Cocktails

My wine, spirit, and liqueur reviews + cocktail recipes

Making cocktails at home is good because:

  1. You can customize them to your or your guests’ liking
  2. You can make cocktails with high-end liquors that you pick out
  3. You can enjoy drinking in your own quiet space
  4. Bartending at home is cost effective

I am by no means an expert on this topic but here is what I’ve learned so far.

Specs

These aren’t the “true” “official” recipes, but rather my own hacked together versions that I like.

Old Fashioned

There are many variations and you can use any spirit, although whiskey is the classic.

Ingredients
  • 2oz whiskey
  • 1/8oz–1/4oz simple syrup
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
Method
Stir in mixing glass with cubed ice. Strain. Pour over ice.
Serving and Garnish
Rocks glass, large ice cube, Luxardo cherry, orange peel twist
Good Bottles
Four Roses, Maker’s 46. Diplomatico Reserva
Riffs
  • Swap spirits: 2oz aged rum for whiskey
  • Swap sweetener: swap demerara / maple / blue agave syrup for simple syrup
  • Add coffee depth: 1/2oz coffee liqueur
  • Exotic bitters: choose — 2 dashes Aztec chocolate bitters, 2 dashes black walnut bitters

Sour

Ingredients
  • 2oz whiskey / rum
  • 2–3oz fresh unpasteurized lemonade1
  • Quarter of a lemon, juiced fresh
Method
Shake hard with large ice cube (for max foam). Double strain into glass.
Serving and Garnish
Rocks glass or cocktail glass, up, Luxardo cherry
Good Bottles
Four Roses
Riffs
  • Classic: Use 1oz fresh lemon juice instead of lemonade. Add 1/2oz of simple / maple / demerara syrup.
  • NY Sour: Float 0.5oz dry red wine
1

The Trader Joe’s refrigerated lemonade works perfectly, no need for additional sweetener

Manhattan

Ingredients
  • 2oz whiskey
  • 1oz sweet vermouth (or ruby port)
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • (Optional) 1 dash black walnut bitters
Method
Stir in mixing glass with cubed ice. Strain.
Serving and Garnish
Coupe glass, up, Luxardo cherry
Good Bottles
Split Carpano Antica + Carpano Punt E Mes + Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino. Otima 10 Year Port. Rittenhouse.

Highball

Ingredients
  • 2oz whiskey / rum / gin
  • 4–6oz mixer (club soda, ginger ale, coke, sprite)
  • 1/2oz fresh lime/lemon juice
Method
Combine in glass with ice. Stir.
Serving and Garnish
Highball glass, on rocks, Luxardo cherry
Good Bottles
Suntory Toki

Daiquiri

Ingredients
  • 2oz white rum
  • 3/4oz–1oz lime juice (1 lime ≈ 1oz)
  • 1/2oz–3/4oz simple syrup
  • (Optional) dash of absinthe
Method
Shake hard with ice. Double strain into glass.
Serving and Garnish
Cocktail glass, up
Good Bottles
El Dorado 3, Probitas, Planteray 3 Stars, Flor de Cana 4

El Presidente

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2oz light rum
  • 3/4oz blanc or dry vermouth
  • 1/4oz orange liqueur
  • 1 barspoon real grenadine
Method
Stir in mixing glass with ice. Strain.
Serving and Garnish
Cocktail glass, up
Good Bottles
Diplomatico Planas, Probitas, El Dorado 3, Plantaray 3 Stars. Lillet Blanc, Dolin Vermouth Blanc.

Mai Tai

Ingredients
  • 2oz rum
  • 1oz lime juice
  • 1/2oz dry curacao
  • 1/2oz orgeat
  • 1/8–1/4oz simple / demerara syrup
Method
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Large rocks glass, ice pebbles, lime peel
Good Bottles
Appleton Estate 8 / 12 / 15, El Dorado 8, Smith and Cross. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao.

Gimlet

Ingredients
  • 2oz gin
  • 1/2–3/4oz lime juice
  • 1/2–3/4oz simple syrup
Method
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Nick and nora or coupe, up, lime wheel garnish
Good Bottles
Citadelle, Hendrick’s, Tanqueray No. Ten, Tanqueray Rangpur, Bluecoat, Monkey 47, Junipero, Barr Hill, Isle of Harris, Roku Gin (Japanese), Gin Mare (Spanish, exotic, olives), Empress 1908 Indigo

Negroni

Ingredients
  • 1oz gin
  • 1oz sweet vermouth
  • 1oz Campari
Method
Stir in mixing tin with ice. Strain.
Serving and Garnish
Rocks glass, one large ice cube, orange peel garnish
Good Bottles
Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Cinzano Rosso Vermouth, Carpano Antica Formula, Dolin Rouge Sweet. Tanqueray No. 10.

Martini

Ingredients
  • 2oz gin
  • 1/2–3/4oz dry vermouth
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • (Optional) 1/2–3/4oz sweet vermouth (for a ‘perfect martini’)
Method
Stir in mixing tin with ice. Strain. (Optionally shake)
Serving and Garnish
Martini glass, up, lemon peel / green olive garnish
Good Bottles
Plymouth, Bluecoat. Dolin Dry, Noilly Prat Extra Dry.

Lemon Drop

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2oz gin
  • 3/4oz lemon juice
  • 1/2oz triple sec (sub 1oz limoncello + 1/4oz triple sec)
  • 1/4–1/2oz simple syrup
  • (Optional) one dash orange bitters
  • (Optional) pinch of salt
Method
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Coupe glass, up. Lemon twist or lemon wheel for garnish.
Good Bottles
Plymouth, Tanqueray No. 10.

Boulevardier

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2oz bourbon
  • 1oz Campari
  • 1oz sweet vermouth
  • (Optional) small pinch of salt
Method
Stir in mixing tin with ice. Strain.
Serving and Garnish
Rocks glass or coupe, one large ice cube, orange peel garnish
Good Bottles
Same Vermouths as the Negroni. Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig Small Batch.

Sidecar

Ingredients
  • 2oz cognac / brandy
  • 1/2–3/4oz Cointreau / Grand Mariner
  • 3/4oz lemon juice
  • 1/4–1/2oz simple syrup
Method:
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Coupe, up, orange and lemon peel garnish
Good Bottles
Pierre Ferrand Ambre, Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula, Hennessy VS, Remy Martin VSOP

Between the Sheets

Ingredients
  • 1oz cognac
  • 1oz light rum
  • 1oz triple sec (Cointreau)
  • 1/4oz lemon juice
  • (Optional) 1/4oz simple syrup
  • (Optional) pinch of salt
Method
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Cocktail glass, up, express orange peel (no garnish)
Good Bottles
Same cognacs as above. Plantaray 3 Stars, Flor De Cana 4, El Dorado 3, Diplomatico Planas.

Mudslide

Ingredients
  • 1oz Irish cream
  • 1oz coffee liqueur
  • 1oz vanilla vodka
  • 1 1/2oz heavy cream
Method
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Rocks glass or coupe, fresh ice OR up, chocolate syrup. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
Good Bottles
Baileys, Kahlua

Port of Call

Ingredients
  • 1oz gin
  • 1oz ruby port wine
  • 3/4oz lemon juice
  • 1/2oz cinnamon syrup
  • 1 tsp cranberry preserves
  • (Optional) sub cinnamon syrup / cranberry for: simple / demerara syrup + Angostura bitters + dash of grenadine / raspberry jam
Method
Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Rocks glass, crushed ice, mint garnish
Good Bottles
I have no idea

Japanese Snow Monkey

I had this cocktail at Rumba. The spec is given as: “Kiyomi rum, Nigori sake, Bermutto dry vermouth, Campari, raspberry, and lemon”. “A floral but punchy take on a Negroni to help brighten long winter days.” There was a particular roasted corn-like and slightly smoky flavor that was hard to pin down, but was very good. My attempted reproduction:

Ingredients
  • 1oz Japanese rum (or 3/4oz white rum + 1/4oz agricole blanc)
  • 1oz Nigori sake
  • 3/4oz dry vermouth
  • 1/2oz Campari
  • 1/2oz raspberry syrup OR muddled raspberries + 1/4oz simple syrup
  • 1/2oz lemon juice
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • 3-4 drops of mezcal (for slight smoke)
Method
Muddle raspberries. Shake with ice. Double strain.
Serving and Garnish
Coupe, up.
Good Bottles
Probitas (for rum). Tozai Snow Maiden, Sho Chiku Bai Nigori (for sake).

Poison Reviews

Here are things I’ve tried and what I think. To be clear: I have no actual taste in alcohol. Total amateur opinions to follow.

Whiskey

  • Maker’s Mark 46. (6/10). I like it. Good enough neat.
  • Woodford Reserve (Regular). (4/10). Pretty good, but I prefer Maker’s 46 over this. Not so great anymore after having better whiskeys.
  • Suntory Toki. (6/10). I really like it when mixed. Ideal for highballs and sours. Not great neat.
  • Four Roses Small Batch. (8/10). The best so far. Excellent. Very smooth and flavorful. Very enjoyable neat. Spending more on bourbon (at least $40 for a 750ml bottle) seems to be worth it.
  • Redbreast 12. TBD.
  • Michter’s US1. TBD.

Rum

  • Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. (7/10). I like it. A few feel it is too harsh and doesn’t go down smooth, at least neat. But I’m a fan.
  • Appleton Estate 8. TBD.

Soju

  • Hwayo 25 Soju. (5/10). Has an initial taste much closer to sake than soju, but still inferior to sake. Good to try, but the aftertaste is still too alcoholic.
  • Ilpoom Jinro Oak 43 Soju. TBD.

Gin

  • Citadelle Gin. (9/10). Excellent ‘celery’-like + juniper berry flavor, freshness as the final note. Gimlet with this is too good.
  • Hendrick’s Gin. (8/10). Also very good, but more subtle finish and harsher down the throat vs Citadelle.

Wines

Port

  • Porto Morgado Old Tawny (10 Years). (7/10). Sits around $10 from Trader Joe’s. Hits way way above its price point. We love this.
  • Porto Morgado Ruby. (5/10). Not as good. Similar price point, but much worse than above imo.
  • Fairbanks Cellars California Port (1.5L). (2/10). Cheap but bad. Stay away.
  • Warre’s Otima 10 Tawny Porto. TBD.

Reds

  • Decoy Cabernet. (5/10). Decent, hits a bit above its price point, but it’s better to spend more.
  • Sean Thackrey Pleiades XXXII. (9/10) Very good. Fruity and smooth.
  • Charles Shaw wines (all varieties). (3/10). Very cheap, but do not buy lol. Get something nicer.
  • No Es Pituko Carignan 2024. (8/10). So so smooth, hard to believe there was any alcohol at all. Excellent.
  • Chateau Pey-Bonhomme Le-Tours Merlot. TBD.
  • Folk Machine Pinot Noir. TBD.
  • Love Red 2022 - Broc Cellars. TBD.

Whites

  • 2021 Virgo Magic Wines ‘Disco Lemonade’ Riesling. (5/10). Tastes heavily like brined olives. I think this is an acquired taste, not for a general audience.
  • Barefoot Moscato. (2/10). Cheap, mild tasting, and gulpable. Get something nicer.
  • Risata Moscato d’Asti DOCG. (8/10). Low alcohol, smooth, sweet, and fruity. A crowd favorite.
  • 2023 Nickel & Nickel Grand Sky Vineyard Chardonnay. (9/10) Incredibly good, smooth, bright lime aftertaste.

Orange

  • 2023 Suisun Valley Assyrtiko, Hydrangea Skin-Contact. (8/10). Excellent.
  • Pielihueso Naranjo 2024. (9/10). Very very good. Smooth, slightly fruity, and crisp. Best served cold.
  • 2023 Gulp Hablo Orange (1L). TBD.

Meads

  • The Remeadies meadery near Sequoia National Park is very good. Go there if nearby. Unfortunately, their meads aren’t easily available in NorCal.
  • Chaucer’s Mead. (6/10). Very vanilla alcoholic honey flavor, smooth. Nothing objectionable, but nothing special either. Good for the price.
  • Sky River Sweet Mead. (7/10). At $30 it is expensive for what it is. Much more complex mead with a barnyard / wet grass flavor and floral notes. Not appreciated by everyone.

Sake

Takara Sake has a sake factory in Berkeley, CA! I highly recommend visiting them and doing a tasting. What follows are all sakes from Takara (brewed in Berkeley).

  • Sho Chiku Bai REI Junmai Daiginjo. (8/10). One of our favorites. Cheap and good, serve chilled, crisp, fruity, and smooth. If it is too old, it will acquire a mushroom-y flavor.
  • Sho Chiku Bai Organic Nama. (6/10). Good chilled, but has an earthy flavor. Not suitable for a general audience.
  • Sho Chiku Bai Takara Sierra Cold. (7/10). This is an insane sake. Serve chilled. 12% ABV but tastes like zero! Very light flavor of slight sweetness and fruit, but mostly tasteless.
  • Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Crème de Sake. (9/10). Cream sake! One of our favorites. Serve chilled. Flavor is both fruity and earthy, more on the sweet side.

Cocktail Liquors

  • Dolin Rouge (Sweet) Vermouth. Decent, I have no comparison point.
  • Cointreau. It works, I have no reference point for orange liqueur.
  • Baileys. Sweet, smooth, milky. Nothing bad, but nothing great either.
  • Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Decent, good espresso flavor.
  • TJ’s Limoncello. TBD.

Garnishes

  • Luxadro cherries. TBD. These are so expensive, it better be worth it.
    • Totally worth it. So delicious and the syrup is great to add to a cocktail.
  • Angostura bitters. It is what it is, pretty good — not many other options.

Equipment

There is some basic bar equipment that you need that I wish I had from the start. Just buy these things.

  • Large ice cube tray: I liked these Tovolo “King Cube” silicon trays (Amazon link)
  • Regular ice cube tray: I bought some “no-spill” trays from OXO (Amazon link)
  • Jigger: There are 2 major varieties (double-ended and angled). You need to be able to measure volumes from 1/4oz to 2oz. I think the angled jiggers are way easier to use at home with less spillage than the double-ended kind. I like this one from OXO (Amazon link).
  • Rocks Glasses: Of course you need glasses to serve cocktails in. Of all the varieties, I find rocks glasses to be the most versatile, albeit not the prettiest. I bought these ones from Anchor Hocking (Amazon link). Coupes or nick and noras would be good next additions.
  • Citrus juicer: These are cheap, just get any one. I want to try the Barfly Large Manual Juicer sometime (Amazon link).
  • Mixing tin: There are also cocktail mixing glasses, but I prefer a stainless steel mixing vessel. I have this one from American Metalcraft (Amazon link).
  • Hawthorne Strainer: This OXO one is good (Amazon link)
  • Cobbler shaker: There are also Boston shakers, but a cobbler shaker is far easier to use at home. I got this one from OXO (Amazon link). If I was OK spending $60 on this, I would buy the YETI one.
  • Fine mesh strainer: I have a 3“ strainer from OXO (Amazon link)
  • Bar spoon: Just get some cheap bar spoons, the exact model doesn’t matter.
  • Corkscrew: You need to be able to pull corks. Buy whatever is within your budget — these are all kind of the same.
  • Toothpicks: The poor man’s version of the fancy cocktail pick. Unfortunately, they are often too short to place over the rim of a glass.
    • Cocktail picks: A substantial upgrade
  • Cooler: I use an insulated bag to hold all my ice and cold liquors, but a proper hard-case insulated cooler would be better.

Now, there is nothing to do except chill all your mixers and liquors. Since all the cocktails I like are served chilled, I even chill the liquors that aren’t typically chilled (whiskey, vermouth, rum, soju).

My Shelf

Wine
  • Otima 10-Year Tawny Port
  • Chateau Pey-Bonhomme Le-Tours
  • Folk Machine Pinot Noir
  • Love Red 2022 - Broc Cellars
Whiskey
  • Four Roses Small Batch
  • Mitcher’s US*1
  • Redbreast 12 Year
Rum
  • Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
  • Appleton Estate 8
Sake
  • Hakutsuru Sayuri Nigori Sake
Soju
  • Oak 43
Gin
  • Hendricks
Liquors
  • Campari
  • Sole Vermouth (Extra Dry)
  • Dolin Vermouth Rouge (Sweet)
  • TJ’s Sicilian Limoncello (x2)
  • Vanilla vodka
  • Cointreau
  • Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
  • Baileys Original Irish Cream
Extras
  • Bitters: Angostura, Orange
  • Syrups: Simple, Demerara, Grenadine, Orgeat
  • Luxardo cherries
  • Limes / lemons
  • Heavy cream
  • Chocolate syrup

To Buy

Bottles I want to try. Don’t look!

Whiskey
  • Four Roses Single Barrel
  • Larceny Small Batch
  • Angel’s Envy
  • Rittenhouse 100
  • Nikka Whisky From The Barrel
White Rum
  • Probitas
  • El Dorado 3
  • Flor de Cana 4
  • Diplomatico Planas
Aged Rum
  • Appleton Estate 8 / 12
  • El Dorado 8 / 12
  • Santa Teresa 1796
  • Diplomático Mantuano
  • El Pasador de Oro Rum XO
  • Kaniche XO Artisanal Rum
Gin
  • Citadelle Gin
  • Citadelle Jardin D’Ete Gin
  • Tanqueray No. 10
  • Barr Hill
Cognac
  • Hennessy VSOP
  • Pierre Ferrand Ambre / Original Formula
Orange liquors
  • “Traditional” curacao, rum-based: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Santa Teresa Rhum Orange
  • Brandy-based curacao: Grand Mariner
  • Triple secs: Cointreau