Key Lime Pie

★ Original Cocktail ★

Ingredients

2 oz Brinley Shipwreck Coconut Rum
3/4 oz caramelized condensed coconut milk
1/2 oz blended lime cordial
1/4 oz lime juice
4 drops saline solution
grated graham cracker garnish

Directions

Shake and strain over crushed or pebble ice. Grate graham cracker over the top.

Notes

This is my first original cocktail, and it nails the key lime pie flavor. This took some trial and error, including using heavy cream, which didn’t work. Brinley Shipwreck is key here, because of its thicker, sweeter texture.

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Orange Whip

Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly

Ingredients

1 oz Plantation 3 Stars White Rum
1 oz Brinley Shipwreck Coconut Rum
1/2 oz John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz orange juice
3/4 oz lime acid orange
1/2 oz 2:1 clear syrup
1 egg white
sparkling water

Directions

Add some ice cubes to a chilled collins glass, then pour in 1 1/2 oz sparking water. Dry shake all the remaining ingredients, add ice, then shake again until chilled. Strain and pour into the glass, and let it rest for a minute. Slowly pour soda water into the center of the foam until it rises above the rim.

Notes

This is like an orange coconut version of a Ramos Gin Fizz, but tastes a lot like an Orange Julius. For the win! Watch the Educated Barfly video for more on the drink’s origin. I used ingredients I had on hand, so my recipe is slightly different.

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The Remedy

Credit: Existing Conditions

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces Plantation Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/2 ounce Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum
3/4 ounce lime acid orange
3/4 ounce caramelized condensed coconut milk
4 drops saline solution

Directions

Shake and strain over crushed or pebble ice.

Notes

This is a take on the classic Painkiller. It’s amazing how much pineapple comes through solely with the rum and no actual juice. I’d have to taste this and a Painkiller side by side since this drink tasted nearly the same to me.

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Lime Acid Orange

Credit: Dave Arnold, Liquid Intelligence

Ingredients

500 ml fresh orange juice
10 grams malic acid
16 grams citric acid

Directions

Combine all ingredients, bottle, and store in the fridge.

Notes

It’s orange juice, but with the acidity of lime, which helps the otherwise lower-acid citrus come through in cocktails.

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Caramelized Condensed Coconut Milk

Credit: Existing Conditions

Ingredients

1 can Nature's Charm Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Directions

In a pressure cooker, place the unopened can of condensed coconut milk with enough water to cover it. Cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely on stove top without rapid depressurization. Once cool, open the can, and store the caramelized condensed coconut milk in a mason jar in the fridge.

Notes

I first tried this in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes. It was good, but that extra 10 minutes adds a lot more caramelized flavor. I avoided going near the kitchen once this process started, though.

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Shakerato

Credit: Dave Arnold, Liquid Intelligence

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz cold brew coffee concentrate
3 oz whole milk
1/2 oz 2:1 demerara syrup
2 drops saline solution

Directions

Shake like hell and pour over ice.

Notes

This drink is insanely good for how simple it is. The milk gets frothy at the top, it’s perfectly balanced, sweet but not too sweet, the coffee comes through…so great for the afternoon.

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Iced Cafè Corretto

Credit: Brad Thomas Parsons, Amaro

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Amaro CioCiaro
1 1/2 oz cold brew coffee concentrate

Directions

Build in a rocks glass with a large ice cube.

Notes

The cold brew is perfect with the CioCiaro. It was in the low 90s today, so sipping on this at the end of a long day is such a reward!

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Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Ingredients

8 oz coffee, coarse grind
32 oz cold water

Directions

Add 16 oz cold water to the coffee grounds in a large container, stir to moisten the grounds, and let sit for 30 minutes. Add the remaining 16 oz water, stir again, cover, and let sit for 24 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, then run the resulting liquid through a coffee filter.

Notes

Running it through the coffee filter is key. I ended up with between 20-24 oz concentrate.

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Lime Cordial

Blended Version

16 oz hot water
450 g sugar
4 tbsp lime zest, from roughly 8 limes
2 oz lime juice
2 tbsp citric acid

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds. Strain, bottle, and refrigerate.

Version 1

Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly

Ingredients

3 cups 1:1 simple syrup
zest of 6 limes
1 oz lime juice
1/2 tsp citric acid

Directions

Blend simple syrup and lime zest, then strain. Add the lime juice and citric acid.

Version 2

Credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Ingredients

250 g sugar
8 oz hot water
1 1/2 oz lime juice
3 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp citric acid

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds. Strain, bottle, and refrigerate.

Notes

Fantastic for adding multi-dimensional, balanced lime flavor.

Update

So, I found Morgenthaler’s version way too tart. When I mixed it with an equal amount of the Educated Barfly’s version, it was perfect. So, until I combine the recipe into one, for now, I’ll just recommend blending these versions together.

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Amaretto Sour (Reconstructed)

Credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Educated Barfly

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Lazzaroni Amaretto
3/4 oz bourbon
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz 2:1 demerara syrup
1 egg white

Directions

Dry shake all ingredients, then add a large ice cube and shake again until it’s chilled. Strain and pour into a coupe glass. You can also serve it in a rocks glass over a large cube of ice.

Notes

This is delightful! And dangerously easy to drink. Confession: I made one for me and my husband, so doubled the recipe, which might have reduced the foam. Also, I didn’t have quite enough lemon juice, so had to sub in a bit of lime juice! Even so, it all worked. Lazzaroni is infused with those same cookies in the red tin. An adult echo of a childhood memory. :-)

Update

This drink works just fine over a large ice cube—better in fact, as it stays cold longer!

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Campari Orange (Garibaldi)

Credit: Campari

Ingredients

1 oz Campari
3 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
orange peel garnish (or slice of orange)

Directions

Build in a glass: first add ice, then Campari, then orange juice. Sir and garnish.

Notes

After the butterocalypse of last night’s Cold Buttered Rum, I wanted something light and refreshing—and this nails it! And such a stunning red-orange. I’ve seen all Campari ratios for this: 1:3, 1.5:4, 2:4, so I went with the lightest one, which happens to also be Campari’s version. This would also make a great brunch drink.

This cocktail was originally called a Garibaldi after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general who helped unite Northern and Southern Italy. The Campari represents north; the orange, south.

Update

This drink is stunning with blood orange juice as well!

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Painkiller

Origin: The Soggy Dollar

Ingredients

2 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum
4 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1 oz Coco López
grated nutmeg on top
orange and Luxardo cherry garnish

Directions

Shake and strain over crushed or pebble ice.

Notes

Ok, I see why this is called a Painkiller—even after splitting one with my husband! Coco López is key here. It has the essential flavor and texture for this cocktail. The Smith & Cross rum is perfect, and necessary to shine through the Coco López.

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Hole in the Cup

Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly, citing Lauren McLaughlin, Milk & Honey

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Patron Silver Tequila
1/4 oz St. George Absinthe
1 oz Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
2 cucumber slices
cucumber slice garnish

Directions

Muddle cucumber slices, lime juice, syrup, and pineapple juice together. Add the absinthe and tequila, shake, with ice, and double-strain into a large chilled martini or coupe glass, Garnish with a slice of cucumber on the rim.

Notes

WOW. First off, the cucumber is magical in this drink. Absolutely so refreshing with the pineapple. I don’t gravitate toward tequila drinks but this worked great. The absinthe is quite anise-forward, which I love. The cucumber garnish also adds a perfect aroma. This is why I like home bartending. Most drinks I blog here are quite good. Then you get something like this—totally surprising and unlike anything else. This is a dangerous one! I loved watching my husband’s reaction after he tried it…YES!

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Red Eye to Oaxaca

Credit: Barfaith

Ingredients

1 oz Montelobos Espadín Mezcal Joven
1 oz Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro
1 oz cold brew concentrate
orange peel and Luxardo cherry garnish

Directions

Shake and strain over a large rock of ice. Express the orange peel and garnish with the spent peel and cherry.

Notes

So, this was unexpectedly awesome. I say unexpected because I don’t much care for mezcal. However, the Montelobos is a good starter mezcal, and the smokiness of Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro pairs so well…and I do love my amari! We drank this the night before going on our first cruise (Dice Tower 2020!!) and all we had on hand was instant espresso but it still worked! Now we have some cold brew coffee concentrate from Trader Joe’s.

Update

This is best with Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s cold brew coffee concentrate.

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Lucano Corretto

Credit: The Educated Barfly, citing Ryan Wainright and Kara Newman, Nightcap

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Amaro Lucano
1/2 oz Flor de Cana 12 Year Rum
1/2 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz heavy cream
2 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
chocolate garnish

Directions

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Grate chocolate over the top.

Notes

This is a perfect nightcap. Even with no sugar syrup and using a much less sweet coffee liqueur, the drink is plenty sweet from the amaro, and has a bitter, spicy, intriguing flavor. I’d like to get white chocolate next time for a bit more creaminess—I used a dark chocolate almond orange bar, which was still fantastic. And Fee’s Aztec Chocolate bitters have so much flavor!

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Passion Fruit Spritz

Ingredients

4 oz Pineapple Bubbly
1 oz passion fruit syrup

Directions

Build in a glass with a rock of ice.

Notes

Nailed it! So refreshing—it has the feel of a virgin mimosa but the passion fruit makes it more interesting. My husband was making breakfast tacos for us on a late Saturday morning, and I thought it warranted a festive drink. I was building on the momentum of a fresh bottle of passion fruit syrup and just guessed on the ratio. And in the latest news: pineapple Bubly is officially my favorite fizzy water.

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Passion Fruit Syrup

Credit: Martin Cate, Smuggler’s Cove

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Goya passion fruit pulp
1 1/2 cups 2:1 clear syrup
1/2 oz vodka

Directions

Mix ingredients together and bottle.

Notes

Utterly fantastic. You can’t beat Goya’s passion fruit pulp, available in the frozen section in Chavez market. I used to make this with 2:1 demerara syrup, but using a granulated sugar syrup lets the passion fruit flavor come through more cleanly. Also, after losing yet another bottle of orgeat, I’ve decided to start adding a small amount of alcohol to my syrups to extend their shelf life.

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Tasting: Banana Liqueurs

The Flight

Drillaud Crème de Banane (25% ABV)
Giffard Banane du Bresil (25% ABV)
Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane (26% ABV)

Notes

Drillaud Creme de Banane: Smells exactly like a banana Now and Later. I’d use this in a pinch where banana liqueur is a small fraction of the cocktail.

Giffard Banane du Bresil: This is pure banana, with a rich, syrupy quality. I’d put this in everything from a Dirty Banana to a banana daiquiri and more.

Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane: Wow. Many people have described the aroma as that of banana bread, and I can see why—it’s banana with a brown sugar and spice dimension. A bit boozier, too.

The Verdict

Giffard Banane du Bresil and Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane are both great to have on hand. I’d use the Giffard in a tiki drink with multiple ingredients, and I’d use the Tempus Fugit when I want to highlight banana liqueur.

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Bramble

Credit: Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, citing Dick Bradsell

Ingredients

2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz 2:1 clear syrup
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Mûre
lemon and blackberry garnish

Directions

Shake gin, lemon juice, and syrup with ice and strain over a rocks glass with crushed ice. Drizzle the crème de mûre on top and garnish with lemon peel and blackberry.

Notes

This drink is summer in a glass, and it works just fine on a 70-degree day in February. My version was a bit sweeter, as I used Meyer lemons and 2:1 syrup. I wasn’t willing to spend money for out-of-season fruit (and the lemon twist was just fine), but in a few months I’ll have a good excuse to load up on blackberries.

Watch Dick Bradsell make his original cocktail, the Bramble.

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Lorikeet

Credit: Shannon Mustipher, Tiki

Ingredients

2 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey
1/2 Giffard Banana Liqueur
1 oz pineapple juice
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz cinnamon syrup
4 dashes Angostura Bitters
6 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
orange twist, pineapple leaf garnish

Directions

Shake and strain over crushed ice.

Notes

An interesting take on tiki with the rye! Not as sweet, but the banana comes through.

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