Glorious Revolution
I came up with this drink while I was in Holland in October 2019. I spent a week there learning the history of genever and the current state of the industry for a story I was writing for Saveur.
Apium Cobbler
In this interpretation of a cobbler, smoky Mezcal and piney gin team up with off-dry blanc vermouth, lime, cucumber, and parsley for a verdant spring cocktail.
Italian Apple Fix
This drink was developed as part of my Autumn Aperitivo class. It’s a fix built on apple brandy, lemon and orange juices, and maple syrup, served over crushed ice with an amaro float and a generous grating of nutmeg. It’s really good.
Seersucker Suit
This one’s based on the Coronation from the Waldorf-Astoria book (1935), which calls for applejack, sweet and dry vermouths and apricot brandy. This version tastes really bourbon-forward despite its low-ABV build.
Concord Grape Grenadine
This Concord grape grenadine was used in two drinks back in October of 2020, which was our inaugural month!
Baked Pears
These baked pears are easy to execute and are an essential ingredient in Clapp’s Favorite Cobbler (October 2022).
Acid-adjusted pineapple juice
Acid-adjusting is a process by which a less acidic fruit juice (such as orange or pineapple) are "adjusted" with acid powders in order to bring them to the acidity level of lemon or lime. This one makes pineapple juice the acidity level of lemon.
Rhubarb Shrub
I once wrote a piece for BA about rhubarb shrub and it was a real hit, because people love rhubarb and they love shrubs! This versatile ingredient is great for mocktails and shandies as well as punches and fixes.
Cucumber-lemon shrub
This shrub was part of our Pimm’s Month in April 2022. It’s a great way to add fresh cucumber flavor to drinks and can stand in as the acid component in place of citrus. It’s also an important component in our Club Pimm’s Bar, an entertaining concept that capped off Pimm’s Month.
Ginger Syrup (Gigantic version)
This is the ginger syrup we use at Gigantic—it’s made by using ginger and water, blended and strained, as the base, giving it a very fresh, spicy flavor.
Candied Citrus Peel, Riesling-Citrus Syrup, and Granita Molds
This 3-for-1 prep task creates a garnish, a syrup, and the granita that forms the stunning base of the Skiing Waiter, a Club favorite from January 2021.
Rosemary-infused Campari
We used this wintry infused Campari in January 2021. It’s a great way to winterize a spritz, Negroni, or Americano!
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.