This coming Sunday (March 24), National Cocktail Day will be celebrated across the states and we’ve got some suggestions below that will hopefully come in handy. In this roundup, we’ve got your traditional mix-em-ups, along with ready-to-drink (RTD) options and even a couple of booze-free choices.
The reason I made the Spirit.Ed space a point of focus was to deepen my study and understanding of the history of cocktails. Hundreds of recipes from over the past two centuries have been printed in books, and reformatted for modern readers, and those who tend bar have studied those valuable tomes ahead of creating new versions of older classics.
My enthusiasm for cocktails isn’t rooted in the idea of masking the taste of unfettered spirits. What attracts me to the craft is the idea you can take one base ingredient and refine the experience not unlike a chef with a clever hand. I see cocktail creation as a sensory-filled experience and also a culinary journey. Like anything else we enjoy, the more care applied to creating something meant to be pleasing, the better the outcome will be.
As I continue my journey in perfecting the classics, creating original variations, and toying with the possibilities of rum, gin, whiskey, bitters, and liqueurs, I am continually stunned by the true professionals who inspire my hobby and push me to be confident in what I serve my friends and loved ones.
For National Cocktail Day, hopefully, we’ve shared a cocktail or two that will inspire others to take the journey of cocktails with us.
Cheers to you all.
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Photo: Getty
Spirit.Ed: National Cocktail Day 2024 Is Here, Check Out These Fine SipsĀ was originally published on cassiuslife.com
1. Aruba Ariba
Source:Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort
(Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort Aruba)
Ingredients:
1 oz rum
1 oz vodka
1 oz Coecoei or fruit liquor
Ā½ oz CrĆØme de Banana liquor
Ā½ oz lime juice
2 oz orange juice
2 oz pineapple juice
2 oz grenadine syrup
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add vodka, rum, Coecoei or fruit liquor, banana liqueur, orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, grenadine syrup, and lime juice to the shaker. Shake the mixture vigorously for about 15-20 seconds to combine the ingredients and chill the cocktail. Strain the mixture into a hurricane glass or any other tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry, if desired.
2. Black Hole Fashioned
Source:Space 220 at EPCOT
Ingredients:
2 oz Knob Creek 9yr
0.25 oz Demerara Syrup
3 Dashes Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters
Orange peel (for garnish)
Instructions:Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Combine all ingredients into a mixing beaker. Add ice and stir 30 times. Strain into rocks glass over large ice (best with julep strainer). Express oils of orange peel and garnish with peel. Note: Space 220 serves their Black Hole Fashioned with a special citrus smoke, but at home is just as delightful with no smoke.
3. Blueberry Mint Tom Collins
Source:The Spice & Tea Exchange
(Recipe is also here)
Mint Basil-Infused Gin
2 Tbsp Ā Mint Basil Herbal Tea*
5 oz gin
Wild Blueberry Simple Syrup
1.5 oz Ā Wild Blueberry Sugar*
2 oz water
Cocktail
1 oz mint basil-infused gin*
Ā¾ oz elderflower liqueur
Ā½ oz wild blueberry simple syrup*
Ā½ oz fresh lemon juice
5 to 6 oz sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer
garnish fresh basil, mint, blueberries
*Infuse Gin. Combine herbal tea and gin; cover and steep at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Strain and discard tea solids. Refrigerate until ready to use.
*Prepare Simple Syrup. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low until sugar fully dissolves. Strain; discard any fruit sediments. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble Cocktail. Add infused gin, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a 14-ounce Collins glass; stir to combine. Fill 50% with ice. Top with sparkling water and stir. Garnish with basil, mint, and blueberries.
Infused gin and simple syrup prep yields enough for 4 servings.
4. Cocktail Collection RTD
Source:Cocktail Collection
This is a new ready-to-drink (RTD) offering and I’m here to tell you that the Negroni is super solid. I’ll be diving into the rest this weekend.
Learn more here.
5. Cold Brew Margarita
Source:Cointreau
Ingredients:
1 oz Ā Cointreau
2 oz Tequila
1 oz of Cold Brew Coffee
Ā 0.5 oz of Oat Milk
Directions:
Add all ingredients into shaker and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with espresso beans.
6. CrĆØme de Violette
Source:LALO
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces LALO Tequila
1 oz lemon juice
.5 oz tempus fugit creme de violette
.5 oz simple syrup
Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass over ice.
7. Dreamcatcher
Source:The Madison
Ingredients:
1 Ā½ oz. Ocho Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
2 oz. Lime Juice
1 Ā½ oz. Star Anise infused simple syrup
1 Whole Star Anise Garnish
Instructions
Place Ice in shaker. Measure and pour all liquid ingredients over ice. Shake until well-chilled. Strain into coupe glass. Float Whole Star Anise to garnish. Enjoy!
8. Fizz de Vie
Source:Hendrick's
Ingredients:
2 parts HENDRICK’S GIN GRAND CABARET
3/4 part Simple Syrup
3/4 part Fresh Lemon
1/2 part Grape Juice
Top with Champagne
Cucumber Tongue, Grapes & Fresh Mint Sprig to Garnish
Method: Combine ingredients in a tall glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling wine and stir gently. Garnish with a cucumber tongue, grapes and a mint sprig.
9. Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop
Source:Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop
Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop is a new RTD option that we’ve yet to try but given the classic song that informs its name, we’re interested.
When this product rolls out further nationally, we’ll be back with our thoughts. Be on the lookout.
10. Greenbar Distillery
Source:Greenbar Distillery
Greenbar Distillery is the first such facility to operate in California since prohibition. We haven’t tried it out yet, but we like the options we’ve seen thus far. They also have non-alcoholic options.
Learn more here.
11. Huncho Hurricane
Source:White X Cognac
12. Lavender Lemonade
Source:Skyy Vodka
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 parts SKYYĀ® Vodka
1 part lemon juice
0.75 part lavender syrup*
4 parts soda water
*If using store-bought lavender syrup, reduce to 0.5 oz
GARNISH:
Lavender Sprig and Lemon Wheel
GLASS:
Highball/Collins glass
METHOD:
Add first three ingredients to shaker tin and shake with ice. Strain into glass. Top with soda water and garnish.
*Lavender Syrup
500 mL water
4 grams dried lavender Ā flowers
500g granulated sugar Bring water to a boil.
Remove from heat. Add lavender and allow to steep for 4 minutes. Strain and stir in sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool and bottle.
13. Limonada
Source:Casa Noble
Ingredients:
1.5oz Casa Noble Reposado
1/2oz Brandy
1/2oz Fresh Lemon Juice
How To:
Combine all ingredients together in a shaker with ice, shake, and double strain to rock glass. Garnish.
14. Mocktail Club
Source:Mocktail Club
Mocktail Club is a brand we’ve featured before and glad to do so again. The brand is Black and woman-owned so you already know we’re all about it. On top of that, the product is fantastic.Ā
Learn more here.
15. None of your Bees Knees
Source:Minke Gin
2 oz Minke Gin
1 oz Limoncello
.5 oz Honey Syrup
Lemon Peel Garnish
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass. Stir for 30 resolutions. Strain into a rocks glass with large rock. Espress lemon peel oil on glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
16. Pineapple Michelada
Source:Clamato
Ingredients:
12 oz. light beer
6 oz. ClamatoĀ® Original
3 teaspoons chamoy (liquid)
2 oz. pineapple juice
Pineapple slice for garnish
Lime
TajĆnĀ®
Ice
Instructions:
Run lime across rim of mug. Dip mug in TajĆn to coat evenly. Add ice. Add pineapple juice. Fill with Clamato and beer. Garnish with pineapple slice and drizzle chamoy sauce on top.
17. Ryem Thyme
Source:Redemption
Ingredients:
1 Ā½ parts Redemption Rye Whiskey
1 Ā½ parts grapefruit juice
Ā¾ part Aperol
Ā¼ part lemon juice
Method:
Ā Shake all ingredients with ice and a few sprigs of thyme. Strain over rocks in a Collins glass. Top with tonic. Garnish with thyme.
18. Tipperary
Source:D.L. Chandler
I will be the first to admit that I know very little about Irish whiskey but after trying out Jameson Black Barrel neat, I’m all the way signed up for more. I used the recipe from Dead Rabbit‘s Jack McGarry, who manages one of the world’s finest cocktail bars that I had the honor of visiting in 2023.Ā Ā
I made the drink three times this week, sharing it with friends, and I also used Clonakilty Distillery’s Port Cask Finish Irish Whiskey. The difference in the drinks is noticeable and depending on what you want that night, neither whiskey is a bad choice.
You can find the recipe courtesy of Liquor.com here.Ā
19. Tully Honey Highball
Source:Tullamore Dew
Created by Clodagh Mai OāCallaghan, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey East Coast Ambassador
INGREDIENTS:
2 parts Tullamore D.E.W. Honey
4 parts lemonade
Fresh cubed ice
Lemon wedge
METHOD:
Combine all ingredients. Stir and pour.
20. Via Carota RTD
Source:Via Carota
Via Carota offers a range of RTD cocktails that we’ve yet to try out but hope to do so soon.
Learn more here.
