Bites & Bebidas

• 5 cucumber slices
• 5–6 mint leaves
• 1 oz lime juice
• ¾ oz simple syrup (or agave syrup diluted 1:1 with water)
• 1½ oz tequila blanco

Add cucumber and mint to shaker and muddle. Add lime juice, simple syrup, and tequila. Add ice and shake. Strain over ice into a rocks glass.

• 2 oz reposado tequila
• ¾ oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
• ½ oz Cynar
• Luxardo cherry for garnish

Add tequila, vermouth, and Cynar to a stirring pitcher. Add ice and stir to dilute and chill. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• ¾ oz sweet vermouth
• ½ oz lime juice
• Topo Chico or mineral seltzer

Rim glass with salt. Add lime juice, tequila, and a large ice cube. Top with soda water, then float the sweet vermouth.

• 2 oz mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ¾ oz honey syrup
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cayenne

Add lime juice, honey syrup, and mezcal to a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a coupe.

• 2 oz reposado tequila
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ¾ oz agave syrup
• ½ oz Amaro Montenegro

Add tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, and Amaro Montenegro to a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a salt-rimmed glass.

• 1½ oz blanco tequila
• ¾ oz honey syrup
• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 1 egg white (or 4–6 dashes foamer)
• 2 dashes lavender bitters

Add tequila, honey syrup, lemon juice, lavender bitters, and foamer to shaker. Add ice and shake. Using egg white: dry shake everything first, then add egg white and ice and shake again. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with lemon peel.

• 2 oz reposado tequila
• ¼ oz agave nectar
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash mole or chocolate bitters

Add tequila, agave nectar, and bitters to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain over a big rock. Express an orange peel.

• 2 oz gin
• ¾ oz honey syrup
• ¾ oz lemon juice
• Lavender bitters

Add all to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain.

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz lemon juice
• ½ oz Cointreau
• ½ oz simple syrup
• Orange bitters
• Fresh mint leaves

Add orange bitters, a pinch of mint, and all other ingredients to shaker. Muddle lightly. Shake. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with mint leaf and, if desired, a spritz of orange peel.

• 2 oz gin (Beefeater)
• ¾ oz Cointreau
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz raspberry syrup

Add gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup to shaker. Pack full with ice and shake hard. Double strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

The original pre-modern cosmo — gin, not vodka. A full shaker of ice is critical; insufficient ice causes it to split.

• 2 oz Knob Creek bourbon
• ¾ oz Cynar
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz raspberry syrup

Add bourbon, Cynar, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup to shaker. Pack with ice and shake hard. Double strain into a coupe or over a big rock. Garnish with a lemon twist or raspberries.

Cynar brings earthy bitterness that plays well with Knob Creek's rye spice.

• 2 oz Rittenhouse rye
• 1 oz Averna (in place of sweet vermouth)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters

Add rye, Averna, and bitters to mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.