Cocktail College

Rachel Kling, Diageo Hospitality Partnership National Educator, joins Cocktail College today to explore the Old Pal, an often overlooked relative of the Negroni and Boulevardier. We dive deep into the cocktail's history, discuss its potential for riffs and modern classics, and learn about a very exciting modern interpretation of a very traditional rye. Listen on, or read below, to learn Rachel's Old Pal recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Rachel Kling's Old Pal Recipe Ingredients Directions Old Pal Recipe (Classic) Ingredients Directions 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/eastmeetsleft/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/afhennelly/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Directions 📧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: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/marshallvincent/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Ingredients Directions Tequila Espresso Martini Recipe Ingredients Directions 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/mannythebarkeep/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Directions Bourbon Manhattan Recipe Ingredients Directions Bedford and Grand Recipe Ingredients Directions 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/tollius_/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Directions 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/amyracine/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Recipe Ingredients Directions 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/https://www.instagram.com/bottledinbondla/https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're diving into the history, styles, community, and culture of flair bartending today, with Lindsay Palumbo, a certified flair bartender, instructor, and competitor who plies her trade at the Circa Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas’s Fremont Street. Listen on for Blue Blazers, TGI Fridays, and a certain actor with the initials TC — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us on Cocktail College today is Aaron Goldfarb, a longtime VinePair contributor and author of the recently released “Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits.” As the names of both today’s episode and Aaron’s newest book suggest, this episode will take us on a historical deep dive, and shed light on one of the most fascinating facets of modern drinks culture: vintage cocktails. Listen on (or read below) to discover Aaron’s ultimate vintage cocktail recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! Aaron Goldfarb’s 1953 Vintage Vesper Recipe Ingredients - 3 parts 1953 Gordon’s Gin - 1 part 1953 Smirnoff Vodka - ½ part Kina Lillet Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. 2. Stir until well-chilled. 3. Strain into a vintage cocktail glass. 📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com 📕Get your copy: “Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits” 🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fred Astaire in a glass? That’s right folks, it’s the world’s most underrated cocktail, serially disregarded by “serious” drinkers. But not us — not here at Cocktail College! To the Vodka Martini, we’re devoting more than an hour of hot takes, technical insight, and cultural analysis with none other than Tony Abou-Ganim. Calling in from Las Vegas, the author of “Vodka Distilled: The Modern Mixologist on Vodka and Vodka Cocktails" teaches us to leave our prejudices at the door and embrace the very spirit of hospitality. Listen on (or read below) to learn Tony’s Vodka Martini recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! Tony Abou-Ganim’s Vodka Martini Recipe Ingredients + Description: Choose your favorite vodka; opt to drink it straight out of the freezer or stirred (or shaken) with ice, and with or without vermouth. Garnish with — you’ve guessed it — whatever you feel like in the moment. Just make sure the glassware is on point! Helen David Relief Fund: TAG Spirits: https://tagspiritsawards.com/the-helen-david-relief-fund/ USBG: https://www.usbgfoundation.org/hdrf IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehdrf/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live from Brooklyn’s Sunken Harbor Club, we proudly present: The Fog Cutter… and so much more! That’s right, it’s an episode of firsts and threes: the first Cocktail College recorded in front of a (sell-out) crowd; our first time featuring three guests (and audience questions); not one, not two, but three cocktails (at least one of which contains three base spirits, and a sherry float for good measure). Get ready for Garret Richard on the Fog Cutter, Scarlet Fog, and advanced cocktail techniques; Carlos Perez on his very own Brain Fog riff; and St. John Frizell on that drink’s newly launched, eponymous mug — a Sunken Harbor Club first! Garret Richard’s Fog Cutter Recipe Ingredients - 1 orange wheel - 1 ounce Denizen White rum - ¾ ounce brandy (Capurro Pisco) - ¼ ounce Ford’s Gin - ½ ounce fresh lemon juice - 1 teaspoon Orgeat (Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29) - Lemon punch syrup (mix of oleo saccharum, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and citric acid) - Almond extract - Saline solution - Float: ½ ounce Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry Directions 1. Muddle orange wheel in a Collins glass and set aside. 2. Add rum, pisco, gin, lemon juice, orgeat, lemon punch, almond extract, and saline solution to a mixing tin. 3. Flash blend with ice. 4. Add to Collins glass with muddled orange. 5. Fill with crushed ice and top with sherry float. 6. Garnish with generous mint sprig, orchid, and serve with a straw. (Note: We plan to update this recipe with more exact quantities for some of the ingredients — stay tuned!) **Trader Vic’s Fog Cutter Recipe** Ingredients - 2 ounces Puerto Rican rum - 1 ounce brandy - ½ ounce gin - 1 ounce orange juice - 2 ounces lemon juice - Float: sherry Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with cracked ice. 2. Shake until well chilled. 3. Pour into a tall glass with ice. 4. Top with sherry float and serve with a straw. (For Don the Beachcomber’s version, replace brandy with pisco.) Order Here: Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes (SIGNED COPY) Brain Fog Mug (Limited Edition) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's another historical deep dive today, as we cast our gaze hundreds of years into the past to explore punches, something the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails describes as "the foundational drink of modern mixology and the first mixed drink based on spirits to gain global popularity.” Helping us do so is Tural Hasanov, the director of Arts Club and Punch Room at the Tampa EDITION. Listen on to learn Tural's top tips on all things sour, sweet, strong, and weak — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the two years since we first covered the Espresso Martini, precious little has changed on the drink’s popularity front. In fact, it’s probably more popular now than ever. On reflection, this should come as no surprise, and today we’re joined by Stephen Kurpinsky — Mr. Black’s long-time U.S. brand ambassador — to learn exactly why that’s the case. Listen on (or read below) to discover Stephen’s Espresso Martini recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! Stephen Kurpinsky’s Espresso Martini Recipe Ingredients - 1 ½ ounces Mr. Black Cold Brew coffee liqueur - 1 ounce vodka - 1 ounce fresh espresso or cold brew concentrate - ¼ ounce rich simple syrup (2:1) Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake until chilled. 3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. 4. Garnish with three coffee beans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re stepping into the time machine today and digging deep into the Cocktail College vaults, as we resurface our conversation on the Vesper. Little did we know it when we first recorded this episode, but the Vesper has been on something of a quiet tear in recent times, with bartenders building on the Martini trend and lending their interpretations of this version of the cocktail to their menus. Join us for that chat was Patrick Smith, the then manager of bar openings for, and now senior beverage manager of, Union Square Hospitality Group. Listen on (or read below) to discover Smith’s Vesper recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe! Patrick Smith’s Vesper Recipe Ingredients - 2 ounces London Dry gin - 1 ounce vodka - 1 ounce of Tempus Fugit Kina L'Aéro d'Or Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled coupe glass. 3. Garnish with an expressed, manicured lemon twist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re stepping into the time machine today and digging deep into the Cocktail College vaults, as we resurface our conversation on the Vesper. Little did we know it when we first recorded this episode, but the Vesper has been on something of a quiet tear in recent times, with bartenders building on the Martini trend and lending their interpretations of this version of the cocktail to their menus. Join us for that chat was Patrick Smith, the then manager of bar openings for, and now senior beverage manager of, Union Square Hospitality Group. Listen on (or read below) to discover Smith’s Vesper recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe! Patrick Smith’s Vesper Recipe Ingredients - 2 ounces London Dry gin - 1 ounce vodka - 1 ounce of Tempus Fugit Kina L'Aéro d'Or Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled coupe glass. 3. Garnish with an expressed, manicured lemon twist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tuxedo is a complex cocktail in many different ways, but primarily because it has a number of… well, numbered variations, the most well-known of which contains sherry, which is a whole different category of variations itself. Luckily enough for us, we’re joined by the wonderful tutor (and bartender!) Kat Foster, an EMP alum and bar manager of Brooklyn’s Margot. Listen on (or read below) to discover Kat’s Tuxedo recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! Kat Foster’s Tuxedo Recipe Ingredients - 1 ½ ounces Old Tom Gin, such as Hayman’s or Ransom - 1 ½ ounces Manzanilla sherry, such as Lustau or Valdespino - 2 dashes orange bitters - 2 dashes absinthe - Splash (⅛ ounce) Maraschino liqueur - Garnish: lemon twist Directions 1. Add ingredients to a mixing glass, fill with ice, and stir for 30-40 seconds until chilled. 2. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. 3. Garnish with lemon twist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Named after "the most famous train in the world," today's drink sees us head to London with significant stops in New York and Chicago, as we explore the 20th Century Cocktail. Joining us to do so is Meredith Barry, the co-owner and operator of Platypus and New Society in St. Louis. Listen on (or read below) to discover Meredith’s 20th Century Cocktail recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! Meredith Barry’s 20th Century Cocktail Recipe Ingredients Directions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this planetary edition of Cocktail College, we’re joined by Ray Sakover to embark on a deep space exploration of The Saturn. Ray is the co-owner of New York’s recently opened Paradise Lost, and the cocktail in question is a lesser-known, gin-based blended tiki concoction. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ray’s Saturn recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! Ray Sakover’s Saturn Recipe Ingredients Directions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this planetary edition of Cocktail College, we’re joined by Ray Sakover to embark on a deep space exploration of The Saturn. Ray is the co-owner of New York’s recently opened Paradise Lost, and the cocktail in question is a lesser-known, gin-based blended tiki concoction. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ray’s Saturn recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! Ray Sakover’s Saturn Recipe Ingredients Directions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re revisiting one of the world’s (and certainly America’s) most beloved cocktails with Maxwell Reis, beverage director at Los Angeles’ Mírate, and VinePair 50 and VinePair Next Wave Awards winner. Prepare to learn all about his distinct approach to the Margarita, and get ready to reconsider all things agave, from syrup to spirits. Listen on (or read below) to discover Max’s Margarita recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! Maxwell Reis’ Mírate Margarita Recipe Ingredients Directions *No-gave Syrup Ingredients Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.