Cocktail College

On today's, admittedly ambiguously titled episode, we're exploring the philosophy of different styles of bartending. More specifically, we’re looking at interactive, high-end, and forward-thinking mixology, and the style of service that accompanies it. Jon Adler, the beverage director at New York's Shinjis, as well as the adjoined Michelin-starred omakase counter noda, is in the hot seat. Listen on to learn more — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not to be confused with a morning cup of joe, the Americano is a precursor to the Negroni, with club soda taking the place of soda to create a flavorsome, low-ABV apéritif. To teach us about this Italian icon, we’re joined by Los-Angeles-based Nicolas O’Connor, the director of mixology and culinary arts at Apotheke Mixology. Listen on to discover O’Connor’s Americano recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Nicolas O’Connor’s Americano Recipe  Ingredients  - 1 ½ ounces of Campari - 1 ½ ounces of sweet vermouth - 2 ounces of club soda or sparkling mineral water - Garnish: orange wedge  Directions  1. Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes. 2. Add Campari and sweet vermouth. 3. Top with club soda or sparkling mineral water. 4. Stir gently and garnish with an orange wedge.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s an all-NYC episode today, as we pay a visit to the Bronx with a Manhattan detour, and considerable input from Brooklyn. The Bronx is the cocktail, Manhattan comes into play via the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, and our wonderful guest is Brooklyn native Frank Caiafa. Frank worked as the Beverage Director of the celebrated Peacock Alley and La Chine restaurants at the Waldorf-Astoria, from 2005 until its closure for renovations in 2017. Caiafa now runs the beverage and hospitality consulting enterprise, Handle Bars NYC, and is the author of “The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book,” which published just before the hotel’s closure. Listen on to discover Caiafa’s Bronx recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Enter the Mount Gay ‘A Taste of Home’ Cocktail Competition here.Frank Caiafa’s Bronx Recipe  Ingredients  - 1 ½ ounces London Dry gin - ½ ounce dry vermouth - ½ ounce sweet vermouth - 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice - 1 dash orange bitters - Garnish: orange twist  Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake until chilled.3. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.4. Express and discard an orange twist garnish.  Intro music credit: “Arabian Nights,” by Joseph M. Knecht’s Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra, 1918 (M. David/W. Hewitt), courtesy Library of Congress, National Jukebox.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Modern classics, Carthusian monks, and Universal Studios? They’re all on the agenda today, as we’re joined by Erick Castro, host of the Bartender at Large podcast and proprietor of San Diego’s Raised by Wolves, to learn the story of his Chartreuse-laced Piña Verde. Listen on to discover the recipe for Castro’s creamy, tropical creation — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Erick Castro’s Piña Verde Recipe  Ingredients  - ½ ounce fresh lime juice - 1 ½ ounces pineapple juice (50:50, Dole:fresh) - ¾ ounce Coco Lopez - 1 ½ ounce Green Chartreuse - Garnish: pineapple fronds or mint sprigs.  Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with some pebble ice. 2. Whip shake for 10 seconds. 3. Strain into a chilled Pearl Diver glass. 4. Top with more pebble ice and garnish with pineapple fronds and/or mint sprigs.  A huge thanks this week goes out to Cocktail College producer Darby Cicci and Shane Firek for laying down the killer intro for today’s episode!   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quintessential British summer staple, the Pimm’s Cup has, over the years, developed notable ties with tennis tournaments, played a part in the history of the U.S. Bartenders Guild (USBG), and even gained some fans in New Orleans. To teach us about this beloved cocktail and its iconic, eponymous ingredient, we’re joined by San-Francisco-based Aaron Gregory Smith, the executive director of the USBG. Listen on to discover Smith’s Pimm’s Cup recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Aaron Gregory Smith’s Pimm’s Cup Recipe  Ingredients  - 3-5 slices of cucumber - 5-6 mint sprigs - ½ ounce ginger syrup (2:1 demerara sugar to water, simmered for around 15 minutes with peeled, minced fresh ginger) - ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice - 1 ounce Pimm’s No. 1 - 1 ounce gin - 1 dash of aromatic bitters - Soda water, to top - Garnish: fresh cucumber and mint  Directions  1. Muddle cucumber with mint in a cocktail shaker.2. Add ginger syrup, lemon juice, Pimm’s, and gin.3. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled Collins or 12-ounce pint-shaped “pub” glass filled with ice.4. Top with soda water and garnish with fresh cucumber and a mint sprig.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re learning a new language — that of morse code — at Cocktail College today, all told through the lens of a classic, if slightly lesser-known tiki drink, the Three Dots and a Dash cocktail. Anton Kinloch, owner of New Paltz’s Fuschia Tiki Bar is taking class, enlightening us on the irrefutable delights of allspice dram, Velvet Falernum, and this drink’s merits as a cocktail template. Listen on (or read below) to learn Kinloch’s Three Dots and a Dash recipe —  and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Anton Kinloch’s Three Dots and a Dash Recipe  Ingredients  - 2 dashes Angostura bitters - ¼ ounce allspice dram - ½ ounce Velvet Falernum - ½ ounce honey syrup (2:1)- ¾ ounce lime juice - 1 ounce fresh orange juice - ½ ounce Guyana rum, such as Hamilton 86 - ½ ounce Jamaican Rum, such as Appleton 8 Year - 1 ½ ounces of Rhum Agricole, such as J.M. Blanc - Garnish: one pineapple frond and three cocktail cherries  Directions  1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with pebble ice. 2. Shake until well chilled. 3. “Dirty dump” the contents into a chilled Pilsner glass. 4. Garnish with a pineapple frond and three cocktail cherries.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey Morgenthaler, cocktail expert and creator of the Best Amaretto Sour In the World, talks about the evolution of sour mix, beating egg whites, and the resurgence of liqueurs in cocktails. He shares his Amaretto Sour recipe and discusses the history and perception of the cocktail. The hosts also discuss characteristics of Beam whiskies, using fresh egg whites, preparation and ingredients of the cocktail, and techniques for lemon twists. They also recommend books and discuss favorite movie scenes involving bartenders.

Something sweet, something strong, and something hot — that’s all it takes to throw together a tasty Hot Toddy, according to Pip Hanson, beverage director of Minneapolis’ O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. Of course, this being Cocktail College, we’ll explore each of those components in much greater detail, and learn about Toddies (hot and cold) as a historic category of drinks. Listen on to discover Hanson’s Hot Toddy recipe —  and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Pip Hanson’s Hot Toddy Recipe  Ingredients  - Boiling water - 1 ⅓ ounces whiskey, such as Keeper’s Heart 110 proof - ½ ounce milliliters piloncillo (unrefined raw cane) sugar syrup - Lemon peel   Directions  1. Shock (heat) a handled Hot Toddy glass with boiling water. 2. Add sugar, lemon peel, and whiskey. 3. Mix well. 4. Top with 8 to 10 ounces boiling water.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many, the Blue Hawaii may conjure images of kitschy Hawaiian shirts and Jimmy Buffet concerts, but rest assured this cocktail has a rich, complex history that reaches far beyond its novel, neon blue color and elaborate garnishes. Garret Richard, chief cocktail officer at New York’s Sunken Harbor Club and author of the upcoming book, “Tropical Standard,” takes the hot seat today to discuss the Blue Hawaii’s history and lead us in remembering its creator, the late Harry Yee. Listen on to discover Richard’s Blue Hawaii recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Garret Richard’s Blue Hawaii Recipe  Ingredients  - 1 ounce sour mix (recipe follows) - 1 ½ ounces fresh pineapple juice - ¾ ounce Denizen white rum - ¾ ounce vodka or coconut-oil-washed Plymouth gin - ½ ounce Giffard blue curaçao- 1 tsp of gum syrup (or cane syrup)- 5 drops of saltwater solution (8 parts water, 2 parts salt) - 12 ounces of crushed ice - Garnish: pineapple leaf and wedge, orchid, and blue cocktail umbrella Sour Mix - ½ ounce fresh lemon juice - ½ ounce of lime punch syrup (lime juice, oleo saccharum sugar, citric, and malic acid, all to taste)  Directions  1. Combine sour mix, pineapple juice, rum, vodka (or gin), blue curaçao, gum syrup, saltwater solution, and 8 ounces of crushed ice in a large tin. 2. Flash blend for 3-5 seconds. 3. Put remaining 4 ounces of crushed ice into a Hurricane glass. 4. Pour blended mixture into glass. 5. Garnish with a pineapple leaf, pineapple wedge, orchid, and blue cocktail umbrella.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than just an evocative name, the Sex on the Beach is brimming with ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia, and arrives topped with a fun (if questionable) backstory. Leading us on a vibrant trip down memory lane is Houston’s Alba Huerta, owner of the James Beard Award winning Julep. Listen on to discover Huerta’s Sex on the Beach recipe —  and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!  Alba Huerta’s Sex on the Beach Recipe  Ingredients  - ¾ ounce Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom - ¾ ounce vodka - 1 ounce fresh lemon juice - ¾ ounce cranberry juice - ½ ounce crème de pêche - ½ ounce orange juice - ¼ ounce simple syrup - Garnish: dehydrated lemon wheel   Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. 2. Shake until well chilled. 3. Strain into a Double Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. 4. Garnish with dehydrated lemon wheel.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.