The family favorites.

When hosting an event, assuming everything is in season (citrus fruit can be hard to come by) these are my starters. There should be something for everyone here, be it spirit forward, citrus forward, sweet or sour.

Each entry below will have the ingredients and amounts listed. This can serve as a TLDR or a shopping list. The “Teach Me” button will run you though assembly, any extra process, or creation of custom ingredients.

The Short List

Whiskey Sour

A lot stronger, and a lot smoother than you are use too.

  • 3 oz Maker’s Mark 46

  • 0.5 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)

  • 3 drops Woodford Reserve orange bitters

  • 1 oz lemon juice (concentrate won’t work here)

  • 1 egg white

  • 1 lemon peel (garnish)

  • 2 Woodford Reserve bourbon cherries (garnish)

Pink-E

For those who like citrus.

  • 3 large sage leafs

  • 1 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)

  • 2 oz Tito’s Vodka

  • 0.75 oz St. Germain Elder flower Liqueur

  • 2.5 oz fresh ruby red grapefruit juice (concentrate won’t work here)

  • 1 oz fresh lemon juice (concentrate won’t work here)

  • 2.5 oz Fever Tree Soda Water

Blueberry Lemon Drop

For those who like blueberries.

  • 2.5 oz Stolichnaya Blueberi Vodka

  • 1 oz lemon juice (concentrate won’t work here)

  • 1 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)

  • 0.5 oz blue curaçao

  • 7 blueberries

  • sugar for the rim

Orange Old Fashioned

An old fashioned, but a little more complex.

  • 2 oz Maker’s Mark 46

  • 0.5 oz orange simple syrup (custom)

  • 2-4 dashes Angostura orange bitters

Sugar Cookie Martini

Dessert in a cup.

  • 0.25 cup Baileys Original

  • 0.50 cup whole milk

  • 2 oz Disaronno Amaretto

  • 2 oz Absolute Vanilla Vodka

Adult Chocolate Milk

Not for kids.

  • 2 oz Baileys Original

  • 2 oz Kahlua

  • 2 oz Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur

The Last Samurai

Sweet and spicy.

  • 1.25 oz Asbach Uralt Brandy

  • 0.75 oz Ippongi Hot Plum Sake

  • 0.25 oz honey rich simple syrup (2:1 honey to water)

  • 1-2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

  • 3-5 Dashes Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters

  • 1 lemon peel (garnish)

Pear Martini Simplified

Simple, light, sweet and refreshing.

  • 2 oz Grey Goose La Poire

  • 0.5 oz St. Germain

  • 1 oz lemon juice (concentrate won’t work here)

  • 1 oz simple syrup