My Favorite Cocktail Recipes
At some point I got really into making cocktails. I love to mix up something beautiful and delicious, slide it in front of a friend, and see their surprise when they realize how good it actually looks.
Recently an old co-worker texted me because she had misplaced my “amazing margarita recipe”. It’s been a few years and I was kind of shocked. I’d never realized that my drink recipes might actually be interesting to other people – so in the spirit of sharing, I put together a full list of my favorites.
These recipes are hard-earned, battle-tested staples. Cheers to Summer!
Ween’s World Famous Margarita
Ingredients (Makes 2)
3 shots tequila (Espolon Blanco)
1 1/2 shots triple sec (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao)
1 1/2 shots lime juice (fresh-squeezed, always)
1 1/2 shots simple syrup
(I use a less sweet ratio – 1:2 sugar to water)
Combine in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake for ~15 seconds. Pour over ice.
Garnish with a lime wedge and orange twist. I like to use Tajin around the rim for a lil’ spice.
Margarita Tips:
Add a slice of fresh jalepeno to the shaker if you like a spicy marg
You can tell a good margarita by the color. If it doesn’t look like lime juice mixed with clear liquids, there’s some weird stuff in there 👀
Classic Mojito (Pitcher)
Ingredients
A bunch of mint (I fill a small popcorn bowl from the garden)
1 cup lime juice (5-6 big limes)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup light rum
1 liter club soda
Muddle mint leaves and sugar together in a pitcher. Add booze and lime juice. Stir to dissolve sugar. Top off the pitcher with club soda and ice. Serve in a tall collins glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a lime round and mint sprig.
Mojito Tips:
For a party, you’ll probably have to double (maybe triple) this recipe. I took a pitcher to the 4th of July and it made about 8 drinks and they were gone in 15 minutes
When slicing lime rounds for garnishes, I like to slice the nubbins off (the bumps on the end of the fruit) and put them in the pitcher for some color
If you’re picking mint from your garden, fill your bowl with ice first. It keeps the leaves from wilting in the heat.
Rum Punch
This recipe was started in 2019, but perfected recently after a full week of research on Carnival Cruise Lines. (Sponsorship opportunities available)
Ingredients (Makes 2)
1 1/2 shots Rhum Barbancourt (no substitutes)
1 1/2 shots coconut rum
1 shot orange juice (fresh squeezed)
1 shot lime juice (fresh squeezed)
1 shot pineapple juice (I don’t know how to squeeze a pineapple)
1 shot grenadine
6 drops angostura bitters
1 sprig mint
Put everything in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake ~15 seconds. Pour into a tiki glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a fresh mint sprig, orange twist, and a fresh cherry.
Ween’s Old Fashioned
Ingredients
1 1/2 shot of your favorite bourbon
1/2 shot of simple syrup
4 drops angostura bitters
Pour everything into a rocks glass and stir. For ice, I either use one of those giant cubes or fill the glass with regular ice after mixing.
You can use all kinds of things to garnish an old fashie: orange twist, orange slice, fresh cherry, blackberry, rasberry, etc.
Bonus: Leveling up your cocktail game
If you’re interested in more drink tips, check out this video I made a few years ago for a “team-building” cocktail workshop at Storyblocks: