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🎅🏻🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS! I’ve been wanting to smoke a Holiday themed cocktail for a while now and I think I found the perfect vessel for it. I saw this at @target and immediately thought it was for smoking my cocktails… is that weird? Anyone know what this is really for? …either way it doesn’t matter because this drink ended up being delicious.
Read MoreGet all the holiday vibes with this festive take on the Old Fashioned. Cheers y’all!
Rosemary, with its fragrant and pine-like aroma, has long been cherished as a symbol of remembrance and love during the holiday season. Its vibrant green needles evoke the festive colors of the holidays, while its robust flavor adds a touch of warmth to holiday dishes and cocktails. Whether infused in rich gravies, delicately dusted over roasted meats, or incorporated into hearty stuffings, rosemary brings a sense of tradition and comfort to any holiday table. Cocktails are no exception.
Read MoreA Batanga, but make it 🍒
Shoutout to my guy @cocktailsbyhawk for the idea!
Let’s do drinks…
This one goes out to one of my inspirations for @holycityhandcraft, my homie @apartment_bartender. Me and Elliott go back to the infancy of @instagram. Back when it was all about pretty, curated photos and baked in filters via the app.
Elliott was one of the first people on Instagram that made home bartending approachable and look cool as hell doing it. Back when there were only a handful of cocktail accounts, he was one of the firsts who picked up a real camera and truly took cocktail content on social media to the next level. I’m almost positive he came up with the term ‘#boozemail’ which is ubiquitous among creators these days. I feel like brands didn’t even know what to do with us back in the day because the term ‘influencer’ wasn’t coined yet.
Fast forward a couple years later, I get a phone call from Elliott while we’re both at our real office jobs, telling me he’s going to quit his sales job and do AB full time - I was completely blown away at even the thought of that. I don’t think I knew anyone at that point who quit their job to pursue a career in social media/content creation. But I remember him telling me, ‘you’re next!’ and at that point in my life, I just couldn’t even fathom that happening but always appreciated his hustle and his endless support. I loved following his growth and journey as he paved the way for other creators in the cocktail space.
I’m sitting here, writing this over 4 years since I quit my office job and pursued HCH full time. While I probably would have gotten to this point eventually, I don’t think I would have been here as fast without Elliott. I’m proud to call him a friend and can’t be more proud of him for releasing his first book ‘Let’s Do Drinks!’. So I figured what would be a more fitting way to celebrate then by making a recipe from the book.
Moral of the story is: everyone needs an Elliott in their life. Someone who supports you and you can draw inspiration from. Someone who inspires you to be your very best and do what you’re good and and just fucking hustle.
Cheers to you E, let’s do drinks soon.
Hosting a dinner party soon? I got you covered…
Together with my friends at @milagrotequila, I’m excited to share the newest bottle in their lineup that’s perfect for such an occasion; Milagro’s new #CristalinoAñejo. This tequila made with 100% blue agave that’s been aged up to 24 months in French and American oak and filtered to have a nice blend of caramel and vanilla sweetness from the barrel with an extra smooth finish from the filtering process. Today I’m going to show you TWO easy ways I’d serve it to my friends for our upcoming dinner party that we’re hosting.
Let’s start off with a cocktail shall we? I love the idea of making a spirit-forward classic like a martini to showcase the nuances of flavors in this Cristalino. The second serve is more for those tequila-purists that want to taste ever single aspect of the liquid, this signature serve is highlighted by a grapefruit twist to complement the citrus notes in this tequila.
We can never have enough Old Fashioned recipes, amirite? 🥃
Together with my friends at @redemptionwhiskey, we’re going to make a jasmine-inspired Old Fashioned using the latest release Redemption Sur Lee. This whiskey provides some notes of walnut, jasmine and finishes with a unique umami note which ties together all the ingredients in this cocktail. It’s great neat or on the rocks, but also versatile enough to hold its own in a spirits forward cocktail like this old fashioned.
Cheers y’all!
It’s the cantaloupe life raft garnish for me….
Up next on Charleston’s tour of #NegroniWeek with @campari_southcarolina is my buddy Megan Deschaine (@meganmakesdrinks) at @eatbarcopa with her take on a classic.
“A bright, tropical inspired Negroni featuring a briny, sea breeze like Martinique Agricole, playing with the bitter Campari and lightly sweet herbal notes of the infused vermouth. Best enjoyed with sunshine and friends”
Just a reminder that this week, I’ll be featuring five of Charleston’s finest bartenders to show us their take on a Negroni. The cool part about this if you’re local, they’ll actually be serving these up at their respective bars THIS WEEK ONLY, so make sure to go to @eatbarcopa to give this one a try and support the cause!
Brb… gotta clean some peppercorn off my lens…
Up next on Charleston's tour of #NegroniWeek with @campari_southcarolina is Fabiana Pinillos (@fabiliciousssss) over at Dalila's (@dalilas_on_spring)
"Dalila's would not be the bar it is without the Negroni - it is one of the first cocktails we think about and play off of when designing menu changes. This takes all those traditional components that we love and amplifies them in a floral, but non-pastiche way, toasting the pink peppercorn to bring out some richness and citrus notes, matching that with Italicus, a rose and bergamot liqueur that's light on its feet, and putting an underrated classic gin like Gordon's at the helm to steer the beverage in the right direction. A bit of seasoning ties it up all nicely - a pinch salt, an expression of lime oil, and just a dash of a rich simple syrup add body to make this Negroni delicious."
Just a reminder that this week, I'll be featuring five of Charleston's finest bartenders to show us their take on a Negroni. The cool part about this if you're local, they'll actually be serving these up at their respective bars THIS WEEK ONLY, so make sure to go to @dalilasonspring to give this one a try and support the cause!
Read MoreEXTREMELY 👏🏽 FLAVORFUL 👏🏽
Up next on Charleston’s tour of #NegroniWeek with @campari_southcarolina is Stephen Blackmon (@stephenblackmon) over at Doar Bros. (@doarbros) - make sure to stop by and give this one a try in person!
“I was inspired by one of my favorite Indian restaurants, Chai Pani in Asheville, NC owned by Chef Meherwan Irani. The backstory of his great grandfather running one of the only Irani Cafes in his hometown along with what it must have been like hanging out there on a regular basis painted a vivid picture for what I wanted to share with others. The combination of culturally driven flavors and lively but chill vibes are what incited me to produce this very special cocktail riff.
I knew I wanted to have three things come out of this cocktail’s production: tea, spices, and savoriness in homage to Meherwan and his family’s heritage. By using the specific barrel-aged gin with big notes of Indian spices, infused for further complexity with malty Assam Tea along with traditional Masala Chai, I was able to ground the base idea around those bold flavors. I then chose to infuse a commonly found Italian aperitif white wine with spiced orange tea to play off both the infused gin and also tie it to both the Campari and Grand Mariner rather than use the typical sweet vermouth. I chose to do a “fat washing” process using traditional brown ghee along with coconut oil to round out the entire cocktail with a lingering silky and savory finish.”
Up next on Charleston's tour of #NegroniWeek with @campari_southcarolina is my buddy Jimmy Chmielewski (@jimmy_withthe_goodhair) at @thearcher with his take on a recipe thats a Negroni that drinks like a spritz, check it out below. "We really wanted to showcase some of the less conventional ingredients or techniques that we're utilizing at The Archer. The coconut and milk oolong tea really give the Campari a sort of bitter fruit loop flavor and a much more velvety mouthful. We also stand by the belief that most things are better carbonated and a negroni is no different. The force carbonation makes a boozy sipper feel like a light and fizzy Spritz. In terms of the thought process of the ingredients, toasted coconut screams tiki, so we really wanted to lean into that flavor profile (hence, banana and rum) without getting too far away from what a negroni truly tastes "
Read MoreGive me a Negroni by candle light all dayyyy 🕯️🥃
It’s here! @negroniweek is starts tomorrow (9/16-9/22) and I’ve got something special planned for the week here in Charleston with some talented friends of mine and @campari_southcarolina. If you havent already, make sure to register at negroniweek.com and stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!
As if the Negroni Sbagliato couldn’t get more refreshing 🥒
Together with my friends over at @empress1908gin, we made a refreshing Negroni Sbagliato riff inspired by the ingredients in their Cucumber Lemon Gin. The brightness of the lemon and refreshing/vegetal aspects of the cucumber play perfectly well with the ‘Bianco’ version of this classic cocktail.
My apologies to the entire country of Italy 🙈
I mean… It works for the Old Fashioned right? Muddling oranges and cherries into a Negroni over crushed ice actually wonderful. I would 100% make this again and maybe add some saline or olive brine next time. Sorry Wisconsinites - no Brandy or Sprite in this recipe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Cheers y’all.
Read MoreIt’s time to finally try the Wisconsin Old Fashioned 🥃
I don’t think I know of any other classic cocktail thats so heavily disputed by an entire region. I’ve been drinking old fashioned’s for a while now and always have preferred them… the old fashioned way (ps. This is how the drink got its name - spirit, bitters, sugar + water). Wisconsinites will always slide into the comments section asking where the muddled orange and cherries are, so today we’re going to try it out.
Have you revisited this lately, what are your thoughts?
Thanks to @highproofpreacher for the new HPP challenge coin 🥃
The Charro Negro is the official #DrinkofSummer2024
Stir with a spoon. Dont @ me.
Here’s your new favorite “Freezer Door” cocktail.
Just wanted a quick second to feature my dude Joey Goetz of lastsaintchs. He’s doing us a favor by showing us how to make a batch of SIX bottles of liquid gold - aka a chocolate + coconut-fat washed Negroni. My god, this was so good.
“Coconut and Chocolate visit a classic Negroni in an updated take on everyone’s favorite gin cocktail.
We build our standard house negroni, add Cacao Nibs and Coconut Oil to fat wash and infuse the entire cocktail. Freeze it and then strain everything off. It give you a classic negroni backbone but with wonderful notes of coconut and chocolate to compliment.”
Cheers y’all!
Meet the Vieux Carré’s American Cousin, La Lousiane.
Here’s another stirred cocktail with roots in Louisiana. This recipe first appeared in 1937 and was the house cocktail at the historic New Orleans restaurant of the same name. It’s a rye-forward cousin to the Vieux Carré and still maintains the delicate balance despite the addition of rye and absinthe.
This is one you’ve got to try, cheers y’all.
Ever paired salted dark chocolate with an ańejo? 🤯
We’re here in Palm Desert and together with my friends at tresgeneracionestequila, I’ve created a take on a modern classic in the Oaxacan Old Fashioned by adding elements of dark chocolate
and sea salt. #TresGeneraciones Añejo stands well on its own but since we’re making an Old Fashioned here, I figured chocolate would pair well with the rich toasted oak notes in the ańejo as well. Adding just that pinch of salt also accentuates the flavors of chocolate + citrus and brings out more of the roasted agave with each sip. If you’re looking for an Old Fashioned recipe for the summer, this might just be your new go-to.
Cheers y’all.
This Venetian twist on a Bicicletta - The Vaporetto 🚤
It’s #spritzszn so today we’re making some with my friends at bonterra. Unlike a Bicicletta, this one will use a base of Bonterra’s Rosé, which uses 100% certified organic grapes that give this wine a dry, crisp but fruity palate with an acidic finish. The addition of Cappelletti enhances the grapefruit notes in this wine and is accentuated by the hint of Meyer lemon in the soda water.
It’s light, refreshing and very crushable.
Cheers y’all!
The lemon-forward spritz you’ve been looking for 🍋
Together with my friends at luxardousa we’re making a Limoncello Spritz to soak up all the #AperitivoHour vibes this summer. This one uses #Luxardo Limoncello which is made the old-fashioned way in Italy, using the traditional method of infusing alcohol with lemon peels, pulp and juice with REAL lemons harvested in southern Italy. Their Limoncello isn’t just great in a spritz, it can be enjoyed straight up and chilled, or on the rocks with soda or tonic water as well.
As with any spritz, keep it easy and fun! I encourage you to add a fun garnish to add a fun garnish of your own. I used basil to keep with the Italian flavors but also because we know how well basil pairs with the brightness of lemon.
Anyways, I hope you give this one a try this summer!
