12 articles
The Paloma Recipe: Mexico's Real Favorite Tequila Cocktail
Mexico's most popular tequila cocktail isn't the Margarita — it's the Paloma, a refreshing mix of tequila, grapefruit, and lime. Here's how to make both the fresh-squeezed version and the traditional soda-based classic.
The Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe: How to Make It Right
The Old Fashioned is bourbon's greatest stage — a cocktail so simple it has nowhere to hide mediocrity. Here's how to make it right, with the techniques and bourbon picks that actually matter.
The Whiskey Sour Recipe: Three Ways to Make the Classic Cocktail
The whiskey sour went from college party disaster to craft cocktail staple for good reason. Here's how to make it properly — plus the New York and Boston variations that elevate the classic.
The Manhattan Cocktail Recipe: The Gentleman's Bourbon
The Manhattan is bourbon culture's defining cocktail — a test of taste, technique, and restraint. Here's how to make it properly, with three recipes and the vermouth guidance most bartenders won't tell you.
The Mint Julep Recipe: How to Make the South's Most Iconic Bourbon Cocktail
The mint julep is the South's signature bourbon cocktail — and one of the few drinks older than the Old Fashioned. Here's how to make it properly, with fresh mint, crushed ice, and the technique that separates a great julep from a mediocre one.
The Boulevardier Recipe: Bourbon's Answer to the Negroni
The Boulevardier swaps gin for bourbon in the Negroni formula, creating a richer, more complex aperitif. Born in 1920s Paris, this equal-parts cocktail balances bitter Campari with sweet vermouth and bold whiskey.
The Paper Plane Cocktail: The Modern Classic You Should Already Know
Sam Ross created the Paper Plane at Milk & Honey in 2007, naming it after M.I.A.'s hit song. This equal-parts bourbon cocktail became the blueprint for modern classic drinks—and for good reason.
The Hot Toddy Recipe: Bourbon's Answer to Cold Weather
The hot toddy is bourbon's warm embrace on a cold night—honey, lemon, hot water, and whiskey in perfect harmony. Simple to make, impossible to master poorly, and exactly what winter demands.
The Bourbon Smash Recipe: The Summer Cocktail That Puts Mojitos to Shame
Dale DeGroff's Whiskey Smash became a modern classic for one reason: it's the drink for people who like mojitos but prefer whiskey. Fresh mint, muddled lemon, and good bourbon create a warm-weather cocktail that's as refreshing as it is sophisticated.
The Gold Rush Cocktail Recipe: Bourbon, Honey, and Why Simple Wins
T.J. Siegal's Gold Rush—born at Milk & Honey in the early 2000s—is proof that the best cocktails aren't complicated. It's a Whiskey Sour with honey syrup instead of simple syrup, and that single swap transforms the entire drink.
The Kentucky Mule Recipe: Bourbon's Better Take on the Moscow Mule
The Kentucky Mule is what happens when you take the Moscow Mule and give it some actual flavor. Bourbon, quality ginger beer, fresh lime—it's the summer cocktail that doesn't taste like a compromise.
The Penicillin Cocktail: The Modern Classic That Actually Lives Up to the Hype
Sam Ross created the Penicillin at Milk & Honey in 2005, and it became one of the most important cocktails of the modern era. This is the drink that proved scotch could be approachable without being dumbed down.