Featured Cocktails
And at the end of each tour we ask our guests, which of the several cocktails they tried, was their favorite?
Check back here often for recipes and pro tips from the mixologists who created them.
Be cocktail curious and drink outside the box. Cheers!
So, Kismi
Taj on Fifth
Matthew’s (and Taj’s) first time on our tour was a delicious introduction. His Indian-inspired riff on the modern classic Penicillin featuring Maker’s Mark 46 was a big hit and paired beautifully with the snacks from Taj’s menu.
1.75 oz. Maker's Mark No. 46 French Oaked Kentucky Bourbon Whisky
.75 oz. Lemon superjuice
.75 oz. Summer Harvest raw honey and chamomile syrup
.5 oz. Aquafaba
1 barspoon Turmeric and ginger syrup
3 dashes West Indian Orange bitters
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic bitters
1 dash Cardamom bitters
6 drops Saline solution
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with 1 large rock. Top with freshly grated nutmeg and garnish with candied ginger.
PRO TIP: Superjuice can intensify the flavor of any citrus.
Tropical Smoke
Denmark on High
Garry’s cocktail was an amazing smokey, tiki-inspired rum-based riff on an Old Fashioned. He mentioned to the group that it was his favorite cocktail and our guests agreed that it was theirs too!
1.5 oz. House rum blend
.5 oz. House-made falernum
.25 oz. Passionfruit liqueur
.25 oz. Lapsong souchong Demerara Syrup
5 dashes Tiki Bitters
Combine all ingredients and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled rocks glass and smoke. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.
PRO TIP: The Cocktail Contessa has several great tips for smoking cocktails at home.
Violet Dragonfly
Ampersand Asian Supper Club
Trent’s cocktail with house blended rum was both delicious and refreshing and all three rums were distinct and noticeable in the cocktail. It also pared extremely well with Chef Jeremy’s gyoza dish making for the perfect ending to our cocktail tour.
2 oz. Three-rum house blend rum (Echo Spirits Pineapple Rum, Echo Spirits Spiced Rum and Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaican Rum)
1 oz. Taro cardamom simple
.5 oz. Coconut milk
1 dash of Bitterman’s Xocolatl mole bitters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake until thoroughly chilled. Double strain into rocks glass and add fresh ice. Garnish with an edible orchid.
PRO TIP: Get into Ampersand and ask Trent to make this amazing cocktail for you.
Piña Pain
Goodale Station
This unique cocktail introduced our group to tepache which gave the cocktail a slightly sweet and sour flavor that allowed the pineapple flavor to cut through without being overpowering in the cocktail.
1.5 oz. Vago Elote Mezcal
.5 oz. Giffard Passionfruit liqueur
.5 oz. Lemon juice
Top with Tepache
Prepare a Collins glass by rimming with Chamoy and Tajin. Combine all ingredients except the tepache and shake. Add fresh ice to the glass, strain and top with tepache. Garnish with a brûléed pineapple wedge.
PRO TIP: Tepache is a fermented pineapple drink. To make it, add the skin of 1 pineapple to 2 quarts of water. Add 1 cup of raw sugar, a cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves. Let sit for 3 to 4 days and strain. NOTE: The longer you let it sit the stronger the brew will become.
Green with Ivy
Denmark on High
An amazing cocktail — delicious and balanced with non-stop flavor. It was a great improvisation and the name was a beautiful nod to Chad’s girlfriend.
1.5 oz. Botonist Gin
.5 oz. Ginger liqueur
.75 oz. Fresh lime juice
.5 oz. Simple syrup
Combine all ingredients, add ice and shake. Strain into a coupe top with champagne and garnish with a mint leaf and top with a dash of Angostura bitters.
PRO TIP: Slapping the mint leaf on the back of your hand before placing the garnish brings out the aromatics for great first impression.
Sneaky Banana
Denmark on High
This delicious Old Fashioned riff was the perfect ending for our cocktail tour. This cocktail was beautifully balanced and every ingredient was noticeable. It’s not currently on Denmark's menu but we hope it comes back soon.
1.5 oz. Redemption High-Rye Bourbon
.75 oz. Giffard Banana liqueur
.25 oz. Chai Tea syrup
3 dashes smoked cinnamon bitters
Combine all ingredients add ice and stir until chilled. Serve in a chilled rocks glass with a large ice cube and garnish with a twist of lemon.
PRO TIP: To make the chai tea syrup combine 1 part chai tea with 1 part brown sugar. Add a cinnamon stick, a couple of cloves and star anise, steep for an hour and strain.
Aloe, Goodbye
VASO Dublin
This amazing cocktail featuring Aviation American Gin was crafted by Napoleon Burke. It was beautiful, balanced, refreshing and absolutely delicious. And it easily won this weekend’s fan favorite.
1 oz. Aviation American Gin
.25 oz. Genepy liqueur
.25 oz. Midori melon liqueur
.5 oz. Aloe liqueur
.75 oz. Cucumber water
.5 oz. Sauvignon Blanc (acid-adjusted)
.5 oz. Simple syrup
2 dashes olive oil
2 dashes saline/love
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a cucumber ribbon.
PRO TIP: To create the acid-adjusted Sauvignon Blanc, combine 17g citric acid with 20oz Sauv Blanc. This adds more acidity and creates a longer shelf life for the wine.
Wayward Cloud
Ampersand Asian Supper Club
Trent’s split-base cocktail was delicious and refreshing and the spiced pineapple shrub added several layers of complexity to the cocktail.
1 oz. Haku vodka
1 oz. Sho Chiku Bai unfiltered sake
1 oz. Spiced pineapple shrub
.5 oz. Amaretto liqueur
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice and garnish with a dried banana slice.
PRO TIP: To make the shrub combine 1 cup squeezed pineapple juice, 1 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup Demerara sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 3 cinnamon sticks, 10 allspice berries, 1 tablespoon ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Simmer on low to dissolve the sugar. Strain and keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.
Key West Sunset
Soul Bar at the Joseph
Patrick took only a few minutes to come up with this amazing recipe featuring Noble Cut Limecello. Everyone loved this delicious cocktail which tasted just like a slice of key lime pie — sweet, tart, and silky.
.5 oz. Noble Cut Limecello
1 oz. House-made vanilla vodka
.25 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
.75 oz. Maple simple (1:1)
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
1 dash polysorbate
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake hard to chill and dilute the cocktail and emulsify the polysorbate. Double strain into a coupe and garnish with a lime wheel.
PRO TIP: To up your presentation game, sprinkle some raw sugar onto the lime wheel and brûlée it with a kitchen torch.
Hubba Bubba
The Bar at Echo Spirits
Derek was inspired by the flavors of Amari for this one. The Evangelista Abruzzo has an undeniable note of bubblegum so that put his creative juices into overdrive.
1.5 oz. Echo Spirits Pineapple Rum
.5 oz. Evangelista Abruzzo amaro
.5 oz. Montenegro amaro
.5 oz. Bazooka Gum reduction*
1.25 oz. Mamey/pineapple blend (1:1)
.5 oz. Grapefruit juice
2 – 3 dashes housemate ‘Bubble Plum’ bitters*
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake until thoroughly chilled. Double strain into a hurricane glass and add crushed ice. Garnish with a strip of Hubba Bubba.
PRO TIP: Fee Brothers Plum bitters is a worthy substitute for the ‘Bubble Plum’ bitters.
*house made ingredients.
Float On
Denmark on High
Our bachelorette party was blown away by Denmark’s cocktail “Float On”. Garry’s presentation was entertaining and informative and the cocktail was absolutely delicious and it easily became this weekend’s fan favorite.
1.5 oz. Mi Campo silver tequila
.5 oz. Ramazzotti aperitivo rosato
.5 oz. Fassionola
.5 oz. Fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. Hibiscus honey
.25 oz. Blue Curaçao
Combine all ingredients except the Blue Curaçao in a shaker. Add ice and shake until thoroughly chilled. Double strain into a coupe and float the Blue Curaçao gently so it settles to the bottom. Garnish with an edible purple pansy.
PRO TIP: Fassionola is a staple for making several tropical and tiki cocktails including the classic Hurricane. Denmark makes their own Fassionola in house using passionfruit, guava, pineapple, papaya, orange and more. There are several great recipes online you can try at home to make your own. And while similar to Hawaiian Punch, it is not the same.
Peachy Keen
Soul Bar at the Joseph
For this bachelorette party tour, Andrew’s cocktail was balanced and boozy and happened to have all of our bride-to-be’s favorite things: bourbon, peach, and spice.
2 oz. Maker’s Mark Bourbon
.75 oz. Peach/basil cordial
.25 oz. Chili/peppercorn simple
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with 1 large cube and garnish with a dried apricot and Luxardo cherry.
PRO TIP 1: To make the cordial, combine 2 cups of fresh peach juice with 3/4 cups of white sugar. Heat on medium and simmer to reduce by 1/4. Add 7 basil leaves and let simmer 10 minutes. Strain and let cool and add 1 cup of vodka.
PRO TIP 2: To make the simple, combine equal parts brown sugar and water with 6 Thai chilis (slightly charred) and 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let it sit for some time and then strain. The longer it sits the spicier it will be.
Weird Goodbyes
The Bar at Echo Spirits
Weird Goodbyes is the result of Derek’s desire to keep his second favorite cocktail of all time (The Last Word) on the menu. Due to the scarcity of Green Chartreuse, Derek spent countless nights in the distillery testing, tasting, tweaking, and ultimately creating his own version of the elusive elixir. The result is absolutely amazing and his take on the modern classic is this week’s Fan Favorite.
1 oz. Eastern Hemlock London Dry Gin
1 oz. (Deez) Green Chartreuese
1 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin and shake hard until chilled. Double strain into a coupe and garnish with a sprig of Eastern Hemlock.
PRO TIP: Eastern Hemlock grows wild in the Hocking Hills and around Central Ohio.
Don Your Docs and Adorn Your Crocs
I Like It Like That
This was our first time bringing the tour to I Like It Like That and the amazing team of Genevieve and Lindsay did not disappoint. Don Your Docs and Adorn Your Crocs, featuring Watershed Bourbon was a delicious light, citrusy and yet boozy end to our tour.
1.5 oz. Watershed Bourbon
.5 oz. Giffard passionfruit liqueur
.5 oz. Cocchi Di Torino
1 oz. Pineapple juice
.5 oz. Lemon juice
.25 oz. Agave simple
4 Dashes Bittermens cherry vanilla bitters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin add ice and shake until chilled. Serve in a Collins glass with fresh ice and garnish with a cocktail cherry.
PRO TIP: To make the agave syrup, combine 2 parts agave to 1 part water, simmer on low heat until combined, and let sit until cool.
Tropical Malady
Ampersand Asian Supper Club
Trent’s cocktail struck the perfect balance between bright, citrusy and boozy notes. The ginger molasses and lemonsicle tea added complexity and richness to the cocktail to easily become this week’s Fan Favorite.
2 oz. Diplomatico Reserva rum
1.75 oz. Lemonsickle tea
.5 oz. Black ginger molasses
.5 oz. Fresh orange juice
2 dashes Bay leaf bitters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Add ice and shake hard until chilled. Using both a Hawthorn and a mesh strainer, double strain into a rocks glass with 1 large ice cube and garnish with a twist of orange.
PRO TIP: tbd
Dram and Loathing
Worthington Tavern
Ryan’s Old Fashioned riff was both bold and delicious. The split-base blend of aged rum and mezcal was delicious and the complex flavors only intensified as the craft ice opened it up.
1.5 oz. Diplomatico Riserva rum
.5 oz. Bozal mezcal
.5 oz. Orange cordial
.25 oz. Allspice dram
Combine all ingredients in a tin and shake until well-chilled. Strain and serve in a rocks glass with one large cube.
PRO TIP: To make the orange cordial — zest and juice 24 oranges and combine in a saucepan with the same weight of sugar. Place over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves then turn off the heat and cover until it cools. Strain and bottle and refrigerate.
Pocketful of Sunshine
Mouton
Theo’s cocktail featuring Noble Cut distilleries Grapefruit Cello was both effervescent and delicious. The Grapefruit Cello and tequila played perfectly together and each enhanced the other in the cocktail.
1 oz. Chamomile-infused Altos reposado tequila
.5 oz. Noble Cut grapefruit cello
.5 oz. Lemon juice
.5 oz. honey syrup (1:1 honey to water ratio)
Combine all ingredients to a tin and shake with ice. Strain into a champagne flute and top with Prosecco and add a few drops of Peychaud’s bitters to the top. Garnish with a lemon twist.
PRO TIP: To make the chamomile-infused Altos reposado tequila, infuse one bottle of Altos reposado tequila with one chamomile tea bag, let stand overnight then strain.
The tip of the tongue
Goodale Station
(A.K.A. The Spicy Josie) This cocktail featuring Maker’s Mark Lakeside Sipper was balanced, delicious, spicy, light and refreshing yet still booze forward — the perfect combination to be voted fan favorite.
2 oz. Maker’s Mark Lakeside Sipper
1 oz. Lemon cordial
1.5 oz. Pineapple/Cocounut/Chili shrub
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass, add fresh ice and top with soda water. Garnish with spicy salt rim and chili strands.
PRO TIP 1: To create the lemon cordial, combine equal parts (by weight) lemon slices and sugar, vacuum seal and let sit for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, strain and enjoy.
PRO TIP 2: To make the shrub use: 1000ml water, 500ml apple cider vinegar, 600ml pineapple juice, 200g toasted coconut flakes, 100g Aleppo chili flakes, and 500g white sugar. Combine all ingredients and let simmer on low heat for roughly 45 minutes. Taste and adjust as necessary.
Passionfruit Sour
Subourbon
The cocktail tour was in for a real treat with this delicious tipple featuring Blade and Bow bourbon. It checked all the right boxes: boozy, fruity, lemony, silky, and really well-balanced.
1.5 oz. Blade & Bow bourbon
1 oz. Passionfruit puree
.5 oz. Simple syrup
.5 oz. Lemon juice
2 dashes Fee Foam
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail tin and dry shake. Add ice and shake again. Double strain into a coup and garnish with a sprig of burnt rosemary.
PRO TIP: Fee Bros. makes an amazing foaming substitute called Fee Foam. Use just a couple of dashes in place of egg whites or aquafaba for all the foam without the smell.
Letter 23
Goodale Station
Infusing Maker’s Mark bourbon with basil and simple syrup with strawberries worked together with the other ingredients to create this delicious and complex cocktail.
1 oz. basil-infused Makers Mark bourbon
1 oz. Pierre Ferrand cognac
.25 oz. Giffard Rhubarbe liqueur
.25 oz. Zucca Rabarbaro amaro
.5 oz. Yuzu juice
.5 oz. Strawberry simple syrup
Combine all ingredients and shake until chilled. Double strain, using a mesh strainer, into a Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a twist of lemon and slice of strawberry.
PRO TIP: To make the strawberry syrup combine 500 grams of strawberries with 1000 grams of simple syrup. Add 5 grams citric acid and sous vide for 10 minutes at 120°. And get to Goodale Station and order this amazing cocktail while it’s on their menu.
Peach Barrel
‘Plas
This amazing cocktail featuring Maker’s Mark is the perfect autumn cocktail — boozy, fruity, rich and complex.
1.5 oz. Makers Mark bourbon
1.5 oz. Peach Infused Watershed apple brandy
1 oz. Toasted oat syrup
Squeeze of lemon wedge
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with Peach Ring and Crystalized Ginger Candy
PRO TIPS: To create the peach-infused Apple Brandy, wash and cut peaches. 1 lb. per 750 ML of Watershed Apple Brandy. Place peaches and brandy in an airtight container. Make sure the peaches are completely covered in liquid. Allow this to rest for approximately two weeks. Strain carefully to ensure all of the peach particles have been removed and store in an airtight container.
To make the toasted oat syrup combine 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats with 5 cups of water and 1 cup of white sugar. Toast oats in an ungreased pan over medium heat, stirring often — approximately 10 minutes. Oats should turn a light brown color and smell like a nutty butterscotch when toasted. Remove from heat. Transfer oats to the vessel you will use for steeping. Combine water and white sugar in a separate pan, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and pour over the toasted oats that you prepared earlier. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain off the liquid, this is your syrup, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Three Strikes, You’re Out!
Mouton
Theo hit this one out of the park! On paper we were a bit skeptical of how this cocktail would taste but it was beautifully balanced and absolutely delicious. Silky smooth and the perfect end to this weekend’s cocktail tour.
1.5 oz. Bubble gum vodka
.75 oz of Peanut falernum
2 dashes of orange bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir with ice, then strain over a large cube into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon peel with the oils expressed over the glass. Serve with peanuts and bubble gum.
PRO TIP: To create the vodka and felernum, infuse one bottle of Watershed vodka with 3 pieces of bazooka bubble gum and one cinnamon stick and one bottle of Velvet Falernum with 1/2 cup of peanuts. Let both sit for 48 hours then strain.
Jack Sparrow
Goodale Station
This complex and delicious cocktail checked all of the boxes — boozy, sweet and velvety smooth, with citrus and baking spice notes.
1.5 oz. Bumbu Rum
.5 oz. Maggie’s Farm Spiced Rum
.75 oz. Maggie’s Farm Falernum
.5 oz. Lime juice
.25 oz. Pineapple juice
.25 oz. Demerara simple syrup
5 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin, shake hard until chilled, double strain and serve up in a coupe. Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple.
PRO TIP: Double straining a cocktail through a mesh strainer helps remove all of the ice chips.