Figs are in season where I live (and in most of the US), so now is a great time to use this delightful fruit in cocktails. You can even enjoy this fig infusion long after the season is over!
The flavor of this fig bourbon is perfect for Fall and holiday drinks. Try it in a Manhattan or with a little soda and a squeeze of lemon. I use Black Mission figs, but you can … Read more
The taste and smell of cinnamon bring to mind the holidays. This easy-to-make cinnamon syrup will add a little spice to your cocktails, hot or cold.
Cinnamon syrup is a key ingredient to many tiki drinks and a nice addition to whiskey cocktails. Other holiday flavors like cranberry and pumpkin match well with this spice, too.
Ingredients:1 cup sugar
1 cup water
5 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
Bring all ingredients to a … Read more
Cocktail onions may seem like an outdated garnish. A lot of bars don’t even bother to stock them. However, when done right, they add a nice savory finish to a good stiff drink.
Of course, you can’t make a Gibson without them.
Check out this tasty and simple recipe.… Read more
[The Monthly Mixer is a new column by M. Quinn Sweeney who writes about crafting cocktails at LibationLab.com]
Bottles of fluorescent fluids labeled “sour mix” can be purchased at any grocery or liquor store but what you are buying has no actual fruit or anything else found in nature. It’s an artificial conglomeration of crap that tastes like the description above implies. It’s like stirring up some Tang and calling it orange juice. Bars use … Read more
[The Monthly Mixer is a new column by M. Quinn Sweeney, who writes about crafting cocktails at LibationLab.com]
Simple syrup, is called simple for a reason. It is the easiest way to sweeten a drink, and blends into a cocktail much easier than plain sugar. You can make it at home in five minutes and store it in the fridge for weeks. In a pinch, you can even mash in some fruit and pour it … Read more
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, so whip out the Baileys Irish cream … or don’t!
I saw this recipe for homemade Irish cream that sounds like a winner.
As the authors of DIY Cocktails, we’re always on the lookout for ways to add more homemade ingredients to cocktails.
From 52 Kitchen Adventures:
… Read moreThis is a ridiculously easy recipe that makes me question buying Bailey’s ever again. It tastes better, you can make as
This simple recipe is very festive, making it perfect for holiday celebrations or homemade gifts. The brandied apricots are good by themselves or as a topping on ice cream or cake. You can even use the juice in cocktails. It’s probably possible to use dried apricots, although this was made with fresh ones that were flash frozen.
Ingredients8 apricots, pitted and halved
¾ cup brandy (I used cognac)
¼ cup water
1-2 cinnamon sticks, … Read more
The Monthly Mixer is a new column by M. Quinn Sweeney who writes about crafting cocktails at LibationLab.com.
That never-expiring bottle on your shelf isn’t really grenadine. That bastard stepchild of the classic cocktail mixer, which comes in a color not found in nature and is comprised almost entirely of sugar, may be ubiquitous but it’s not authentic.
Thanks to the public demand for antioxidants and the year-round growing season in California’s Central Valley, 100% … Read more
Pomegranate juice tastes fantastic in cocktails. Looking at a pomegranate, though, you might be left wondering how to actually get juice out of that thing! Sure, it’s easy enough to find a bottle in the store. But it can be expensive. Maybe you hit the fresh-pomegranate jackpot and want to use the bounty. Or maybe like us you always use fresh juice whenever possible.
Here’s what to do to turn that funky fruit into juice. … Read more
This cocktail cherry recipe will take you about 15 minutes … and I promise you’ll like them better than those radioactive-looking “maraschino” cherries most bars and grocery stores stock. (I gave maraschino the sarcastic quotation mark treatment because the neon-red ones that are most common don’t even use maraschino liqueur or Marasca cherries, just a lot of sugar.)
Aside from garnishing cocktails like Manhattans with these, you can also use them as a dessert topping … Read more