This creamy blended coffee cocktail takes its cues from banana coffee, a popular mix of morning joe and frozen banana. Bold cold-brew coffee concentrate takes well to the earthy, softly smoky flavors of mezcal, cinnamon, and vanilla, and the frozen banana adds luxurious texture and a touch of sweetness to the drink. Serve at brunch … Read more
As with many classic drinks, the screwdriver cocktail has a long lineage. As legend has it, American soldiers stationed overseas during World War II created proto-screwdrivers by mixing orange juice with local neutral spirits. As vodka’s popularity grew across the United States throughout the 20th century, savvy producers like Smirnoff positioned the easy cocktail recipe … Read more
It’s easy to confuse Blue Hawaiian and Blue Hawaii, two similarly named tropical cocktail recipes with nearly identical vibrant blue colors. But the two have different ingredients and origin stories. The Blue Hawaii dates to 1957 when Harry Yee, a bartender at what’s now the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii, created a … Read more
Hannah says New Orleans drinkers have always gravitated to the flamboyant. It is a city known for the Café Brûlot—a coffee drink always made with brandy lit afire—and the Ramos Gin Fizz—the classic cocktail that calls for a famously long shake to create its luxuriously foamy texture. “A pousse-café,” Hannah says, “is the most elegant … Read more
The New York sour is a standout of the whiskey sour family that dates back to the 19th century. While its core is a fairly classic combination of whiskey, fresh lemon, and sugar, the drink calls for a small pour of red wine to be floated ever so carefully on top of the otherwise mixed … Read more
Mezcal is special stuff, and you don’t need to make elaborate mezcal cocktails to appreciate the agave spirit’s layered, complex flavor. But if you do feel like making a mixed drink at home, you’re missing out if you don’t have a bottle of mezcal on hand. Once you’ve got one, the sky’s the limit. While … Read more
The first known record of the Greyhound cocktail dates to Harry Craddock’s 1930 drinks compendium, The Savoy Cocktail Book. Craddock’s version used gin and fresh grapefruit juice; as Americans’ appetites for vodka grew during the 20th century, bartenders tinkered with the ingredients in this classic cocktail. Its reputation as a vodka drink was cemented when … Read more
Amaro, and a handful of other bitter liqueurs, are having a renaissance and showing up outside of the post-dinner digestif. I’ve been using the local-to-me Granor Farm Blue Corn Amaro as a component in lower-ABV cocktails to start the night, like my take on the Lumberjack, which is usually made with cognac or whiskey. I … Read more
Beloved by bartenders for its pungent flavor and ability to stand up to spirits like whiskey, rum, and tequila, ginger beer is a major player in classic cocktails like the Moscow mule or Dark and Stormy—but the spicy elixir is refreshing enough sipped on its own. The naturally fizzy drink is made via a simple … Read more
Known equally for its alleged nausea-relieving properties as for its ability to turn any spirit into a quick cocktail, ginger ale has a broad fan base. Trouble is, some store-bought brands skip real ginger root (the very ingredient responsible for that stomach-settling sensation) in favor of artificial ginger flavors and sweeteners. The good news? You … Read more