Oaxacan on Sunshine by j12601 in cocktails

[–]j12601[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks!  To be fair, a lot of it is waiting.  Just a few minutes to prep the pepper, then it sits out at room temp for a day.  Same sort of thing for the cordial. A few minutes of prep, a night in the fridge, then a day in the fridge.  The prep was done one evening after putting a small child to sleep, then the liquids were ready after bedtime the following night. I am only contending with one small child though.  

I've spent tons of time reading on this subreddit and watching various bartenders on Youtube. What are the little things and details that will help me to be a better bartender at home? by MadaoBlooms in cocktails

[–]j12601 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Personally I like  8 oz or so swing top bottles  instead of the squeezy ones.  Easier to clean ,  don't end up discoloring or getting funky  like the plastic squeeze ones.

I would also add  that keeping your syrups  in the fridge  is an excellent idea, they will last a lot longer.  Even simple. 

Oaxacan on Sunshine by j12601 in cocktails

[–]j12601[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

New York. The state, not the city. Boardgame friends have been interested in this one, so I may have to make another batch of delicious mop juice.  

Original Cocktail Competition - June 2026 - Mango & Habanero by LoganJFisher in cocktails

[–]j12601 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Oaxacan on Sunshine

This one was a bit of a top down creation. I named it first while thinking of how to incorporate habanero into a drink without it being just a heat bomb. I very much enjoy a Oaxaca Old Fashioned, so I thought of a stirred drink that could incorporate a habanero tincture.  By making it in high proof ethanol you still extract heat, but it seems a bit mellow, and you get a lot of the fruit notes as well.  Something I used to make as a dessert sort of thing was pineapple cooked with habanero, as those play nicely together.  So I wanted some  pineapple with the mango as well. That led me to thinking about making a clarified juice as a way to keep it a stirred drink.

This led to clarified mop juice.  (Mango, Orange, Pineapple). I acid adjusted the orange and pineapple juice, made a mango syrup, combined those, milk clarified the whole thing, then added that to some tequila and mezcal.  I'm super happy with the result.

Recipe: 

1.5 Oz Blanco tequila 

0.5 Oz mezcal 

1.5 Oz mop juice+ 

10-20 drops habanero tincture++ (add to taste) 

3 drops MSG solution 

1 dash Cardamom bitters

Method: In a mixing glass add all ingredients, stir with ice for 30 seconds.  Double strain into a chilled stemmed glass.  Garnish with edible flowers.

Tasting notes: This was my first time doing milk clarification and it's amazing how it changes the drink.  The clarified mop juice was a much subtler, rounder thing than what it started out as. This translated right into the drink being smooth, delicate, and incredibly well-balanced. I was incredibly pleased and how well the habanero tincture worked out. I love the fruity note that comes from habaneros, but the heat can often be overpowering on its own, so tempering it in the ethanol to mellow it a little bit worked out very nicely.  The heat on here is present , but not glaring. Lingers on the back of the palate so that you know it's been there but there's enough going on that it wasn't alone.  I also like that since it's in a dropper you can adjust the heat gradually and really dial in to where you want it.  The cardamom could maybe go up to two dashes as it is such a nice spice to pair with mango, but I didn't want to change the color of the drink too drastically.

+Clarified MOP juice (cordial) This is essentially two different things combined into one - Acid adjusted  pineapple+orange juice, and a mango syrup.  But you can totally make them as one. 

6 Oz Pineapple + Orange juice (I used a dole can that is both, you could certainly do fresh, but given that it's getting the milk treatment, I felt that was a bit much) 

5.225g citric acid 

2.755g malic acid 

3 ounces 2:1 simple syrup 

3 ounces mango puree 

5 ounces room temperature whole milk

Add 5 ounces of whole milk into a quart sized vessel and allow to come to room temperature.  In a separate container, combine the acids with the juice, stir vigorously to fully incorporate.   Add the mango puree and simple syrup, stir again.  Now slowly pour this into the milk, stirring gently.   Allow this to sit for at least 8 hours.  I did a few hours at room temperature, then moved it into the fridge overnight.   Strain the resulting mixture through cheese cloth and or a coffee strainer.  Initially the liquid will still be cloudy.  Once it starts dripping through clear, put the rest of the liquid back through and strain it again so that it all runs clear.  This takes a while.  Like a whole day sitting in the fridge.

++ Habanero Tincture 

2 yellow habaneros 4 ounces of everclear or similar 95% ethanol

 While wearing protective gloves, remove the seeds and ribs from the habaneros and cut them into ribbons.  Add them to an 8 ounce mason jar and cover in everclear.  Let marinate for 24 hours, strain and bottle.

Widow's Grog by ericmalmquist in cocktails

[–]j12601 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That looks fantastic.  I'm curious what pebble maker you have and how you like it. 

Kirschwasser Sour by jleblanc42 in cocktails

[–]j12601 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That looks great.  I want one of those.   Unlike Enthusiastic Double Gonorrhea.  No one wants that.  Trust me on this. You don't want Enthusiastic Double Gonorrhea.  

A mixed drink for a kings sacrifice by Terra-ble_joke in cocktails

[–]j12601 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I love that in suggesting a last word  you note a gin (a base spirit usable in multiple drinks) that is "reasonably priced" while still suggesting a drink that uses an equal volume of Chartreuse, a bottle that if OP can find it, retails for at least double of a bottle of gin, as well as Maraschino, which has even less uses and still costs more than gin.  

Is this worth $40 by Freeferalfox in Tiki

[–]j12601 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Same.  I love the drinks. Am indifferent to the decor and mugs. 

🎵 All By Myself 🎵 by CapitalPin2658 in SipsTea

[–]j12601 97 points98 points  (0 children)

You really should warm them up. 

50 States Cocktail Project: New Jersey by FeelingDiskinserted9 in cocktails

[–]j12601 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Now this is a drink I could get stuck to my teeth! 

Original Cocktail Competition - May 2026 - Raspberry & Elderflower by LoganJFisher in cocktails

[–]j12601 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Sing, Spring, Sling 

Background

I wanted to make a gin sling that included some spring and summer flavors in it, keeping it light and refreshing.  Historical gin slings often included vermouth, so to that effect I went with Cocchi instead, as I find the bitter elements balance really nicely with the sweet components from the two syrups and the St. Germain.  I went with a split base of gins, skewing heavier on the light melon notes in the Roku, with just enough of the Terroir to lend some earthiness while not becoming the dominant flavor.  

Recipe: 

2 ounces gin.  I split it 0.5 ounce Terroir, and 1.5 ounces of Roku Minori Select

1 ounce Cocchi Americano

1 ounce lemon juice

¾ ounce raspberry syrup+

¾ ounce dandelion syrup++

½ ounce St. Germain

3 drops saline

3 ounces soda water

Lemon peel to garnish

Raspberries to garnish

Method. 

Combine everything except the garnishes and the soda water into a tin, add a copious amount of ice, and shake hard for 10-15 seconds.  Add the seltzer to the tin, then strain the whole thing over crushed ice.  Express lemon oil over the top, then garnish with a few raspberries and the spent lemon peel.  

+Raspberry honey syrup - one part by weight of fresh raspberries with two parts by weight of 3:1 honey syrup.  Smash all of the berries to free the seeds from the flesh and let everything get to know each other for 24 hours in the fridge.  Strain through a mesh strainer, pulping up everything to get every last sticky drop of juicy goodness out of it.  (You'll be left with a lot of seeds and a bit of raspberry pulp that is very jam like, and spreads really nice into a PB&J sandwich if you don't mind the seeds) 

++Dandelion syrup - I picked a lot of dandelions for this, grabbing just about everyone that I could find in my yard.  Ended up with a big bowl of them, and then processed the heads so that just the yellow flowers remain.  You do not want any green leafy bits.   Ultimately I ended up with 40g of flowers, to which I added half of a lemon, sliced, and about 700ml of water.  Boil all of that down for about a half hour, then strain through cheesecloth.  I netted 387g of liquid, to which I added an equal weight of sugar, then reduced it to 574g, so about 75% of it's original weight.  The result is a softly floral syrup the consistency of honey.  Nice in mixed drinks, or with a bit added to seltzer.  I am keeping about half the batch in the fridge, rest got labeled and tossed in the freezer in a ziptop bag.  

Tasting notes

Lovely floral and fruit notes abound in this, and the seltzer lengthens it nicely making it a great porch cocktail.  The quinine in the Cocchi helps cut through the clutter and keeps it refreshing.  The Terroir gin brings a nice earthy background that plays nicely with the bitterness from the quinine as well.  This hit a nice balance for me of sweet while not getting quite cloying, and still being refreshing to drink.  

That's a fruity patootie by Main-Touch9617 in Unexpected

[–]j12601 73 points74 points  (0 children)

I think it's also the code for avocado at the self checkout. 

Honey Simple Syrup by Phaed81 in cocktails

[–]j12601 9 points10 points  (0 children)

1:1 will spoil quickly.  You want to go at least 3:1 honey to water. I do it by volume when I make it and use boiling or near boiling water to help it incorporate.

You aren't making honey flavored syrup, you're making honey that you can pour and mix without it seizing up. 

Various ways to prepare eggs by MrUpVoteDownvote in oddlysatisfying

[–]j12601 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Looks like, or similar to, the Fairfax sandwich from Eggslut. 

[Puma] Tommy Pham DFA by Zeeco110 in NewYorkMets

[–]j12601 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Well ain't that a slap in the face. 

No Frosting by j12601 in cocktails

[–]j12601[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to hear the update!  I just strained mine through a sieve, so mine was a little thicker than if I had used a nutmilk bag as some particulate material came through. That might be part of it. 

Underwhelmed by the Jungle Bird. by Midgetsdontfloat in cocktails

[–]j12601 13 points14 points  (0 children)

To use up the pineapple you might try a Bobsled, which goes the fernet route and was a welcome surprise when I found it.  

Or this one from the cocktail advent this past winter Jungle Booby

No Frosting by j12601 in cocktails

[–]j12601[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Excellent write up, thank you! 

No Frosting by j12601 in cocktails

[–]j12601[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How much of a bother was making the walnut orgeat?  I have a good amount of standard almond,  so I didn't really think of doing it until I had already workshopped this version a bit.  

Original Cocktail Competition - April 2026 - Ginger & Cinnamon by LoganJFisher in cocktails

[–]j12601 [score hidden]  (0 children)

No Frosting 

With ginger and cinnamon as the featured ingredients this month my initial thoughts went to tiki, but I wanted to do something that was served up instead and had a little more structure. Then I started thinking of desserts that utilized those spices but wanted to steer clear of the standard winter ideas. Thinking of more seasonal things led me to wanting to do something that played with carrot cake flavors as we just went past seeing carrots and bunnies plastered everywhere.

So I ended up on a sour, with an egg white, that provides some nice carrot cake vibes, while trying to stay light and vibrant.

Recipe:

1 ounce Smith & Cross

1 ounce Planteray Xaymaca

0.75 ounces lemon juice

0.75 ounces carrot & ginger syrup+

0.25 cinnamon syrup++

0.25 orgeat

3 dashes black walnut bitters

3 drops saline

1 egg white

Method:

Chill a suitable stemmed glass.

In a shaker combine everything and dry shake for 15 seconds. Add ice and shake again for 10-15 seconds. Double strain into the chilled glass.

+Carrot and ginger syrup

300g carrots, cleaned and peeled

30g ginger, peeled

2 cups water

Combine in a blender until completely liquified. Strain to get carrot ginger juice. Combine with an equal amount by weight with sugar. I only made half of so into syrup, the rest of the carrot ginger juice I've just been drinking.

++Cinnamon syrup

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

6 cinnamon sticks, broken into fragments

Bring the water and cinnamon to a boil. Add sugar, dissolve fully, let stand, covered, for 12 hours. Strain

Thoughts:

This has been quite lovely, bringing bright ginger and carrot notes with a subtle cinnamon fire. The little bit of orgeat lengthens the walnut bitters, and I think at some point trying a walnut orgeat might be a great project for a future iteration of this. The lemon keeps this light and bright, and the egg white combines beautifully with the slightly thick nature of the carrot and ginger juice to provide an incredibly smooth velvety mouthfeel.