cocktails

How-To: Basic Bar Essentials

Once you start collecting cocktail recipes, you’ll find yourself with a shopping list a mile long. Are all these rare, handcrafted spirits and obscure liqueurs really necessary? Is it worth investing $60 on a drink I may not like? It’s fun to try everything, but in the end, from the spectrum of spirits and mixers there are only a relative handful that I find myself using over and over. If I were stranded on a desert island, these are the ingredients and mixing tools I’d choose.

How-To: Maker’s and Canton Two Ways

Last week I shared an Elder Scottish Rose cocktail that was sweet and feminine. It was very pretty, with torn rose petals and sugared grapes. This week, I’ve taken things in the opposite direction, with a Maker’s and Canton on the Rocks. As the name implies, its made with Maker’s Mark Bourbon and Domaine de Canton, a ginger liqueur from France. Imagine a bourbon and ginger ale, but more potent. Its adorned with a curled lemon rind, which I will also teach you how to make. Keeping the garnish simple creates a classic look that’s modern at the same time.