Generally, you don't want to buy a set (this applies to most consumer goods) as they usually are compiled of subpar or superfluous items, aimed for the uninformed beginner who just want to get started, but instead pick good stuff yourself.

• I'd say buy a shaker from one of the places mentioned here - buy a 'Tin on Tin' Boston shaker. Cobbler shakers need to be kinda expensive before they're good, while Boston shakers are great, even if the machining isn't ultra precise. They are also simpler to work with and clean.
  
  
• Downside is that you are going to need a strainer for a boston shaker as well. The one I see recommended the most is the OXO Hawthorne strainer (Link) - which I own as well, it's great and cheap. Most other hawthorne strainers are fine too, as long as they are big enough to cover the shaker, and won't fall in.
  
  
• If he doesn't have one already, I would also get him a fine strainer. This one you can buy from any kitchenware store / amazon, and it doesn't need to be fancy.
  
  
• He will probably also need a measuring device. If he likes showmanship, get him some jiggers from one of the cocktail sites, or if he's more practical, get an OXO Clear measuring cup (Link). I would reccomend the latter to any home bartender. For a compromise between the two, there's also the slightly fancier steel measuring cup (Link) or the OXO Stainless double jigger (Link).
  
  
• Finally, I'd also recommend some kind of juicer, as most drinks contain some kind of acid, usually citrus. Personally, I like the Chef'n'FreshForce Citrus Juicer (Link), but others are available.
  
  With a Shaker, a Strainer, (a Fine Strainer), (a Juicer), and a Jigger, you can make pretty much any shaken drink. If you want, you can look into a muddler as well. I'd recommend staying away from buying anything expensive. Best deal is buying a french rolling pin and chopping it into two muddlers (Link).
  __
  
  Even though shaken drinks are the majority, most of my favourites are still stirred drinks. If you want you can splurge on a mixing glass from one of the cocktail sites which are pretty but really expensive, or you can check IKEA. Their VARDAGEN or BENUNGE cups are pretty perfect for this (Link). He'll also need a cocktail spoon for stirring. Either buy one from the cocktail sites (Avoid those with the red tip), or find a neat pair of chopsticks. The chopsticks are untraditional, especially in the west, but are functionally as good or better as a spoon for most use cases.
  
  __
  
  Apart from gear to make cocktails, one thing which is always nice to get, is glasses for serving them in. I don't know if this applies to your dad, but some fancy stemmed glasses are always cool to get.
  
  
  
  If you're in Europe, check out Cocktailkingdom.co.uk or Cocktailian.de. Otherwise, Amazon is great (remember to check .co.uk and .de for better deals). I bought my shaker and cocktail spoon from Homestia.com, and am happy with them; good quality, great price, and arrived in a fancy box. The only downside is that I think they ship from China, so it might not arrive prior to christmas.

Not Cocktail of the Week #93: The Earl Grey MarTEAni and the Mandala

This week's NCotW is a Modern Classic created by contemporary legend Audrey Saunders, along with an original twist on the recipe. I'm /u/ems88, filling in for /u/hebug this week.

Saunders is responsible for a fair number of cocktails that have spread far beyond the walls of the bars where they were first shaken or stirred including the Old Cuban, the Gin Gin Mule, and Not Cocktail of the Week #19: Intro to Aperol.

Background

The Earl Grey MarTEAni is a tea-infused variation on the classic Gin Sour (with egg white). It was first developed in 2002 for an event at the Ritz Hotel London. Saunders continued to offer the MarTEAni as part of her cocktail program at Bemelmans in Manhattan's Carlyle Hotel, and when she opened Pegu Club in 2005 she brought the drink with her.

The drink rose in popularity to become one of Pegu Club's most ordered cocktails, but in 2010 it found itself at the center of a controversy related to use of raw egg whites in bars and was temporarily removed from the menu. The substantial fines and citations initially threatened were never imposed, and the Earl Grey MarTEAni returned to the menu in triumph.

The cocktail has since taken on a life of its own, appearing on menus from Vancouver to London to Beijing. In 2013 Difford's Guide included it on their list of the Top 100 Cocktails. I have seen the MarTEAni served (under a variety of names; sometimes credited, sometimes not) at more bars than almost any other drink developed since the Cosmopolitan, thus cementing its status as a Modern Classic Cocktail.

Recipe

Audrey's Earl Grey MarTEAni

New York Magazine, The State of the Cocktail, 2004

• 1 ½ oz Earl Grey tea-infused Tanqueray gin
  
  
• 1 oz simple syrup (1:1 ratio)
  
  
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
  
  
• 1 egg white
  
  Measure all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice, and shake hard to a 10-second count. Strain into a chilled martini glass, ½ rimmed with sugar, and garnish with a lemon twist.
  
  For the Earl Grey-infused gin:
  
  
• 1 750 ml bottle of Tanqueray gin
  
  
• 4 tablespoons of loose Earl Grey tea
  
  Measure tea into bottle. Cap and shake, and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Strain through a fine sieve or coffee filter into a bowl. Rinse out bottle to remove loose tea, and pour infusion back into clean bottle.
  
  Technique
  
  While not addressed in the New York Magazine recipe, for drinks incorporating egg whites there are a few techniques to help achieve an optimal texture. Once the ingredients are assembled in the shaker tin, a 10 second “dry shake” without ice will help with the emulsification of the egg white. In addition, adding the coil of a Hawthorne strainer during the dry shake will provide additional agitation. Remove the coil, add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Finally, it is especially important with egg white drinks to “double strain” with both a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer.
  
  Results
  
  I've played around with a few different gins as the base for this infusion. I did these in small batches, using 1½ teaspoons of tea for 3 oz of gin (which is also a good way to make this cocktail at home if you don't want to commit to infusing a full bottle of gin). As the initial recipe called for Tanqueray (a London Dry Gin), I decided to compare it with Venus Spirits Gin (a New Western Dry Gin from Santa Cruz featuring citrus and lavender) and No. 209 (a Bergamot orange-forward gin from San Francisco).
  
  The Tanqueray version I treated as a baseline, for which it served quite well. The juniper-forward notes play well with the drying tannins of the tea, but beyond that no distinct botanicals stood out. By comparison, the Venus Spirits Gin brought floral notes to the table making the resulting profile reminiscent of a cup of Lady Grey tea. Finally, the Bergamot elements of the No. 209 accentuated the Bergamot of the Earl Grey to create a veritable orange bomb which, while not entirely unpleasant, had a few rough edges and lacked the balance of the other two.
  
  While the original recipe calls for a sugar rim, I prefer my Earl Grey MarTEAni without. As is shown in the picture, I also opted to garnish with a lemon wedge instead of the lemon peel called for in the original recipe. I did this because the overall profile is more likely to be found a touch sweet than a touch sour, so the option to add a squeeze of lemon seemed like a good way to provide the ability for the drinker to modify the cocktail to their palate.
  
  As with other egg white drinks all three versions had a luscious, creamy texture. In each case the tannins of the tea created a drying sensation which brought an unusual element to the cocktail's balance. The dryness added depth to the sour and sweet profile of the Gin Sour base.
  
  This cocktail serves well as an introduction for people skeptical of egg whites as an ingredient. The flavors expressed in the Earl Grey MarTEAni are familiar, but the format in which they are presented is entirely novel, allowing the drink to be at once both provocative and simultaneously comforting.
  
  The Mandala
  
  The frothy, creamy texture of the Earl Grey MarTEAni reminds me of a cappuccino. This inspired me to create a chai-driven twist on the cocktail for the menu at 515 Kitchen & Cocktails in Santa Cruz, CA. The name is a reference to the Sand Mandalas of Tibetan Buddhism: intricate works of symbolic art created over the course of days and destroyed upon their completion as a meditation on impermanence. An ephemeral work of art that is crafted with the intention of being destroyed reminds me of some of the elements of cocktails that I most enjoy.
  
  Recipe
  
  
• 2 oz chai tea-infused gin
  
  
• 1 oz simple syrup (1:1 ratio)
  
  
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
  
  
• 1 dash cardamom bitters (Scrappy's)
  
  
• 1 egg white
  
  
• Angostura bitters (for garnish)
  
  Follow the process described above for egg white drinks, omitting the Angostura bitters from the shaker and instead using them to decorate the surface of the cocktail.
  
  For the chai tea-infused gin:
  
  
• 1 liter London Dry Gin
  
  
• 4 tablespoons of loose chai tea blend
  
  Decant gin into a non-reactive container and add tea. Allow to infuse for 3 hours (I find the longer infusion time lends itself to a better extraction of the dry spices in the chai tea blend), stirring occasionally, then strain using a coffee filter or a fine mesh sieve and return to the bottle. For a smaller infusion use 1½ teaspoons of chai tea for every 4 oz of gin.
  
  Three Ways to Decorate the Top of an Egg White Cocktail with Bitters
  
  (Click on the links for demonstrative gifs)
  
  First Method: Using an Angostura bitters-filled atomizer, spray a stripe down the middle of the cocktail. Using a straw, in a continuous motion draw a switchback of lines perpendicular to the stripe starting at one end. Upon reaching the other end, stop the switchback in the middle of the stripe and draw the straw along the center of the stripe back to its base. This creates a rosetta pattern.
  
  Second Method: Using a dropper (or a straw in conjunction with a bitters-filled shot glass), create a spiral of dots starting in the center of the cocktail and expanding outwards. Using a straw, trace the path of the spiral. This creates a spiral of leaves.
  
  Third Method: Using the Angostura dasher bottle, dash parallel lines across the top of the cocktail. Using a straw, cut across the lines of bitters in alternating directions in individual strokes. This creates a herringbone-like set of parallel zig zags.
  
  Further Reading
  
  (Partial) List of Bars that Have Featured an Earl Grey MarTEAni on Their Menu
  
  2004 New York Magazine Earl Grey MarTEAni Recipe
  
  2004 Business Week Audrey Saunders Profile
  
  2005 Gary Regan's Account of the Pegu Club's Opening Festivities
  
  2010 New York Times Article on the Egg White Crackdown
  
  2013 Difford's Guide Top 100 Cocktails
  
  Cheers!
  
  Thank you to /u/hebug for the opportunity to contribute to the NCotW series, as well as for consistently providing such high quality content. Tune in next week for another exciting installment.
  
  Also, check out the new book from venerable cocktail behemoths Death & Co. It just came out and is absolutely gorgeous. Finally, keep your eyes peeled for Liquid Intelligence, the cocktail science book from Dave Arnold of Booker & Dax which should be hitting shelves in early November.
  
  Here's to you and thank you for reading.

I totally agree with jonetone. I'm a huge cocktail nerd, and that's my first love when it comes to alcohol, but I totally love wine and beer as well (though I didn't until I started tasting good beers!). The variety in each of those categories is huge, and it sounds like you've barely scratched the surface in any of them. Experiment!

Yuengling is a bland, cheap beer. Most people in most parts of the country drink bland, cheap beer. But beer can be totally full of flavor. Depending on where you live, you might have a big craft brewing scene. I live in Boulder CO where it is huge, for example. If you live in such a place, a great way to try beers and learn to appreciate them is to go to a well-regarded craft brewery's tap room, take a tour, and taste everything they've got. It's tons of fun and usually pretty cheap. If you don't have breweries nearby, find a good liquor store and experiment with a variety of styles. Don't buy just the cheap stuff - like liquor, the cheapest beers aren't that good. Oh, and always pour your beers from the bottle into a beer glass; like wine, you need to be able to smell the beer to taste all of the subtle flavors.

Based on your favorite cocktails, I suspect you also have a ton of room for experimentation there. Seek out a good craft cocktail bar if you live in a major metropolitan area, and pick up a good book on less well known cocktails (like this one).

It all depends on what you're looking for. If I had to go for one general book to start out with it'd probably be The Essential Bartender's Guide - great intro with some history, as well as discussion on what different types of drinks are, etc. Good Jack-of-all-trades book. As you get a little deeper, the standouts for me are Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, Bitters, Imbibe!, and Punch. Vintage is a great resource to get an idea of what's been done (and lost) over the years, and is a great place to learn about what types of flavors work well together, plus there's a great blurb about the history of the drink with each recipe. Bitters is pretty self explanatory, but it has a nice intro to cocktail history, and s ton of great recipes, both new and old. Really interesting to see how slight tweaks in the bitters used (Fourth Regiment vs a Manhattan, for example) makes a huge difference in the ultimate product. Imbibe and Punch are simply brilliant history lessons, with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. Cheers!

It depends on your juicing volume. We use a Sunkist J1 Commercial Electric Juicer but we juice a lot; 4 bars, dining room, 3 meals/day in a hotel. The Breville CPXL is an alternative for 1/3rd the cost; though I don't have any first-hand knowledge as to longevity. If you're squeezing grapefruits and oranges, you'll want a manual press at the very least. The Hamilton Beach 932 is the industry standard but other much less expensive options exist. The 932 is faster and easier to use but may wear out faster due to its gearsets, requiring replacement parts. Considering the minimal cost, it is imperative that you keep a hand press or two around in case your primary juicer commits harakiri. Norpro and Amco both make excellent units. For less than the cost of the Norpro, you can get both Amco's orange and lemon/lime presses.

We juice daily. We also have a centrifugal juicer for pineapple and other harder fruits/vegetables. We mix 1 part fresh pineapple juice with 3 parts canned, unsweetened, not-from-concentrate pineapple juice. Except for the fancy bars primarily, few have switched to fresh pineapple juice. The good canned stuff is generally perfectly fine.

~Good luck!

Yeah, that sounds like a bad ass Old Fashioned. There are a dozen legit ways to make this drink and have it still be considered an Old Fashioned. This one happens to be my favorite, but there's nothing wrong with more bitters or another twist or building it in the glass with smaller ice cubes. It's all about how you like it.

As far as the ice goes, I got a couple molds from a Japanese market. They are pretty good, but a friend of mine has a better one from Tovolo. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-Sphere-Ice-Molds-Set/dp/B007ACTN54

I'm glad you like the videos. I'm not sure what's going to be next. I've got a lot in the queue, some really classic cocktails the way likes them with specific brands being mentioned, some invented/interpreted drinks, some drinks that other characters enjoyed. All kinds of things. Was there anything in particular you'd want to see?

This post came at a perfect time for me: last week my friend and I had a cocktail taste test. We decided to focus on the Aviation.

The point was to make the same cocktail using two different recipes. I have tons of books, but I decided to pit the recipe from from the reference book Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide. It is the recipe I've been using to "impress" friends for the last two months. That recipe goes like this:

2 oz. gin

1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur

1/4 oz. lemon juice

1/4 oz. creme de violette

It was good. Refreshing. Unique tart bite. A floral cooling sensation. But it was missing something, it tasted more bitter than I was used to at the bars I went to.

But then I got the Death and Co. book for Christmas, and man is it great. So I decided to use their recipe to go against the one I was using, and it goes like this:

2 oz. Plymouth gin

1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur

1/2 teaspoon creme yvette

3/4 oz. lemon juice

1/4 oz simple syrup


This recipe seems very different. And guess what? The Death and Co. recipe was MILES better than the one I was using before. Everything blended together so well! It tasted fantastic. It just goes to show how different measurements and the simple addition of simple syrup go a long way.

I hope to try this test out with different cocktails soon. OP, where did you get your recipe?

Also, I checked the Savoy Cocktail book, and here is there recipe:

1/3 lemon juice

2/3 dry gin

2 dashes maraschino

!!

That's it! No violette anything! Even Esquire doesn't use any creme de violette.

I found a very interesting blog post (from a post in /r/cocktails actually) of the history of the Aviation that is worth a read.

Here are some pics of our lab:
http://imgur.com/a/cvMUV

The point is to play around with the same recipe until you really feel it is outstanding.

EDIT: Shameless plug: https://obedientingredients.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/cocktail-measurements-matter-the-aviation/

I agree with the premise here, but disagree with parts of the solution. In terms of quality, a martini is really only good when it’s very cold. So by doubling the volume (unless you drink really fast), you’re significantly increasing the chances of winding up with some martini that’s much warmer than is probably pleasant. I would just invest in some smaller glasses. Look for a coupe, or Nick & Nora glass anywhere from 4.5 to 5.5 oz. and you’ll be good to go. If you prefer the straight sided ones for vodka, go for it.
I agree about the picks, though. I have stainless steel ones with skulls on the end that look great on a negroni, black Manhattan, or anything with some dramatic color to it.

Check out these coupes

And/or these Nick & Noras

Hey, I'm a drinky ex-mormon myself. Welcome to the other side! A couple of my sisters asked me for similar advice when they were first trying out alcohol and they seemed to like sweet wines and low-octane, sweeter drinks best. Maybe try out some fresh fruit blender drinks.

As for equipment, most of what you need may already be in your kitchen. I get the most use out of my hand-held citrus press, my peeler and my OXO angled jigger. Shakers are fun-looking and could be a good gift, but I rarely use mine. Glassware is always a fun gift!

I hope this helps! Good luck!

To get started in glassware, I would keep it simple. I find that most drinks can be successfully executed with two types of glassware: a 5oz coupe/cocktail glass and an old fashioned/rocks glass. I consider a Collins glass to be optional, as I personally don't like drinking out of them (they're typically served with a straw which is wasteful). I'll often use an 11oz double old-fashioned glass in its place.

In terms of brands I own several sets of the Luminarc Barcraft series coupes (available on Amazon). I like them because they're a fair price, which is great because I don't have to feel bad if one breaks. I also have the highballs which are also pretty decent.

If you're looking for higher end, I really like the New York Bar series from Stolzle. You can checkout the whole line here.

I personally use a Top Shelf shaker which I really like. Feels much nicer then some of the cheaper ones. The strainer I have is from Modern Mixologist. After having so many of the cheaper ones break, I decided to get one that I hopefully wouldn't have to replace. So far its been great and I enjoy using it.

The other tools I would consider getting is a meddler, a fine mesh strainer, a mixing glass, and a bar spoon!

edited: typo

On aspirational ice

Personally I think the $99 price is ridiculous, especially considering the huge usability issues, and mess it makes. Gotta the love the sweet "deal" on Kickstarter where you get one at full retail price if you come in at the $99 level.

Regarding "most" reviews. I love Amazon reviews. They often provide some great humorous reading, and you can also easily spot the shill reviews who give fake 5 star, or 1 star reviews.

On Amazon, you can buy TWO Tovolo sphere molds for $11, or $5.50 each. The Tovolo sphere molds got 1753 reviews; 1282 were 5 stars, 331 were 4 stars (15 reviews out of 1753 gave it 1 star, so you are free to make your own fact based conclusions there). http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-Sphere-Ice-Molds-Set/dp/B007ACTN54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418127875&sr=8-1&keywords=tovolo+sphere+ice+molds

I use the Tovolo big cube molds (around $8). They are painfully easy to use, and I just pop them in ziplock bags to keep them from picking up odd smells and tastes.

Now, granted the $400 original price point may have looked cheap when stacked up against the professional units that range from $500 to $1500, hence the tongue in cheek sales pitch to "billionaires". I just think the product is way overpriced and not much better than the one that sells for a little over five bucks. It also looks like a direct ripoff from the Cirrus press which sells for $699 (maybe that is a selling point). The Cirrus at least provides a way to deal with the overflow (unless running outside to place the device on a sidewalk is an enticing idea and part of the show).

Lastly, can someone please provide a scientific reason why "spherical" ice is better than a large block? I am willing to bet that a there is little difference dilution-wise between the two shapes, and it is more of an aesthetic one.

cheers.

I'll just go ahead and list a few of the things I use on a regular basis.

Koriko shakers are awesome. They look cool and function amazingly. Good investments. End of story.
http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/Koriko-set-of-2-Weighted-Tins-large-and-sma-p/sha_korikoxxxx_0028_set.htm

I prefer using a julep strainer over a hawthorne strainer, it works fine for me when I'm not muddling things into the drink I don't want served.
http://amzn.com/B001VZAMPQ
http://amzn.com/B000H7VF64

Get speed pourers. Even if you don't plan on free-pouring, they're nice to have a more standardized pouring speed so you can pour out of an entirely full bottle without worrying about spilling too much.
http://amzn.com/B002J8RRAM

A cheap bar spoon is an awful experience. A decent bar spoon is fine. An overpriced barspoon is (generally) just overpriced metal. However, the Tanqueray spoons and the Standard Spoon on kickstarter are actually pretty nice quality stuff. But that said, almost everyone I've met likes the regular old bar spoon.
http://amzn.com/B000VQOP5O
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/workofmyhands/standard-spoon-for-craft-cocktails

Have a jigger on hand, even if you free pour. Just for when you have nicer ingredients and want to try out a drink with them and would rather have the proportions right than have to revive the drink.
http://amzn.com/B00080B07Y

I make a lot of bitters myself or super small batch infusions, so having a set of mason jars on hand has been extremely helpful.

I use cheapo squirt bottles ( http://amzn.com/B007OM9W2E ) to store simple syrup or other infused simple syrup.

If you get super into infusions and stuff like that, I've heard a lot of good things about the iSi system; I have a friend with one, he absolutely loves his. I have to admit, it takes a lot of work and patience out of infusion. As well as whipped cream, or carbonating things, or what have you... now I might want to get one.

These two items are somewhat paired (at least for me) -- a water filter and an ice tray. For ice, I'm talking like the Tovolo King Size ice trays. Water filter -- doesn't matter, as long as it filters from what I can tell.
http://amzn.com/B00395FHRO

Something that's nice to have on hand so you can double-strain is a fine-mesh strainer. Can be harder to find on the cheap though, I ended up breaking down and going to a Bed Bath & Beyond for mine since everything on Amazon was fairly expensive the thrift shops near me didn't have one.

Get nice glassware. I remember when I was younger and someone demonstrated the importance of having nice glass when tasting wine. The same thing applies. This isn't exactly bar-tools, but it's critical to your cocktail experience. Drinking out of cheap glasses, or the wrong glasses, will really hurt the presentation and your perception of the cocktail. In essence, t's important to take pride in both how you make the cocktail and how you serve the cocktail.

That's all I got for now.

Not sure if you can get Cachaca there, but the capirinha is a very 'beginner friendly' cocktail that's clearly international.

Seconding maximswim's recommendation on tiki cocktails, they're basically all strong and generally on the sweet side, plus they can have cool garnishes/mugs. If you're willing to do complicated drinks, Smuggler's Cove is a great resource.

I have 3-4 juice presses that I use, most of them are extremely old cast iron because I tend to use a lot of antique items, though my modern one is a norpro citrus juicer which has held up quite well. Unless you're going to be doing massive amounts of juicing the hand press will probably tide you over for a while. At this point, I'd say spend the money on quality spirits and ingredients over an huge table top juicer.

I have a bottle of Velvet Falernum that I use, though I'm looking toward making my own when I can come up from air at my day job. There was a great reddit thread here that talks about making your own from a recipe vs the JDT bottle.

Tiki farm stuff is really big especially here in Orange County, CA. They have great stuff. Some friends of mine designed the Meihana mug for the cocktail of the same name.

Good Luck!

Photo of the Finished Product

This recipe is from San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove, which is absolutely one of my favorite tiki bars.

The bar's creator released a fantastic book loaded with Smuggler's Cove recipes but also history of tiki, a breakdown of different rum classifications, and even how to decorate for a tiki bar. I highly recommend it.

Recipe:

• 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
  
• 0.25 oz fresh grapefruit juice
  
• 0.25 oz homemade cinnamon syrup
  
• 1 tsp homemade grenadine
  
• 0.5 oz John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum
  
• 1.5 oz blended aged rum (I used El Dorado 12)
  
• 1.5 oz column still aged rum (I used Zacapa 23)
  
• 1 oz black blended overproof rum (I used Lemon Hart 151)
  
• 2 dashes Herbstura (1:1 mixture of Angostura bitters and Herbsaint)
  
  Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake, open pour into Zombie glass or other tall drinkware. Garnish with mint. (The original recipe calls for a flash blend, open pour with gated finish.)
  
  Obviously, this is a very strong drink, so being able to make it at home is nice, even if a little prep-work is required! It packs a punch but it is extremely complex, flavorful, and not cloyingly sweet. If you have the patience, it's a worthwhile, serious tiki drink.

X-posted to r/tiki as well

It's been hot in northeast Georgia, hot and humid!! To me, that means Mai Tais!

I've been drinking quite a few lately, because I'm also putting together a side-by-side overview of four different orange liqueurs to be posted on r/cocktails soon. This is a fantastic way to experiment a bit.

I start with the Mai Tai recipe from Smugglers Cove and tweak just a little...

• 1 oz Doorly's 8-year old Barbados Rum
  
• 2/3 oz Denizen 3-year old Aged White Rum
  
• 1/3 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum
  
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  
• 1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb
  
• 1/4 oz homemade Mai Tai syrup
  
• 1/4 oz homemade Orgeat
  
  Combine in a shaker tin with 12oz crushed ice plus a couple large cubes and shake until the tin frosts up. Dump everything into a double Old Fashioned glass and garnish with a spent lime shell and a sprig of spanked mint.
  
  Notes on my Mai Tai:
  The book, Smugglers Cove, is simply brilliant in how it handles rum. I've been a whisky guy for many years, and just in the past 6 months or so have begun exploring rum. The Smugglers Cove book, and the subreddits, r/rum, and r/tiki have all been fantastic resources.
  
  As outlined in Smugglers Cove, the original rum Trader Vic had access to when he created the Mai Tai (J. Wray and Nephew, 17-year old Jamaican) is not available today. Fortunately, the tiki gods are generous and gave us Martin and Rebecca Cate, who go on to describe the history of the Mai Tai in fantastic detail. If you are a fan of rum, or tiki, or just general booze-lore, I cannot recommend the book Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki highly enough.
  
  With that being said, the book describes mixing various rums to achieve a profile similar to Vic's original. I do not claim to have recreated the original with my mix of Doorly's, Denizen, and Smith & Cross, but based on some trial and error (is it really an error, when the result is still a damn good Mai Tai?!) I did find a flavor combination I absolutely love!
  
  My "tweak" is to use 1/2 oz of Clement Creole Shrubb in place of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. Nothing at all wrong with the Ferrand, it's just that, to me, the extra little bit of spicy funk from the rhum agricole base adds a perfect note to a Mai Tai.
  
  The Mai Tai syrup and Orgeat are both recipes from Smugglers Cove as well. The syrup is a 2:1 Demerara with a bit of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt added. The Orgeat is pretty standard stuff, almonds, water, sugar, orange blossom water and rose water. Both are well worth making and keeping around in the refrigerator.
  
  ~Cheers!

Some comments and opinions, operating under the assumption that you are after a classic, basic margarita that will knock people's socks off, and aiming to steer you to that without bothering to deal with riffs and variations that one could do within the realm of "margarita":

Your Questions Answered / Margaritas 101

1. For the tequila, 100% agave is the only key. If it doesn't say 100% agave, don't even consider it, it's shit in a bottle masquerading as tequila. That said, there are plenty of perfectly serviceable 100% agave tequilas at/under ~$30/bottle, which is about what I'd expect to spend on a bottle for making margaritas. My preference is blanco - reposado and anejos tend to result in heavier-tasting drinks that aren't what most people want/expect when they ask for a margarita. They can be good, but let's get the basics down first. For specifics, Siembra Azul Blanco is my preference, though you can't go wrong with El Mayor Blanco, El Jimador Blanco, etc.
   
   
2. "While others say lime juice in a bottle is fine and can hardly tell the difference." <- people who say this are wrong, and you should discard both this and the rest of their opinions about cocktails and life in general. Lime cordial (Rose's) could have a place in a recipe, but it will be a variation on what a margarita is supposed to be, and it is certainly not a 1:1 sub for lime juice. Never, never, never (ever, ever, just for fuck's sake do not) buy ReaLime or any variation of grocery store plastic-bottled lime juice with the intent to use it in a cocktail of any kind, and certainly not in a margarita where lime juice is one of the stars of the show. It will only end in sadness and regret.
   
   
3. Cointreau. Bottom shelf plastic-bottled triple sec (Montezuma, DeKuyper, Jacquin's, etc.) is absolutely not a substitution. The "why" is basically the same as why you should insist on 100% agave tequila, and real lime juice: a good rule of thumb is that a cocktail is only as good as it's worst ingredient. Most triple sec is syrupy artificial garbage that bears no similarities to Cointreau or good curacao or Grand Marnier, other than that it's technically an orange-flavored liqueur. So, spend the extra $10 and buy a bottle of something that was actually made with oranges.
   
   
4. I'm also partial to the Jim Meehan / Dave Arnold recipe:
   2 oz tequila
   0.75 oz Cointreau
   0.75 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
   0.25 oz simple syrup (make this yourself, it's called 'simple' for a reason)
   Shake with ice, hawthorne strain into a glass. Garnish with salt/lime wedge per your or your guest's preferences.
   
   Regarding "replace triple sec with simple syrup". They aren't even sort of the same or similar tasting. No.
   
   Regarding orange juice: Nope. You could certainly make the case for playing around with some (again, preferably fresh squeezed) orange juice in a variation of a margarita, but it has no place in a classic margarita.
   
   
   

   Barware Recommendations
   

   
   I noticed elsewhere that you mentioned bar tools. My recommendations are:
   
   For your shaker/strainer, I haaaaaate three-piece tins. Hate them. Simply: in my experience they are very leak-prone. So, despite seeming like the simpler, one-stop-shop option, they kind of aren't. Also, they're typically not particularly well balanced or weighted, which makes shaking more awkward than it needs to be.
   
   So, my preference is to buy two piece tins: Koriko tins - awesome, appropriately weighted, seal nicely. It seems silly, but watch this video too, and look at how to break the seal. Trust me.
   
   ...and then a separate Hawthorne strainer. People have their preferences. I have an Oxo Hawthorne. It works.
   
   Glass rimmer: The one you linked would work fine, but it's not necessary if you have a small plate and a lime. This is the secret of glass-rimming as far as I'm concerned: to prep the rim for salt, do not use water. Use your garnish, preferably a citrus fruit. Cut yourself a lime wedge, then cut a single-cut notch in the flesh of the lime. Get your glass, put the lip of the glass in the notch, and run the lime around the rim. Put some coarse kosher salt on a plate, and flip your limey-rimmed glass into it until you've got the coverage you want. I would also specify to not use table salt. The grains are too fine, so with every sip you'll get much more salt/perceived salt taste - it will be overwhelming, basically.
   
   Juicer - the one you linked is probably fine. To a certain extent, an elbow (/handheld cocktail juicer) is an elbow. To wit: I use a Tanqueray-branded one I got for free somewhere along the line. It's totally adequate, and the one you linked will be too.
   
   ...
   
   Holy shit, that got long. Anyway, ask away if you've got any more questions - happy to offer an opinion.

I don't really have any specific rules, per say, other than drink what you like. If you read enough around here, you'll notice that vodka doesn't exactly get put up on a pedestal by many. I personally find I use gin in almost any situation that calls for vodka so I don't really sweat which brand I have in the house (currently Tito's).

As for tequila, it's not so much about avoiding gold tequila (my house tequila is the lunazul reposado which is a gold tequila), it's making sure that you're using a quality 100% de agave tequila. Most brands that produce tequila this way will let you know somewhere on the label, but brands like espolon, lunazul, milagro are all safe bets. Otherwise, they're making the tequila from some percentage neutral grain spirit (typically distilled beet sugar) and adding tequila flavoring.

Read around here and on specific spirit subreddits to get further recommendations. I also recommend picking up a beginners cocktail book to give you an idea of which elements of your bar to stock first and prioritize what to buy later. 12 Bottle Bar focuses on what bottles to buy to make an array of classics. Bar Book is more focused on helping shape your technique and palate.

I'm a bit behind schedule from my "back in 30." You may notice in my assembled ingredients pic the plastic graduated shot recycled from some long-ago bottle cough syrup. I fell back to that because in assembling that picture I fumbled my nice glass graduated shot and shattered it on the floor, necessitating a thorough sweeping. Now I finally have the impetus to order one of these. Also that glass shot, got from some thrift store, inexplicably had teaspoons graduated at 4 per tablespoon...

As you may recall from the book the parentheticals are direct quotes and he wasn't lying about the orange juice (the bracketed "repeat as needed" is my own and we'll just see how this evening goes). I'll use concentrate in a pinch but fresh squeezed is really where it's at. Tonight I only had some clementines and they added a certain bitterness but I like that. I think the Luxardo syrup is fine, just a different fruity complexity than the pomegranate. Here's the final result. I'm glad I didn't fumble that glass, an exceedingly fragile gift from a neighbor.

The drink remains fantastic to me, if in this case a bit flat at the beginning of the sip, probably just because it's less sweet than usual. That flatness, not unlike a dark chocolate milk, gives way quickly to a shifting complexity as multicolored desert sands making and remaking a dunescape, really everything for which I started mixing cocktails in the first place. This feels like a drink with which I could both start and end a perfect day.

Mixing it I looked up to notice the cover art of Typhoon's Hunger & Thirst on my radio and momentarily thought it appropriate but now I'm not sure that's an orange, or what it is at all in fact. In any case I shook vigorously at the disjointed end of Belly of the Cavern and it felt apropos:

all my life i've spent wasting time, wasting my time
just to forget again but i don't mind
i'll take my medicine and i will be fine

David Wondrich's Imbibe! is one of my favorites. Not only does it go into a lot of detail about the cocktails but there is also a really nice chunk of history, legend, and anecdotes. Definitely an entertaining read and some great recipes.

Everything said so far is a solid backbone.

One thing I might suggest is to stick with the classics for a while, sip as many as you can. Negroni, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Improved Whiskey, Last Word, Aviation. Once you master the form you can play within the form. Like Jazz.

Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned David Wondrich. Go buy Imbibe! and steep yourself in the rich tradition and classics.

EDIT: Whoops! Someone did mention Wondrich's column in Esquire. Might I recommend an Esquire subscription? Beyond Wondrich writing on cocktails and drinking each week, it is the quintessential gentlemen's mag. The greatest writers of every generation have been found in its pages.

Just a cool box and some of these the actual brand doesn't matter they're all the same. Water is tap water (we have good tap water in my area though, I'm UK) and it's best warm. Then I basically flip the moulds upside down so the air hole is at the bottom (forcing impurities out as it freezes) Also finally the cool box has to be deep so as to not have the moulds near the bottom of it and leave the lid off so it freezes from the top down. Sorry for wall of text, it took a while to get the process down so thought I'd save you the hassle. Oh shit yeah freezer on lowest setting, freeze time of approx 30 hours. Don't be tempted to peek lol. When you're done you'll have cloudy ice at the bottom and the balls should be crystal clear. Should. Lol

I took this one from "Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas" by Brad Thomas Parsons.

• 2oz Bourbon (I used Basil Hayden's)
  
• 2 tablespoons of Scuppernong or Muscadine Jelly
  
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  
• 1/4 oz Simple Syrup
  
• 2 dashes of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters
  
• 1 egg white
  
  Dry shake to emulsify egg white, add ice, and shake to chill. Double strain into a cocktail coupe.
  
  I'm not a very big fan of whisky, but trying to expand my repertoire, this drink is sour, sweet, and all around a very balanced cocktail. Absolutely delicious. If you haven't picked up some Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters, go buy some, they are amazing.

Does he have a good shaker though? If he doesn't have a Koriko Shaker set he's missing out. You can even get like a gold/copper/black one so it stands out. They're almost roo good at creating a seal. https://www.cocktailkingdom.com/barware-sets/essential-cocktail-set-copper

A lot of cocktail enthusiasts never spring for a Chef'n juicer either but they're incredible. You generally don't need the orange-sized one and you can put limes in the lemon-sized one so that one is great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002XOB0P0/ref=twister_B00H9HWZCI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Green or Yellow Chartreuse both cost like $50-$60 for a bottle but are absolutely required for a lot of great cocktails. There's no substitutes.

Ooh, very nice. Shiny and curvy. And very fancy. At the moment I am partial to this one by OXO https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0036X4YOG/ it has very clear markings and a nice grip.

Edit: Not to say the OXO is in the league of OP's jigger, that Leopold is one sexy jigger right there, and I may have to acquire one. Or give one as a gift to my favorite bartender. Wonder if Cocktail Kingdom offers engraving...

I think for me (i'm not a bartender - just a lowly at-home hobbiest), the most transformation book i've read was the Seven Bottle Bar. It seems like your books are leagues above that.

I started by wanting to make specific drinks that i'd had in the past, but Seven Bottle gives you a primer and base that lets your understand drinking construction before you move on to bigger and better things. Also, being able to whip up real and delicious drinks from minimal ingredients, or substitute ingredients has been a skill i rather enjoy having.

edit: it's twelve bottle bar.

Dear Refined Chef,
The drinks on your site are disgusting. Please read some David Embury or Gary Regan and then get back to us. We want to like you, and we applaud you for your efforts, but you are trying to get us to drink equal parts of grenadine, peppermint schnapps, and vodka. Your instructions for making a Pimm's Cup neglects to mention the cucumber and lemon wheels, (though they are pictured) and the addition of soda. Your fourth of July drink was just a disaster.

Your other drinks range from the cloying [blackberry martini] (http://www.refinedchef.com/recipes/drinks-and-cocktails/a-blackberry-martini.php) to the surreal wild blueberry daquiri, in which you suggest rimming a glass with egg white and fine table salt before filling it with blended soda water, blueberries, and coconut cream, rum optional.

I will admit, it's not all bad, as I was able to find the classic Mary Pickford, though I found your instructions to be lacking. You list "house-made grenadine" among the ingredients, but you don't bother to specify how one would go about making grenadine. You could at least link to Morgenthaler or something. It is obvious that you copied the ingredient list from a bar menu without even bothering to consider its nuances.

In short, please strive to become more refined before you go cheffin' around here.

Love,
Joe

Imbibe is a good history lesson.

The American Cocktail from Imbibe! magazine is great and just came out. A lot of stuff from the current movement.

A gift subscription to Imbibe itself would also be very welcomed.

DeGroff's The Essential Cocktail is a beautiful book.

Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is one of the early books of the cocktail revival. Still essential.

Can't believe no one has said The Bar Book by Jeff Morganthaler, aka /u/le_cigar_volante

From the official Amazon description: Written by renowned bartender and cocktail blogger Jeffrey Morgenthaler, The Bar Book is the only technique-driven cocktail handbook out there. This indispensable guide breaks down bartending into essential techniques, and then applies them to building the best drinks. More than 60 recipes illustrate the concepts explored in the text, ranging from juicing, garnishing, carbonating, stirring, and shaking to choosing the correct ice for proper chilling and dilution of a drink. With how-to photography to provide inspiration and guidance, this book breaks new ground for the home cocktail enthusiast.

Here's some high praise from a mutual friend:
"...my favorite drinks book of the year is The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique. Mr. Morgenthaler, a well-regarded Portland, Ore.-based bartender and blogger, notes that a great cocktail requires a combination of three elements: recipe, ingredient and technique. He admits that the first two have been well-plumbed in existing books, then lasers in on the third. Just learning how to make his ingenious but simple "MacGyver Centrifuge" with cheesecloth and a salad spinner to filter fruit juices is nearly worth the cover price." - Wayne Curtis, The Wall Street Journal

I've been there on a few occasions and liked it so much, I ordered their book. Great stuff. I highly recommend both the the bar and the book. Thanks for sharing.

It's easy!

• Get one of these Coleman six-pack coolers
  
• Get one or two of these Tovolo ice cube trays
  
• Set your freezer so it gets nice and cold. -18C/0F should do it.
  
• Cut some holes in the bottom of the ice cube trays. This is easier said than done since those things are really flexible ...I used a box cutter and cut square holes.
  
• Remove the lid of the Coleman cooler (it's detachable)
  
• Fill the Coleman cooler about, oh, 2/3rds to 3/4ths the way up. Just use regular cold tap water.
  
• You don't want your cube tray sitting on the bottom of the cooler. Figure out a way to keep it off the bottom. I like to use a (cleaned, duh) cottage cheese plastic container that's about 1.5 inches tall and about 3 inches across. Anything, though, to keep your cube tray well off the bottom of the cooler.
  
• Ok, float (well, sink) your ice cube tray until it's very lightly sitting on top of the spacer you used
  
• Pop the cooler into the freezer. It'll take about 1.5 days to get frozen solid
  
• After about 1.5 days take the cooler out of the freezer and pop the block of ice out
  
• Use a bread knife to slice and dice. You'll find that you can't cut the ice very deep but if you score it and then tap the blade with a hammer or something nice and heavy then the ice will tend to split as you've scored it.
  
• Once you've extracted your ice cube tray, pop those clear cubes out. You're a [adjective the cool kids use to describe cool people] now.
  
• Hey, don't throw out all the ice that was around your cube tray! All that slag can be used for shaking or for your own drinks when you don't want to use the "good" ice.
  
  That's it. I've made hundreds of ice cubes this way and it's quite reliable.

• Bitters, in this order: Angostura, Peychaud's, Orange (I like Regan's).
  
• A great cocktail book. I like these two a lot. There are many others. Pick one that piques your interest.
  
• A bottle each of sweet and dry vermouth, kept refrigerated and sealed with a vacuum cork. I like Dolin, if you can find it. You can get into other aperitif wines later -- Cocchi, Dubonnet, Punt e Mes, etc. -- but start here.
  
  With these elements in place, plus some groceries like fresh fruit (limes, lemons, orange, etc), sugar (remember simple syrup is 1 part water 1 part sugar), and soda water, you'll be able to make old fashioneds, rickeys, collinses, manhattans, and dozens of other cocktails.

Looks good to me, although I don't see the need for two different sized shakers.

If you want to add something, perhaps a good channel knife and pairing knife could do you some good. Also a juicer! Those are really handy when making cocktails from fresh juice. "Chef'n" is a great brand, and by far my favorite juicer. http://www.amazon.com/Chefn-FreshForce-Citrus-Juicer-Lemon/dp/B002XOB0P0

A little pricey but certainly worth it's weight in gold.

First step, get some books!

The Craft of the Cocktail

This is a great beginning book. It's got the right advice, and all of the recipes are spot on. This book will keep you busy for a very long time, as well as teach you the proper way to make each drink.

If you start to get really serious about drink-making, check out:

Imbibe! by David Wondrich. It is remarkable in its authenticity and attention to detail. As interesting as it is, it is more of a history book than a recipe book, so it may be hard to swallow for those less passionate about where the classics really came from.

Aside from that, things to keep in mind:

• There is NO substitute for fresh citrus juice.
  
• The classics are classics for a reason. Try a recipe out before you decide to tweak it (sweeter, more booze, ect.)
  
• Get a jigger! Measure stuff out! You'll be glad you did.
  
• Have simple syrup on hand. Sugar dissolved in water, equal parts.
  
  And, if nothing else, try this.
  
  
• 2 oz Sazerac Rye Whiskey
  
• 3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
  
• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  
• 1 Fresh Egg White (just trust me)
  
  Put it all into a shaking tin, and shake without ice. Add ice, shake, and strain into whatever. A mason jar is preferred. A lot of people get turned off by the egg white thing, but it will change your life.

The 3 piece shaker is more work to clean and has a smaller capacity than a 2 piece shaker. That hawthorne strainer looks useless. the spring on it is not nearly taught enough to filter out small pieces of ice or pulp. I don't use speed pourers at home and don't know why someone would want to.

Cocktail kingdom carries top of the line stuff. To start I'd get a 2 piece shaker from them, their hawthorne strainer, and then any julep and tea strainer will do. The oxo jigger is very nice for home users. I've also heard good things about "top shelf bar supply", and I believe their stuff is more affordable.

cocktail kingdom sells the best muddler, but you don't need that at the beginning.

You'll want a hand-held citrus juicer eventually. Something like this is the way to go, with as much metal as possible.

for garnishes you'll want a y-peeler, and for a y-peeler you want kuhn-rikon. 3 of those are still like 1/3 cheaper than brands that work way worse.

barspoons are nice but you can get by with a chopstick or just a regular old spoon.

Meh. I guess the third one. Best reviews and it has a metal-on-metal shaker, which is my personal preference. If your interest persists you will probably end up upgrading almost everything in the kit.

You could probably get by for a long time with just a shaker, jigger, barspoon, hawthorne strainer, and a fine mesh strainer.

$47 total and all those products have a much better chance of persisting in a cocktail enthusiast's equipment for the long haul. You could later add quality versions of the other stuff (muddler, more jiggers, etc).

I have owned (and still use!) everything in that above list. Though I am considering upgrading the hawthorne strainer to one with a tighter coil in the spring (I have heard good things about Cocktail Kingdom's).

Awesome! Let me know how you like it, or if you got any questions. While you're buying stuff, if you like his blog, pick up Morgenthaler's new book its amazing.

Get 3-4 tools;

A Japanese-style jigger or a 50ml graduated cylinder

Ice. (And learn how it is made properly)

A cocktail shaker.

A strainer comes in handy too.



The cheapest way to practice; mix whatever booze you have on hand that is around 80 proof with some form of sugar, (honey, 1:1 sugar-to-water, 2:1 sugar-to-water, agave, Demerara sugar, etc...) and some form of citrus (fresh lime/ lemon juice). Just play around with the ratios of each (booze, citrus, sugar) till you learn how each affects one another.

For beginning bartending, I recommend familiarizing yourself with how alcohol is synthesized, the different distillation processes, and the types of booze from around the world.

From there, look on YouTube.

u/CocktailChem has a nice playlist for beginners called Basic Cocktails

Here is a couple of other playlists for you

The Educated Barfly YT

Steve the Bartender 365 days playlist

How To Drink

United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) seminars


Additionally, look for some books;

Cocktail codex(here)

Savoy Cocktail book (here)

Liquid Intelligence (here)

Smuggler’s cove (here)

Tiki (here)

The Aviary Cocktail Book (here)

The Kentucky Derby is coming up this weekend, so I thought I'd put together a batch version of the Mint Julep that makes it easy to serve large groups at once.

This recipe uses blender muddling to get a better mint flavor than standard muddling. And it also makes it easy to make many drinks at once. You won't be adding ice to the blender so you can fit many multiples of the recipe below into the blender at once. Just don't make them too far in advance — the mint begins to change flavor after about 15 minutes.

• 4 oz bourbon
  
• 2.5g mint leaves (about 12)
  
• 0.5 oz 1:1 simple syrup
  
• Garnish: mint sprig per cup
  
  Serves 2.
  
  Blender-muddle mint and bourbon: put mint and bourbon into blender. Liquid must completely cover blades to blend effectively so prepare at least two servings (as written above) or more at once. Blend on slow for a few seconds then fast for a few seconds. This method will extract more of the target mint flavor and less secondary bitter flavors from the same amount of mint than muddling and prevents the mint from browning.
  
  Fine-strain and add simple syrup. Divide the liquid between two julep cups. Add some crushed ice, stir, then continue adding crushed ice until it's heaping. Clap mint sprig and add it and a straw to cup.
  
  This blender-muddling technique was developed by Dave Arnold and is described in greater detail in his excellent book Liquid Intelligence. Here's a video of him demonstrating both nitro-muddling and blender muddling.

For gin, there was a post recently about gin here. I personally, I think that Beefeater is a good starting out gin.

For books, I recommend The Bar Book and [Death & Co] (https://www.amazon.com/Death-Co-Modern-Classic-Cocktails/dp/1607745259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498140137&sr=8-1&keywords=death+and+co) they both are great books.

A good way to learn more is to find a cocktail bar near you, go during slow time, which is usually an hour or two after they open and talk with the bartenders.

We have the one from Cocktail Kingdom. Functionally it's very good, but because it's aluminum, I think there are better options out there. This Norpro is the best I've used. It can handle larger lemons than the CK one, and is only a few dollars more expensive.

I am the buddy! I finally found /u/buzcauldron's posts in the wild :)

I used Brad Parsons's Orange Bitters recipe from his book Bitters: https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595

If you search around, you can find a few bootleg blog posts floating around, but I highly recommend you get the book. Great resource.

People who asked in this thread:
/u/austinmiles
/u/sequoia_summers

oh man, i need to take a picture of my old fashioned's... I've got the BIG ice cubes and that would work awesome for this. I also fill my glass up with bourbon, it's a REALLY strong pour, I'm hoping this picture is towards the end of his drink

edit:

here are my drinks 1 and 2

these are the ice cube molds http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00395FHRO/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is! Mine are the tovolo king trays, but it probably looks a bit bigger than it is because the glass is pretty small. When I went to look it up I noticed these bigger cubes for the first time. I have the sphere version of that and it works well, so I imagine these mega-cubes are nice too.

I use the OXO Steel Double Jigger. It has easy to read markings for smaller measurements and is thick enough in the center that I can hold a tin in my left hand, the jigger between my left index and middle fingers, a bottle in my right, and tilt the jigger to pour the ingredients without having to set the tin down. This comes in super handy when someone orders a drink not on the menu and I have to leave my well to go to the back bar, where none of my spirits have speed pours.

I kindof agree with your points on peach/lavender/chocolate bitters, but I don't know if I feel that they can never have their place in a drink. They probably should be called tinctures in stead (see bottom for distinction), as they are basically single flavored.

However, I do feel you're leading up to making a point of how "the proper bitters" are used as rescue operations for a cocktail, by removing unwanted finish/adding nose - and then you shy away from that point entirely, saying it's okay to do so. I think if you're working on a new cocktail you should wait for as long as possible in your workshop process before adding the bitters, as otherwise you may be using this to amend an off acidity profile/remove unwanted taste. When you get a base recipe down though, using bitters to add some complexity or enhance certain aspects of the flavors that certainly does have it's place. In this context, I feel the "single flavor bitters"/tinctures have their place. In a stirred cocktail f.ex., adding some chocolate bitters to the drink may add an element to it while not sweetening it any more, which could be something you'd want if your drink isn't already using a sweetening agent/syrup that you could remake and incorporate the chocolate into.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN BITTERS AND TINCTURES:
Tinctures: a single ingredient boiled down to extract flavour, and then put on alcohol to preserve it.
Bitters: a collection of tinctures carefully blended to create a complex flavor profile. I'd say you need probably three tinctures together to get a "proper" bitter, mixing two doesn't quite feel like it has too much purpose/complexity to it.

If you really want to get nerdy about the subject, I can recommend this book. I have a copy and have read through it, but I'm still too put off by the complexity/time aspect of the whole process to get started on something like that. Also, getting a bigger apartment and a better grasp on taste compositions is something I'd prefer to have before really going into this stuff...

So I'm guessing by the hot tub, and the isolated cabin in the woods, that you want some intermingling and socializing to happen. I would say pick up an assortment of booze, but make a punch!!

This is exactly what a punch is for ! Taking a group of people and focusing them around a focal point in the room (the punch bowl) to open up conversation.

http://www.amazon.com/Punch-Delights-Dangers-Flowing-Bowl/dp/0399536167

Since its in April, I would definitely recommend getting this book, texting everybody to see what kind of booze they like, and whipping up one of the recipes in this book.

Cheers!

I'm a bit late to the party, but I love Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. Maybe as a Christmas gift? : )

If you want to get deep into the world of Punch, I highly recommend David Wondrich's Punch! book. It gives the history of the "flowing bowl" along with a ton of historical punch recipes.

Here are Wondrich's Proportions for a proper Punch:

• 1 part Sour
  
  
• 1 part Sweet
  
  
• 4 parts Strong
  
  
• 6 parts Weak
  
  Have fun!

My girlfriend just got me Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas for Christmas, and it's got tons of fascinating information on bitters.

One interesting idea I ran across was to rub a dash of bitters between your palms to release the aromatics and allow you to smell all the complexity that you would otherwise miss if you just tried to taste the bitters straight. I tried it last night and was amazed at the differences between all the bitters in my pantry.

I don't know what a "tip-jigger" is, but I use this guy and it's fantastic. Has measurements in tablespoons and ounces and it looks pretty slick too.

BOOBS

i've been using the tovolo trays for both big and small cubes. they're fine. the spheres look nicer for sure.

i generally don't care for the old fashioned, or that class of drink...i usually need a little dash of citrus to balance it out. but i do love the corn n oil and the japanese cocktail...

I have these and I love them, they work like a charm.

I have this book, and while there are great recipes in it, I find that I hardly ever use it.

The pages are laid out in a weird, confusing manner; the book is really big and won't stay open while I'm working, and honestly I didn't think it was very well-edited; there are a lot of "space-filler" drinks in there.

To me, the ultimate bible is Gary (Gaz now) Regan's The Joy of Mixology.

I agree with grerab, you definitely want to start small and build it up. Nothing feels worse than buying an expensive liqueur that is a "required" bottle for a bar only to find out that you don't enjoy any drinks that use it. That said, it's pretty safe to have a nice high quality bottle each of whiskey (bourbon or rye), gin, and rum.

I'm a "buy once, cry once" kind of person when it comes to tools. You can find some lovely vintage cocktail coupes at antique stores for a reasonable price that will add a lot of character to your bar. I also like the quality of the basic tools available from Cocktail Kingdom, if a touch overpriced.

Again, to echo grerab, I would also suggest a long-handled bar spoon, Boston shaker set, hawthorn strainer, and one of these jiggers. If you find you like a lot of drinks with citrus and want to forego the citrus juicer, I would suggest at least picking up a cheap tea strainer to catch all of the bits from your fingers.

I'm not affiliated with this author in any ways, but I always suggest Dave Stolte's website and book to anyone getting started.

Those are from a Tovolo King Cube ice tray. It's pretty awesome for drinks on the rocks. <$9 on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/kitchen-dining/dp/B00395FHRO

Everyone has their own idea of what process best makes a batch of bitters most successful. My recipes are going to be different from other peoples'. I've been messing with combinations of fresh key lime peel, dried lime peel, dried ginger, gentian root, cardamon, cassia chips, and a very small amount of hibiscus. Figure out what makes a DnS to you stand out, and capitalize on how you can accentuate that in a (non)traditional way.

And when all else fails, read Bitters for solid info.

Might be a bit obvious for this sub but Dave Wondrich's book Imbibe! is a fascinating look into the history of American bars, cocktails, and the Professor Jerry Thomas. Highly recommended reading!

Great list. I would only add that if you have 10 people that can be a lot of downtime if you are waiting on cocktails.

In the joy of mixology Gary Regan has a few suggestions for bottled cocktails that you can make beforehand and have available so people aren't waiting for their cocktails to be made. I had the bottled Manhattan and it was quite nice. I would also consider making some sort of punch, having beer and or other drinks so that people who don't like bitters or prohibition style cocktails (they exist!) aren't forced to partake. It also means that they don't have to wait to get themselves a drink.

I also find myself referencing The PDT Cocktail Book and Bitters often when trying to come up with custom, original cocktails or modified versions.

I've also found trial and error to be a great friend in crafting a new cocktail. Sometimes a specific flavor from a bitters, specific spirit or fruit juice combination can knock a recipe up (or down)

Yes, as well as Bitters: A Spirited History by Brad Thomas Parsons and especially Field Guide to Bitters and Amari by Mark Bitterman. All three excellent reads with a little different focus. If you're wanting to DIY, Field Guide is the way to go. As far as gardening tips go, I can't say I'm as well-versed in that category.

Field Guide to Bitters and Amari

Bitters: A Spirited History

Liquid Intelligence also has some neat infusion and bitters-making sections, but it's mostly centered around rapid infusions w the iSi Whipper.

If you really want to try something different, and don't mind buying a few obscure ingredients, this book on old cocktails would be a great one to try to do cover to cover. I really like it, even though I pick and choose which recipes I can do or will buy the ingredients for.

Make your own! Seriously, get this book and start experimenting. There's a great orange bitters recipe in there along with a bunch of other great stuff.

I should mention the process is a month or two, so you may still need to find a temporary replacement meanwhile...

Yeah I have one of those. I never use it anymore now that I have two of these.

The ones in the picture are awful and you're torturing yourself. They definitely look cool, but they're just too small. If you want a full measure, you have to be super careful with it or you'll spill.

They’re pretty easy to make with something like this.

The tough part is getting clear ice.

Edit: formatting

I got this hand-crank ice crusher a few years ago after seeing it posted on Reddit. It takes some effort, but it works great. It wouldn't be good for more than 2-4 drinks at once, but for my wife and me it works fine.

Jeffrey Morganthaler's fantastic new book on cocktail techniques has a great little section on this (page 158). When dry shaking, he says to align your tin/glass (tin/tin) centrally, rather than at a slight angle as you usually would when sealing a boston shaker. He says this gives a better seal, as the tins wont contract as they would with ice.

Here's what I started with: https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595

There are 15-20 different recipes in here and it's a great reference with good instructions for the whole process.

Really great book that I wholeheartedly recommend. Only $26 on Amazon.

Out of curiosity, is there any advantage to a Lewis bag over a simple hand cranked ice crusher like this?

Get this juicer, which is probably the most effective for small-batch juicing available. It's quick, easy to clean, and has very little loss.

As others have said, citrus juice does deteriorate quickly, usually within 30 minutes to an hour. However, whole citrus (lemons and limes and sometimes oranges; I don't usually deal with whole grapefruit) does keep for a long time in the fridge. Get a bag, toss it in the fridge, toss out any that mold or rot ASAP, and use as needed. For context, I just finished off a 5# bag of limes I got two months ago at Costco and had to throw out maybe one.

I'll give you some alternatives that are beginner friendly, and in some cases cheaper:

• Regular pub pint glass for stirring ($1-2)
  
• Oxo angled mini measuring cup ($5)
  
• Oxo Hawthorne strainer ($8)
  
• Iced tea spoon ($1-2)
  
  I'd definitely add a citrus juicer. My favorite is the Norpro stainless, http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK ($23). And you'll need a sharp paring knife and a small cutting board.

These sphere ones keep showing up on Amazon's Lightning Deals for $7 or so. I bought a pair and think they're pretty neat, of course my ice is never as clear as I want it...but that's not the mold's fault.

There are many good hand presses. You may have to spend in the low tens of dollars. I like and use the Norpro stainless steel.

I'll add a mexican elbow to the must haves. Also, the guy apparently likes Old Fashioneds, a stirred cocktail, so I'll add a mixing glass as well. That also puts a bar spoon in the must haves. :)

Edit: You'll need a julep strainer for the mixing glass.

I like the Tovolo 2" cube trays for my Old Fashioneds. Less surface area and higher volume chills as well with far less dilution. It's also easier to stir with these.

To expand on this a bit, here's an excerpt from Jeffrey Morgenthaler's excellent new book with a few more examples of matching the sweetener and bitters to the spirit to make an old fashioned.

Hey! Finished on my birthday. When should I expect my shipment? :P

What's your favorite of the lot so far? Also, the description of your process lines up with every recipe I've read so far for bitters -- except the infusion typically is 3 weeks with the water infusion sitting for 1 week after the boil. Several of the recipes in the book I have (https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595) do seem to add syrups, molasses, or even honey to the mix, so take that as you will. Looks like someone already suggested adding a little bit of simple to the bitters as well.

If you're looking to build out your home bar a bit, pick up a bottle of absinthe. If you can get your hands on Benedictine too, and your dry vermouth is fresh, make Chrysanthemums.

Negronis are a classic choice - you really can't screw them up. With what you have, squeeze a bit of fresh lime and make Pegu Clubs

All that said, punches are great - you can make them in advance and enjoy socializing with your friends instead of furiously manufacturing cocktails. Here's a recipe to get started, but if you pick up David Wondrich's book on punch, there's plenty more ideas there.

For friends, I use a mixing glass and strain.

For myself, I go for convenience and build in my measuring cup.

• I put a large ice cube in a 5.1 oz whiskey glass and put that in the freezer.
  
• Then I add 2 oz of spirit to a 2 oz Oxo measuring cup. (e.g. Buffalo Trace bourbon)
  
• I add the sweetener and bitters to the cup. (e.g. 2 bar spoons simple syrup, 3 dashes Angostura bitters)
  
• I add a small ice cube to the cup and carefully slosh it back and forth with the bar spoon until the ice melts.
  
• I retrieve the glass and fresh large ice cube from the freezer and pour in the cocktail from the mixing cup.

Unless you are looking to look fancy don't waste your money. Just go to amazon/walmart and find a shaker tin, all-in-one "jigger", and a pint glass from your local cabinet. That is really all you need to get started.

If you want to add on some stuff just to make life easier you can get a bar spoon, muddler, strainer, fine strainer (get rid of those ugly ice bits), and a citrus juicer.

Save your money for alcohol to make more drinks!

I’d recommend liquid Intelligence

1. The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler is probably a great place to start off.
   
   
2. Learn classics then just experiment with substitutions and different infusions, or invert ratios (especially with something like a Manhattan/Martinez)
   One of my current favourite cocktails is arguably a "Reverse Manhattan with absinthe instead of bitters".
   
   
3. My Favourite Absinthe

It's also an important part of making bitters with dry spices. That's where I've gotten my knowledge of it from. There's a great book called Bitters that goes into detail about handling spices when doing infusions.

I think most bartenders consider this to be the bitters Bible, $6.99 on kindle. Happy bittering =D

https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595

I like these larger ones better

Go pick up the book 12 Bottle Bar by the Solmonson's, work your way through that, then pick up The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and work your way through that. Then if you want to get all crazy on recipes get the PDT app on your iPhone or pick up the PDT or Death and Co books if you don't have an iPhone. Then if you want to get crazy with techniques... Pick up Liquid Intelligence

Brand suggestions?

Bourbon - Old Granddad or Buffalo Trace
Scotch - Famous Grouse Blended and Laphroaig 10
Irish Whiskey - Bushmills
Brandy - Paul Masson VSOP
Cognac - Jacques Cardin VSOP Cognac
Vodka - Tito's
Gin - Aviation/New Amsterdam and Tanqueray
Tequila - All the Espolon stuff for Blanco, Reposado, Anejo
Mezcal - Del Maguey Vida
Rum - Flor De Cana 4 year+Plantation 5 year+Myers (people may scoff at Myers, but it's a signature style in a way, good for the price too)
Vermouth - Dolin Dry Vermouth and Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Keep them in the fridge after opening!)
Bitters - Angostura, Regan's Orange bitters
Others - Campari, St. Germain, Benedictine, Pernod Pastis, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Non-alcoholic - Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, Fever Tree Tonic Water, Fever Tree Seltzer, Eggs, Cream, Orange Blossom Water

Watch small screen network's videos, read jeffrey morgenthaler's blog, and keep an open mind.

Don't know if I missed anything.

I love this guy

https://www.amazon.ca/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=the+bar+book&qid=1571369884&sprefix=the+bar+&sr=8-1

The Bar Book is a great book.

Jeffrey Morgenthaler's book is a great starting point.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bar-Book-Jeffrey-Morgenthaler/dp/145211384X

I own this: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK/ref=sr_1_20?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1457980020&sr=1-20&keywords=citrus+press

In avid home bartender use for 3 years. Good press. Would buy again.

Tovolo trays. They're awesome.

I usually like my old fashions served up, but those who like them on the rocks I got these: http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-Sphere-Ice-Molds-Set/dp/B007ACTN54/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_y

I recommend Bitters and The Drunken Botanist as well!

I've made some bitters from Brad Parson's Bitters Book, definitely a good starting point.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NNO2X0/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484408642&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=boston+shaker&dpPl=1&dpID=31d8BgihRpL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000DAQ93/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484408783&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hawthorne+strainer&dpPl=1&dpID=51H0dKd5jBL&ref=plSrch

Used this for 3 years, works great, never leaks. Cobbler shakers are kind of clunky and leak on me. With the Hawthorne strainer you will be ready to make 95% of all drinks.

I really don't think a julep strainer is necessary, especially if you are using a metal tin for a mixing glass.

I also think with that jigger you are going to run into trouble not having 1/4 oz line on it. It's got less flair but I know many people on here (myself included) use this

Edit: you are also definitely going to want to get a citrus press, I have this guy if you're already ordering from cocktail knigdom

Would something like this thing work? I'd hope that I could find something closer to the Alaskan ice Crusher for less than 230 on etsy,
but that one also looks to take up half of someone's yard!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AVRZEFS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480549249&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=hand+crank+ice+crusher&dpPl=1&dpID=31LNZSqasXL&ref=plSrch

I use Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds to make the ice, works quite well.

Amazon link here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ACTN54/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uArHzbHS410VW

I highly recommend getting a cocktail book like this:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Bartenders/dp/0609608843/

It covers the bulk of the basics that you'll be able to make with what you listed plus fresh citrus and sugar.

I don't know much about local argentine tastes, but the simple cocktails I make most often at home are

-Caipirihna

-Sazerac

-Old Fashioned

-Martini / Martinez

-Gimlet

-Americano

-Negroni

-Daiquiri


All of these are quick/easy/accessible and are 3-4 ingredients.

It's all about the dilution. Using that store bought ice that has the hole in the middle is fine for cooling your drinks, but just know that there is a ton of surface area with those so it will dilute faster. You would have to gauge the amount you're used to stirring/shaking as to not over-dilute the drink. Knowing how long to stir/shake just comes with practice.

If you want to get more serious or have more consistent results, get ice trays, preferably the square ones like these and/or these.

Outside your list, but I would recommend a couple books if they don't already occupy your shelves:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bar-Book-Elements-Technique/dp/145211384X

and

http://www.amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232

A good book is (the appropriately titled) Bitters that gives a history of bitters as well as recipes. Amazon link There are also a lot of recipes online.

Here's the OXO strainer. Sucks that it's so expensive there. It's $7 US here, and I do prefer it to a standard Hawthorne, however the standard will certainly get the job done.

I also prefer a French shaker myself. That's certainly a matter of preference. I feel like I'm seeing more shakers other than the standard Boston popping up at high end bars these days, so I'm not alone.

I don't really like the cobbler shakers. When they get cold the cap freezes on, turning them into an unreliable version of a French shaker anyway (still have to worry it might just fly off when you're shaking) so why not just go French?

Relatively cheap on Amazon, though you need to buy it as an Add-On I guess?

Edit: looks like it's not available fulfilled by Amazon at the moment.

I use these silicone ice molds (big) (medium/smallish). If you want to do a little extra work, here are instructions to make clear ice.

I liked this book called "bitters" Bitters book

I use this OXO measuring jigger. I wanted one that had a 2oz capacity, and having both oz and tbsp gradations is also nice.

Do yourself a favor and buy these for your home bar.

I'd check out this book called "The 12 Bottle Bar" http://www.amazon.com/The-12-Bottle-Bar-Cocktails/dp/076117494X/

Sounds like what you might be looking for.

I like these

I use the recipes in this book, and I quarter the amounts. Some of the ingredients are already in small amounts (like 1/4 tsp) so I just eyeball those.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580083595/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_h6.5ybAM2MS49

As for the alcohol, I'm sure you can find some kind of high percentage neutral spirits in Canada. I would try calling some liquor stores or speciality liquor stores and ask for neutral spirits or grain alcohol. But if that fails just stick with the strongest vodka you can find.

If you can't get your hands on Death and Co and need something to pass the time, I would highly recommend Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold

Oh i just got some cheap stuff on amazon, nothing special (coupe glass)


I kinda liked these ones, but until i actually have space (and my own bar in house), I have to wait

Hand Cranked Ice Crusher

I switched from a bag and mallet to one of these and never looked back. Also very inexpensive. You do need a stable and very smooth countertop for it to work properly - it attaches with a large suction cup on the bottom.

Yep. I'm thinking it could be [this]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ACTN54/ref=s9_acsd_top_hd_bw_b2h7yVf_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=7PDQZCGBARSVC41R9X91&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=59a5c302-a991-54ab-ad7b-a31aeb298552&pf_rd_i=2469549011) model.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Bartenders/dp/0609608843

This book breaks down drinks into a few well defined archetypes. Highly suggest it.

Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology has a detailed list of liqueurs by density, in case anybody wants to level up their layering abilities.

The coffee-pecan, cherry hazelnut and grapefruit bitters came out of the bitters book. I'll definitely be posting pictures of the final results. We're planning on having a drink night in May to try all of these.

If I understood correctly, bitters are made by using a high proof clear spirit (like vodka) to extract the essences of herbs/veggies/fruits/etc. The old name for essences with only one flavor was tincture, and the mixture of two or more tinctures or one made with two or more flavors is a bitters. This is the book I read about the history and making of bitters.

As many have mentioned before me on this sub, pick up Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold. If this sort of thing interests you, he has a whole section explaining this exactly, alongside an experiment for doubters. He also delves deep into the chem/physics of anything and everything cocktail related.


https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science-Perfect-Cocktail/dp/0393089037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536783466&sr=8-1&keywords=liquid+intelligence

this little dude performed admirably through a tiki-heavy summer for me.

ill admit its not the prettiest or most solid-feeling thing in the world, but its super cheap, gets the job done, and i find it more practical than smashing shit with a hammer (mostly because im in a crowded apartment)

Don't forget about Boozehound and Imbibe!

This book has the recipe in it. The problem with root beer bitters is that they can not be sold commercially due to the use of sassafras (a mild carcinogen) in them. The book is a pretty good read and has a number of homemade bitter recipes.

big fan of the income tax. first saw it in the Ted Haigh Vintage Cocktails and Forgotten Spirits Book

They're pretty cheap on Amazon. This is the bad boy I've got in my freezer.

thanks for the info. I just bought [this mixing glass] (https://www.target.com/p/libbey-25-25oz-cocktail-mixing-glass/-/A-50910405?&ref=Order_Confirmation_Email) but I'm not sure if the hawthorne will be big enough.

For example, the [OXO hawthorne on Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DAQ93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4nRuzbT8J1N7Z) is only 4.4 inches wide, and the mixing glass is 4.7...

This is the book to get you where you want to be as a cocktailian.
https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Guide-Bartenders/dp/0609608843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509998630&sr=8-1&keywords=joy+of+mixology&dpID=41r1XZo0N2L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

I like using this one or it's plastic counterpart, although the plastic one doesn't have a 3/4 mark which is odd.

Tovolo King Cube Ice Tray - Stratus Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00395FHRO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_vI9Sub1KMXQRJ