Brunch Bloody Mary

Malibu

Meyers Dark Rum

Captain Morgan

Martini

Bacardi Silver

Bumbu

Johnny Walker Black

Aristocrat

Seagrams

Tanqueray

Bombay

Montezuma Tequila, Orange Juice, and Grenadine

Cali Life

Malibu Coconut Rum, Captain Morgan Rum, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Grenadine, Myer’s Dark Rum Float

Sunset Chaser

Absolute Citron, Fresh Strawberry, Lemon Juice, Triple Sec, Sugar Rim

Vermillion

Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Simple Syrup, and Bitters

Grand Old Fashioned

Patron Silver, Fresh Strawberry, Triple Sec, Sweet & Sour, Lime, and Sugar or Salt Rim

Bistro Rita

Mimosas

Bloody Mary

Espresso Martini

Chocolate Martini

Cosmopolitan

Pour the teaspoon of kosher or celery salt onto a small plate. Rub the rim of each highball or pint glass with the lemon wedge, then dip the rim into the salt to coat. Set glasses aside.

Rim glasses

In a large measuring cup or pitcher combine 2 cups tomato juice, 1 tsp prepared horseradish, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 4 dashes hot sauce, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp celery salt, and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika. Whisk vigorously until horseradish is fully dispersed and spices are incorporated. Taste and adjust hot sauce, lemon, or salt to your preference.

Make Bloody Mary mix

Fill each rimmed glass with ice (about 1 cup per glass). For a single serving use 2 ounces (floz) vodka per glass. If making a pitcher or multiple servings, pour 8 floz vodka into the pitcher (this recipe yields four 2-oz servings).

Divide the Bloody Mary mix evenly among the prepared glasses (about 1/2 cup mix per 2-oz vodka serving). Stir gently with a bar spoon or straw to combine vodka and mix. Taste and adjust: add extra lemon juice for brightness, hot sauce for heat, or a pinch more celery salt if needed.

If you prefer a Red Snapper (gin) variation, substitute gin for vodka or split the spirits (1 oz vodka + 1 oz gin).

Garnish each glass with one celery stalk and one lemon wedge tucked on the rim. Skewer two olives and a pickled green bean (or asparagus) on a cocktail pick and lay it across the top of the glass or rest it inside. Serve immediately with a straw.

tomato juice

prepared horseradish

Worcestershire sauce

fresh lemon juice

hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

freshly ground black pepper

celery salt

smoked paprika

vodka

ice (cubed)

optional dry gin (for a Red Snapper variation)

celery stalk

lemon wedge

cocktail pick with olives

pickled green bean or asparagus

kosher salt or celery salt (for rimming)

Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice to chill while you mix the drink.

Prepare glass

In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine 2 oz Malibu Coconut Rum, 4 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz coconut water, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice and 0.25 oz simple syrup (if you prefer a slightly sweeter drink).

Mix ingredients

Secure the shaker lid and shake vigorously for about 10–12 seconds until the outside of the shaker is cold and slightly frosty.

Shake

Discard the ice from the chilled glass (optional) and fill the glass with fresh ice. Strain the shaken mixture into the glass over the fresh ice.

Strain and serve

Finish by sliding a pineapple wedge onto the rim and floating a lime wheel on top of the drink. Add a cocktail umbrella if desired. Serve with a straw.

Malibu Coconut Rum

Pineapple juice

Coconut water

Fresh lime juice

Simple syrup (optional, 1:1)

Pineapple wedge

Lime wheel

Cocktail umbrella (optional)

Add 2 oz Myers's Dark Rum, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, 0.25 oz orange curaçao, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice (about 3/4 full).

Combine and shake

Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled and slightly frosted on the outside.

Double-strain the mixture into a chilled coupe or a rocks glass over fresh ice, depending on preference (coupe for a drier, up-style drink; rocks glass for a longer, cooler serve).

Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the rim. If desired, lightly grate a very small pinch of nutmeg over the top for an aromatic finish. Serve immediately.

Myers's Dark Rum

Simple syrup (1:1)

Angostura bitters

Orange curaçao (or triple sec)

Lime wheel or wedge

Optional: grated nutmeg

Ice (for shaking and serving)

Fill a highball glass with ice. If you prefer a very cold glass, chill the glass briefly in the freezer beforehand.

Prepare Glass

Pour 2 oz dark spiced rum over the ice, then add 0.5 oz fresh lime juice and 0.25 oz simple syrup.

Add Spirits and Mixers

Top the drink with about 4 oz ginger beer. Gently stir once or twice with a bar spoon to combine—avoid over-stirring to keep the ginger beer fizzy.

Top and Stir

Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim and an optional mint sprig. Serve immediately with a straw or stirrer.

Garnish and Serve

dark spiced rum (e.g., Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum)

ginger beer

fresh lime juice

simple syrup (1:1)

lime wedge (for garnish)

fresh mint sprig (optional garnish)

Weigh all botanicals accurately. Lightly crush juniper berries, coriander seeds, and cardamom pods in a mortar or with the back of a spoon to open oils but avoid pulverizing. Zest citrus with a peeler or zester, removing as little of the bitter white pith as possible. Break larger roots into small pieces if needed.

Measure and prepare botanicals

This recipe uses a maceration + vapor infusion approach suitable for home infusion without a copper still. If you have a small still, proceed with full distillation (see optional note). Otherwise use the maceration and gentle re-distillation (or heavy infusion) method described below.

Choose method

Combine the 700 ml neutral spirit and the base botanicals (juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, orange peel, lemon peel) in a clean glass jar with an airtight lid. Add any optional accents you choose to include. Seal the jar and shake gently.

Let botanicals macerate for 12–24 hours at room temperature, tasting at intervals (use a spoon and a small amount of spirit). Juniper should be dominant but balanced with citrus and coriander. If you prefer brighter citrus top notes, limit maceration to 8–12 hours; for deeper spice and root character, go up to 24 hours. Do not exceed 48 hours to avoid excessive bitter extraction.

After maceration, strain the spirit through a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter into a clean vessel to remove solids. For a more refined clarity, filter again through a paper coffee filter or cheesecloth. Reserve the strained botanicals if you plan to re-distill.

If you have a small copper still or spirit run apparatus: transfer the macerated spirit to the boiler and perform a light spirit run (heads, hearts, tails separation). Collect the heart fraction where the desirable gin flavors are concentrated, typically middle cut after the initial heads (discard first ~2–5% by volume as heads if running higher ABV). Aim to collect ~600–650 ml of heart at ~60–75% ABV depending on your equipment. Then dilute with filtered water to desired bottling strength (typical 40–45% ABV).

If you do not distill: perform a second gentle infusion to round the flavors. Add an additional 50–100 ml neutral spirit to the strained macerate and briefly rest 6–8 hours, then filter carefully. This will yield a more pronounced flavor but will not replicate distillation. Dilute with filtered water to 40–45% ABV using measured amounts (see proofing step).

To dilute to roughly 43% ABV from your spirit: measure the ABV of your distilled or macerated spirit (hydrometer or alcoholmeter). As a general guideline, to lower from ~70% to 43%, add approximately equal parts water by weight/volume; adjust based on measurement. If starting from 40–50% neutral spirit and using maceration only, you will likely already be near bottling strength after dilution. Add the 200 ml filtered water gradually, mix, then measure ABV and adjust until desired strength (40–45% ABV).

Rest the gin in a sealed bottle for at least 48 hours (preferably 1–2 weeks) to allow flavors to integrate and any remaining harsh notes to mellow. After resting, taste and if needed, do a final light filtration through a paper filter to remove any particulate and then transfer to clean bottles for storage.

Serve neat as a tasting pour (30–45 ml) at room temperature or slightly chilled. Use as a base for classic cocktails: gin & tonic (1 part gin to 3 parts tonic, garnish with lime or grapefruit), martini (6:1 gin to vermouth, garnish with lemon twist or olive), or gimlet (2:1 gin to fresh lime cordial).

Store bottles in a cool, dark place. Homemade gin will keep indefinitely when sealed, but best aromatic quality is during the first 1–2 years.

Neutral grain spirit (or vodka), 40–50% ABV

Juniper berries (preferably dried)

Coriander seeds

Angelica root (dried pieces)

Orris root (powdered or small pieces)

Dried orange peel (or fresh, zested and dried slightly)

Lemon peel (zest, trimmed of white pith)

Cassia or cinnamon stick (broken)

Cardamom pods (lightly crushed)

Grains of paradise (lightly crushed)

Cubeb pepper (optional)

Fresh grapefruit peel (small pieces)

Filtered water (for diluting to bottling strength)

If possible, place a Collins or highball glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes. Ensure iced tea and cola are well chilled before assembling the cocktail.

Chill glass and ingredients

Squeeze fresh lime juice and have simple syrup measured and ready.

Fill the chilled glass about two-thirds full with crushed ice (approximately 1 cup). In a mixing glass or shaker with a little ice, combine 2 oz white rum, 0.5 oz dark rum, 0.5 oz triple sec, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.5 oz simple syrup. Give the mixture a brief hard shake (6–8 seconds) to chill and slightly dilute.

Combine spirits and mixers

Strain the shaken spirit mixture into the prepared glass over the crushed ice. Pour 2 oz chilled unsweetened iced tea over the spirits, then gently float 1 oz cola on top by pouring slowly over the back of a spoon to create a layered effervescence.

Strain and top

Gently stir the top 2–3 times with a bar spoon to marry flavors while keeping some effervescence. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the rim and a mint sprig if desired.

Serve immediately with a straw and an extra napkin. Advise guests to give a light stir before drinking to distribute the tea and cola through the cocktail.

white rum

dark (aged) rum

triple sec (orange liqueur)

simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)

iced tea (unsweetened black tea, chilled)

cola (chilled)

crushed ice

lime wheel or wedge

mint sprig (optional)

Place a cocktail (martini/coupe) glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or fill it with ice water while you mix the drink so the glass is cold when serving.

Chill glass

Measure vodka, triple sec, lime juice, cranberry juice, and optional simple syrup into a jigger or small measuring vessel so they are ready to add to the shaker.

Measure ingredients

Add ice to a cocktail shaker until about three-quarters full (approximately 1 cup). Pour in the vodka (2.5 oz), triple sec (0.5 oz), fresh lime juice (0.5 oz), cranberry juice (0.75 oz), and simple syrup (0.25 tsp) if you prefer a slightly sweeter Cosmo.

Combine in shaker

Secure the shaker lid and shake vigorously for about 10–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and the mixture is well chilled and slightly frothy. Shaking aerates and chills the drink while diluting it slightly with melted ice.

Discard ice or water from the chilled glass if used. Using a Hawthorne or fine strainer, strain the shaken cocktail into the chilled coupe or martini glass, leaving the ice behind in the shaker.

Strain

Twist a lime peel over the drink to express oils, then rub the rim lightly and drop a lime wheel or place a twist on the rim. Alternatively, use a lemon twist for a slightly different aromatic note.

Garnish

Serve the Cosmopolitan immediately while cold. Enjoy responsibly.

Serve immediately

vodka (preferably chilled)

triple sec (Cointreau)

cranberry juice (100% or cocktail)

simple syrup (optional, 1:1)

lime twist or wheel

ice (for shaking)

lemon or lime peel (optional)

Chill a highball or Collins glass by filling with ice and setting aside while you prepare the drink, or place it briefly in the freezer (2–5 minutes).

Discard the chilling ice from the glass (if used). Fill the glass about two-thirds with fresh ice (cubed). Pour 2 oz Bacardi Superior (white rum), 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.5 oz simple syrup over the ice.

Combine base ingredients

Top the mixture with approximately 2 oz (about a splash to 3–4 tbsp) of chilled soda water. Gently stir once or twice with a bar spoon to combine — avoid over-stirring to keep carbonation.

Top and stir

Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge on the rim and, if desired, a small mint sprig tucked into the glass. Serve immediately with a straw.

Garnish and serve

Bacardi Superior (white rum)

Soda water

Lime wheel or wedge (garnish)

Mint sprig (optional garnish)

Place coriander seeds and white peppercorns in a dry small skillet over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan, until aromatic and slightly darker, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Toast spices

Peel shallots and garlic. Remove stems from red chilies and bird's eye chilies. Trim and slice the white part of the lemongrass into small rounds. Roughly chop ginger, turmeric (or measure ground turmeric), galangal if using, and candlenuts.

Prepare aromatics

Once cooled, grind the toasted coriander and peppercorns to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Grind toasted spices

In a blender or mortar and pestle combine shallots, garlic, red chilies and bird's eye chilies, chopped ginger, turmeric, candlenuts, lemongrass, galangal (if using), the ground toasted spices, salt, and palm sugar. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water to help blending. Blitz or pound until you have a smooth, slightly coarse paste. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Make the paste

Heat neutral oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the blended paste and spread it into an even layer. Fry the paste gently, stirring frequently, until the raw smell disappears and the oil starts to separate from the paste, about 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat if it browns too quickly.

Fry the bumbu

Taste the fried bumbu and stir in lime juice or a small amount of tamarind paste if using, and adjust salt and sugar to balance sweet, salty, and tangy flavors. If the paste is too thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons of water or additional oil to reach desired consistency. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Finish and season

Use the bumbu immediately in stews, curries, marinades, or stir-fries. To store, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.

Store or use

shallots (peeled)

garlic cloves (peeled)

red chilies (adjust to heat, stems removed)

bird's eye chilies (optional, for extra heat)

fresh ginger (peeled, roughly chopped)

fresh turmeric (peeled, roughly chopped) or 1 tsp ground turmeric

candlenuts (or macadamia/walnut as substitute)

lemongrass (white part only, sliced)

galangal (optional, peeled, sliced)

coriander seeds (toasted)

white peppercorns (toasted) or black pepper

salt

palm sugar or brown sugar (packed)

neutral oil (for frying the paste)

water (to adjust consistency)

lime juice or tamarind paste (optional, for brightness)

Select a clean rocks glass or tasting glass. If desired, chill the glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Place one large ice cube or a couple of whiskey stones in the glass. If you prefer neat, omit the ice.