Recipes•Drinks
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Drinksfrom the home bar

Cocktails · Classics · Handwritten
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Rum Drinks

Tropical, spiced, bright

Mai TaiTropical · Rum-forward

Serves 1 5 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozLight rum
  • 2 ozDark rum
  • 2 ozPassion fruit juice
  • 1 ozOrange juice
  • ½Lime, juiced
  • 1 tbspSimple syrup
  • 1 tbspGrenadine
Method
  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add both rums, passion fruit juice, orange juice, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.
  2. Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until well chilled and the outside of the shaker frosts.
  3. Strain into a rocks or hurricane glass filled with fresh crushed ice.
  4. Slowly float the grenadine over the back of a bar spoon so it sinks and creates the sunset layer at the bottom.
  5. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry. Serve with a straw.
Garnish Orange slice with a maraschino cherry — speared together on a pick or perched on the rim.

MojitoCuban · Minty · Effervescent

Serves 1 5 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozWhite rum
  • 1 ozFresh lime juice
  • 2 tspSugar (or ¾ oz simple syrup)
  • 8–10Fresh mint leaves
  • 3–4 ozClub soda, to top
Method
  1. In the bottom of a tall (highball or Collins) glass, add mint leaves and sugar.
  2. Gently muddle 4–5 times to release the mint oils — press and twist, don't pulverize. Bruised leaves are bitter.
  3. Add lime juice and rum. Fill the glass two-thirds with crushed ice and stir briefly.
  4. Top with club soda, add more crushed ice to fill, and give one gentle stir.
  5. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig (slap it first to release aroma) and a lime wheel.
Garnish Fat mint sprig and a lime wheel. A short straw tucked beside the mint makes every sip smell like a garden.

Rum RickeySimple · Crisp · Sessionable

Serves 1 2 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozWhite or gold rum
  • ½ ozFresh lime juice
  • 3–4 ozClub soda, to top
  • —Lime wedge
Method
  1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
  2. Pour in the rum and fresh lime juice.
  3. Top with cold club soda.
  4. Stir gently once to combine — don't over-stir or you'll knock the fizz out.
  5. Drop in a lime wedge after giving it a squeeze.
Garnish Lime wedge — that's it. The Rickey is meant to be bare and refreshing. No sugar traditionally, but add ½ oz simple syrup if you want it sweeter.

DaiquiriClassic · Tart · Three-ingredient

Serves 1 3 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozWhite rum
  • 1 ozFresh lime juice
  • ¾ ozSimple syrup
Method
  1. Chill a coupe or cocktail glass by filling with ice water while you prep.
  2. Add rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice.
  3. Shake hard for 12–15 seconds — you want it cold and a little foamy on top.
  4. Dump the ice water from the coupe and double-strain the drink in.
  5. Serve up. No ice, no garnish needed — though a thin lime wheel on the rim looks nice.
Garnish Optional lime wheel. The classic is three ingredients served naked — let the rum do the talking.

Dark 'n' StormyBermudian · Ginger · Layered

Serves 1 3 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozDark rum (Gosling's Black Seal is traditional)
  • ½ ozFresh lime juice (optional)
  • 4–5 ozGinger beer (spicy, not ginger ale)
  • —Lime wedge
Method
  1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
  2. Add ginger beer and lime juice if using.
  3. Slowly pour the dark rum over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top in a dark cloud.
  4. Do not stir — the layered look is the whole point. Give guests a stir stick so they can mix before drinking.
  5. Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim.
Garnish Lime wedge. The storm cloud of dark rum on top gives the drink its name — keep the pour slow and low.

Piña ColadaPuerto Rican · Creamy · Tropical

Serves 1 5 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozWhite rum
  • 3 ozPineapple juice
  • 1 ozCream of coconut (Coco López)
  • 1 ozCoconut cream or heavy cream
  • 1 cupCrushed ice
Method
  1. Add rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and cream to a blender.
  2. Add a cup of crushed ice and blend on high for 15–20 seconds until thick and slushy.
  3. If too thin, add more ice and pulse; if too thick, add a splash of pineapple juice.
  4. Pour into a hurricane or poco grande glass.
  5. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
Garnish Pineapple wedge and a cherry on a pick. Cream of coconut (Coco López) is sweetened — don't confuse it with unsweetened coconut cream or you'll need extra simple syrup.
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Classics

Whiskey · Tequila · Gin · Vodka

Old FashionedClassic · Whiskey

Serves 1 3 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozBourbon or rye whiskey
  • 1Sugar cube (or 1 tsp simple syrup)
  • 2–3 dashesAngostura bitters
  • 1 splashWater or club soda
Method
  1. Place the sugar cube in an old fashioned (rocks) glass. Saturate with bitters and a small splash of water.
  2. Muddle until the sugar is dissolved and a syrupy slurry forms at the bottom.
  3. Add a large ice cube (or a few regular cubes) and pour the whiskey over the top.
  4. Stir gently for 15–20 seconds to chill and slightly dilute.
  5. Express an orange peel over the glass by twisting it oil-side down, then drop it in.
Garnish Large orange peel — and a Luxardo or maraschino cherry if you like it sweeter.

MargaritaTequila · Bright · Tart

Serves 1 5 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozBlanco tequila
  • 1 ozFresh lime juice
  • 1 ozTriple sec or Cointreau
  • ½ ozSimple syrup (optional, to taste)
  • —Kosher salt, for the rim
Method
  1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip the rim in kosher salt. Fill with fresh ice and set aside.
  2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and simple syrup if using.
  3. Shake hard for 12–15 seconds until well chilled.
  4. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice.
  5. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge.
Garnish Lime wheel on the rim. For a spicy version, muddle a jalapeño slice into the shaker before adding ice.

NegroniItalian · Bitter · Stirred

Serves 1 3 min
Ingredients
  • 1 ozGin
  • 1 ozCampari
  • 1 ozSweet vermouth
Method
  1. Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
  2. Stir (do not shake) for 20–30 seconds until thoroughly chilled.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
  4. Express an orange peel over the top by twisting it oil-side down, then drop it in.
Garnish Orange peel. Equal parts is the rule — shift the gin up if you prefer less bitter, down if you want more.

Moscow MuleVodka · Ginger · Refreshing

Serves 1 3 min
Ingredients
  • 2 ozVodka
  • ½ ozFresh lime juice
  • 4–6 ozGinger beer (spicy, not ginger ale)
  • —Fresh mint sprig (optional)
Method
  1. Fill a copper mug (or highball glass) with crushed or cubed ice.
  2. Pour in the vodka and fresh lime juice.
  3. Top with ginger beer and stir gently once to combine.
  4. Garnish with a lime wedge, and slap a mint sprig between your palms before dropping it in.
Garnish Lime wedge and mint. A copper mug keeps it dramatically colder — worth the drawer space.