🍹 Happy #NationalMargaritaDay - As a throwback, may I present my go-to Margarita recipe. Yes, I realize Its a little involved to make but it also took weeks to perfect the ingredients and ratios. The Extra Añejo takes this recipe to another level by adding an extra depth of flavor from the aged Patrón offering. Its a crowd favorite every time I’ve made it (usually in batches) and hope you’ll give it a try. You won’t regret it!

So its spring… and you’re stuck at home with a bunch of fresh berries in the fridge and all this time… why not make a homemade shrub? If you’ve never heard of a shrub, its a decades-old way of preserving fresh fruit by macerating it in sugar, then adding vinegar to extend the lifespan - the end result being a sweet, sour and fruity syrup. The cool part about it is it doesn’t have to contain alcohol and makes for an amazing mocktail for those of you who just want a refreshing beverage to drink at home during the day.
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We may have bought almost too many strawberries at @ambrosefamilyfarm the other week and had the idea to turn these vine-ripened strawberries into a black pepper/strawberry shrub for a balance of sweet, spicy, sour and fruity. Now the fun part is taking this syrup and creating a cocktail out of it. I used @hendricksgin because of the cucumber notes, then added our black pepper/strawberry shrub syrup, lime and mint to create a refreshing springtime drink you can make at home.

Let’s make a Filipino inspired margarita riff to celebrate both #CincoDeMayo and #AAPIHeritageMonth🇵🇭

If you’ve seen the #AAPI acronym floating around, it stands for Asian-American/Pacific Islander. I created a cocktail recipe inspired by my Filipino upbringing and culture. This recipe utilizes a prominent southeast-asian ingredient: Ube, a purple root vegetable similar to sweet potato but a touch sweeter. This particular flavor profile of coconut, ube, and milk reminds me of cooking ube inspired desserts with my Lola when I still lived in the Philippines. Call it a homage, of sorts, I call it delicious and nostalgic.

The sweet potato casserole… OLD FASHIONED? Yep, she did it.

Next up on the #FestiveOldFashioned series with @oldforester is the wonderful Jessica Ford (@queenofcoupes) with a riff on the Old Fashioned using one of my favorite sides during any holiday dinner, the sweet potato casserole. Check out her details below.

“As soon as the holiday theme was mentioned, I knew I had to make an old fashioned riff of my favorite holiday side, sweet potato casserole. I chose Old Forester 1910 because the heavy char on the cask used for secondary aging imparts the perfect flavor profile for this riff: sweet caramel and toffee notes, smokey vanilla that’s reminiscent of toasted marshmallow, and well integrated baking spices.”

When the cocktail name starts with ‘Breakfast…’ 👀

Heard it was #NationalMaiTaiDay and figured it would be a good time to peruse the ‘Simple Tiki’ cocktail book off the bar shelf to find a simple take on a classic Mai Tai. The Breakfast Mai Tai by @lilfannyfoofu at @donnabklyn was the one that caught my eye. Now its no secret that Banana du Bresil and overproof rum go together like peas and carrots (where my Forrest Gump fans at, amirite? …sorry, nerd over here) - this recipe was right up my alley and it surely didn’t disappoint.

Holy City Handcraft has teamed up with FIVE other Charleston mixologists to create Southern-inspired tequila cocktails using local ingredients and featuring Herradura Ultra Ańejo.

Holy City Handcraft has teamed up with FIVE other Charleston mixologists to create festive variations of the classic Old Fashioned Cocktail featuring Old Forester Bourbon.

Rose-infused cocktails? Say what? With Valentines Day around the corner, I’m excited to #partner up with Gran Gala to bring you the perfect cocktail recipe for your date night with your significant other.

I’ve partnered up with Wheatley Vodka to not only teach you how to make your own, homemade Bloody Mary mix, but also how to set up the perfect accompaniments for fixins!

This cocktail will have you buzzin’ (get it?)

New whiskey/different recipe.

My take on one of my [boozy] childhood favorites!

It ain’t magic until you drink it…

Given some of the lack of sleep we’ve been getting lately, I figured I’d whip something up to fix that.

What are pouring on this fine evening? It better be this.

This is my absolute go-to whiskey cocktail.  If you’re a fan of the classic Negroni (traditionally made with Gin), then the Boulevardier will be right up your alley.  In my opinion, this cocktail’s flavor profile goes a step further than a Negroni due to the use of [rye or bourbon] whiskey instead of Gin.  I personally prefer a nice, spicy, barrel-proof bourbon – it really brings out the depth of flavors in the cocktail.  Its a great balance of strong, sweet and bitter – the perfect pre/during/after-dinner cocktail.  Its the kind of cocktail that is not only delicious, but will garner a nod of approval from your bartender.  Cheers!

In light of all these storms, why not?

Its fig season, y’all…

Figs + Uncle Val’s Gin = Summer

Playing with a couple different flavors here, I’ve always been a big fan of medium-roast, fruitier coffees since they tend to taste like dark cherries and chocolate.  So why not make a cocktail based on those flavor profiles, right?