Blood oranges lend the their beautiful red color to make a fun and festive winter margarita! Use fresh-squeezed juice when the citrus is in-season or find bottled juice in the cooler section of your local store year round. Read more…
Cocktails
Perfect Touch
I originally created this cocktail for a live video tutorial on summertime drinks. My mom and aunt watched the episode, mixed up a batch, and called to tell me about the fun they were having together. In that moment I was reminded—the heart of my cocktail passion is about bringing people together. Perfect Touch is […] Read more…
Summer Solstice
This cocktail is like summer in a glass. Bourbon mingles with lemon juice and in-season strawberries to create a bold yet refreshing punch. Fresh strawberries are only in season for a short time, but you can have that summertime feeling year-round-—purchase ripe strawberries while they’re in season, and freeze for later. Be sure to thaw […] Read more…
Hot Toddy
My hubby and I have a fun holiday tradition with our friends in Seattle—the first weekend in December, we caravan out to a Christmas tree farm, trek across fields looking for our perfect tree, and toast to our friendship over hot toddies. I’ve perfected my version of the Hot Toddy over the last few years—replacing the […] Read more…
Vermilion Punch
This cocktail packs a punch in more ways than one! Vermilion is a blood-red pigment, like the color of a Moro blood orange, which lends its dramatic hue to this eye-catching punch. Mix up a single cocktail or batch it for your next gathering. Holiday parties are the perfect time for this cocktail because blood […] Read more…
Greyhound Rescue
The original Greyhound cocktail has fallen in and out of popularity since its conception in the 1930s, but this variation is one of my favorite drinks to serve when entertaining. The rosemary simple syrup imparts complex herbaceous notes, and the sweetness rounds out the tart grapefruit juice. Gin adds floral notes and more depth of […] Read more…
Liberal Libations—my new batch cocktail book!
I’m so excited to share this cocktail book with you! I’ve been working on it for about 3 years, and it will finally be released on November 12. Liberal Libations empowers you to craft bar-quality cocktails for a large crowd or for an intimate gathering. Make-ahead batch recipes allow you to spend less time mixing drinks, and […] Read more…
The Picard
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my love of sci-fi. I’m a Star Trek: The Next Generation nerd, and a big fan of Patrick Stewart. I created this cocktail with Earl Grey tea, bourbon, lavender and lemon, to celebrate the birthday of Patrick Stewart and his STTNG character, Captain Jean-Luc Picard. They were born on the […] Read more…
Negroni Sour
The Negroni Sour is a more complex take on the original cocktail. The addition of orange and lemon juice really makes this cocktail sing, while the egg white gives it a smooth and creamy texture. I’m using Sipsmith Gin, Campari (of course) and Amaro instead of Sweet Vermouth, because, well, I’m just not a fan […] Read more…
Classic Negroni
The Negroni is a classic cocktail that showcases one of my favorite ingredients—Campari—mingling in equal parts with Gin and Sweet Vermouth. Served it on the rocks or straight up in a cocktail glass. I’m a total bourbon-girl, so my favorite riff on this classic is the Boulevardier. It’s also the inspiration for Imbibe Magazine’s annual charity event, Negroni Week. […] Read more…
Merciless Virgin
This tiki cocktail was originally created at Skipper Kent’s in San Francisco, and it’s now a staple at Smuggler’s Cove. If you aren’t near the bay area, it’s easy to mix this cocktail up at home. Read more…
Seabird
The Seabird is my take on the famous tiki drink, the Jungle Bird. For the classic tiki cocktail, use dark Jamaican rum and unflavored simple syrup. Read more…
Navy Grog
The Navy Grog is a classic tiki cocktail created by Trader Vic’s in the 1940’s, and adapted by Smuggler’s Cove. The ice cone adds fun, tiki flair and it’s easy to make at home! Read more…
Potted Parrot
The Potted Parrot—a classic from Trader Vic’s is the perfect drink to show off my new-to-me, vintage tiki mug. Read more…
French 75 with Cognac
While most people think of gin when they order a French 75, my friend, Paul, challenged me to create the perfect French 75 with cognac. As a whiskey drinker, I prefer this version over the traditional gin-based French 75. Give both recipes a try and tell me which one has your vote. Read more…
Winter Daiquiri
Plantation Stiggins’ Pineapple Rum is one of my favorites mixed in cocktails, over ice, or served neat. Blood oranges are my favorite citrus to use in winter cocktails. So, I decided to combine them both into a tiki-inspired Winter Daiquiri. The clove notes in the pineapple rum and the cinnamon syrup lends a nice wintertime […] Read more…
Toronto
The Toronto cocktail has very few ingredients: Rye, Fernet, Simple Syrup—and depending on who you ask, Angostura bitters. There’s not a bunch of ingredients to hide behind, so the quality and proportions count. I have a good friend who judges bars by how they execute the Toronto—he’s a smart man with impeccable taste! Read more…
Boozy Orange Hot Chocolate
This grown up hot chocolate gets a kick of orange flavor from Cointreau and orange zest. It reminds me of those Terry’s chocolate oranges that are popular as stocking stuffers. Read more…
The Black Flame Halloween Cocktail Punch
Serve this spooky cocktail at your Halloween party or pre/post trick-or-treating with your little monsters. This easy fall recipe has four ingredients—rum, black currant ginger beer, cardamom bitters, and simple syrup. Black currant lends a perfect blood-like hue and black sanding sugar acts as a ghoulish garnish. Read more…
Old Fashioned
Fall is here and the Old Fashioned is calling my name. Obviously, this classic cocktail is perfect all year round, but with the shift in seasons, it just feels like the right fit for an after work drink, or curling up on the couch with a good book. Read more…