supposedly designed to do exactly what the name suggests: revive the drinker from the dead after a long night.

Many versions of the Corpse Reviver existed in the late 19th century, though most were lost to time. The best-known recipe today is the Corpse Reviver No. 2, which was preserved in Harry Craddock's 1930 book The Savoy Cocktail Book.

Like many cocktails from that era, it faded from popularity during the mid-20th century before being revived during the craft cocktail renaissance of the early 2000s.

The drink works because it follows the classic sour template: a base spirit balanced with citrus and sweetness. In this case, gin provides structure, orange liqueur and lemon bring brightness, and Lillet Blanc acts as the aromatic wine component that ties everything together.

The final touch is an absinthe rinse, which lightly coats the glass and adds a subtle herbal aroma without overwhelming the drink.

Refreshing, tart, and deceptively strong, it's easy to see why Harry Craddock included a warning alongside the recipe:

"Four of these taken in swift succession will un-revive the corpse again."

Cheers, y'all!

Ernest Hemingway was a madman for this.

The original Death in the Afternoon from Hemingway's original recipe called for 1½ oz of Absinthe and 4 oz of Champagne into an unchilled glass, UNDILUTED. Drinking 3-5 of these in succession would be 💀. As someone pointed out in the comments, the original quote was actually to 'drink 3-5 of these SLOWLY' - which makes way more sense (I think).

Big props to @anderserickson who found a way to make it a more balanced and palatable recipe.

Cheers y'all.

"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.

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?🍸

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 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.

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.

A bourbon highball built for late winter into early spring. Shaken, topped with ginger beer, and served over crushed ice. Straightforward and easy to batch for a crowd.

In this low-proof spin on the Manhattan, sweet vermouth and rye switch places; the former acting as the base spirit and the latter as the modifier. Small measures of amontillado sherry and dry vermouth add complexity and balance.

The perfect serving for the perfect seasonal cocktail #ad21+

A Vesper is already a bold, spirit-forward martini but together with my friends at @WeberRanchVodka, I wanted to give you a seasonal rendition with a slightly different edge thanks to its agave base, which brings a subtle sweetness and soft herbal note that works especially well with dry vermouth and citrus.

A flask is the way to go here, the addition of spruce tips and juniper comes through in place of the traditional gin and really let’s the earthy notes in #WeberRanch shine with the bonus of adding that cozy holiday feeling around this time of year. It’s a great make-ahead option when you want a martini that pours clean and consistent every time.

As an added bonus, this cocktail can pull double duty, make sure to check out Jordan’s (@highproofpreacher) version for a lighter, crisp rendition by adding a few simple ingredients!

Cheers, y’all!

Equal Parts Theory | Episode 1 | Accidental Hipster

This is Episode 1 of Equal Parts Theory, where we see if equal ingredient measurements actually make a good cocktail. Today, we’re making Accidental Hipster, an equal-parts cocktail created around 2015 by Julia and Chris Tunstall after the name came first and the recipe followed.

What should I make next? Drop it below!

Cheers y’all.

I'm back to making my favorite desserts into cocktails…

Together with my friends at empress1908gin, I've recreated a cocktail thats inspired by one of my favorite fair treats. If you've ever had a caramel apple at a fall fair, this cocktail is exactly that vibe in a glass — sweet caramel, crisp apple, a little salt, and just enough richness to make it feel like a proper fall or winter sipper. It's simple, balanced, and way easier to drink than an actual caramel apple.

Ok hear me out… Pineapple upside-down cake… but a cocktail 🤯 In honor of [#NationalVodkaDay], I’ve created to make a cocktail that I swear tastes almost exactly like a caramel-y pineapple upside-down cake.

The secret is all in this “Upside Down” juice which was inspired by this [@respetoagave]

syrup that was recently shared with me. Respeto is made from mature agaves that are slow cooked in hornos (ovens) then crushed using a tahona, bringing out that deep/rich caramel notes that you’d only find at a hacienda in Mexico. When mixed with spices, pineapple and smoked sea salt, you have something thats sweet, fruity, savory and surprisingly balanced.

This mix is then simply shaken with one of my favorite vodkas recently in Weber Ranch (also made from 100% agave) which produces a delicious, rich cocktail with a natural foam from the agave and pineapple. Give this one a shot, you’ll love it.

Cheers and happy national vodka day, y’all!

Puff puff, pass on the alcohol this month and try this instead…

#ad21+ Together with my friends at @the_highpour, I created a fall-inspired, zero-proof drink that is crushable and absolutely delicious. If you haven’t heard of it, HIGHPOUR is a new kind of non-alcoholic “spirit” thats infused with hemp-derived 🍃 and can be utilized the same way spirits are utilized in cocktails 1:1. For this particular recipe, I played on the smoke and autumn theme, I used a smoked maple syrup and smoked salt to accentuate the flavors in Highpour making for the perfect drink to sip this season.

Cheers y’all.

"I'm just having one drink tonight."

Today we're learning how to make soup with olive croutons aka a big 'ole batch of dirty martini. So grab your largest coupe and let's do this 🍸

THIS IS A TINY COCKTAIL 🍸🤏🏾

Called The Anomaly and it’s damn good.

It’s from the book Tiny cocktails by my buddy Tyler (bon_vivantito). - it’s called an anomaly because it doesn’t follow the typical format for a classic cocktail structure. It’s part martini and part sour, but also stirred? The result is a balanced drink that has the makings of a light, but boozy martini with the bright freshness of a sour.

Author’s Note: “The Anomaly, as the name hints at, is one of those cocktails that deviates from classic cocktail structure. It has traces of both the martini and the sour in its balance of ingredients. Like the martini, it’s unmistakably boozy and light, but it has the freshness and balanced sweetness of a succulent sour. Anomaly matches neither template identically though. Instead, this sophisticated drink strikes a harmonious balance of fortifying spirit with sugar and acid, allowing the seamless pairing of smoky mezcal and tropical banana to take center stage. In a way, it’s a gateway cocktail to more spirituous cocktails. It’s easy to throw back, but do tread lightly: A few of these tiny yet bold libations and your legs might just turn into noodles.”

Cheers, y’all!

From the creator of the Paper Plane comes…

You may know samueljoelross as the founder the the modern classic, Paper Plane (equal parts: rye, lemon, nonino, and aperol). But if you dont live in NY, you probably haven’t tried his other cocktails, specifically this one. The Cobble Hill is a lighter, more refreshing Manhattan that may be your new pre-dinner cocktail.

I think we finally did it.. a non-alcoholic STIRRED cocktail that actually tastes good.

I’ve been on a quest to find a spirit that plays well in a stirred cocktail. Unfortunately, it’s been difficult to replicate the texture and mouthfeel of an alcoholic spirit BUTTT I recently found some spirits that come very close.

I was introduced to Cut Above during Tales of the Cocktail one year. Yes, it’s got agave notes, but it’s also got the spice and slight bitterness that alcohol tends to have that lends itself to mimic that texture/mouthfeel.

Combined with Almave’s new Humo, a mezcal alternative, made with espadin agave (also non-alcoholic) - this recipe drank almost like the real thing.

Y’all need to give this a try, cheers.

What would happen if the Sazerac and Rob Roy had a love child? This.

We could all use more sherry cocktails in the world after all. This one uses the rich raisin notes in PX sherry to round out the flavors from the single malt scotch. If you know me, you know I love flaming my absinthe to give it a bit more toasted sugar/caramel flavor, this is optional.. If you’re a fan of Manhattans, you’re going to love this cocktail.

Cheers y’all.