u/Puddinshins

Happy Tiki Tuesday everyone! Back with another tiki mug creation! We’ll be revisiting a previous mug, because…well…I don’t have enough room to use a different mug for each drink!

We’re taking a trip to East Asia with this creation! Slightly herbal, slightly savory, with a ton of juiciness from yuzu and mandarin wrapped up in an ominous gray-black concoction!

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THE PALE SIGIL

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• 1.25oz Plymouth Gin

• .75oz Rhum Agricole Blanc

• .75oz Black Sesame Syrup

• .75oz Yuzu Juice

• .75oz Mandarin Juice

• 2 dashes Thai Basil Tincture OR a handful of fresh Thai Basil

• 2 dashes Sichuan Peppercorn Tincture OR infuse gin

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a glass/mug with plenty of crushed ice

Garnish with fresh Thai Basil and Flowers

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Immediately met with a big slap in the face with the potent smell of Thai basil, followed quickly by the botanicals and bright grassy and vegetal notes of gin and Rhum. Sichuan peppercorn’s floral sharpness leads the way into the tart juiciness of both yuzu and mandarin before fading out with whispers of Sichuan peppercorn and the savory, sweet, and ever-so-slightly bitter black sesame syrup.

A dark ominous looking drink that’s absolutely packed with flavor!

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Happy Tiki Tuesday everyone! Back with another tiki mug creation! We’ll be revisiting a previous mug, because…well…I don’t have enough room to use a different mug for each drink!

Went peach picking, and when you have spectacular delicious ripe peaches, what do you do? That’s right, make your own homemade charred peach liqueur (inspired by @danfellows). Then you make a drink, or 5 with it!

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ENTHRALLING VISIONS

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• 1oz Aged Rhum Agricole - JM Terroir Volcanique

• 1oz Bourbon Whiskey - Still Austin

• .25oz Aged Jamaican Rum - Hampden HLCF

• .75oz Peach Liqueur

• .5oz Graham Cracker Syrup

• 1oz Peach Juice

• .75oz Lemon Juice

• 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

• 2 dashes Lemon Bitters

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a glass/mug with plenty of crushed ice

Garnish with mint and sliced peaches and a spritz of absinthe over the top

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The delicious sweet caramel notes of bourbon, the tamed grassiness of an aged agricole, and the subtle herbal notes of peychauds and absinthe are a joy. Throw in the bright lift of lemon, the rich taste of my graham cracker syrup, and an absolutely potent peach punch, and you’ve got yourself something incredible.

Top it all off with the wafting scent of ripe peaches, absinthe, and fresh mint that fill your nose and gently bring you floating through the air à la Looney Toons. Nothing quite as captivating as a nice peach. Cheers!

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

CRESTED IBIS

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• 1oz Aged Jamaican Rum - WP109
• .5oz Aged Jamaican Rum - Dr. Bird
• .5oz Rhum Agricole Blanc - Clément Canne Bleue
• .5oz Campari
• 1oz Pineapple Juice
• 1oz Yuzu Juice
• .5oz Ginger-White Miso Syrup

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a glass/mug over a large cube of ice

Garnish with pineapple fronds and a lime and grapefruit peel bird

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This is such a wonderful creation. Clearly reminiscent of the classic jungle bird, one of my favorite cocktails of all time. This one trades out the lime for floral and sharp yuzu juice, and the standard syrup with a delicious, buttery, lightly cheesy, and savory ginger-white miso syrup.

White miso is an awesome ingredient that I’m hoping to play around with more. It has a cheesy quality that reminds me of munching on a delicious slice of Gruyère. The addition of ginger spice yields something that is more savory, sweet, and spicy than a standard jungle bird.

The combination of rums here is key. Grassy vegetal notes of agricole support the miso, ginger, and yuzu. The added lightly bitter caramel notes of WP109 back up the Campari. Dr. Bird brings a fantastic bit of tropical banana notes that help pull this drink back to the sweet and fruity side, resulting in a phenomenal experience of salty, sweet, sour, and bitter, with a subtle ginger spice.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Happy Tiki Tuesday everyone! Continuing with my series of cocktails I’m designing around various tiki mugs in my collection, I bring you another entry.

This is designed around The “Finally” UFO mug from The Black Lagoon Room

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ROSWELL PUNCH

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• 1oz Cane Juice Rum - Paranubes
• .75oz Sotol
• .75oz London Dry Gin
• .5oz Banana Liqueur
• 1oz Pineapple Juice
• 1oz Lemon Juice
• .75oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 2oz Thai Tea

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a glass/mug over crushed/pebble ice

Garnish with a bouquet of mint and a dehydrated lime wheel and cinnamon

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This mug is an impressive 24oz, so I knew this would be a great candidate for a punch, grog, zombie, or hurricane style drink. After playing around with various spirit combinations, I landed on a version of a punch; blending gin, sotol, and cane juice rum under a bright, lightly spiced flavor bomb with a warm vanilla and banana finish.

The drink starts off with the smokiness of sotol and the delicious slightly grassy notes of cane juice rum, which transition into the spice of cinnamon and gin mixed with the rich buttery vanilla notes of Thai tea, before the light tartness of pineapple and lemon clear the way for a fragrant ripe banana finish.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Happy Tiki Tuesday everyone! Continuing with my series of cocktails I’m designing around various tiki mugs in my collection, I bring you another entry.

This is designed around The Creature from the Crab Rangoon mug from The Black Lagoon Room

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PRIMORDIAL OOZE

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• 1.5oz Aged Jamaican Rum
• 1oz Bourbon
• .5oz Coffee Liqueur
• .25oz Crème de Cacao
• .75oz Walnut Orgeat
• .25oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 1oz Pineapple Juice
• 1oz Lime Juice
• 4 dashes Cherry Bitters
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a glass/mug over crushed/pebble ice.

Garnish with pineapple fronds and grated nutmeg

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Yum! So many flavors coming together in beautiful harmony. Jamaican rum and bourbon are a really delicious combination. Coffee and chocolate are a natural pairing, and so is pineapple and coffee.

This drink leads with Jamaican funk and the brightness of lime and pineapple. It quickly shifts gears and takes you on a warm, rich, and spiced journey of chocolate, coffee, angostura, and cinnamon. The addition of walnut orgeat adds a wonderful layer of nuttiness and subtle maple flavor before letting the cherry bitters close out the adventure.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Happy Tiki Tuesday everyone! Continuing with my series of cocktails I’m designing around various tiki mugs in my collection, I bring you another entry.

This is designed around The Rouminomicon Mug from Paradise Lost, a really cool and innovative tiki bar in NYC. Though all my tiki mugs are my favorites, this was my first tiki mug, gifted to me by my wife!

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PROFANE VERSES

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• 1oz Aged Rum Barbancourt
• 1oz Overproof Demerara Rum
• .75oz Fernet-Branca
• .75oz Graham Cracker Syrup
• 1oz Grapefruit Juice
• 1oz Lime Juice
• 2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a glass/mug over crushed/pebble ice.

Garnish with mint, pineapple fronds, and a dehydrated grapefruit slice

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This is such a fascinating drink. My first sip really caught me by surprise. Tons of mint and chocolate flavor, this drink tastes like drinking a dark, tart, and herbal mint chocolate; despite having no chocolate in the ingredients.

The dried fruit flavors of the barbancourt and the deep burnt sugar caramel notes of the demerara rum add a wonderful baseline to the drink. The fernet brings an herbal middle to the drink with the menthol notes being most prominent. Despite its reputation, the fernet’s bitterness is tamed quite a lot by the rapid onset of tartness that fades to let the lingering scent and taste of mint and black walnut bitters all wrapped in the rich toasted barely notes of graham cracker syrup.

The beautiful interplay of ingredients in this drink yields a delicious cocktail that feels like drinking a mint chocolate s'more.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

What started off as just a silly name that gave me a chuckle, evolved into this delicious creation.

Using my own Mole Negro liqueur, which brings potent flavors that are reminiscent of charred and roasted salsas of the Latin cuisine, combined with the smoke and funk of Sonoran Bacanora, I’ve made something that brings far more complexity and Latin flair to an already phenomenal drink.

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EL CHUPACABRONI

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• 1.5oz Bacanora
• .25oz Mole Negro Liqueur
• .75oz Carpano Antica
• 1oz Bruto Americano
• 1 dash black walnut bitters
• 1 dash chocolate bitters
• 3 drops hellfire tincture (Habanero, Serrano, Thai chillies, ancho, and guajillo)

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass

Add ice and stir until chilled

Strain into a lowball glass over a large cube of ice

Express an orange peel over top and discard

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The unique agave funk and subtle smoke of bacanora shows up front and center.

The parade of flavors continues as the earthy spiced notes of Bruto Americano and my Mole Liqueur fade into jammy fruit flavors. It finishes into slightly spicy and bitter notes with lingering wisps of smoke. The addition of walnut and chocolate helps to tie the whole thing together.

Seriously complex with a prominent bacanora agave identity, this Negroni variation has an enhanced lower register with tons of earthy notes.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

As a new series I want to start, I’ll be sharing more original creations, with a focus on tiki drinks designed for and inspired by my collection of tiki mugs! It’s always a ton of fun seeing tiki drinks that are served in a specific tiki mug at famous tiki bars.

This first one is featuring one of my favorite mugs, The Cauldron of Spirits, by BrianBrainStudio. This isn’t actually a mug from a tiki bar, so this may technically be the first drink designed with this mug in mind.

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CRONE’S BREW

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• 1oz Aged Jamaican Rum (Papalin 5)
• 1oz Demerara Rum (El Dorado 8)
• .25oz Maraschino Liqueur
• .5oz Cynar
• .25oz Allspice Dram
• .75oz Molasses Syrup
• 2oz Tart Cherry Juice
• 1oz Lime Juice
• 2 dash Cherry Bitters

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin Add ice and shake until chilled Strain into a mug or glass over crushed/pebble ice Garnish with mint, 2 cocktail cherries, and several dashes of angostura bitters

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First off, I think the burnt orange color is eye-catching and enticing. This is one of the first drinks I designed for this series, and it took several iterations to get it right, but it’s finally where I want it to be.

Warm spices, plenty of Jamaican funk, burnt sugar, finished with tart lime and cherries. The dashes of angostura on top are a great prelude to the first sip. Tons of depth and dimension. The maraschino adds a lot of character with just .25oz. The warm notes of cynar, allspice, and molasses gently coast into the tart lime and tangy cherry juice before closing out with lingering spices and fruity funk.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

This concept was born almost entirely out of a desire to make a drink with a pun-ny name. It just so happens that I’ve been experimenting with maraschino lately. One thing led to another, and I landed on MarTEAnez.

Using my favorite tea, Earl Grey, I infused some delicious barrel aged gin. I also changed the ratios around and made a few additions, resulting in the creation of this cocktail.

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EARL OF MARTINEZ

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• 1.75oz Barrel Aged Gin - Earl Grey Infused
• 0.25oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 0.25oz Italicus
• 1oz Sweet Vermouth
• 2 dash Orange Bitters
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters

Add ingredients to a mixing glass

Add ice and stir until chilled

Strain into a chilled coupe glass

Express orange peel and garnish with an orange twist

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A really unique and complex take on an already great cocktail. The change in ratios, increase in gin, and addition of the earl grey and italicus adds another level of dimension. The play of maraschino, italicus, and bergamot has a fun evolution as one fades in and out to make room for the other.

The light astringency and bitterness from the vermouth and tannins of the tea in the gin results in a delightful end to each sip, leaving a lingering perfume of orange and bergamot.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Mango and habanero are a phenomenal combination; both intensely fruity and floral. While one is refreshing, juicy, and sweet; the other is sharp, punishing, and crisp. Several concepts came to mind, but I knew one thing, it had to be tiki. I wanted to pay homage to both Latino culture and the tropical flavors of my homeland by combining herbs, mexican spirits, and tropical fruits.

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CANTINA FEVER

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• 1oz Tequila Blanco
• 1oz Oaxacan Cane Juice Rum (Alambique Serrano Cartier 30)
• 0.5oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
• 0.75oz Mango Syrup
• 1oz Guava Nectar
• 0.75oz Grapefruit Juice
• 1oz Lime Juice
• 6 drops Hellfire Pepper Tincture (Habanero, Thai Chilis, and Serrano)
• 5 leaves Cilantro
• 5 leaves Mint

Add Mint, Cilantro, Tincture, and Juices to shaking tin

Gently muddle then add remaining ingredients

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a chilled lowball or rocks glass over crushed ice

Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves

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What a delight! So much going on with a great evolution. Herbaceous notes of cilantro and mint lead into a fruit explosion of mango, guava, lime, and grapefruit before fading into floral habanero, lingering spice.

A really wonderful and complex drink, that really marries mango and habanero using cuisine and geographic connections. A tiki drink that oozes with Latin American influence.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

My biggest loves in the spirit world are rum, tiki, and agave. One of the first drinks I ever fell in love with when I started my cocktail hobby was the “Port of Spain”; a delicious tart and smoky drink of mezcal, Orgeat, lime, and A LOT of angostura bitters. It continues to be one of my favorite drinks. This is inspired by the smokiness of that cocktail and the delicious combination of smoke and Orgeat.

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THE PITMASTER

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• 1.5oz Rye Whiskey
• .5oz Mezcal
• .5oz Sfumato Rabarbaro
• .5oz Falernum
• .25oz Allspice Dram
• .5oz Orgeat
• .25oz Lapsang Souchong tea
• .75oz Lemon Juice
• 3 dashes Tiki Bitters
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a chilled coupe glass

Garnish with charred lemon slice

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A bittersweet and deeply smoky cocktail. With a very complex and multifaceted smoke profile from peated smoky tea, earthy sfumato amaro, and the charred vegetal notes of mezcal.

Immediately met with a wall of spices and peat smoke on the nose, followed by a flood of flavor. The combination of warm tiki spices result in a beautiful dance with plenty of lift from the lemon juice.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

In addition to my cocktail development adventures, I’ve found myself exploring the world of wine, more and more. One of my recent favorites has been Côtes du Rhône. I’ve really been enjoying the different offerings. This gave me the idea of trying to integrate it into a cocktail application, and what’s a more iconic wine cocktail than a New York Sour? This is my version of a New York Sour, but building on the notes of the Côtes du Rhône and highlighting french spirits. Rhum Agricole and Armagnac, along with some black pepper syrup and plum bitters to highlight the wine

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L’ARRIMEUR

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• 1oz Aged Rhum Agricole
• 1oz Armagnac
• .75oz Black Pepper Syrup
• 1oz Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes Plum Bitters
• 2 dashes Cherry Bitters
• 1 Egg White
• 1oz Float of Red Wine (Côtes du Rhône)

Add all ingredients except wine into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain and shake again vigorously

Strain into a chilled old fashioned glass over a large cube

Gently float red wine between the cocktail and foam

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Bright yet deep. Bursting with stone fruit flavor backed by the barrel notes of the Armagnac and Rhum. The addition of plum and cherry bitters really boost the flavors of the wine. Black pepper syrup helps to emphasize the tannic spice of the Côtes du Rhône, which itself, is a beautiful accompaniment to the Rhum and brandy. A refined and complex take on a New York Sour, built around synergistic French offerings from around the world.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who corrected my French. My apologies

Inspired by one of greatest desserts ever created; Rasmalai, a south asian dessert of soft, pillowy, milk powder and cheese dumplings that are soaked in a sweetened cardamom, saffron, rose, and kewra cream/milk. Served with crushed almonds and pistachios. Easily one of my favorite desserts, deeply nostalgic, and dangerously addicting. I have a lot of favorite Pakistani foods, but this is easily in the top 3.

I infused gin with tons of cardamom, and then fat washed with browned butter to tame some of the sharp botanical notes while maintaining complexity and adding nuttiness.

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THE RASMALAI RISES TO THE TOP

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• 2oz Brown Butter Fat-Washed, Cardamom infused Gin
• .75oz Clarified Pistachio Orgeat
• .5oz Lemon Juice
• .25oz Heavy Cream
• 2 dashes Lemon Bitters
• 3 drops Rose Water
• 1 drop Kewra essence
• .5oz Egg White

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain cocktail and shake vigorously for 30s

Strain into a chilled coupe glass

Garnish with powdered cardamom, pistachio, almond and rose buds

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Lord have mercy! One sip and I’m a little kid again. The powdered cardamom and nuts hit you first with their perfume. The first sip floods your palate with floral and spice notes. Gin and brown butter are a phenomenal combination.

Not too sweet and not too tart. The .25oz of cream is just enough to add a bit of body and texture without veering the drink into dessert territory. The aggressive shaking and clarified orgeat helps keep the drink feeling light and airy.

This drink is an absolute delight. Hits all the notes of a beloved dessert, but adds a bit more depth. If you haven’t had Rasmalai before, I urge you to seek it out at your local international market or south asian grocer. Be sure to make this, so you know what you’re missing out on.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Happy Saturn Day! This is a Saturn riff I designed, swapping the Falernum with my homemade East Asia inspired Amaro, with tons of spices: Thai basil, ginger, cardamom, galangal, coconut, lemongrass, and a whole lot more. Passionfruit was swapped out for mango, and Orgeat was swapped for a toasted peanut orgeat. Plenty of East Asian and South Asian flavors wrapped up into a delicious gin tiki cocktail.

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10.7 HOURS

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• 1.5oz Gin
• .25oz East Asiamaro
• .5oz Mango Syrup
• .25oz Peanut Orgeat
• .75oz Lemon Juice

Add all ingredients into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain cocktail into the chilled glass with plenty of crushed ice

Garnish with traditional Saturn garnish or try u/MixedDrinkMixtape’s otherworldly garnish!

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What a galactic delight. The complex herbal punch of the amaro hits first, bright vegetal notes of Thai basil bleed into the explosive bright floral notes of mango, which lingers well through to the very end with a gentle peanut finish. A sincere and sophisticated homage to a phenomenal tiki cocktail, while still blasting off on a path of its own.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

This month’s cocktail competition focuses on raspberry & elderflower. I wanted to try and highlight those flavors in a way that didn’t feel like a traditional sour variant, while also adding a bit of flair. When I saw elderflower tonic at the grocery store, inspiration struck; a Ramos Gin Fizz, but using pisco instead. The white wine flavors of pisco, I think, really highlight the brightness of raspberry and the floral notes of elderflower.

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La Garúa

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• 2oz Pisco
• .25oz St Germain
• .25oz Maraschino Liqueur
• .75oz Raspberry Syrup
• .75oz Lemon Juice
• 1oz Heavy Cream
• .75oz Egg White
• Elderflower Tonic

Add all ingredients except for the tonic an cream into a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled and diluted

Add cream and an agitator spring to tin

Shake vigorously for a couple minutes (please don’t do 12, it’s not necessary)

Add a bit of elderflower tonic to the bottom of a highball glass

Strain cocktail into the chilled glass

Let rest in freezer for a few minutes to set the foam

Poke a small hole in the center of the drink with a straw and very gently pour in the tonic until the foam rises above the rim of the glass

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My arms are tired! Do not fall for the horror stories surrounding the Ramos Gin Fizz, you do not need to shake for 12+ minutes. 2-3 will suffice. Next time, I may even see how well this turns out using an immersion blender or a high power frother.

I initially made this drink without the cream, using just egg white, and while still delicious, the cream makes this so much better. Velvety smooth, a fantastic raspberry flavor with floral undertones. the bright white wine notes of Pisco, are the perfect base for raspberry and elderflower. Just a slight bit of bitterness from the tonic water. The addition of maraschino adds a wonderful dimension and mellows out the brightness of the raspberry and melds everything together into a wonderful creamy creation.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

After many repeated failures to find a ripe, fragrant honeydew and being met with disappointing watermelon rind water, I made a discovery; Melon Calpico. A great melon flavor, excellent mouthfeel, and not too sweet. Could I have used Midori? Yes, but I don’t like it, and don’t want to buy a bottle.

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WHATCHA DEWN?

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• 1.5oz Raicilla
• .5oz Yellow Chartreuse
• 1oz Honeydew Juice
• 1oz Melon Calpico
• .75oz Lime Juice
• 5 mint leaves

Add mint and lime juice to a shaking tin and muddle.

Add remaining ingredients to tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Double strain into a chilled coupe glass

Garnish with a mint leaf and melon ball

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A punch of melon goodness and the refreshing cool of mint. The rapidly approaching tartness of lime juice followed by herbal chartreuse, ending with a gorgeous, delicate, and smoky finish. All wrapped up in a silky drink with a light milky creaminess from the Calpico.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

I’ve been really enjoying playing around with different kinds of fruits and vegetables lately, and finding ways to incorporate them. When I saw blueberry juice for sale in the store, I knew I had to buy it. Rather than just using it to make a syrup, I decided to acid adjust it. As a lover of all things tiki, I knew I had to make some tiki riffs, and the glorious Mai Tai was the first that came to mind!

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BERRY SUSPICIOUS

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• 1oz Aged Jamaican Rum - Worthy Park 109
• .75oz Aged Barbados Rum - Doorly’s 12
• .5oz Cane Juice Rum - Paranubes
• .5oz Dry Curaçao
• .75oz Walnut Orgeat
• 1oz Acid Adjusted Blueberry Juice
• 1 dash Lavender Tincture
• 1 dash Saline solution

Add ingredients to a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Pour into a lowball glass over crushed ice

Garnish with mint, blueberries, and pineapple fronds

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Floral fruity notes of blueberries amplified by citric and malic acids. Walnut is a phenomenal compliment to blueberries. Almond Orgeat works great too, but there’s another layer of complexity with walnuts.

Very clearly presents as a Mai Tai, but with a lot more dimension than your typical Mai Tai. Plenty of fruitiness and nuttiness, with a fantastic rum blend that spans the dark fruit forward Barbados rum, the fresh vegetal Mexican cane juice rum, and a rich deep caramel Jamaican. Remember, rum and tiki feed the soul!

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Spring time is highball time! I wanted to make a force carbonated fizzy drink, rather than your typical spritz. This is a bit stronger, but plenty lengthened, and with tons of fresh tart and vegetal flavors. I wanted to create something that had plenty of bright tang while presenting a bit of vegetal acidity. The idea of kiwi and apple came to mind, and I decided to cut their sweetness with some celery. I created a very lightly sweetened and acidified cordial of clarified kiwi apple and celery juices, before mixing with apple brandy, gin, and cocchi americano.

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THE CRISP

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• 1oz London Dry Gin
• 1oz Apple Brandy
• 1oz Cocchi Americano Bianco
• 4oz Kiwi Apple Celery Cordial
• 3oz Water
• 3 CO2 Cartridges

Add ingredients to a cream whipper

Charge with 2 CO2 cartridges, shaking for 30 seconds between charges

Let rest for 30 minutes, then expel gas

Pour into a highball glass over an ice spear

Garnish with a kiwi disc or apple slice

APPLE-KIWI-CELERY CORDIAL

• 240mL clarified 50/50 blend of green apple and kiwi
• 60mL Clarified celery juice
• 50g Granulated sugar
• 3g Malic Acid
• .5g Ascorbic Acid

Mix all ingredients into a jar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Adjust as needed

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Sweet and sour with just enough savoriness and salinity to be compelling. The vegetal bite of celery cuts through the fruitiness of apple and kiwi. The boost of apple scent from the apple brandy adds to the perfume of the drink and is made more present with the heavy carbonation. The kiwi and apple notes and the cocchi americano mesh very well, and the slight bitterness mellows out both the sweet and savory notes. Very easy to drink: a light, refreshing, and crisp cocktail perfect for enjoying all spring and summer long!

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

Bacanora is an agave spirit that must be made in the Mexican state of Sonora. Unique tequila as we know it, it doesn’t need to be made with Blue Agave, and unlike Mezcal, it doesn’t need to be made in Oaxaca the 9 states under the DOM for Mezcal. Bacanora is interesting because it lands somewhere in between tequila and Mezcal. Nowhere near as smoky as Mezcal, but not nearly as grassy and “fresh” as tequila. And because it uses a different type of agave, it has a unique flavor profile unlike other agave spirits.

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RED PADDLE

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• 2oz Bacanora
• .25oz Sfumato Rabarbaro
• .75oz Prickly Pear Syrup
• .75oz Lime Juice
• 1 dash Plum bitters

Add ingredients to a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into a lowball glass

Garnish with a cherry and lime peel

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The buttery notes of a tequila and whispers of mezcal smoke, plus the sweet pepper herbal notes of Agave Pacifica make for a fantastic foreground. Assisted by the floral kiwi and melon rind notes of prickly pear, a little boost of earthy bitterness and smoke from sfumato make for a drink that represents the offerings of the desert.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

I’ve been struggling to find a use for the bottle of Iichiko Saiten, a high ABV 45% barley shochu. It has a very potent salinity and savory note that very easily overpowers many drinks I’ve tried designing with it. I had the idea to try and tame it through a fat-wash and felt that coconut would be a really complementary flavor, and it turns out my hunch was right!

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NOT A PIÑA COLADA

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• 1.75oz Coconut Fat Washed High ABV Shochu
• .5oz Overproof Demerara Rum
• .5oz Falernum
• 1oz Pineapple Juice
• 1oz coconut water cordial
• .75oz Lime Juice
• 2 dashes Saline Solution
• 4 dashes FeeFoam
• Rinse Absinthe

Add ingredients to a shaking tin

Add ice and shake until chilled

Strain into an absinthe rinsed coupe glass

Garnish with coconut peel

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This may be a hot take, but piña coladas are kind of overrated and mediocre. Far too creamy, often too dessert-y, and leave you feeling full, but the flavor profile is great. The use of shochu with the added caramel notes of an Overproof Demerara rum emulates the potent flavor of a coconut cream without all the richness that comes with it. There’s a great synergy between the savory salinity Of the shochu that mimics the taste of coconut water, especially backed by the fat wash. The addition of falernum, coconut water, and absinthe rinse adds dimension and lightens the drink, elevating it beyond a piña colada with a whole lot more character.

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If you like this cocktail or any of my other posts, I’ve made an instagram to share my creations and would love to show more people my ideas!

https://instagram.com/overproofed.sip

EDIT:

Coconut Cordial Recipe

• Take 10oz of coconut water and bring to a simmer

• Toast unsweetened coconut flakes to a golden brown in a dry pan

• Bring coconut water to a boil add the toasted coconut flakes

• Let simmer on very low for 30 minutes. Cut heat and let steep for 1 hour.

• Filter then add additional coconut water to bring volume to 20oz

• Make a 4:1 weak coconut water syrup

• Add 4.3g malic acid and 1.4g lactic acid