As the days shorten and we enter the shoulder season between summery crushers (Clarified Banana Daiquiri, anyone?) and the Hot Toddy months and holiday season, the vibe pivots to whiskey.

Read on for some of our current favorites from past and present.

Left Hand

Sam Ross described this delightful exercise in restraint as “the love child of the Negroni and the Manhattan.” Get the recipe.

Bonus: Watch our talk with bartender Abigail Gullo on the “hand” cocktails and why doing less can be big for your bar.

Grand Old Fashioned

The split base build yields a rich, almost decadent sipper that opens up beautifully over time. Get the recipe.

Crown Chelsea

Allspice is an inescapable fall classic. This winner from Meaghan Dorman takes it in new directions by pairing it with nutty orgeat and a split whiskey-rum base. Get the recipe.

Old Figgy

Speaking of iconic Fall flavors: maple syrup! In this cocktail, bartender Andrew Volk offers a compelling canvas for his easy yet complex fig-maple syrup. Get the recipe.

A La Louisiane

A lesser known New Orleans classic whose star is on the rise. If you love Sazeracs or Boulevardiers, add this to the rolodex. Get the recipe.

Boulevardier of Broken Creams

Clarified milk punches are nearly everywhere today. This crushable eyebrow raiser utilizes coffee bean tannin rather than citrus for its process. Get the recipe.

Typically, your menu is built to your bar­_­­. But how does this translate when you take the show on the road and into someone else’s space?

Pop Ups are part of today’s industry landscape. Whether you’re taking over a friend’s bar, slinging at a festival, or running nights in a historic midtown Manhattan diner, you’ll face unique challenges…and probably some unexpected ones.

There are ways to make these “away games” and one-off events successful and easy, though, so you can focus on what counts: sharing the experience you came to share.

Case Study: BCB

At this year’s Bar Convent Brooklyn, our team created and served an eight-cocktail menu at the Campari Academy Bar, built around the concept of the creative tension between minimalism and maximalism.

We served this menu to 1,500 people a day from a footprint with a variety of space and equipment limitations.

Read on for notes from the process—from planning to prep to execution—and ideas for when your next pop up.

Where do you start with a pop up?

We like to start by fully understanding the “where” and planning menu choices and spec tweaks around it. This allows you to “pre-troubleshoot” potential issues like ice supply and ticket time. To prepare, the team identified three main challenges:

1. Guest Volume + Speed of Service
“The traffic coming through is intense. We had to design cocktails that could be scaled, served rapidly, and still feel special.”

2. Physical Limitations
“There were constraints around space, refrigeration, water, etc. We relied on precision prep and batching. Every element—down to garnish and glassware—needed to be planned in advance and travel-ready, with minimal room for error.”

3. Sustainability
This was a guiding force and we sought out multiple uses for components. Infused ingredients were repurposed as garnishes, syrups, and even cocktail dusts.

After working through the challenges, development started with a focused R&D Session.

“We knew we needed drinks that were delicious and beautiful without sacrificing efficiency or consistency,” explained Academy Head Bartender Jelani Johnson. The team selected four foundational builds—Negroni, Margarita, Old Fashioned, and Spritz—and “used them as base structures to explore and expand upon.”

Each drink was offered two ways: first in a classic, minimalist form, and again as an elaborate, “more is more” take. Besides literally making the bar’s concept digestible, it provided an exciting canvas to explore technique and storytelling.

One final note the team agreed upon was the “post-mortem” review. Since this was a two day event, the team set aside dedicated time after the initial run to review what worked, what didn’t, and how to pivot. This intentional space was critical in re-evaluating the actual flow against our expectations, and improving.

The Cocktails

Read on for the team’s recipes, plus notes on technique, concept, and tactics for efficient service.

NEGRONI

Minimalist: Classic equal parts formula, pre-batched.
Maximalist: Ch-Ch-Cherry Bomb Boulevardier — Russell’s 10 infused with dried cherries, four types of cherry liqueurs, marinated cherry garnish, and cherrywood smoke under a cloche.

Notes:
The Negroni was pre-batched and diluted at 4%. This slight dilution allowed for minimal stirring on the wetter ice available during the event, speeding up service and reducing our ice needs.

For the Boulevardier, we explored cherry integration at every step of the way, focusing on flavor depth and creative reuse of the ingredient.

MARGARITA

Minimalist: Grand Margarita Milk Punch — Espolòn Reposado, lime, agave, and Grand Marnier clarified with whole milk for a velvety smooth texture.
Maximalist: Spicy Smoky Salty Mango Margarita — Uses amchur-infused Espolòn, Ancho Reyes, mango syrup, mezcal atomizer, and a smoked mango salt rim, finished with chile-spiced dried mango garnish.

Notes:
We decided to serve the minimalist version as a milk punch. Preloading the “production” of the cocktail made it infinitely faster and easier to serve in high volume. We served it without rim or garnish, reinforcing the “stripped down” vibe without sacrificing any of the rich flavors of Reposado Tequila and Grand Marnier.

For the Spicy Smoky Salty Mango Marg, we used a flavor that has been everywhere lately, and has been trending in some of the world’s best bars: spicy mango! Here, we integrated and layered the flavors in as many ways as we could without over-complicating it, even utilizing a spiced salt rim and an edible garnish of dried mango covered in lime and blended spices.

To keep service humming in the limited space, we pre-rimmed glasses in batches, which also helped keep the bar area clean. The drink’s mezcal component was added as a finishing atomizer spritz, a cost-effective way to both a touch of theater and incorporate the Ensemble blend’s nose of cooked agave and smoke.

OLD FASHIONED

Minimalist: A classic Bold Fashioned with Wild Turkey 101, simple syrup, and bitters.
Maximalist: Floral French Old Fashioned — With Courvoisier VSOP, chamomile honey syrup, elderflower liqueur, and two types of bitters, finished with a floating chrysanthemum flower.

Notes:
The 101 proof Bourbon Old Fashioned is iconic and we wanted to pair it alongside something which would appeal to Old Fashioned drinkers while leaning into and complimenting the white flower notes of Courvoisier VSOP.

APEROL SPRITZ

Minimalist: Aperol Spritz — Aperol, Cinzano Prosecco, soda water, slice of orange. In that order, built in a balloon glass.
Maximalist: Tropical Spritz — Uses Strawberry-infused Camperol, pineapple kombucha, Passionfruit liqueur, and a coconut-washed tincture finished with a pineapple wedge dusted in dehydrated Campari strawberry powder.

Notes:
You know and love the spritz. You know how to make a perfect one. Good to go!

For the Tropical Spritz, we were interested in the balance between maximizing tropical flavor without overdoing it. We swapped the traditional aperitivo base for a strawberry-infused “Camperol” blend of Campari and Aperol, inspired by Julie Reiner’s Kula Negroni. In place of club soda, we used a pineapple kombucha. Next, we added a measure of tropical passion fruit liqueur and a fishing “coconut blast” tincture for brightness and pop.

“Basically,” Jelani explained, “this is the Miami Vice of spritzes. Pineapple and coconut meet strawberry, with just a touch of passion fruit for extra complexity. It remains very light and refreshing…but is an over the top expression of a usually very simple drink.”

Want more pop up and events tips? Check out

• Mike Capoferri’s tips for event bartending
• Events 101 class with Lindsey Johnson
• Batched Cocktails: Techniques and Tips

Oleo Sacchrum is an easy and fun ingredient to add to your bartender tool kit. It literally means “oil sugar” and, well, it’s just about that simple.

Similar to clarified milk punches, this is an old technique that’s been revisited and expanded upon by contemporary bartenders around the world. Why? Because it plays well with a sustainability-minded bar program, requires almost no prep work, and it’s dang delicious.

What is an Oleo Sacchrum?

Traditionally, an Oleo requires only a simple mixture of white granulated sugar and citrus peels—lemons, limes, oranges…really anything you’re already using in your bar program. Add the peels to a container with sugar, shake to coat well, and give them a little nudge with a muddler. Then pat yourself on the back and forget about it until the end of your shift.

When you come back, the sugar will have pulled those beautiful, aromatic oils out of the peels, essentially turning itself into a highly flavorful, nose-thwacking syrup.

If you’re already juicing tons of citrus for your bar, this is a fantastic way to get additional mileage out of that produce.

How to Make a Banana Oleo

Modern bartenders are exploring, retooling, and expanding the definitions of all kinds of culinary and bar techniques. So of course, we ask: what else can we “oleo”?

One of our favorites is the humble banana. Usually, it’s the fleshy interior that gets all the attention. But don’t throw that peel out just yet—with a little time, it will yield this wonderful ingredient perfect for recipes in need of a little tropical twist.

Banana Oleo Sacchrum Recipe

Ingredients

• 250 g Ripe Banana Peels, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces⁠
• 250 g White Granulated Sugar⁠

Instructions

• Combine in a jar, seal, and leave for 24-48 hours.
• Strain to remove all solids and store in a non-reactive container in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.⁠

How easy was that? We personally love to split this into the sweetening agent of an existing favorite. For example, try cutting your standard syrup measure in a Daiquiri or Rum Old Fashioned with a quarter or half ounce of this oleo. We’ve also had fun sneaking it into Sherry Cobblers and even a Penicillin riff. It’s a subtle and playful way to bring something special to your cocktail…without much cost or labor.

This recipe is a great place to start! It scales up and down really well, so it performs well for both larger bar programs (maybe you have a best-selling Banana Split on the dessert menu?) and one-offs, like pop-ups or catering gigs.

If you make something great with it, send us a DM at @campariacademy_us!

Check out other great How To recipes:

• Easy DIY Acid Solution
• Ferment Your Own Sodas
• Homemade Cocktail Cherries
• Make Aperol Caviar
• Make This Verdita for a Very Green Margarita
• Five Spice Falernum

By Jason Doo
Jason Doo is a bar owner and lover of crab rangoons from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is passionate about food history and is a dedicated collector of ceramic art.

Like any true Chinese restaurant, my childhood memories begin with picking vegetables after school, sitting at a table in the corner of the dining room. In the early ’90s, ours was a classic suburban Chinese-American spot on Main Street in Malden, Massachusetts—and like so many others, it was more than just a business; it was our family’s way of surviving after immigrating from China.

After the Chinese Exclusion Act and waves of anti-Asian sentiment, Chinese-American families had to get creative. Most other jobs were closed to us, and “authentic” Chinese food wasn’t exactly in demand with mainstream America. So families adapted. One way many did this was by opening restaurants—and with the help of a handful of Chinese restaurant distribution companies, they found a path forward.

These companies didn’t just supply food and equipment—they offered roadmaps. They provided kitchen gear and menus pre-loaded with “American-friendly” Chinese dishes like General Tso’s Chicken and Beef & Broccoli, paired with elaborately illustrated cocktail sections featuring Zombies, Mai Tais, and Scorpion Bowls. The aesthetics leaned into the tropical: dragons, bamboo, and tiki idols often appeared side-by-side on laminated pages, with occasionally bizarre translations like “Cowboy Sauce.” With this template in hand, families could open quickly, serve what customers expected, and succeed.

The result was something remarkable: a loosely connected network of family-run Chinese-American restaurants that looked and felt strikingly similar from California to the Carolinas. Each one adapted its menu slightly to suit local tastes, but the foundation—sweet-and-savory Chinese dishes alongside kitschy tropical cocktails—remained the same. In a way, this became the largest unbranded restaurant chain in America, with no central authority—just a shared language of survival passed from family to family, menu to menu.

It was never explained to us why there were volcanoes on the menu, or why the bar had carved idols and paper umbrellas. Everyone else served Scorpion Bowls, so we did too. We used canned pineapple juice, bright red cherries, and sour mix, poured into painted dolomite pineapples or flaming volcano bowls dusted with cinnamon. We flipped through our “uncle’s” first edition Trader Vic’s cocktail book and followed the recipes, never really questioning where they came from. It wasn’t called tiki to us—it was just Chinese-American. I still have that book.

Looking back, it was more than a gimmick. It was a tactic for survival and assimilation. The tropical theme helped Chinese restaurants feel more “American” and trend-forward, especially to white, working-class suburban customers. It blended easily with existing Chinese décor—dragons, lanterns, bamboo—and leaned into the exoticism guests already expected. Most importantly, cocktails had far better margins than food.

Tiki, for all its complicated and problematic history, offered something powerful: it allowed Chinese-American restaurants to stand out while fitting in. A mashup of Asian and Polynesian aesthetics made it feel familiar but unplaceable—an aesthetic no one could fully claim, and one that many immigrant restaurateurs used to their advantage.

When I reflect on my family’s restaurant and others like it, I see not just kitsch or nostalgia, but brilliance. This wasn’t cultural confusion—it was cultural strategy. A way to stake out space in a country that had tried to keep us out. A way to turn food and drink into belonging.

Today, many of these old-school Chinese-American restaurants are closing—not because they failed, but because they succeeded. Their children were able to go to college and pursue careers that didn’t require 12-hour days in a hot kitchen or charming guests behind the bar. These restaurants gave the next generation freedom. And with that, this particular branch of ‘tiki’—shaped by Chinese-American hands—will slowly fade. So enjoy another Mai Tai and crab rangoon while you can. It’s more than a cocktail and a ‘Peking Ravioli’—it’s a toast to the ingenuity, grit, and quiet victories of a generation.

When developing new recipes, sometimes you’ll come up with a drink that’s almost there, but not quite. Without noticeably changing the recipe’s volume or flavor profile, a fewer dashes or drops of an acid solution can provide the kick of sour that you need.

It’s also remarkably easy and easily tweaked for your needs.

What is an Acid Solution for Cocktails?

If you’ve ever used lemon or lime juice in a cocktail, you understand the role of acids in drink-making. Here, instead of employing juiced citrus, you’ll be using isolates of two naturally occurring acids in a water solution.

When making a standard sour, your 3/4 oz of fresh citrus juice contains a range of acids—In lemons, the most prominent is Citric (around 6%), followed by Malic (~5%), Ascorbic, and others. This PDF from the Royal Society of Chemistry helps visualize it, and if you want to get really nerdy, please explore this scientific paper on how pH levels in lemons change with their size.

Why does this matter? Well, because “lemon juice” isn’t just one thing – it’s a complex, organic ingredient with inherent variability. Making your own acid solution allows you to create a consistent and controlled ingredient, not necessarily as a replacement to fresh citrus juice, but as a way to complement recipes.

What are Citric and Malic Acid?

Citric Acid is the main acid found in lemon and lime juice, but it exists in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. It adds a straightforward sour or acidic taste, and though it has a wide range of culinary and beverage applications, this is the main reason we’re using it here. You can find powdered Citric Acid at most culinary supply stores or order it directly from purveyors like Modernist Pantry, where 400 grams will set you back about $13.

Malic Acid is another key component found in commonly used cocktail citrus, but it’s most associated with the crisp, cheek-clasping tang you know from apples (where it’s found in large supply in the skin). Because of its range of food and drink applications, you should be able to source it the same way you would Citric Acid—you should be able to source it locally or by mail from purveyors like Modernist Pantry.

Making Your Own Acid Solutions

Below are two recipes that highlight the versatility of adding acids to your bartender toolkit:

First up is a basic Acid Solution, perfect for zhooshing recipes that need a little wake up call. Next is the Apple Branch, a delicious Bourbon and spiced apple cocktail which is balanced with acidified Grand Marnier.

Basic Acid Solution Recipe

Ingredients

• 85 grams Water
• 10 grams Citric Acid
• 5 grams Malic Acid

Instructions

• Stir until dissolved and store in a non-reactive container.
• Use with dropper or dasher as develop understanding of its impact.
• This is a template recipe that’s meant for tweaking! Explore what works for your drinks.

Grand Boom Juice

(specs below are for a 100ml batch; recipe is scalable)

Ingredients

• 50 ml Water
• 50 ml Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
• 4 grams Citric Acid
• 2 grams Malic Acid

Instructions

• Stir until dissolved and store in a non-reactive container.

Apple Branch

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Longbranch Bourbon
• .75 oz Grand Boom Juice (recipe above)
• .75 oz Fuji Apple Syrup**
• 1 barspoon Allspice Dram

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice.
• Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
• Garnish with a de-seeded apple wheel.

**Fuji Apple Syrup

• Combine equal part Superfine Sugar and Cold Pressed Fuji Apple Juice. Store refrigerated.

Check out other great How To recipes:

• Ferment Your Own Sodas
• Homemade Cocktail Cherries
• Make Aperol Caviar
• Make This Verdita for a Very Green Margarita
• Five Spice Falernum

Egg whites in a cocktail can be a wonderful thing, adding a luxurious mouthfeel and helping to connect the dots between sweet, sour, and spirit. This ingredient is also a key component of iconic recipes as diverse as the Clover Club, Whiskey Sour, and Ramos Gin Fizz.

Unfortunately—and you know this painfully well if you do your bar’s ordering—eggs are expensive right now. The good news? There are options!

We recently tested nearly a dozen egg white alternatives in the Campari Academy lab in New York City. We discovered a range of interesting options with the potential to both save your bar money and provide options for guests with dietary or allergy restrictions.

How did we test?

Well, we made A LOT of Whiskey Sours.

Our first step was to set a baseline Whiskey Sour with .5 oz egg white. We used this to establish judging criteria for the alternatives:

• Emulsification & Texture: Did it emulsify as desired, creating a cohesive foamy texture?
• Taste: Did it impart a flavor? If so, was it distracting or unpleasant?
• Smell: Did it impart a scent? If so, was it distracting or unpleasant?
• Staying Power: Drinks were tested immediately post shake, and again at 2, 5, and 10 minutes.

The Best Egg White Alternative For Cocktails:

Methyl Cellulose

Across the board, this culinary world solution was the team favorite. Methyl Cellulose is a plant-based fiber available from Modernist Pantry. It is available across a range of viscosities, and generally used for applications such as gelling, thickening, and stabilizing.

We tested Methocel A4C and Methocellulose HV (High Viscosity), but we recommend watching their informative breakdown on the full product range to best understand the differences and uses.

Method: Both of these products are sold as powders, and we put them into a water solution at 2% by weight before use. Our initial test using .5 oz of solution turned out to be overkill—a teaspoon worked perfectly well. Overall, we recommend the HV because it is cold water soluble, $20 cheaper at the professional size, and more than strong enough for the job.
Outcome + Notes: Both versions performed well across the board, imparting no discernible smell or taste, while adding a robust texture which held for many minutes. Being plant-based, Methyl Cellulose is also a nice option for guests with dietary restrictions or allergies.

We suggest testing additional dilutions and products in this range to find the right balance for your program.

What other alternatives did we test?

Foam Magic

Another product from Modernist Pantry, this product also features Methyl Cellulose, along with Maltodextrin and Xanthan Gum. It’s intended to be used in a hand blender or iSi to “create perfect creamy, dense foam from virtually any liquid.”
Outcome + Notes: This hit all the notes on flavor, taste, and initial rise and texture, though it died more quickly than the winner. It’s possible that with additional tinkering on specs, this could also be a favorite.

Fee Foam

This dasher bottle product from Fee Brothers is one of the better known “out of the box” egg white alternatives for bar use. We used several dashes in the test, as per their product instructions.
Outcome + Notes: Our testers appreciated the ease of a ready-made solution, especially for bars where additional prep work might not be an option. The Sours produced had a pleasant uniform head with smaller bubbles (not a bad thing). Some of our team, however, reported a slight glycerine flavor which could be an issue in more delicate or subtle recipes.

Aquafaba (fresh and rehydrated)

Perhaps the best known egg white alternative, Aquafaba has been a vegan culinary solution for egg whites for years outside of the bar. Essentially, this is just the liquid found in a can of chickpeas (or the liquid produced in cooking them). As a bar product, though, it’s divisive: it fans are numerous, but haters point to a distracting taste and smell.
Outcome + Notes: The canned product performed adequately as an emulsifier and held its head well, but added a bit of savoriness that the team thought could be distracting for drinks with unaged spirits. The powdered Aquafaba, which we rehydrated in hot water, produced a solid foam but it failed to connect the drink—instead it rested on top, almost Cappuccino style.

Dehydrated Milk Powder

We added a hulking barspoon of this to our test recipe, and found it to be an interesting solution with several caveats.
Outcome + Notes: Initially the milk powder produced an excellent foam and texture, but as it died it separated in a visually unattractive way. Additionally and perhaps unsurprisingly, it imparted a slight milky taste which…we didn’t hate? In a Whiskey Sour, our testers found that it actually mellowed the tannic and citric notes in a pleasant way. The consensus was that it could be a solid alternative for cocktails designed specifically with it in mind, rather than as a general substitute.

Want more bartender tips and training? Sign up for our newsletter.

Try it out with this recipe for Five Spice Falernum!

Five Spice Powder, which commonly contains star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and sichuan peppercorn, is a spice blend integral to many Chinese culinary staples. Falernum, usually concocted as a liqueur, has its origins in Barbados, though its reach grew globally as bartenders discovered its super power as a triple sec-esque sidekick in many rum-based cocktails. Falernum often incorporates lime zest, almonds, and baking spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, lending a bit of citrusy sweetness, florality, and nuance to cocktails.

Try out this easy infusion recipe, and save it as a template for creating your own unique Falernums!

Homemade Five Spice Falernum Recipe

Recipe courtesy Liz Dabecco, Tyler Hummel⁠, and Andrew Ramirez

Ingredients

• 750 ml Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum⁠
• Zest of 10 Limes⁠
• .25 cups Five Spice Blend⁠
• 375 ml Water⁠
• 375 ml Sugar⁠

Instructions:

1. Combine rum with lime zests and five spice blend in an airtight container and rest a room temperature for 24 hours.
2. Fine strain into a non-reactive container and add sugar and water.
3. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. ⁠

And that’s it! Try out your bold new Falernum in classics like the Jet Pilot or the Zombie, or in this delicious Courvoisier-based take on the Saturn.

Check out other great How To recipes:

• Homemade Cocktail Cherries
• Make Aperol Caviar
• Make This Verdita for a Very Green Margarita
• Ferment Your Own Sodas

From a classic Toddy Template to complex Mezcal heaters and a delightful Frangelico Cocoa, explore this collection of hot cocktails perfect for winter.

The Classic Toddy

Bookmark this template for use with any aged spirit. Though Bourbon and Scotch are the most popular, we also enjoy it with an aged Tequila.

Get the recipe for Classic Hot Toddy.

Anjou Glad I Made It?

Mezcal, Ancho Chili, and spiced pear syrup make this a unique and craveable Hot Toddy.

Get the recipe for the Anjou Glad I Made It.

Grand Toddy

Grand Marnier’s base of Cognac and bitter orange liqueur offer a refined, smooth take on the classic Toddy.

Get the recipe for the Grand Toddy.

Frangeli-Cocoa

This Hot Cocoa is chocolatey hazelnut bliss! A perfect option for a frosty winter evening.

Get the recipe for the Frangeli-Cocoa.

Jarnac Hot Toddy

An easy tea infusion compliments the delicate floral and fruit notes from Courvoisier VSOP.

Get the recipe for the Jarnac Hot Toddy.

Bush Doctor

A heater with a point of view! This cocktail pulls in big flavors from Appleton rum, Averna, and a spiced Honey syrup.

Get the recipe for the Bush Doctor.

As a garnish, the humble brandied cherry doesn’t carry much weight in our direct experience of a cocktail—it changes neither temperature nor texture—and arguably very little of its sweet viscous coating ends up in the flavors you sip. And yet it remains an icon behind the bar. Like the mint on a pillow or the bow on a gift, it’s a small gesture of hospitality, a little treat for your guests.

Plus, who doesn’t want dessert with their drink?

Why Make Your Own Cocktail Cherries?

Unfortunately, nice cocktail or brandied cherries can be quite pricey, and in some markets, challenging to source. The solution? Make your own!

We tapped David Bates, Bar Supervisor for the Wild Turkey Distillery Visitor Center in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, to share his fantastic DIY Cocktail Cherry recipe.

Not only does it produce delicious, complex cherries, but the luxurious infusion liquid can pull double duty as a house cherry liqueur replacement, or simply enjoy it poured over shaved ice. This small yet thoughtful project is an easy way to implement a cost-saving sustainability element to your bar…it also happens to taste very, very good.

Watch our easy how-to video, and read on for the recipe, plus David’s notes on ingredients and storage.

Homemade Cocktail Cherries Recipe

Yield: Roughly two 16 oz Jars of Cherries

Ingredients

• 450 g Frozen Cherries (One 16 oz bag, preferably dark cherries, if available)
• 90 ml Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon*
• 60 ml Wild Turkey 101 Rye*
• 250 ml 2:1 Simple Syrup
• 50 ml Averna**
• 3 g Citric Acid***

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except cherries, and stir until the acid has dissolved (at this volume, using a small blender may be easier than stirring).
2. Pour the mixture over the still frozen cherries in a sealable container. 
3. Seal cherries and allow to infuse in the fridge for at least one week (David prefers at least two weeks, time permitting).
4. Store cherries refrigerated, and submerged in the infusion liquid. Depending on your freezer temp, surplus cherries can be kept in freezer for extended shelf life. More on that below.

Notes on Ingredients:

*101 Bourbon and 101 Rye: The 101 proof whiskey increase the shelf stability of the cherries and give a degree of barrel-aged flavor, making them a great addition to whiskey cocktails. The ABV of the solution after the cherries have been allowed to steep overnight will be between 23% and 28% which will inhibit things like bacterial growth and secondary fermentation.

**Averna: Adds complexity and darker notes. Raise amount to 75ml if desiring a more bitter final product.

***Citric Acid: The pH level that makes food shelf stable depends on multiple factors, but in general a pH below 4.5 prevents the growth of disease-causing organisms. The small addition of citric acid in the syrup brings the pH down to the 3.75 range and helps to enhance the brighter notes in the cherries.

Additional Flavors: This recipe can act as a template for additional spice infusion—he recommends adding whole dry spices like cardamom, cinnamon, or clove.

Notes On Storage and Usage:

Made as indicated in the recipe, the infused cherries should have a high enough proof and sugar content to not freeze in most freezers. Tested at 10F, cherries did not refreeze or crystalize.

Looking for more great Bartending How-To’s? Learn how to make Aperol Caviar, Campari Dust, and Sage Brown Butter Fast-Washed Savory Martini.

Miso has been a staple of Japanese cuisine for centuries, popular enough that the fermented paste has been produced at an industrial level for at least 500 years. It’s a kitchen staple for adding Umami to a variety of foods, and has been steadily finding its place in bar programs.

Production techniques and aging vary, resulting in a wonderfully diverse array of Miso options. Today, many grocery shelves are stocked with multiple options, but we’ll focus on White Miso Paste, a wonderful starting point and the most widely available.

Scroll on to learn how to make Miso Simple Syrup, and check out three cocktails that show its range.

How To Make Miso Syrup

Miso Syrup Ingredients:

• 2 cups Water
• 2 cups Granulated Sugar
• .5 Cup White Miso Paste

Instructions:

• Bring water to a boil, and then lower heat.
• Add sugar and whisk until combined.
• Add Miso paste and whisk until combined.
• Fine Strain into a non-reactive container and store refrigerated.

How to Use Miso Syrup in Cocktails

Miso syrup is your cheat code to easily add umami and depth to a whole range of cocktails.

A quick Google search for Miso flavor pairing affinities yields so many options it will make your head spin. From the simplest Dashi to caramel ice cream drizzles, fish glazes, and Peanut Butter Cookies with 7,000+ reviews, Miso is a versatile and powerful tool to surprise and delight your guests.

As a syrup, it’s just as generous. And while we love our base recipe for White Miso Syrup, we suggest thinking of it as a template, a jumping off point for your creativity—swap out the white sugar for alternative sweeteners like Agave or Jaggery. Try an aged Miso. Make a compound syrup, make a shrub…Go wild.

Below are three recipes that show just a hint of what Miso syrup can do behind the bar. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Miso Old Fashioned

Peanut Butter and Miso Syrup double down on the sweet and savory combo in this Old Fashioned riff. The fatwash provides a lush mouthfeel and the umami highlights the bourbon’s vanilla and caramel notes.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Peanut Butter fat-washed Wild Turkey 101*
• .5 oz Miso Syrup
• 2 dashes each Orange Bitters and Aromatic Bitters

Instructions:

• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
• Stir and strain over a large cube. Garnish with expressed lemon and orange twists.
• *Peanut Butter Wild Turkey: Spread 16 oz peanut butter across a large baking pan with a lip, creating a thin layer. Pour one 750 ml bottle of Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon on top. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and allow it to sit overnight at room temperature. The next day, strain the bourbon through a coffee filter and funnel it back into the bottle. Discard the peanut butter.

Miso Dark and Stormy

This riff replaces the layered build with a whip shake, better aerating and marrying all the components. Appleton’s apricot and molasses really sing with an umami counterpoint, and the dark rum float is replaced with Averna, offering complexity by way of its bitter orange and licorice notes.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Appleton Estate Signature Jamaica Rum
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• .75 oz Miso Syrup
• .5 oz Averna
• Club Soda

Instructions:

• Add all ingredients except soda to a shaker tin with a small handful of pebble ice.
• Whip shake until ice dissolves. Add soda and quick stir to incorporate.
• Pour into a chilled highball glass full of ice. Garnish with Lime wedge.

Thai Basil Miso Margarita

Thai Basil, more opinionated and often more anise-forward than other basils, is an obvious addition to the Margarita.

This recipe is sweetened by a Miso Agave syrup, which highlights the flexibility of the template and perfectly accompanies a quality Tequila: bright, vegetal, and complex.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Espolon Blanco Tequila
• .75 oz Lime juice
• .5 oz Miso Agave Syrup
• .25 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
• 3 Thai Basil leaves

Instructions:

• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and shake hard.
• Fine strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice.
• Garnish with a Thai Basil leaf and a Lime wheel.

Want more bartender how-to’s? Learn to make Aperol Caviar, ferment DIY Ginger Beer, and Create Campari Dust.

It’s the season! Whether you’re prepping for a last-minute catering gig or just got an invite to a big dinner party, the odds are good that in the near future your bartending skills will be needed for an “away game.”

We checked in with the Academy team to see what pro bartenders are bringing to the festivities. The criteria? Recipes should be crowd-pleasers and easily batchable (unless, you know, you want to spend the whole party working).

Within these parameters, the team hand-picked a creative, wide-ranging quiver of cocktail recipes: From a fool-proof blender Egg Nog to eight-ingredient Mezcal Negroni to a piping hot Tiki cocktail, there’s something on this list for everyone!

Kalimotxo – Lo Logsdon, Academy Bartender

Lo Says: “Typically seen in Spain as a split between cheap red wine and cola, a Kalimotxo can be elevated and turned into a fun and easy punch for the holidays by using a blend of Cynar and Averna.

This recipe is infinitely riffable. Very good with the addition of sweet vermouth as well! The idea here is to be able to batch your amari at home, and grab a bottle of wine and a couple cans of Coke on the way to the party.”

Kalimotxo Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of juicy red wine, typically a Rioja
• 1-2 12 oz cans of cola, depending on your sweetness preference
• 4 parts Cynar
• 4 parts Averna

Instructions:

• Add all ingredients together in a pitcher with ice.
• Garnish with orange twists and star anise.

Hot Zombie – Jelani Johnson, Academy Head Bartender

Jelani says: “One of my all-time favorite holiday recipes is the Hot Zombie. This recipe below is adapted one Brian Miller shared with me. I’ve made it just about every year since I first got into cocktails.

The drink is complex, tropical, warming, and altogether satisfying. A batch of this can be kept in the fridge and heated anytime for a quick trip to the islands during the holiday season.”

Hot Zombie Recipe (serving size: 8 oz)
Ingredients:

• 1 bottle (750ml) Appleton Estate 8 Year Reserve
• 1.5 quarts Hot water
• 12 oz Pineapple juice
• 6 oz Passionfruit puree
• 6 oz Lime juice
• 6 oz Honey syrup (2:1)

Instructions:

• Batch & serve from a hot drink percolator, or bottle and heat in a saucepan or kettle to serve.
• Serve 8 oz in an Absinthe-rinsed coffee mug.
• Garnish with a pat of butter.

Blender Egg Nog – Jessamine McLellan, Academy Director

Jessamine says: “This is, by its very definition, easy to batch. This recipe is delicious (and much quieter) if prepped before your event. If you’re running on the fly, though, it can also be made quickly and quite easily à la minute.”

Blender Egg Nog Recipe
Ingredients:

• 3 parts Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
• 3 parts Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
• 1.5 cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 4 large eggs
• .75 cups Granulated Sugar
• .5 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• .25 tbsp Ground Nutmeg
• .25 tbsp Ground Cloves

Instructions:

• Add eggs to a blender and blend on medium for 4 minutes to emulsify the eggs.
• With the blender running, remove the lid cap, and add sugar and blend for 30 seconds.
• Add milk, heavy cream, spices, Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, and Grand Marnier. Blend for 30 more seconds.
• Transfer to a non-reactive container and store in the refrigerator. This recipe can be served immediately, or let it rest in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks to let the flavors combine. 
• To serve, pour over ice and garnish with freshly ground nutmeg.

Reverse-ish Manhattan – Matt Merkin, Academy Digital Manager

Matt says: “The Manhattan is a nearly perfect Winter cocktail; something to sip contemplatively in a warm, low lit bar. Not really a party vibe, right? But there’s hope…

Built off the chassis of a Reverse Manhattan, the vermouth here is split with a Black Manhattan’s Averna and brightened by Grand Marnier, guest starring from the EO spec. These bring in complexity, dark cocoa and bitter orange. The rye’s spice notes keep the whole thing upright. And the sherry? That’s in there to dry things off a bit and add a nutty counterpoint…but mainly because it’s my recipe and I want it there.

The final result is still complex and sophisticated, but lower octane for longer evenings.

Reverse-ish Manhattan Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 part Wild Turkey 101 Rye
• 1 part Sweet Vermouth
• .5 parts Averna
• .25 parts Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
• .25 parts Amontillado sherry

Instructions:

• Full batch in an empty 750. No Dilution. Store in refrigerator.
• Serve “Midwestern style” over rocks, with a quick stir.
• Garnish with lemon twist.

Eddie’s 8 Ingredient Negroni – Eddie Hansel, Academy Operations Manager

Eddie says: “I invented this so I had something to order when I visit a friend at work and they’re on service bar, deep in the weeds.

In all seriousness, though, this drink is delicious. You can tell the average Joe “it’s a Mezcal Negroni” and they will be happy. You can tell your bartender nerd friends what’s actually in it, and they will be happy. It’s complex but balanced and approachable. Make it. Take a sip. You will be happy.”

Eddie’s 8 Ingredient Negroni Recipe
Ingredients:

• .5 parts Montelobos Tobala
• .5 parts Montelobos Pechuga
• .25 parts Mayenda Blanco
• .5 parts Cynar
• .5 parts Del Professore Vermouth Rosso Classico
• .5 parts China-China
• .5 parts Campari
• 3 dashes of Mole Bitters

Instructions:

• Full batch in an empty 750ml bottle. No Dilution. Store in Refrigerator.
• To serve, pour over ice in a rocks glass.
• Garnish with orange twist.

Rockefeller Center – Hector Sam-Roman, Academy Bartender

Hector says: “The Boulevardier’s whiskey base already makes it a great batched cocktail for holiday season parties, but the Chai and Wintry spice infusions really take it to another level. This is a great option if you want something that feels custom and special without giving a ton of prep work.”

Hector’s Rockefeller Center Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1.25 parts Wild Turkey 101 Rye
• 1 part Chai-infused Campari*
• 1 part Christmas Vermouth**
• Water (15-20% of batch volume)

Instructions:

• Measure out desired amount of first three ingredients.
• Multiply this volume by .18 (“Total # of ounces” x .18) to get the amount of water needed.
• Add water to your batch, and store in refrigerator.
• To serve, pour into a chilled Nick and Nora. Or, if possible, inside of a clear tree ornament, garnished with skewered cranberry and mint.

Sub-recipes:

• *Chai-infused Campari: Add 2 Chai tea bags to 750ml Campari. Let infuse for 8 hours.
• **Christmas Vermouth: Add 15 white peppercorns, 15 whole cloves, 15 whole green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick and one bottle of 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso to a pot and turn the heat to low and stir for 5-10 mins until it starts to boil. Immediately remove from heat, strain back into bottle, and cool.

The Sangrita is one of those wonderful curiosities of bartending—often red, sometimes green, with wide-swinging regional variations and a shopping cart’s worth of possible ingredients that someone will inevitably tell you are mandatory and traditional.

Here, though, we’re sharing one of our favorite versions.

Though traditionally sipped as an accompaniment to a neat pour of Tequila, this zingy, eye-opening interpretation is shaken directly into a Mezcal Margarita, making something even better than the sum of its parts. Here’s how to make both:

First, grab your produce, blender, and fine strainer, and build your Verdita.

Verdita Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Pineapple, chopped
• 1 Cucumber, chopped
• 1 Jalapeño, chopped
• 1/2 bushel Cilantro
• 1 handful Mint
• 100ml Water

Instructions:

• Blend all ingredients and fine strain through a mesh sleeve.
• Store in a non-reactive container, and serve within 24 hours.

This Verdita is great enjoyed as a traditional side-by-side, but it really sings shaken into the Margarita. This crushable version, built around Montelobos Espadin and Grand Marnier, also happens to be an irresistible, tropical green.

Get the recipe for the Verdita Mezcalita.

Verdita Mezcalita

By Hailee Catalano (@haileecatalano)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Montelobos Espadin
• 1.5 oz Verdita
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• .5 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin, add ice and shake.
• Double strain over a large block in a rocks glass with a Tajin Salt rim.
• Garnish with mint and a slice of cucumber.