The Buildout

How do you improve upon the very formula that brought us the Old Fashioned? Subjectively speaking, many may argue that it's impossible. But from a technical — or technical cocktail terminology — perspective, there is an historic answer. Tristan Brunel, bar director at New York's Tusk Bar, joins us today to explore the Improved Whiskey Cocktail and convince us of the merits of adding maraschino and...

Laura Maddox, bar manager-owner at Austin's Small Victory, joins us today to dissect the Stinger. Dubbed "the king of after-dinner cocktails," Laura teaches us how to master this two-ingredient mix of Cognac and creme de menthe. Listen on, or read below, to learn Laura's Stinger recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Laura Maddox's Stinger Recipe Ingredients 1 ounce creme de men...

Jason Hedges, beverage director at Laurent Tourondel Hospitality , author of “ The Seasonal Cocktail ,” and founding partner at the beverage consulting firm, Bar IQ , joins us today for our third New-York-bourough-inspired cocktail, The Brooklyn. Listen on to discover Jason's take on (and recipe for) this "improved" Manhattan riff— and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Jason Hedges' Bro...

Vanessa Leon, National Educator for Diageo, visits Cocktail College today to talk about a drink that's near and dear to her heart: The Banana Daiquiri. Think of this as an evolution of our recent exploration of El Floridita Daiquiri — but we're ditching the blender and frozen serve and bringing both high-quality Guatemalan Rum and banana liqueur into the equation, and serving it up. Listen on (or...

We're taking a trip in the Cocktail College time machine as we revisit our 2022 conversation with Toby Cecchini, co-owner of Long Island Bar and The Rockwell Place, and inventor of The Cosmopolitan. Listen on (or read below) to discover Toby's original Cosmo recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Toby Cecchini’s Cosmopolitan Recipe  Ingredients 1 ½ ounces Absolut Citron ¾ o...

Miles Macquarrie, beverage director and partner at Decatur, Georgia’s Kimball House joins Cocktail College for another Techniques episode, this time focusing on the art and science of preservation. Miles’ approach to cocktails is simple on paper, but it relies on years of practice, and hours and hours of prep time during the months of abundance for fresh and local produce. And he’s here today to e...

Ricardo Rodriguez, bar manager at Aberdeen, N.J.'s Lita and La Otra, visits Cocktail College today to shed light on the many numbered variants of the Daiquiri — most specifically, number four: El Floridita Daiquiri. We're ditching the shaker tins in favor of the blender for this one, and it's time to pull out that tall, straw-covered bottle of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, too. Listen on (or read be...

Kyle Davidson joins Cocktail College today to discuss the Art of Choke, a rule-breaking rum, lime, Chartreuse, and Cynar-based stirred drink he invented while working at Chicago's The Violet Room. Listen to discover how a "bartender's choice" order inspired the cocktail, how it evolved since then, and why he's taken it to every subsequent bar he worked at. Don't forget to like, review, and subscri...

Rachel Kling, Diageo Hospitality Partnership National Educator, joins Cocktail College today to explore the Old Pal, an often overlooked relative of the Negroni and Boulevardier. We dive deep into the cocktail's history, discuss its potential for riffs and modern classics, and learn about a very exciting modern interpretation of a very traditional rye. Listen on, or read below, to learn Rachel's O...

Austin Hennelly, bar manager at Los Angeles' Kato , joins us today for a masterclass on one of the four fundamental components of cocktails: sugar. If you're stuck in a simple syrup rut, you're absolutely missing out on a massive flavor opportunity, as Austin explains it, taking up valuable real estate with flavorless refined sugar and risking over-dilution with the ingredient's water component. W...

Marshall Minaya, beverage director at New York’s Valerie, Madame George, and Lolita, joins us today to pick the petals off the surprisingly intricate cocktail — and category of cocktails — that is The Daisy. Since the late 19th century, Daisies have taken on so many different guises — embraced such a wide range of base spirits and formulas — that a historical is a given in today's episode. Listen...

Manuel "Manny" De Avila, the Los Angeles based brand ambassador for Don Julio, joins us today to examine why there are relatively few classic tequila cocktails, and explain how to reimagine classics made with other spirits using tequila. Listen on, or read below, to learn Manny's recipes — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Tequila White Negroni Recipe Ingredients 1 ¼ ounces Don Juli...

Sebastian Tollius, beverage director of New York's Eleven Madison Park, joins us today to re-examine one of the world's most iconic cocktails: the Manhattan. More than 100 episodes have passed since we first covered this drink, and on this go-round, we're diving into both bourbon and rye recipes, modern interpretations, dubious histories, cocktail carts, and much, much more. Listen on, or read bel...

Cocktail or category of cocktails? That’s the big debate at Cocktail College today, as we welcome Amy Racine, the beverage director for JF Restaurants, to explore the Champagne Cocktail. The IBA classes today’s drink as a “contemporary classic,” listing its ingredients as chilled Champagne, Cognac, Angostura bitters, a sugar cube, and — curiously — a few drops of Grand Marnier. That interesting fi...

Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds in a glass? That's right, it's The Bijou — a one-stop shop for those seeking boozy, stirred, "up" cocktails, and another use for that bottle of Green Chartreuse you spent so long hunting down. Here to give us the virtual low-down is Adam Fournier, beverage director of Spago Beverly Hills. Listen on, or read below, to learn Adam's top tips and experience his very own...

We're diving into the history, styles, community, and culture of flair bartending today, with Lindsay Palumbo, a certified flair bartender, instructor, and competitor who plies her trade at the Circa Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas’s Fremont Street. Listen on for Blue Blazers, TGI Fridays, and a certain actor with the initials TC — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! 📧Get in touch: coc...

Joining us on Cocktail College today is Aaron Goldfarb, a longtime VinePair contributor and author of the recently released “ Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits .” As the names of both today’s episode and Aaron’s newest book suggest, this episode will take us on a historical deep dive, and shed light on one of the most fascinating facets of modern drinks culture: vintage cocktails. Listen o...

Fred Astaire in a glass? That’s right folks, it’s the world’s most underrated cocktail, serially disregarded by “serious” drinkers. But not us — not here at Cocktail College! To the Vodka Martini, we’re devoting more than an hour of hot takes, technical insight, and cultural analysis with none other than Tony Abou-Ganim . Calling in from Las Vegas, the author of “ Vodka Distilled: The Modern Mixol...

Live from Brooklyn’s Sunken Harbor Club, we proudly present: The Fog Cutter… and so much more! That’s right, it’s an episode of firsts and threes: the first Cocktail College recorded in front of a (sell-out) crowd; our first time featuring three guests (and audience questions); not one, not two, but three cocktails (at least one of which contains three base spirits, and a sherry float for good mea...

It's another historical deep dive today, as we cast our gaze hundreds of years into the past to explore punches, something the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails describes as "the foundational drink of modern mixology and the first mixed drink based on spirits to gain global popularity.” Helping us do so is Tural Hasanov, the director of Arts Club and Punch Room at the Tampa EDITION. List...

In the two years since we first covered the Espresso Martini, precious little has changed on the drink’s popularity front. In fact, it’s probably more popular now than ever. On reflection, this should come as no surprise, and today we’re joined by Stephen Kurpinsky — Mr. Black’s long-time U.S. brand ambassador — to learn exactly why that’s the case. Listen on (or read below) to discover Stephen’s...

We’re stepping into the time machine today and digging deep into the Cocktail College vaults, as we resurface our conversation on the Vesper. Little did we know it when we first recorded this episode, but the Vesper has been on something of a quiet tear in recent times, with bartenders building on the Martini trend and lending their interpretations of this version of the cocktail to their menus. J...

The Tuxedo is a complex cocktail in many different ways, but primarily because it has a number of… well, numbered variations, the most well-known of which contains sherry, which is a whole different category of variations itself. Luckily enough for us, we’re joined by the wonderful tutor (and bartender!) Kat Foster, an EMP alum and bar manager of Brooklyn’s Margot. Listen on (or read below) to dis...

Named after "the most famous train in the world," today's drink sees us head to London with significant stops in New York and Chicago, as we explore the 20th Century Cocktail. Joining us to do so is Meredith Barry, the co-owner and operator of Platypus and New Society in St. Louis. Listen on (or read below) to discover Meredith’s 20th Century Cocktail recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and...

In this planetary edition of Cocktail College, we’re joined by Ray Sakover to embark on a deep space exploration of The Saturn. Ray is the co-owner of New York’s recently opened Paradise Lost, and the cocktail in question is a lesser-known, gin-based blended tiki concoction. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ray’s Saturn recipe, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!    Ray...