Cocktail College

Very recently (at the time of publishing, at least), the topic of organizing labor came up unexpectedly in the bar industry, as workers at one of the country’s most notable craft cocktail spots announced their intention to unionize. We’re not going to dig too deep into the specifics of that effort, though we will touch upon it throughout the episode. Instead, we're joined by returning guest and labor expert, Dave Infante, to discuss how bar workers might go about unionizing, and why they might want to do so in the first place. Don't forget to like, review, and subcribe!Dave's Fingers column on the union drive at Death & Co.: https://www.fingers.email/p/inside-the-union-drive-at-death-andJill Cockson's Cocktail College episode referenced in today's show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-hospitality/id1583840832?i=1000611715875 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mr. Jack Schramm, our go-to source for all things techniques, discusses the ambitious technique of clarification in cocktails. They also touch on the trend of alternative milks, the happenings at Solid Wiggles Jell-O shot company, working around centrifuge machines, making and using clarified cordial, clearing a bar by mistake, and the consequences of becoming the number one bar.

We're diving into the archives today at Cocktail College as we resurface an episode and cocktail we think you might have missed first go around: The American Trilogy. We're exploring it with the Applejack-based drink's co-creator, and owner of New York’s Dutch Kills bar and Hundredweight Ice Company, Richie Boccato. Listen on to learn the story behind the American Trilogy and to learn Boccato’s recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe! Richie Boccato’s American Triology Recipe  Ingredients  - 1 ounce applejack, such as Laird’s Bottled in Bond - 1 ounce rye whiskey, such as Michter’s - 1 cube Demerara sugar - 2 dashes orange bitters (1:1 mix of Fee Brothers and Regans’) - 1 splash soda water  Directions  1. Add sugar cube to a chilled Old Fashined glass and saturate with bitters and a splash of soda water. 2. Crush cube using a muddler and work to form a rough paste. 3. Add applejack, rye, and a large, singule cube of ice. Stir a few times to incorporate the sugar paste.  4. Garnish with an orange twist.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stirred, boozy, and beloved by bartenders across the globe, the Hanky Panky feels like a modern creation but it's steeped in history, having been created over 100 years ago by Ada "Coley" Coleman at the American Bar at the Savoy hotel. Here to join us today and share his expertise on the drink is Ektoras Binikos, a New-York-based long-time industry pro, and co-owner of Sugar Monk in Harlem and the upcoming Bitter Monk at Brooklyn's Industry City. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ektoras' Hanky Pankny recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!  Ektoras Binikos' Hanky Panky Recipe (Classic) Ingredients - 1 ½ ounces London Dry Gin - 1 ½ ounces sweet vermouth - 2 or 3 dashes (or small teaspoon/barspoon) Fernet Branca  Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled Coupe or Nick & Nora glass. 3. Garnish with an orange twist.  Ektoras Binikos' Hanky Panky Recipe (Sugar Monk riff) Ingredients - 1 ½ ounces unaged genever - 1 ½ ounces sweet vermouth - 2 or 3 dashes (or small teaspoon/barspoon) Fernet Branca - 2 or 3 drops housemade orange bitters  Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled Coupe or Nick & Nora glass.3. Garnish with an orange twist.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Joey Smith, bar director at New York’s Chez Zou and Piña Colada aficionado, as he explores the beloved tropical drink's rich history. Discover how two bars in Puerto Rico lay claim to its origins and the nostalgia it evokes. Joey shares tips on crafting the perfect Piña Colada, highlighting the importance of quality ingredients and innovative techniques. He also delves into the cocktail’s cultural significance and offers a batched frozen Piña Colada recipe that'll elevate your summer sipping!

Coffee-based digestif cocktail but make it two-ingredient and simple to serve: it is, of course, the Carajillo. Literally, all you need for this one is freshly pulled espresso, Licor 43, decent ice, and a good shaking arm. Here to explain how to bring all of that together is Tito Pin Perez, creative director of Mexico City's Rayo cocktail bar. Listen on (or read below) to discover Pin Perez's Carajillo recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!  Tito Pin Perez's Carajillo Recipe  Ingredients - 1 ½ ounces freshly pulled espresso - 2 ounces Licor 43 - Garnish: Espresso beans  Directions 1. Add both ingredients to a shaker with a large rock of "chunk" ice. 2. Shake vigorously until well chilled and a nice foam has formed. 3. Strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. 4. Garnish with three espresso beans.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been described as “the first and best cocktail of the 21st century to push the boundaries of classic tiki,” and also, simply, “A hell of a good drink.” It’s The Winchester (and the Double Barrel Winchester) and we’re diving into it with creator and returning friend of the show, Brian Miller. Listen on (or read below) to discover the recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!  Brian Miller’s Double Barrel Winchester Recipe  Ingredients - ¾ ounces lime juice - ¾ ounces grapefruit juice - ½ ounce grenadine - ½ ounce ginger syrup - ½ ounce St. Germain - 1 dash Angostura bitters - ½ ounce Greenhook Ginsmith Old Tom gin - ½ ounce Perry’s Tot gin - 1 ounce Miller’s Westbourne Strength gin - 1 ounce Monkey 47 gin  Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a blender with a cup of crushed ice. 2. Blend until ice is completely incorporated and drink is cold. 3. Pour into a tiki glass and top with crushed ice if necessary. 4. Garnish with a dehydrated grapefruit wedge.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Batanga, or charro negro as it’s more commonly known across Mexico, is a simple combination of tequila, lime and coke. Despite the simplicity of its composition, that doesn’t mean we can’t do the deep dive on the drink we typically do here at Cocktail College. This is a beverage with rich national significance, that requires careful consideration of ingredients and preparation, and ultimately says something about drinking culture. Here to connect all of those dots is Clayton Szczech, a Mexico-based former bar owner, and sociologist, writer, author of the book “A Field Guide to Tequila.” Listen on (or read below) to discover The Batanga recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!  The Batanga Recipe  Ingredients - 1 ½ ounces Tequila Blanco (or a mixto, such as El Tequileño) - ½ ounce lime juice (roughly one key lime) - Mexican Coca-Cola, to taste - Garnish: Lime wedge  Directions 1. Prepare a highball (or chimney) glass rimmed with rock salt. 2. Add tequila, lime juice, and top with ice and Coke. 3. Stir with the same knife used to cut the lime until chilled. 4. Garnish with lime wedge.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The genre of split-base classic cocktails is a lot thinner than you might imagine. And, honestly, it’s questionable whether today’s drink, The Warday’s, can even be considered a classic, such is its relative anonymity. But it is past time you get to know this 1930s gin and apple brandy mashup. Here to explore it with us is Eryn Reece, a New York-based bartender, qualified spirits expert and judge, Speed Rack National Champion, and Tales of the Cocktail Dame Hall of Fame Inductee. Listen on (or read below) to discover Eryn’s Warday’s recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Eryn Reece’s Warday’s Recipe  Ingredients - 1 ounce Calvados, such as Lemorton - 1 ounce London Dry gin, such as Beefeater - ¾ ounce sweet vermouth, such as Carpano Antica - ¼  ounce yellow Chartreuse - Garnish: lemon twist  Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. 3. Garnish with a lemon twist.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Mr. David Wondrich. It's the Martini. And this ain't no riff or re-run. Instead, we're revisiting this most iconic of classics at Cocktail College, and we're doing so with one of the biggest names in the business. For decades, Wondrich has been at the forefront of chronicling and uncovering cocktail history. He is a James Beard Award-winning author, the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, the resident Spirits & Cocktails historian and advisor at Flaviar, and co-host of the Fix Me a Drink podcast.Listen on (or read below) to discover Wondrich's Martini recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!  David Wondrich’s Martini Recipe  Ingredients - 3 parts London Dry gin, such as Tanqueray - 1 part dry vermouth, such as Noilly Prat - 2 dashes orange bitters - Garnish: lemon twist  Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. 2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. 3. Garnish with a lemon twist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.