Binny's Blog

The Tuxedo cocktail is a highfalutin riff on the Martini with Fino Sherry in place of the Vermouth. It’s potent, crisp, and tangy from the Sherry and makes for a fun Martini alternative whether at a black-tie event or a backyard BBQ.

Calhoun County peaches are so good, in fact, it almost seems a pity to do anything but eat them out of hand, but we took a cue from a recent episode of our Barrel to Bottle podcast that featured a few riffs on the Smash and muddled our way through our own version. A sort of Bourbon Peach Smash mania ensued. We kept things Illinois centric by using the most excellent Whiskey Acres Bourbon and hyper-local mint (backyard terroir!) and the results were stunning.

The magnificent Italian Aperitivo, Cocchi Americano, is a delight on the rocks with an orange wheel and serves as the cornerstone of a perfect Corpse Reviver No 2 cocktail. Just like Vermouth, it must be fresh to be at its best alone or in a cocktail. Luckily, 375 ml bottles are now available.

It is officially peach season in the Midwest; time to learn how to make a real Bellini. It’s a simple drink but a sublime one when made from scratch.

It’s high time that we acknowledge Hemingway as the Papa of today’s trend toward low-cal, low-carb, (but certainly not low alcohol) drinks. Hemingway liked a stiff drink, so pace yourself as you enjoy this pink cocktail, lest you start seeing pink elephants or counting six blurry toes on your five-toed cat.

Sailors take warning, this old Navy tipple is dangerously drinkable, truly a sailor’s delight! One too many and you may find yourself lost in a turbid Bermuda Triangle of your own making but judiciously taken, it’s 100 percent smooth sailing.

The Pimm’s Cup is a quintessentially British summer cocktail. The key ingredient is, of course, Pimm’s No. 1 Cup; the original premixed gin sling, which should impress anyone who enjoys ready to drink cocktails. Fortified with gin and loaded with fruit, this fizzy cocktail is a patio favorite.

The Highball is a timeless whiskey cocktail celebrated for its crisp, refreshing simplicity. The traditional Highball highlights the essence of whiskey while delivering a light, bubbly finish. A drink that remains one of the most versatile and approachable whiskey cocktails for both beginners and seasoned enthusiasts.

This boozy but ice-cold and indescribably refreshing cocktail was the signature drink at Trinidad’s luxurious Queen’s Park Hotel from the 1920s until its eventual demise a few decades later. Thankfully, the cocktail lives on as the epitome of the Caribbean cocktail aesthetic.

The classic Gin Rickey is the perfect summer refresher. Just a handful of ingredients and the lack of any sugar make the Rickey so pure, so clean and so very quenching that a second is hard to resist.