Finally made one of my favorite Filipino street foods! Banana-cue! 🍌

Growing up, I remember paying 20 PHP (about $0.30 now) for a stick of banana-cue and was always in heaven. Banana-cue is made with saba bananas which is actually more of a tiny plantain than a banana. If you’ve never had it before, it’s essentially a deep fried plantain (similar to maduros) but coated with caramelized dark brown sugar and then skewered with bamboo sticks and served to-go. Think bananas foster but with a brown sugar candy coating. These are so ridiculously delicious and crispy and might be coming to a cocktail near you ;)

Also, can we just acknowledge the fact that I just made a cooking video??? Should I make more? If so, what do you want to see?

A nightcap that won't let you use lose any sleep? Sign me up.

Together with my friends at @littlesaintsco, I've developed an autumn-forward Manhattan. Here's the thing, this is a no-abv alternative made with their St. Oak NA spirit. Combined with an allspice tea made with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice - it's almost a guarantee that you're going to want to make over and over again this season.

If you havent had St. Oak before, it's made with reishi and lion's mane mushroom which has a calming effect on the body. As far as flavor, it's got notes of oak, vanilla, caramel and a little bit of spice to give it that kick similar to bourbon. I'm honestly really impressed with this spirit and if you're looking for a low or no-abv alternative to whiskey, I can highly recommend trying this one out. And trust me, I don't give out NA recommendations lightly.

Cheers y'all.

Graceful, minimalist, and endlessly refreshing, the Japanese Highball showcases the beauty of simplicity. This classic two-ingredient cocktail highlights the delicate balance between whisky and soda water—crisp, effervescent, and perfectly chilled. It's a masterclass in restraint: light yet flavorful, elegant yet effortless. The secret lies in precision and temperature, making it an ideal drink for warm weather or slow, contemplative evenings.

What if we made this iconic Filipino street food into a cocktail?

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. Banana-cue is an iconic Filipino dish made with Saba bananas, that are fried with dark brown sugar to form a crispy, caramel coating. The piping hot caramelized bananas are then skewered with bamboo and eaten to-go. It’s a sweet, savory snack that I figured would be fitting with Tanduay Gold Rum - an iconic Filipino rum thats been around so long that my dad used to drink it back in the Philippines when he was my age :D

This is one of the best cocktails I’ve made this year, and the secret (besides the rum) is the Saba banana oleo saccharum, if you want the recipe sent to your inbox, comment ‘OLEO’ and I’ll send it over in the form of a recipe card so you can save it to your camera roll.

Cheers y’all!

#ad21+ #TanduayPartner

Next up for Negroni Week 2025, Ryan Wise channels the Count himself with a refined yet punchy tribute. Homage to the Count balances navy strength gin’s spice with Campari’s bitterness, rounded by Madeira’s caramel tones and a whisper of house-made allspice dram. It’s layered, aromatic, and deeply respectful of Negroni’s roots.

“Personally I love a Negroni, but I prefer mine a little punchier in the Gin department. So this Negroni variation starts with the Gin, we use a high ABV navy strength Gin, this offers balance between the smooth bitterness of Campari and the subtle sweet caramel and spice notes from the Madeira without losing the Gin. The Gin also has a nice background spice profile, like cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, ginger and of course juniper, so we leaned into that with just a touch our house made allspice dram that we make with a locally distilled rum, cinnamon, toasted cardamom and of course allspice berries. A couple drops of 20% saline solution to enhance flavor and add complexity and Voila - “HOMAGE TO THE COUNT”. The name of our cocktail is a nod to Count Camillo Negroni for whom the original Negroni was named after.”

Cheers, y’all!

This is NOT a Tequila Sunrise…

Cristalino Tequilas are taking over Mexico as one of the most popular styles of tequila in Mexico… and with reason. They’re smooth, bright, and lend themselves perfectly to cocktails.

Today I’m making a cocktail inspired by @limantourmx, one of the World’s 50 Best Bars (@50bestbars) which uses @dobeltequila, the first ever Cristalino Tequila. I’m here to show you it’s possible to pay homage to a cocktail from one of the world’s best bars at home.

Their recipe calls for red bell peppers, morita chili (a type of smoked jalapeño like a chipotle), tangerine and blood orange. I did my best to capture the flavor profiles here and added elements of a Garibaldi such as an aperitif and a frothy citrus juice to produce a fresh but balanced cocktail that hopefully did the original some justice.

Honestly though, you need to make this syrup, so comment ‘PEPPER’ if you want the recipe to the syrup in the video!

Ok hear me out… Pineapple upside-down cake… but a cocktail 🤯

In honor of #NationalVodkaDay, I’ve teamed up with my friends at weberranchvodka 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.

Comment “JUICE” and I’ll send you the exact recipe I used here.

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!

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!

Warm, spiced, and spirit-forward — the Mulled Cider Rum Fashioned brings cozy holiday vibes to a timeless classic. Aged rum and pimento dram provide depth and warmth, while the spiced cider syrup and orange bitters tie it together with a fragrant seasonal twist. Cheers, 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 🍸

Who says this ingredient doesn’t belong in cocktails? 🤔

I’m going to show you how to make an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of the same cocktail using a strawberry peppercorn shrub made with… yep, vinegar.

Whether you know it or not, you have eaten or drank something at a restaurant that was made or stored in a Cambro. This brand is ubiquitous within the F&B community and highly regarded as a staple in any kitchen. Enter: CamRounds, the next product in the Cambro home storage lineup.

As you can see from the video - this shows the versatility of the CamRound as I make my Shrub. I love that uses the same lid as my CamSquares and I can easily stack them in the fridge. Not to mention, the ability to use the corners as a ‘spout’ to easily pour from the corners, despite the round base. This is especially helpful when dealing with liquids… like cocktails :P

Cheers y’all!
—

Hey babe, wake up… its Negroni Week…

We’re kicking off this week with arguably one of the best Negroni recipes I’ve ever made… and you can thank my wife for it. Negronis are all about balance, but sometimes balance means dessert in a glass because my wife’s banana bread is the inspo for this recipe. The Banana Nut Negroni takes the bitter-sweet classic and layers on notes of banana, oloroso sherry for toasty backbone, and hazelnut + black walnut bitters to tie it all together.

Seriously considering batching this one for the freezer this week.

Cheers, y’all!

For Negroni Week 2025, Charleston’s own Kris Wheeler delivers a bold and bartender-insider riff. The Shift Drink Negroni leans boozy and bitter, with navy strength gin, funky Jamaican rum, fat-washed Campari, and a dual hit of vermouth. It’s layered, rich, and full of industry in-jokes — a true “bartender’s Negroni.”

“This is my bartender centric version of a Negroni. This one comes from straight behind the bar,

Cheers, y’all!

Who says this ingredient doesn’t belong in cocktails? 🤔

I’m going to show you how to make an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of the same cocktail using a strawberry peppercorn shrub made with… yep, vinegar.

Comment ’SHRUB’ below if you want me to send you the exact specs for the strawberry peppercorn shrub I used here.

Whether you know it or not, you have eaten or drank something at a restaurant that was made or stored in a Cambro. This brand is ubiquitous within the F&B community and highly regarded as a staple in any kitchen. Enter: CamRounds, the next product in the Cambro home storage lineup.

As you can see from the video - this shows the versatility of the CamRound as I make my Shrub. I love that uses the same lid as my CamSquares and I can easily stack them in the fridge. Not to mention, the ability to use the corners as a ‘spout’ to easily pour from the corners, despite the round base. This is especially helpful when dealing with liquids… like cocktails :P

Cheers y’all!

Who says this ingredient doesn’t belong in cocktails? 🤔

Together with my friends at cambromfg, I’m going to show you how to make an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of the same cocktail using a strawberry peppercorn shrub made with… yep, vinegar.

Comment ’SHRUB’ below if you want me to send you the exact specs for the strawberry peppercorn shrub I used here.

Whether you know it or not, you have eaten or drank something at a restaurant that was made or stored in a Cambro. This brand is ubiquitous within the F&B community and highly regarded as a staple in any kitchen. Enter: CamRounds, the next product in the Cambro home storage lineup.

As you can see from the video - this shows the versatility of the CamRound as I make my Shrub. I love that uses the same lid as my CamSquares and I can easily stack them in the fridge. Not to mention, the ability to use the corners as a ‘spout’ to easily pour from the corners, despite the round base. This is especially helpful when dealing with liquids… like cocktails :P

Cheers y’all!

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!

Is this better than an espresso martini?? 🤔

I’ve made a stirred coffee cocktail that uses ingredients you most likely already have. Think of it as Mexican twist on a classic Revolver but instead of bourbon, using LALO Blanco Tequila to complement the notes of coffee, smoke and citrus.

Cheers y’all.

Ok hear me out, this + a MHL pony…

What would happen if a bartender put two of his favorite ingredients into a cocktail. Well, you’d get this… the Industry Sour. Created by Ted Kilgore back in 2011, this combines Chartreuse, Fernet along with lime and simple to create a strong, sweet sour. Its a little on the sweet side to me, but this + a High Life would be 🤌🏽

Now who’s gonna make a Malort + Angostura Sour?

Cheers y’all.