I first came across the Greta Garbo in a post by Punch that I quickly bookmarked. The recipe, from Cafe La Trova in Miami, was a simple mix of rum, lime, sugar, and absinthe, and I have yet to try a drink that follows the formula of Daiquiri + something-else-delicious that doesn’t impress. Interestingly, though, every other version of the recipe that I could find also included a bit of maraschino liqueur. This might not sound like a big change, but if you’ve had maraschino liqueur before, you know that even 1/4 oz. can drastically alter a drink’s flavor. So naturally I had to try them bo ..read more

There are few drinks with names quite as suggestive as the Pornstar Martini. You can’t hear the words without having some kind of reaction, whether it’s amusement, outrage, or curiosity. Maybe it sounds fun and playful, or rich and indulgent, or cheap and tawdry. But one thing is for sure – with a name like that, it’s not going to be boring. The Pornstar Martini always had a negative connotation in my mind, not so much because of the name (though it didn’t exactly help), but because I thought of it as a saccharine vodka drink clumsily topped with a bit of cheap Prosecco. It turns out I was wr ..read more

I love using cranberry when mixing up festive Thanksgiving cocktails! It’s a festive flavor that works well in so many different cocktails, from Old Fashioneds to Margaritas. This year, I decided to make something light and fizzy that would go perfectly with your pre-dinner appetizers: a Cranberry Whisky Collins with Hatozaki Small Batch Japanese whisky. Cranberry juice, maple syrup, and the rich honey notes of the Hatozaki whisky make for a refreshing but seasonal autumn cocktail. Highball, Collins, Fizz, or Rickey? When naming this drink, I had to refresh my memory on terminology a little ..read more

Irish Coffee is such a classic cocktail for cold weather. I’ve been a believer ever since I tried Dead Rabbit’s recipe (1.5 oz. Irish whiskey, ½ oz. Demerara syrup, and 4 oz. coffee topped with lightly whipped cream). Yes, it is perfect in its simplicity. And yes, I’m going to riff on it anyway. Because while the classic Irish Coffee contains two of my favorite things (coffee and whiskey), it’s missing a big one: chocolate. But fear not – Mozart Chocolate Cream Liqueur to the rescue! This decadent chocolate liqueur is delicious when added to just about any coffee drink, and the Irish Coffee i ..read more

Don’t let the name fool you – it would be a mistake to sleep on this cocktail! If you love a Margarita, try the Siesta. It hits all the same notes, but with some interesting touches that make it much more complex than it’s better-known cousin. Grapefruit juice and Campari give it a bright, bitter finish and – to me – just a hint of salinity. The tequila/Campari combo reminded me a bit of the Earthbound, another great tequila cocktail that I haven’t mixed up in a long while. Though I called it a relative of the Margarita, the Siesta is actually a riff on the Hemingway Daiquiri. Its creator, Ka ..read more

When I’m creating a cocktail, sometimes it’s the name that comes first. That’s certainly what happened with the Mulled Fashioned! I thought of it while brainstorming how to incorporate mulling spices into a cocktail, and I knew it had to be made a reality. The star of this drink is Hatozaki Finest Whisky, a Japanese whisky that I’ve used on here once before. It’s a fantastic Japanese whisky for cocktails, and it works beautifully in this one. I infused about a cup of the whisky in a jar with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, dried orange peel, and dried lemon peel. At first I l ..read more

With a lot of retro cocktails being deemed cool again, it seems like the Chocolate Martini might be due for a comeback. It may not be the most versatile drink – you’re pretty much only drinking one after dinner – but there is no denying that it’s delicious. I’ll happily drink my dessert, thank you very much. One of the fun things about the Chocolate Martini is all of the potential variations. Coconut, amaretto, hazelnut, orange, caramel… if it tastes good in a chocolate dessert, it will probably taste good in a Chocolate Martini. The decadent possibilities are endless. Maybe it’s versatile af ..read more

We have had the strangest summer weather in Boston. It basically rained for two months, got warm for a couple of weeks, and then switched over to autumn about a month too early. But it’s not so cool out that we can’t fit in a few more summer cocktails before the season is truly over! Today I’m making an easy and versatile summer recipe with Koskenkorva Climate Action Vodka. I’ve used Koskenkorva before – it’s a really great vodka from Finland, and it’s made with a focus on sustainability. It’s delicious in this Blueberry Basil Fizz. This Blueberry Basil Fizz gets its flavor (and beautiful col ..read more

My favorite thing about this blog has been making and writing about classic cocktails with rich histories. I don’t do it as often these days, since I’ve covered most of the big ones, but there are always more out there, and some of them are real gems. This is definitely one of them. The Hotel Nacional is a daiquiri variation made with pineapple juice and apricot liqueur. These additions give it an extra burst of tropical flavor with a wonderful depth and richness. There are countless recipes floating around, all tailored to individual tastes. I tried a few different combinations for mine, and ..read more

Absinthe is definitely an ingredient that I’m used to using in small quantities. A rinse, a mist, a dash; these are absinthe measurements I’m quite comfortable with. That hint of herbaceous anise can make or break a cocktail recipe. It’s when I see a drink with more than a dash that I get a little nervous. I don’t love the flavor of anise in itself, and given a choice, I’d probably opt for something else. However, the Trinidad Sour long ago convinced me that every cocktail ingredient can occasionally play the starring role, and if Angostura bitters can nail the gig then absinthe definitely ca ..read more