Roasted Strawberries
I took a page out of the pastry chef’s playbook and roasted lightly-sweetened strawberries to concentrate the flavor. Used in our Roasted Strawberry Daiquiri (June 2022)—but equally good over vanilla ice cream.
Bitter Peach Puree
This is the key ingredient in the Bitter Bellini, which is an ode to the peach-and-prosecco drink invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice.
Acid-adjusted Orange Juice
This acid-adjusted orange juice appeared in one of our January 2022 recipes, but it’s a versatile ingredient. It’s adjusted to have the acidity of lemon juice, so you can sub it into your favorite sour recipes and get the added flavor of orange.
Lime Oleo Syrup
This lime oleo is inspired by the oleo saccharum that forms the sweetening base for traditional punches. We used in in our March 2022 Irish Whiskey Cocktail History recipes.
Roasted Orange Cordial & Baked Apples
Cordials typically employ in their manufacture citrus peels and citrus and/or other fruit juices. (It's the juice that differentiates them from a syrup). I've never seen anyone use roasting / heating in this way for a cordial -- the innovation was inspired by wanting to capture the roasted clove-studded-orange flavor typical of Christmastide.
Pumpkin Syrup
This pumpkin syrup delivers pumpkin-pie spiced deliciousness, but thanks to a bit of miso, it’s got a subtle salinity and dimension.
Bloody Mary Mix
This is the Bloody Mary mix used in our Borscht Belt Bloody from July 2023.
Mint Syrup & Mint Demerara Syrup
These two versions of mint syrup are ideal for Mint Juleps and served us well during our deep-dive into that drink’s history in April of 2024.
Lemon Syrup
We used this lemon syrup in December 2020’s Victorian Christmas-themed recipes. It’s meant to mimic the lemon peel and sugar mixture of classic punches.
Yuletide Syrup
A syrup that first appeared in my Yuletide class in December 2020. It also gives my Barnstable Punch its signature Christmasy flavor.
Lime-ginger Syrup
I developed this lime-ginger syrup for a pair of recipes that appeared in The Great Eater Campout in the spring of 2021. It also appears my Improved Holland Gin Cocktail (Java edition).
Ginger Liqueur
Homemade liqueurs were common in the eighteenth-century. This brandy-based ginger liqueur is a great item to have on your bar. Beyond October 2021’s Tavern Month drinks, you can try subbing it in for other liqueurs in your favorite templates.
Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup
This spiced brown sugar syrup has deeply autumnal flavors and molasses notes. It served us well in Eighteenth-century Tavern Month (October 2021).
Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is the most elemental of all cocktail syrups. It adds sweetness without adding much flavor, allowing other ingredients to shine.
Spiced Cherry Cordial
This recipe was adapted from Dr. Salmon's Family Dictionary or, Household Companion (1710 edition), which was a popular resource in eighteenth-century American cookery. This cordial was used in our Summer Drinks on the Erie Canal month (July 2021).
Ginger Syrup
Ginger syrup can be used in a variety of cocktails from Sours to stirred drinks. We used this version, which is sweetened with honey, for our Summer Drinks on the Erie Canal Month (July 2021).
Citrus Cordial
This citrus cordial is ideal for the height of citrus season, when much of the U.S. is bitterly cold. It’s an important ingredient in two of January 2022’s drinks: a sour called An Orange Among the Pines and a citrus-tinged spritz, the Sbagliato D’inverno.
Peach Shrub
I developed this peach shrub around using up liqueur from a previous month in place of sugar. I love the way it turned out. It figured heavily in July 2021, when we explored the Erie Canal’s heyday.
Strawberry meringue
I developed this strawberry meringue to top an Edwardian punch for April 2025’s Secret Garden theme. I like how it’s like a pink cloud floating on a fruity punch!