The East India Cocktail

To be sure, the Tom Collins is a little boring on paper, but beyond its simplicity lies one of the great origin stories in cocktail history — complete with fake names, old-time pranks, and a debate over whether “Tom” was even the right guy in the first place. It’s a highball in structure, a sour in spirit, and still one of the most enduring templates ever poured over ice. But where did the Tom Collins actually come from? And how can something so classic still surprise and impress us all these years later? Here to discuss all of that and more is Allison Everitt, a Detroit-based bartender and founder of Fast Friends, a pop-up celebrating industry-led hospitality. Listen on (or read below) to discover Allison's Tom Collins recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe. Learn more about VinePair's Best New Bartender competition here! Allison Everitt's Tom Collins Cocktail Recipe   Ingredients  - 2 ounces Old Tom Gin - ½ ounce simple syrup (1:1) - ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice - Garnish: lemon twist Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. 2. Shake until chilled and strain into a Collins glass. 3. Fill with ice and top with soda water. 4. Garnish with lemon twist. 📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Allison: https://www.instagram.com/shindigging/ - Meadowlark: https://www.instagram.com/fastfriends__/ Learn more about VinePair's Best New Bartender competition here!    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First documented in the late 1800's, the East India Cocktail combines Cognac, curaçao, fruit syrup, bitters, and maraschino liqueur. The drink has been tweaked, misattributed, and misunderstood for over a century, and here to break it down for us on Cocktail College is Chicago-based Abe Vucekovich, beverage director at Meadowlark Hospitality. Listen on (or read below) to discover Abe's East India Cocktail recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe.Learn more about VinePair's Best New Bartender competition here! Abe Vucekovich's East India Cocktail Recipe  Ingredients - 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters- 1 barspoon - ¼ ounce pineapple syrup (depending on Cognac proof)- ¼ ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur- ½ ounce Curaçao, such as Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao- 2 ounce Cognac, such as Pierre Ferrand 1840, Bertoux Brandy, or Sacred Bond Brandy- Garnish: pineapple wedge and skewered cherryDirections 1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.2. Stir until chilled and strain into a rocks glass over a large cube of ice.3. Garnish with pineapple wedge and skewered cherry, set on the glass' rim.📧Get in touch: [email protected] 🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Abe: https://www.instagram.com/abevuc/- Meadowlark: https://www.instagram.com/meadowlarkchicago/Learn more about VinePair's Best New Bartender competition here!    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

French soldier Gaétan Picon crafted his namesake liqueur — an intensely bitter, herbal, and orange-forward spirit meant to fight off fevers — in the 1830s. Back home, locals soon discovered that a dash of Amer Picon in their beer transformed an ordinary pint into something extraordinary. And so the Picon Bière was born. Joining us to explore it today is Jay Zimmerman, long-time bar owner and bartender at Bar Ba'sik, which sadly recently closed, and sales manager at Good Time Brewing Co. Listen on (or read below) to discover Jay's Picon Bière recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Jay Zimmerman's Picon Bière Recipe   Ingredients  - 1 ounce Amer Picon or alternative, such as Braulio or the Pathfinder - 6 ounces beer, such as Kronenbourg, Witbier, or Good Time IPA Non-Alcoholic Directions  1. Build in a 10 ounce Highball glass. 2. Serve as cold as possible without ice. 📖 The Secret to Flavorful Booze-Free Cocktails? NA Beer 📧 Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Jay: https://www.instagram.com/jay_max_zim/     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few cocktails capture the essence of sunshine, simplicity, and sheer refreshment as the Mojito, a humble mix of rum, mint, lime, sugar, and soda water. But don’t be fooled — beneath the easygoing exterior lies a rich history, deep cultural significance, and surprising amount of craft and technique to perfect it. Joining us to explore it today is Maestro Cantinero and founder of Miami's Café La Trova, Julio Cabrera. Listen on (or read below) to discover Julio's Mojito recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Julio Cabrera's Mojito Recipe  Ingredients - ½ tablespoon (10-12g) granulated white cane sugar- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice- 6-10 mint leaves- 2 ounces white rum, such as Bacardi Superior, Flor de Caña 4 Year, Don Q, Banks 5, Bounty etc.- Garnish: mint sprig and one dash of Angostura bittersDirections 1. Add sugar and lime to a highball glass (8 or 10 ounce) and stir to create a paste.2. Add mint leaves and muddle gently, without breaking leaves.3. Fill glass with cube ice and add rum.4. Top with soda water and garnish with mint sprig and bitters.5. Serve with long stirrer or spoon (no straw).📧Get in touch: [email protected] 🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Julio: https://www.instagram.com/juliopapadoble/- Café La Trova: https://www.instagram.com/cafelatrovamiami/    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rusty Nail is basically just Scotch and Drambuie, stirred over ice — no citrus, no dilution debates, no garnish wars. And yet, this two-ingredient classic has a history as layered as the whisky it’s built on. Here to explore it with us is Jordan Valls, bar manager at Palomar in Portland, Oregon. Listen on (or read below) to discover Jordan's Rusty Nail recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Jordan Valls' Rusty Nail Recipe   Ingredients  - ¼ ounce Drambuie - ½ ounce papaya cordial - ½ ounce Cutty Sark Prohibition - 1 ½ ounce Johnnie Walker Red Label - 4 dashes Angostura cocoa bitters - Garnish: orange coin Directions  1. Add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir to combine and strain into a rocks glass over a large cube of ice. 3. Garnish with an orange coin. 📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Jordan: https://www.instagram.com/creatine_daiquiri/ - Palomar: https://www.instagram.com/palomarpdx/      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Named after the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba, today's tropical Daiquiri riff combines rum, pineapple, apricot liqueur, lime, and sugar, serving a perfect balance of elegance and escapism. Beyond its postcard-perfect vibes, the Hotel Nacional carries some serious history. Here to explain it all is SC Baker, bar lead at Epiphany in Louisville, Kentucky. Listen on (or read below) to discover Baker's Hotel Nacional recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! SC Baker's Hotel Nacional Recipe   Ingredients  - 1 ½ ounces lightly aged rum, such as Misguided spirits Red Sky, Hamilton 87 White ‘Stache, Real McCoy 3 year - ½ ounce apricot liqueur, such as Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot - ¼ ounce rich simple syrup (2:1 white sugar to water) - 1 ounce pineapple juice - ½ ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed or Superjuice) - Garnish: dried apricot on a cocktail pick (optional) Directions  1. Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 3. Serve as is or garnish with a dried apricot on a cocktail pick. 📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Baker: https://www.instagram.com/thecuckoochanel/ - Epiphany: https://www.instagram.com/epiphany_ky/     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Southside is a cocktail with a split personality — part speakeasy classic, part country club staple, and depending on who you ask, a drink with roots in gangsters or golf courses. It’s a simple mix of gin, citrus, mint, and sugar, but behind that refreshing exterior lies a surprisingly tangled history. Here to unpack it all is Ryan Garrison, head bartender at Brooklyn’s Bitter Monk, a lead bartender at New York’s Sugar Monk, and the distillery manager for Atheras Spirits. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ryan's Southside recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Ryan Garrison's Southside Recipe  Ingredients - ½ ounce simple syrup- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice- 2 ounces London Dry Gin, such as Ford's- 5-6 mint leaves- Garnish: attractive mint sprig or simple mint leafDirections 1. Slap chilled Nick & Nora glass with mint leaves then add to a cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients and ice.2. Lightly shake until chilled then double strain into one side of the shaker.3. Add a splash of soda water and pour into chilled, prepared Nick & Nora.4. Garnish with mint sprig or single mint leaf.📧Get in touch: [email protected] 🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Ryan: https://www.instagram.com/bartender_garrison/- Bitter Monk: https://www.instagram.com/bittermonkbrooklyn/    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food-inspired cocktails, ingredient-driven drinks, and cutting-edge techniques: These are some of the key tenets of one of the hottest trends in mixology right now and the topic of today's show. It's savory cocktails, and our guest is David Muhs, head bartender at Brooklyn’s Sama Street, and head bartender and partner at New York’s Monkey Thief. Listen on (or read below) to learn how David brings all these components together in one (of many) delicious recipes — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!David Muhs' Major Tom Recipe  Ingredients - 1 ounce London Dry Gin- 1 ounce Mizu Lemongrass Shochu- 6 dashes chili tincture (about 3:1 by weight, Florida Orange Blossom or Acacia)- 1 barspoon ginger syrup (2:1)- ½ ounce lemongrass syrup (20 grams fresh lemongrass into 1:1 simple syrup, boiled, seeped, and strained)- ½ ounce CoCo Lopez- 1 ounce fresh lime juice- 1 pickled fish sauce cherry tomato with 1 barspoon pickling liquid (cherry/grape tomatoes pickled with 2 parts rice wine vinegar, 1 part fish sauce, a couple garlic cloves, and Thai chilis, some Cubeb or black peppercorns. 24-hour pickle)- Garnish: lime leaf and atomized lime leaf tinctureDirections 1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.2. Shake until chilled and strain into a rocks or ceramic glass over one large cube of ice.3. Garnish with a lime leaf and atomized lime leaf tincture.📧 Get in touch: [email protected]🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - David: https://www.instagram.com/muhsman/- Monkey Thief: https://www.instagram.com/monkeythiefbar/- Sama Street: https://www.instagram.com/samastreetbk/      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few tiki and tropical drinks are as light, herbal, and dangerously sessionable as the Missionary’s Downfall. Created by Don the Beachcomber in the 1930s, it’s one of the genre’s earlier recipes and one of the first cocktails to embrace the power of the blender. And it is the blender itself — and proper blending technique — that will primarily be in our crosshairs on today’s episode. Here to lead us on that exploration is returning guest, VinePair Next Wave Awards Bartender of the Year (2024), and Chief Cocktail Officer at Brooklyn's Sunken Harbor Club, Garret Richard. Listen on (or read below) to discover Garret's Missionary's Downfall recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Garret Richard's Missionary's Downfall Recipe  Ingredients - 5 drops saline solution- ½ ounce acid-adjusted pineapple juice* or lime juice- ½ ounce rich honey syrup (about 3:1 by weight, Florida Orange Blossom or Acacia)- ½ ounce peach liqueur, such as Giffard Crème de Pêche de Vigne (from freezer)- ½ ounce RinQuinQuin Peach Aperitif (from freezer)- 1 ounce white rum, such as Probitas or Havana 3-Year (from freezer)- 60 grams chopped pineapple chunks (frozen for a day, then taken out of freezer to defrost, and strained)- 12-13 fresh mint leaves- 1 ½ cups (170 grams) crushed ice- ¼ teaspoon Xantham gum- Garnish: pineapple wedge and mint sprigsDirections 1. Add all ingredients sans ice to a blender and flash blend until fully incorporated (blend for as short a time as possible to achieve this).2. Add ice and blend until chilled and fully incorporated (again, the shorter the better here).3. Serve in a chilled Pearl Diver (or 10 ounce) glass with a spent lime in the bottom, and garnish with mint and pineapple wedge.*Acid Adjusted Pineapple Juice Recipe Ingredients - 3.2 grams citric acid- 2.0 grams malic acid- 100 milliliters fresh pineapple juice (strained)📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 🏆 Garret's Next Wave Awards 2024 profile📖 Techniques! Extracts and Essences With Garret Richard🍍 Tropical Standard🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Garret: https://www.instagram.com/garretjrichard/- Sunken Harbor Club: https://www.instagram.com/sunkenharborclubnyc/      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s sweet, it’s colorful, and it’s got a history wilder than a Rolling Stones tour bus — it’s the Tequila Sunrise. And while it might look like a poolside guilty pleasure, behind the gradient glow lies a story of rock ‘n’ roll excess, reinvention, and one major identity crisis. Here to explore this storied creation's history is Nikolas Vagenas, bartender and co-owner at Brooklyn's Mr. Melo. Listen on (or read below) to discover Nikolas' Tequila Sunrise recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!Nikolas Vagenas' Tequila Sunrise Recipe  Ingredients - ½ ounce agave/grenadine mix (1 part water, 1 part agave syrup, 1 part pomegranate molasses)- ½ ounce Luxardo cherry syrup (diluted slightly)- 2 ounces blanco tequila- ¾ ounce acid-adjusted orange juice*- 2 dashes orange bitters- Splash of soda- Garnish: orange slice and Luxardo cherryDirections 1. Build all ingredients in a chilled highball glass in the order listed.2. Add ice and garnish with an orange slice and Luxardo cherry.3. Serve, directing guest to stir before drinking.*Acid Adjusted Orange Juice Recipe  Ingredients - 34g citric acid- 22g malic acid- 2g tartaric acid- Pinch of salt- 1 quart freshly squeezed orange juice📧Get in touch: [email protected] 🍸Follow us: - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Nikolas: https://www.instagram.com/nikpicks/- Mr. Melo: https://www.instagram.com/mr.melobar/      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.