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 below) to discover Ricardo's El Floridita Daiquiri recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Ricardo Rodriguez's El Floridita Daiquiri Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• Juice of ½ lime
• 5 drops Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 2 ounces Cuban rum (or Brugal Extra Dry, Don Q, Bacardi Superior)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
2. Fill serving glass (large 8 ½ ounce coupe) with crushed ice then add that to the blender with ingredients.
3. Blend until fully incorporated and chilled, 8-12 seconds.
4. Add to coupe glass and serve with a straw.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

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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 subscribe!

The Art of Choke Recipe

Ingredients

• ⅛ ounce lime juice
• ⅛ ounce Demerara syrup
• fat ¼ ounce Green Chartreuse
• 1 ounce white rum (neutral)
• fat 1 ounce Cynar
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Mint

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass including 2 sprigs of mint.
2. Muddle and steep for 30 seconds.
3. Fill with ice and stir until chilled.
4. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube.
5. Garnish with additional mint sprigs.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

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• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Kyle: https://kindredcocktails.com/users/sasquatch
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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 Old Pal recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Rachel Kling's Old Pal Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ounce George Dickel x Leopold Bros. Collaboration Blend Rye
• ¾ ounce Contratto Bianco Vermouth
• ¾ ounce Aperol
• Garnish: grapefruit twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until very chilled (at least 30 seconds).
3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
4. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Old Pal Recipe (Classic)

Ingredients

• 1 ounce rye whiskey
• 1 ounce dry vermouth
• 1 ounce Campari
• Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/eastmeetsleft/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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. What should you do instead? The answer is also simple: click play and listen to Austin's invaluable advice — and, hey, don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Austin: https://www.instagram.com/afhennelly/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/  

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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 on, or read below, to learn Marshall's Daisy recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Marshall Minaya's Daisy Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Moonbird Gin / Holland-style gin
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Maraschino liqueur
• 2 teaspoons simple syrup
• Seltzer water

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaking tin with ice.
2. Shake until chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled large cocktail glass.
4. Top with a splash of seltzer.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍋Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/bartenders/comments/158ond3/in_what_world_does_soda_water_belong_in_a/

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Marshall: https://www.instagram.com/marshallvincent/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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 Julio Alma Miel
• 1 ½ ounces Ancho Reyes Verde Chili Poblano Liqueur
• ½ ounce Salers Aperitif
• ¼ ounce Blanc vermouth
• Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube.
4. Garnish with lemon twist.

Tequila Espresso Martini Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounces Don Julio 70 Cristalino
• 1 ounce Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
• ¾ ounce cold brew cordial
• ¼ ounce Ancho Reyes Classic
• Few dashes Chocolate Mole Bitters

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaking tin with ice.
2. Shake long and hard.
3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Manny: https://www.instagram.com/mannythebarkeep/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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 below, to learn Sebastian's Manhattan recipe(s) — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Rye Manhattan Recipe

Ingredients

• Angostura Bitters: 4 dashes (precision dasher) or 2 dashes in regular bottle
• 2 ½ ounces Michter’s rye
• 1 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
• Garnish: brandied cherry

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.
4. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Bourbon Manhattan Recipe

Ingredients

• Angostura Bitters: 6 dashes (precision dasher) or 3 dashes in regular bottle
• 2 ½ ounces Buffalo Trace
• 1 ounce Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
• Garnish: brandied cherry

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass.
4. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Bedford and Grand Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 1 teaspoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• ½ ounce fino sherry
• ¾ ounce Barolo Chinato
• 2 ounces Michter’s rye
• Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora.
4. Express and discard lemon twist.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Sebastian: https://www.instagram.com/tollius_/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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 final component aside, it would seem to confirm this as being a cocktail instead of a category. But as we’ll soon get into with Amy, riffs abound and are easily achieved by switching up the base spirit and tweaking a few other ingredients. Listen on, or read below, to learn Amy's Champagne Cocktail recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Amy Racine's Champagne Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 brown sugar cube
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 ½ ounces chilled VSOP Cognac
• 3 ounces chilled Champagne
• Garnish: orange and lemon peel

Directions

1. Add brown sugar cube to a chilled AP glass or flute.
2. Soak cube with orange and Angostura bitters.
3. Add Cognac and top with Champagne.
4. Express and discard an orange and lemon twist.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Amy Racine: https://www.instagram.com/amyracine/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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 "Bougie Bijou" recipe — and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Adam Fournier's Bougie Bijou Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ ounce Charteuse Elixir Vegetal
• ½ ounce Chartreuse VEP Green
• ¾ ounce Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth
• 1 ½ ounces Navy Strength Gin, such as Plymouth
• Angostura Orange Bitters
• Garnish: Kirschwasser-soaked cherries

Directions

1. Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled.
2. Strain into a freezer-chilled vintage glass, such as a coupe.
3. Garnish with a Kirschwasser-soaked cherry.

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us:

• VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/
• Adam Fournier: https://www.instagram.com/bottledinbondla/
• Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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: [email protected] 

🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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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 on (or read below) to discover Aaron’s ultimate vintage cocktail recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe! 

Aaron Goldfarb’s 1953 Vintage Vesper Recipe 

Ingredients 

- 3 parts 1953 Gordon’s Gin 

- 1 part 1953 Smirnoff Vodka 

- ½ part Kina Lillet 

Directions 

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. 

2. Stir until well-chilled. 

3. Strain into a vintage cocktail glass. 

📧Get in touch: [email protected] 

📕Get your copy: “Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits” 

🍸Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy 

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