Tales of the Cocktail has been celebrating the art of mixing (and drinking) cocktails in New Orleans for over a decade. The past few years, they've also brought their act on the road to Vancouver, but this year, TOTC headed south to Buenos Aires, Argentina to soak up local cocktail culture and bring a little NOLA to South America. More
The fun thing about infusing spirits or concocting a liqueur is that there aren't a lot of rules and complicated techniques. Most of the time it really is just mixing together things that sound like they'd taste good and seeing what happens. However, there are some really common mistakes that can ruin the fun. More
Most orange soda has more in common with orange the color than the fruit, but that doesn't stop me from craving it. The reason I drink soda isn't because I think it's full of vitamins and minerals. I drink it because it tastes good. My idea of the perfect orange soda is the fast-food fountain Orange Crush and Sunkist that I grew up with, even though as an adult I know it's just a bunch of corn syrup and artificial flavoring. Luckily, DIY orange soda delivers the same satisfying combination of sweet and tart you get from the commercial version without the questionable ingredients. More
Not that long ago, mole bitters seemed like an exotic and strange ingredient. But now they're all over cocktail menus and I have come to consider them a drink-mixing necessity. I've always liked the combination of chocolate and spice, but being able to use these flavors to liven up my cocktails has been a revelation. More
I like to think of root beer as the gateway beverage into the big, bad world of booze. Even though it's a big leap from A&W to Fernet Branca, there's definitely a connection between what makes a good root beer and what makes a good alcoholic beverage. This homemade root beer liqueur has more in common with an aperitif than it does with a soda, because the sugar is dialed back and the root-and-bark goodness can shine through. More
A few dashes of grapefruit bitters can put a so-so sparkling wine cocktail into fabulous territory or turn a limp Paloma or Gin & Tonic into a bright and balanced thing of beauty. But even though grapefruit bitters have been called for in cocktail recipes since the 1860s, many liquor stores don't carry them. DIY to the rescue! More
Most grape-flavored things don't taste like grape at all—they taste like purple. Commercial grape soda walks the line between the taste of real grapes and sugary artificial flavor. Grape soda should be the non-alcoholic, fizzy sister to wine, but instead it seems to be the least appreciated of the sodas. I've had a soft spot for this deep purple, bubbly beverage since childhood, so I was inspired to make a DIY version that has a more natural flavor. More
Asking me to pick my favorite cocktail is sort of like asking parents which of their kids is the best. It's a hard question to answer, but deep in my heart, I know. Sorry, Sazerac and Martini, even though I love you so, the Manhattan is easily my favorite drink. So I was surprised that a simple change to this classic drink made me love it even more. More
I was pleased to find out that no alarm bells went off when I poured honey and spices into my Scotch—and the resulting concoction was delicious. This DIY Drambuie isn't a carbon copy of the original—and that's the point. More
Cherry cola is amazing. Cherry Coke, on the other hand, is a disgusting tease. For a split second there's some cherry flavor, but then it's replaced by a chemical finish that reminds you that no cherries were harmed while making that beverage. I've done some experimenting with adding cherry syrup to store-bought cola, which was good. But making my own cola and cherrying it up was even better. More
When I was a kid, Dutch relatives would bring my family all the treats that were hard to find here in the states. My favorite was hagelslag, which are candy sprinkles that you put on buttered bread. (Boxes of hagelslag guaranteed that I would be allowed to eat candy for breakfast.) The grownups, however, got all excited about a ochre-colored liqueur called advocaat. It looked like an avocado-and-mustard milkshake to me, so when they'd pour themselves a big glass for Christmas, I was never tempted to sneak a sip. After all, these were the same adults who'd rave about salty black licorice, which I knew for a fact was the worst thing I'd ever tasted. More
Forget about the big jugs of watery cranberry juice on the grocery store shelves—the best way to put these gorgeous red fruits into your drinks is with a homemade cranberry liqueur. Fresh cranberries are ubiquitous this time of year, and turning them into liqueur is a snap. So not only will you have a versatile ingredient for festive Thanksgiving cocktails, but a bottle of this beautiful crimson liqueur also makes a great gift come December. More
My liquor cabinet is starting to resemble a liquid United Nations, with almost every region and culture accounted for. Until recently, however, Scandinavia was sorely missing from the General Assembly. Then a bartender in L.A. served me a spritzer that had a savory rye-bread kind of flavor to it that I couldn't quite place. I figured she had gotten creative with a syrup. But when I asked how she got that flavor, she whipped out a bottle of aquavit. I quickly got to work experimenting with making my own. More
There's just something cozy about pumpkin and spice, and once autumn's arrived, I want to cram pumpkin into everything I eat and drink. Getting pumpkin into a cocktail can be a little messy and goopy, so I like to whip up a batch of pumpkin liqueur to ensure that I can conveniently drink pumpkin pie cocktails for months to come. This recipe doesn't take long, so you can even finish it in time for that Halloween party you're having. More
Prohibition did more than inspire an HBO gangster drama about how Steve Buscemi is rich and sleeps with showgirls while people get shot. Making booze illegal changed the way America drank, banishing a lot of popular ingredients to obscurity. One of the cocktail casualties was Swedish Punsch, a liqueur made with citrus, spices, rum, and a southeastern Asian liquor made with sugar cane and red rice called Batavia Arrack. More
Making your own honey liqueur is dead simple. You don't have to do anything but heat the honey with some water and then mix it with vodka. I like to let the liqueur sit overnight to ensure the flavors are totally integrated, but if you're truly impatient you can use it right away. As much as I love Bärenjäger, when I compared it side-by-side I liked the homemade stuff just as much and it was a hell of a lot cheaper. More
One sure-fire way to start an argument with me is to say that absinthe makes people hallucinate. It doesn't. But if you think it does, you have something in common with French regulators in the early 1900s. Back then, everyone was panicking that absinthe would drive people insane because it contained wormwood. Before more people could succumb to absinthe madness and chop their ear off à la Vincent van Gogh, they outlawed the spirit. (The fact that absinthe was 140 proof and people were drinking it like wine had more than a little to do with the crazy behavior, but I digress.) With absinthe out of the picture, people needed another delicious anise-flavored alcoholic beverage. That's where pastis came in. More
Bananas don't get much play in the cocktail world because they're mushy and fibrous, making them impossible to juice and gross to muddle. Even when the blender is out, poor old banana is frequently left out of the cocktail party. But the vibrant, tropical flavor of bananas tastes amazing in drinks, especially ones made with rum. More
The first time I tried cherry liqueur, I thought it tasted like cough syrup. For years, I avoided anything made with the stuff because I don't want my cocktails to remind me of sick children. Then one day I ordered a Singapore Sling without really knowing what was in it. When I found out that cherry liqueur played a big part in making this drink so good, I realized that maybe I had stereotyped all cherry liqueurs because of one that was particularly bad (and probably cheap). More
Until I was 13, I was convinced that root beer was alcoholic. I couldn't believe that my otherwise responsible dad would offer me sips of his root beer. Being a quite conservative child, I would always refuse. More
Once upon a time, simple syrup wasn't so simple. Instead of using a mixture of just sugar and water, old timey barkeeps would sweeten cocktails with a more viscous sweetener known as gomme or gum syrup. More
A good melon liqueur can turn basic club soda into a sophisticated summer cooler or add another layer to a complex tiki drink. More
Sometimes when I read about big city bars, I get a little jealous. Part of what inspired me to learn to mix a good drink is that most of the bars within walking distance of my house have deer heads mounted on the wall and bartenders who get a little confused if your cocktail isn't a Rum & Coke, Gin & Tonic, or other drink whose name is its ingredients. But then I make a batch of DIY blackberry liqueur with fresh berries, I mix myself a Bramble, and all envy dissipates. More
Love of Nutella is one of the things that connects us as a species. And while chocolate is fantastic, it's the humble hazelnut that elevates Nutella from delicious to life-changing. That's why I'm surprised that hazelnut liqueur (also called noisette) flies a bit under the radar compared to its nutty cousin amaretto. More
Homemade peach liqueur captures everything that is fantastic about this fresh summer fruit, and it's easy to make. Plus, making your own means no preservatives or artificial coloring. More
I've always used it up within a month, but it should actually last up to 6 months if you have used the citric acid. (Without the citric acid, a month tops)
UV Vodka has a 100 proof version that is cheap! And it's good enough to use in mixed drinks like Bloody Marys, too. I'd skip anything high-end for this kind of project, but definitely don't want anything with bad flavor creeping in.
@smartanimal: You're right that this would be higher in alcohol than most commercial amari but still less than spirits typically have. If you wanted to start off with an 80 or 100 proof base, I'd suggest steeping for longer.
@LeonaLaurie: It's hard to say exactly because honey varies so much in sweetness and flavor. I'd start off with 2/3 cup of honey (instead of 1 cup sugar) and then adjust from there. With milder honeys it usually ends up being 3/4 of a cup as a sub for 1 cup of sugar, but word on the street is that White Gold Honey is more flavorful. You'll have to experiment with that amount as well as how much seltzer to dilute with. The good news is that even when it's the wrong amount, it still tastes good.
We do have Orangina here and I love it! PULP! But I consider it a whole different drink from orange sodas like Sunkist.
@moedersin: Eep! Thank you for catching that. The recipe headnote has now been corrected. (The recipe itself was correct, as you guessed.)
While the citric acid does extend shelf life, its main function in this recipe is to add a sharpness and a tartness (similar to the powder on Sour Patch Kids). This is that familiar kick that commercial sodas have that balances the sugary aspects. So you could make this without citric acid, but then the flavor would be sweeter and less like what we associate with soda. (Adding lemon would add tartness, but then that also adds the flavor of lemon. Citric acid adds tartness without detracting from the orange flavor or adding another fruit flavor to the mix.)
@JanelJ: Sounds like a great variation! That's the fun part about making your own ... the tasting and tweaking. I have, in the past, used the pulp in grapefruit bitters and agree you get great flavor that way.
I think the flavors would be great with rum. However, I think that something high proof would require more steeping time. I didn't do it myself, because I was trying to keep it simple, but perhaps steeping ingredients for a while in the rum? You could use the same method I did, but I think the heat would overtake the flavor a bit if you did it that way.
Thanks, everyone! As a life-long Californian, I've never had Moxie. (Maybe it is for sale here and I've just not noticed.) But now I will get my hands on some and see what I can do. Keep the suggestions coming!
Here are some that I've done that it sounds like some of you are interested in:
Root beer: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/08/diy-vs-buy-how-to-brew-your-own-root-beer-at-home.html
Sweet vermouth: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/12/diy-vs-buy-how-to-make-sweet-vermouth-at-home.html
Tonic: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/11/diy-vs-buy-how-to-make-tonic-water-quinine-cinchona.html
Hazelnut liqueur: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/07/diy-vs-buy-how-to-make-hazelnut-liqueur-diy-frangelico-cocktails.html
Amaro: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/05/diy-vs-buy-how-to-make-homemade-amaro-averna-fernet-ramazzoti.html
@shoneyjoe: Last year I wrote a post about a few of the things that landed on the 'buy' side for me: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/03/diy-vs-buy-cocktail-ingredients-you-should-not-make-yourself.html?ref=title
This relates to what @bkozel says, because some of the hardest to get right are amari. (I've done a few I like, but it's hard!)
@LeonaLaurie: It's not just alcoholic things. I've posted root beer and grape soda recipes, and someone else on the site has done a ginger beer (which is non-alcoholic but more gingery than ginger ale). So any others that come to mind (i'll look into sarsaparilla), let me know!
My favorite type of bottle to put it in is what I guess is called a 'condiment bottle.' It's like what commercial bitters come in: http://www.acemart.com/dining-room/tabletop-supplies/condiment-supplies/condiment-bowls-jars/specialty-bottle-clear-woozy-bottle-black-cap-spb-wz5/prod272211018.html
Second choice is a dropper bottle: http://www.kegworks.com/cocktail-bitters-amber-glass-dropper-bottle-empty-4-oz-618-p175445
@ErrantBaritone: This recipe had milder flavors than the cherry bitters recipe (floral and citrus instead wood and spices)and doesn't steep for as long because of that. So I didn't need the stronger spirit to pull the flavors out. In general, this is a gentler bitters than the cherry.
@Phil88: The recipe should've called for gentian root as the note says. It's now fixed to have the right ingredient.
@gumbercules: Yes to this in gimlets! :)
No lettuce on burgers! Also: Champagne w/ burgers is the greatest.
There would possibly be a negligible amount of alcohol present.
@Rettakat: You could use stevia. However, it will have a much thinner texture since stevia, in my experience, doesn't really get as syrupy as sugar. I haven't tried it myself, but I don't see why it wouldn't work as long as you looked up the equivalent quantity to use as a sugar substitute and kept in mind that it may be a bit thinner. I'm no expert in alternative sweeteners, but maybe experiment with simple syrup first to see how that works and consider other alternatives like xylitol if you're unhappy with the result.
@amnesiack: I used dried, unsweetened cherries this go round. However, in the past when I've made similar bitters with fresh cherries, I didn't bother to pit them.
@Hedonovore: As it says in the recipe headnote, "Gentian root and quassia chips can usually be found at specialty herb stores. You can also order them from Lhasa Karnak."
@Gastronomix you can definitely do this with a white rum. Though I didn't try it myself with peaches, I've done that with other fruit and it's great.
@Dana Bach: Of course! How could I leave out the Rusty Nail? It's a classic: 2 parts scotch, 1 part Drambuie, with a lemon twist
@CLcooks: Campari is a tough nut to crack, but I have been playing with bitter concoctions so we'll see!
@tyranis: I don't know of a sassafras substitute, but I think if you increased the sasparilla and birch bark, you'd still get a very root beer-y flavor. There is also root beer extract, but I think that defeats the purpose of making your own flavoring. You can definitely make a syrup and then use it with a soda carbonator. Although, since I haven't tried that I don't actually know the proportions.
I did indeed use entire pods and not just sections. The Brooklyn recipe was just a starting point for me, and I felt that just one section was not enough anise.
I used Bing cherries, since I could find them frozen and it's not cherry season where I live. Once it's cherry season, I'll probably try out some other varieties.
With honey, some sediment is just going to happen. However, you can strain it before giving it as a gift so that it's starting out as clear as possible.
"People don't necessarily expect great cocktails in Napa Valley," Michael Pazdon said. He runs the bar program at the newly opened Goose & Gander in St. Helena, together with partner Scott Beattie. "They'll come in and be like, 'Anything but another glass of wine, please!' And I've got your back." More
Rhubarb is one of my favorite cocktail ingredients. When rhubarb season arrived, I ran to buy as much as I could from the market that's usually first to get all the seasonal produce. When I couldn't find it, I went to the manager in a panic. "We used to stock that," he said. "But nobody likes it, so we stopped." I then dramatically flung myself onto the nearest support beam and screamed, "Noooooo!" as if I just found out Darth Vader was my father. (He is not.) Luckily, the next store had a whole display of rhubarb and promised me that they would keep stocking it throughout the season. More
You don't need to use the fancy French stuff for this recipe—any decent, drinkable sparkling wine will work. Your jelly might look a bit loose at the end of the cooking time, but don't fret. Your jars may need to sit overnight to set properly. More
Homemade creme de menthe tastes and smells like just-picked mint, completely blowing away the commercial stuff with a bright and natural flavor that you just can't get from extracts. DIY mint liqueur is like a delicious candy cane in alcohol form—and since it takes only three ingredients and one day to make, there's still time to make some for Christmas. More
Cocktail geeks have been going nuts for orgeat (pronounced "or-zsa," like Zsa Zsa Gabor) for ages, but there's a reason you don't see it in many home bars: the good stuff is hard to find. But making your own high-quality orgeat with all-natural ingredients takes 15 minutes work and costs about $6. More
I've been looking for an excuse to play with bottled cocktails. I'm on it! RE: sichuan peppercorns and watermelon ... what about just infusing the peppercorns and then using that in a cocktail made with fresh watermelon?