Cocktail College

Ricardo Rodriguez, bar manager at Aberdeen, N.J.'s Lita and La Otra, visits Cocktail College today to shed light on the many numbered variants of the Daiquiri — most specifically, number four: El Floridita Daiquiri. We're ditching the shaker tins in favor of the blender for this one, and it's time to pull out that tall, straw-covered bottle of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, too. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ricardo's El Floridita Daiquiri recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Ricardo Rodriguez's El Floridita Daiquiri Recipe Ingredients 1 teaspoon white sugar Juice of ½ lime 5 drops Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 2 ounces Cuban rum (or Brugal Extra Dry, Don Q, Bacardi Superior) Directions Add all ingredients to a blender.Fill serving glass (large 8 ½ ounce coupe) with crushed ice then add that to the blender with ingredients.Blend until fully incorporated and chilled, 8-12 seconds.Add to coupe glass and serve with a straw. 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com  🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

Kyle Davidson joins Cocktail College today to discuss the Art of Choke, a rule-breaking rum, lime, Chartreuse, and Cynar-based stirred drink he invented while working at Chicago's The Violet Room. Listen to discover how a "bartender's choice" order inspired the cocktail, how it evolved since then, and why he's taken it to every subsequent bar he worked at. Don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!The Art of Choke Recipe Ingredients ⅛ ounce lime juice⅛ ounce Demerara syrupfat ¼ ounce Green Chartreuse1 ounce white rum (neutral)fat 1 ounce Cynar2 dashes Angostura bittersMintDirections Add all ingredients to a mixing glass including 2 sprigs of mint.Muddle and steep for 30 seconds.Fill with ice and stir until chilled.Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube.Garnish with additional mint sprigs.📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com  🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/Kyle: https://kindredcocktails.com/users/sasquatchTim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

Austin Hennelly, bar manager at Los Angeles' Kato, joins us today for a masterclass on one of the four fundamental components of cocktails: sugar. If you're stuck in a simple syrup rut, you're absolutely missing out on a massive flavor opportunity, as Austin explains it, taking up valuable real estate with flavorless refined sugar and risking over-dilution with the ingredient's water component. What should you do instead? The answer is also simple: click play and listen to Austin's invaluable advice — and, hey, don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com  🍸Follow us: VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ Austin: https://www.instagram.com/afhennelly/ Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/  

Marshall Minaya, beverage director at New York’s Valerie, Madame George, and Lolita, joins us today to pick the petals off the surprisingly intricate cocktail — and category of cocktails — that is The Daisy. Since the late 19th century, Daisies have taken on so many different guises — embraced such a wide range of base spirits and formulas — that a historical is a given in today's episode. Listen on, or read below, to learn Marshall's Daisy recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Marshall Minaya's Daisy Recipe Ingredients 2 ounces Moonbird Gin / Holland-style gin¾ ounce fresh lemon juice2 teaspoons Maraschino liqueur2 teaspoons simple syrupSeltzer waterDirections Add all ingredients to a shaking tin with ice.Shake until chilled.Strain into a chilled large cocktail glass.Top with a splash of seltzer.📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍋Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/bartenders/comments/158ond3/in_what_world_does_soda_water_belong_in_a/ 🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/Marshall: https://www.instagram.com/marshallvincent/Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

Manuel "Manny" De Avila, the Los Angeles based brand ambassador for Don Julio, joins us today to examine why there are relatively few classic tequila cocktails, and explain how to reimagine classics made with other spirits using tequila. Listen on, or read below, to learn Manny's recipes — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Tequila White Negroni Recipe Ingredients1 ¼ ounces Don Julio Alma Miel1 ½ ounces Ancho Reyes Verde Chili Poblano Liqueur½ ounce Salers Aperitif¼ ounce Blanc vermouthGarnish: lemon twistDirectionsAdd all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.Stir until chilled.Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube.Garnish with lemon twist.Tequila Espresso Martini Recipe Ingredients 1 ½ ounces Don Julio 70 Cristalino1 ounce Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur¾ ounce cold brew cordial¼ ounce Ancho Reyes ClassicFew dashes Chocolate Mole BittersDirections Add all ingredients to a shaking tin with ice.Shake long and hard.Strain into a chilled coupe glass.📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com  🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/Manny: https://www.instagram.com/mannythebarkeep/Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

Sebastian Tollius, beverage director of New York's Eleven Madison Park, joins us today to re-examine one of the world's most iconic cocktails: the Manhattan. More than 100 episodes have passed since we first covered this drink, and on this go-round, we're diving into both bourbon and rye recipes, modern interpretations, dubious histories, cocktail carts, and much, much more. Listen on, or read below, to learn Sebastian's Manhattan recipe(s) — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Rye Manhattan Recipe Ingredients Angostura Bitters: 4 dashes (precision dasher) or 2 dashes in regular bottle2 ½ ounces Michter’s rye1 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouthGarnish: brandied cherryDirections Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.Stir until chilled.Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.Garnish with a brandied cherry.Bourbon Manhattan Recipe Ingredients Angostura Bitters: 6 dashes (precision dasher) or 3 dashes in regular bottle2 ½ ounces Buffalo Trace1 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouthGarnish: brandied cherryDirections Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.Stir until chilled.Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.Garnish with a brandied cherry.Bedford and Grand Recipe Ingredients 2 dashes orange bitters1 teaspoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur½ ounce fino sherry¾ ounce Barolo Chinato2 ounces Michter’s ryeGarnish: lemon twistDirections Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.Stir until chilled.Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora.Express and discard lemon twist.📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com  🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/Sebastian: https://www.instagram.com/tollius_/Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

Cocktail or category of cocktails? That’s the big debate at Cocktail College today, as we welcome Amy Racine, the beverage director for JF Restaurants, to explore the Champagne Cocktail. The IBA classes today’s drink as a “contemporary classic,” listing its ingredients as chilled Champagne, Cognac, Angostura bitters, a sugar cube, and — curiously — a few drops of Grand Marnier. That interesting final component aside, it would seem to confirm this as being a cocktail instead of a category. But as we’ll soon get into with Amy, riffs abound and are easily achieved by switching up the base spirit and tweaking a few other ingredients. Listen on, or read below, to learn Amy's Champagne Cocktail recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Amy Racine's Champagne Cocktail Recipe Ingredients 1 brown sugar cube 1 dash Angostura bitters 1 dash orange bitters 1 ½ ounces chilled VSOP Cognac 3 ounces chilled Champagne Garnish: orange and lemon peel Directions Add brown sugar cube to a chilled AP glass or flute. Soak cube with orange and Angostura bitters. Add Cognac and top with Champagne. Express and discard an orange and lemon twist. 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com   🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ Amy Racine: https://www.instagram.com/amyracine/ Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds in a glass? That's right, it's The Bijou — a one-stop shop for those seeking boozy, stirred, "up" cocktails, and another use for that bottle of Green Chartreuse you spent so long hunting down. Here to give us the virtual low-down is Adam Fournier, beverage director of Spago Beverly Hills. Listen on, or read below, to learn Adam's top tips and experience his very own "Bougie Bijou" recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Adam Fournier's Bougie Bijou RecipeIngredients ¼ ounce Charteuse Elixir Vegetal½ ounce Chartreuse VEP Green¾ ounce Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth1 ½ ounces Navy Strength Gin, such as PlymouthAngostura Orange BittersGarnish: Kirschwasser-soaked cherriesDirections Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled.Strain into a freezer-chilled vintage glass, such as a coupe.Garnish with a Kirschwasser-soaked cherry.📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com  🍸Follow us:VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/Adam Fournier: https://www.instagram.com/bottledinbondla/Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy