With the Kentucky Derby falling on May 5th, our collective inbox is filled with a confusing mess of cocktail recipes. We’ve got the requisite mint juleps, of course, plus a handful of tequila cocktails for Cinco de Mayo. Then there are the random vodkas and liqueurs trying to get in on the action, but they're disqualified from this round of contention. We sifted through the clutter, and below we’ve rounded up a few of the best recipes for the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo. That said, should you happen to fashion a delicious tequila julep or bourbon margarita served in a...

Over the past two months, Nolet’s Gin has sent us a trio of packages as part of it’s Cupboard to Cocktail Program. This program encourages bartenders and home enthusiasts to utilize ingredients found in their cabinets, with less reliance on seasonal ingredients that are difficult to source. It was a fun couple months, as we got to experiment with some ingredients that we’ve never used in cocktails, like lavender leaves and banana jam. First up was the Nolet's Silver New Fashioned (pictured), which paired Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin with sour cherry marmalade and Angostura Bitters. It was tart and refreshing,...

With spring in the air and warmer weather upon us, let’s drink some seasonal tequila cocktails. Many people associate tequila with warmer weather – cue the margarita – and put the spirit away during winter months. That’s a shame, of course, as reposado and anejo tequilas can warm even the coldest and most sober soul on a frigid winter day. But no matter; to celebrate the onset of spring, we present a trio of seasonal tequila cocktails. Each comes courtesy of Excellia Tequila, a 100% agave tequila from the highlands of Jalisco. And each features the brand's reposado tequila, which...

Let’s raise a glass to Leap Year, and let’s fill that glass with booze. In this case, the gin-based Leap Year Cocktail, a fitting drink for the once-every-four-years day of February 29th. The Leap Year cocktail was created by Harry Craddock, famed bartender at the Savoy Hotel in London and author of the seminal drinks tome, the Savoy Cocktail Book. Craddock first crafted the drink in 1928, and though it hasn’t caught on as a mainstream cocktail, the eponymous drink is unearthed every four years in bars and boozy homes across the world. Combining gin with Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth and...

Cynar is perhaps my new favorite ingredient for crafting cocktails. I’ve been drinking the stuff, usually straight, for several years, but it’s only recently that I’ve begun to really experiment with Cynar in cocktails. While the bottle prominently features an artichoke, one can hardly claim that Cynar tastes like artichokes. Rather, it’s a bittersweet Italian aperitif (though it can be considered a valid digestivo given its bitter properties) comprised of 13 herbs and plants. It’s much less bitter than amari like Fernet and Campari, and its relatively low alcohol level – just 16.5% – makes it even easier to toss...

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and with it comes a slew of romantically-inclined drink recipes flooding our inbox. Some are sickeningly sweet, chocolate-fueled disasters, while others are quite drinkable. Here are a few in the latter set. This first drink comes courtesy of Jason Littrell and Marshall Altier of JBird in New York. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, it serves two. “One drink, two straws, please.” Sadie Hawkin’s Sling (pictured) 4 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon 2 oz pineapple juice 1 oz lemon juice .5 oz apricot liqueur .75 oz pear brandy .75 oz Falernum .5 oz cane syrup 2 dashes tiki bitters Serve in a whole pineapple. Garnish with...

File this under the I-can’t-believe-this-is-a-real-holiday-but-I’m-sure-glad-it-is category. January 17th marks Hot Buttered Rum Day, and as with all drinking holidays, we’re happy to partake. Hot Buttered Rum is one of our favorite seasonal drinks and is a nice change-of-pace from egg nog and spiked cider. Rum is the perfect base for this buttery libation, which is spiced up with allspice dram and apple cider. There are several quality recipes for Hot Buttered Rum, but this year we’re making the below recipe, courtesy of Kenneth McCoy and NYC’s Rum House. Hot Buttered Brugal 2 oz Brugal Añejo Rum 1 teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon butter 4 oz hot...

The Brandy Crusta was perhaps the pinnacle of 1800s cocktailing. First created around 1840 or 1850, the Brandy Crusta modified the classic cocktail template -- spirit, sugar, water and bitters -- with some fresh lemon juice and a dash of orange liqueur. The result was a bright, easy-to-gulp cocktail that didn't shy away from its boozy backbone. The Brandy Crusta wasn't the first drink to utilize citrus and liqueur, but it's one of the few 1800s-era cocktails to do so and really stand the test of time. For that, Brandy Crusta, we salute you. As Brandy and Cognac cocktails have made a...

Let’s ring in 2012 the way we left 2011 – with a nice buzz. New Year’s Eve calls for Champagne, but if you want to augment your drinking with something more than a bottle of bubbly, try some easy-to-make Champagne cocktails. Last year we covered the aptly-named Champagne Cocktail, the French 75 and the Death in the Afternoon as worthy New Year’s Eve cocktails. Any of those will do the trick. Or try one of these festive drinks. Italian 76 2 oz gin 1/2 oz Aperol 1/2 lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup Prosecco Shake first four ingredients with ice. Strain into a coupe and top with...

Fernet, that most bitter of Italian amari, has reached cult-like status in recent years. It’s a favorite shot for bartenders, a popular digestivo in San Francisco – Northern California accounts for nearly 40% of all Fernet Branca’s U.S. sales – and is often mixed with Coke in Argentina. But as Camper English notes, until now, a call for Fernet has almost exclusively meant Fernet Branca, the most widely available brand of the Italian liqueur. Hoping to change that, two companies will begin giving consumers more choices in their Fernet consumption. Camper’s San Francisco Chronicle article reports that drinkers can expect to...