Binny's Blog

We love a good tasting experiment on Barrel to Bottle, so this week we're making Manhattans. A lot of Manhattans. So many Manhattans that we can't keep track of how many we're making. We tried 21 different bitters to see which one makes the best Manhattan.

Let the good times roll and shake up this recipe for a Ramos Gin Fizz, one of New Orleans most well-known cocktails. It's perfect for your Mardi Gras celebration.

The temperatures are plummeting after a relatively warm start to the winter season. There’s no better time to whip up some hot cocktails to get you through the grey winter days and long, dark winter nights.

Toddies are a broad class of cocktails that generally combine a spirit with water and sugar. Usually but not necessarily served hot, toddies also often include citrus, spice and/or herbs to create a soothing elixir, believed by many to ease the symptoms of the common cold and flu. Toddies are easy to make, provide a potent kick of booze, and happen to be quite appealing on a cold winter’s eve in the Midwest.

It’s the spooky time of year, so it’s time to talk about Halloween beers and Halloween cocktails. A cocktail episode means that Greg and Pat get to hang out while Roger makes them cocktails. And Chris will make his own while spending way too much time crafting the garnish.

El Diablo cocktail, an unconventional blend of Tequila, Crème de Cassis, lime and ginger beer. It’s a surprisingly delicious cocktail recipe invented by Vic Bergeron aka Trader Vic. We use Añejo Tequila, Jules Theuriet Cassis and Fever Tree ginger beer.

We aren’t talking about “the” perfect Manhattan, some might argue that the incredibly popular sweet Manhattan already holds that title, but “a” Perfect Manhattan. A variation on the theme that has the maker replace half of the Sweet Vermouth with Dry Vermouth. This perfect 1:1 ratio of Vermouths is the origin of the name.

This cocktail is an old timey classic, but it required a side trip to the 1980s to land on this prohibition era gem. Try this fruity but refreshing silent film era classic. It will leave you speechless.

The 1980s were a time of excess, and that included the cocktails. Every thing was overly sweet and overly proofed.

Who knew cocktails with black colored vodka could be so much fun? Our version of the screwdriver looks weird. Like, really weird. But it tastes exactly like the screwdriver you've sipped on in your 21+ life. Freak out your friends with this ghoulish cocktail. Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn and caldron bubble.