Binny's Blog

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.

Birria, the deeply soul satisfying Mexican dish of tender slow cooked meat served with a rich savory consommé, has found new life in the hip Instagram-able form of quesatacos. They are attractive and delicious but those in the know didn’t need a trend to remind us of this classic dish from Jalisco (Tequila’s origin as well).

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.

Light, refreshing and relatively low in alcohol is all the rage in certain circles these days, so this summer we have tried to bring you cocktail recipes that fit the bill. Today we have a lower alcohol riff on one of the all-time Tiki classics, the Mai Tai.

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 Paloma cocktail is the cool, refreshing, grapefruity cousin of the Margarita. Both are Tequila and citrus centric, but the Paloma is a tall drink in which the mixer shares center stage with the liquor.

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.