Americano

Americano

Rumored to be the Negroni's predecessor, the Americano has become a classic in its own right.

Americano Recipe:

1.5 oz Campari

1.5 oz sweet vermouth

Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top

Optional 3 dashes orange bitters

Garnish: orange slice

Stir ingredients together with ice and garnish.

Wisco Love

Wisco Love

We loved this cute lovebug of a drink!

Made from all Wisconsin based makers, our friends @sirenshrubs made this one a fun change up for Valentines day.

2 Tablespoons @fedupfoodswi Cranberry Sauce

1 oz @Sirenshrubs Basic Shrub

0.5 oz @tappedmaplesyrup Blueberry

2 -3 Dashes Bittercube Orange Bitters

1/4 oz Lime juice

Top with Top Note Club Soda

Shake the first ingredients up for 30 seconds with ice. Strain into a glass and add Top Note Club. Cherry Garnish

 

 

Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball

Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball

When asked about the inspiration behind this highball, Kirk laughed and proclaimed that he’d “made it around Valentine’s Day” and that it reminded him of his ex, so it’s fitting that he named it the Bitter Sweetheart!

Be sure to check out our Q&A with Kirk and follow Royal Rose Syrups on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.

Image credit: Kirk Jones

 

Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball Recipe:

1.5 oz gin

.5 oz Campari

.5 oz Dry Curaçao

.75 oz Royal Rose Organic Raspberry Syrup

1/2 oz lime juice

Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top

Shake all ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with club soda, and stir.

The Mezcal Negroni

The Mezcal Negroni

From uncertain origins to a hundred years of experimentation, the Negroni has contributed more than its fair share to the cocktail world, and the Mezcal Negroni is one of our favorites.

Few cocktails have impacted the drinking world in the same way as the Negroni. Bitter, rich, savory, and elegantly simple, the Negroni has inspired innovation across the globe since its inception. As a result, today, there are nearly countless variations on the classic cocktail, each bringing a new element to the bargoer’s senses. However, one interpretation of the Negroni stands out as one of the most ordered and most enjoyed amongst its many contemporaries; the Mezcal Negroni.

The History of the Negroni

Like so many of our favorite cocktails, the exact birth of the Negroni is not explicitly known. However, most cocktail scholars point to one story, which is the most likely origin of the cocktail. In 1919 at a bar called Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy, the bartender Fosco Scarselli created the drink at the request of Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni. The story tells that Count Negroni wanted the soda water in his Americano substituted with Gin; Scarselli complied while also adding orange garnish instead of lemon, and thus the Negroni was born. It was a perfect 3 part cocktail made from Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Campari. (The Americano cockatil is Vermouth, Campari, and Soda Water.) Later, the Negroni family created a distillery (which is still open to this day!) and distributed a ready-made version of the drink called the Antico Negroni 1919.

Variations of the Negroni

The Negroni’s simplicity has lent it to constant experimentation; this has resulted in a massive number of variations to spring up over the years, with some of the most popular being:

  • The Boulevardier — This is a sweeter and warmer take on the Negroni with rye whiskey instead of Gin.

  • The Cardinale — This variation is dryer and spicier by substituting sweet vermouth for dry and Campari for Contratto.

  • The Ol’ Pal — This cocktail was invented in the prohibition era 1920s and substitutes rye whiskey for gin and dry vermouth instead of sweet vermouth.

  • Using Tonic Water instead of Campari or other bitter liqueur. Yes, the idea of swapping the primary spirit was never questioned in the Negroni, but the new era of tonic water and mixers means you can swap out the bitter component too. We recognize there are many options, but the best bar none for this cocktail is Top Note Tonic's Gentiana. It is made with the same bitters as Campari, and therefore makes a suitable substitute. But more importantly, the tonic water can help create a more mild (in alcohol) drink, and therefore lend itself to drinking as a pre-dinner or afternoon cocktail.

The Mezcal Negroni

One of our favorite takes is the Mezcal Negroni. It is made by, as the name suggests, substituting the Gin for Mezcal; doing so creates an outstanding balance from the smokiness of the Mezcal complementing the bitterness of the Campari and the Sweetness of the Vermouth; it also makes the cocktail more palatable for general bargoers because it is less abrasive than the standard Negroni.

Mezcal Negroni Recipe:

1 oz. Mezcal (we recommend Del Maguey Vida)

1 oz. Campari or 1.5 oz Top Note Gentiana Tonic

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth (We recommend Cocchi Storico)

1 Orange Twist for Garnish

Ice

Instructions:

Add Mezcal, Campari or Top Note, and Vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.

Stir well (this may take some time)

Strain into a glass with a single, large ice cube.

Add orange twist.

The Mezcal Negroni is a refreshing take on a classic cocktail, but some may find the taste to be a bit harsh, if that is the case we recommend adding a dash of our Top Note Tonic Club Soda; this adds a refreshing spritz to your cocktail while still maintaining the pronounced flavors. If you want to browse some of our top quality artisan mixers for your at home bar you can view our entire product catalog here.

Gin Sonic

Gin Sonic

Enter: the Gin Sonic. Nope, not a typo. It’s what you get when you mix Japanese Roku Gin with equal parts tonic water and club soda. We love the simple elegance and balance of this cocktail and we’re betting you will, too.

 

Gin Sonic Recipe:

1.5 oz Suntory Roku Gin

2.25 oz Top Note Club Soda No. 1

2.25 oz Top Note Classic Tonic

Garnish: expressed lemon twist

Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled highball glass and garnish.

Blueberry Basil Mule

Blueberry Basil Mule

A riff on the classic, there is something about the bright fruit of blueberry, ginger and then the herbal notes of basil that makes this work. Try this at your next get-together for a real treat.

Ingredients

3-5 Blueberries

3 Leaves Basil (try a Thai basil for extra spice)

1.5 oz Vodka

4 oz Ginger Beer

Directions

Muddle Blueberries, Basil and Vodka together in a shaker. Add 2 cubes ice. Shake for 20 seconds and strain liquid off into your mule cups. Add crushed ice and Ginger Beer. 

Garish with Basil, Cucumber and Blueberries on a toothpick.

 

 

 

Vermouth Cassis

Vermouth Cassis

Extremely common in Europe, Apéritifs have been a part of the drinking and culinary culture for hundreds of years. So when alcohol enthusiasts in the US fled to France during the 1920s, as prohibition was decimating the American drinking culture, they became exposed to Apéritifs. They then took the drink recipes home (once prohibition was over, of course!), and the Pompier spread like wildfire. Since then, the Pompier became the Vermouth Cassis and has been a part of the American drinking culture.

 Recipe: 

The Vermouth Cassis is a simple cocktail to prepare; you only need a jigger, glass, and pairing knife.

 Ingredients: 

 1.5 OZ of Dry Vermouth (We recommend Dolin Dry Vermouth) 

0.5 OZ of Creme De La Cassis (We recommend Lejay Creme de Cassis)

Top Note Tonic Club Soda To Taste / To Top

1 Lemon Twist

(Optional but highly recommended) Skewered Blueberries or Mint for Garnish

 *Note - We highly recommend using small, single-use, bottles of Vermouth when making cocktails; this is because once opened, Vermouth will begin to go bad and gain an off taste after about one month, two to three if stored in a refrigerator. This can lead to the cocktail being less than pleasant, so freshly opened Vermouth is a must for optimal taste and freshness! 

 Preparation: 

Add ice, Vermouth, and the Creme de la Cassis to a glass, followed by the club soda. Gently stir, and add the lemon twist with blueberries or mint for garnish and enjoy! 

Spooky Season

Spooky Season

This simple sipper is perfect for when you crave the spice of a Whiskey Ginger and the warmth of an Old Fashioned.

Spooky Season Recipe:

2 oz Whiskey

.5 oz Top Note Ginger Beer Reduction*

3 dashes Aromatic Bitters

Garnish: dehydrated orange wheel

Stir all ingredients together with ice to chill, strain into a rocks glass with one big ice cube and garnish.

*Ginger Beer Reduction: Combine 1 bottle of Top Note Ginger Beer and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat and let cool. Keep refrigerated.

Barrel & Bumble

Barrel & Bumble

A classic Prohibition-era cocktail, the Bees Knees is traditionally shaken and served up, but we also love adding a bit of carbonation to liven it up and lengthen it out from time to time. In this variation, we combine a smooth barrel-aged gin with our ultra bubbly Club Soda No. 1 for a sweet, smoky and effervescent refresher.

Barrel & Bumble Recipe:

2 oz Barrel-Aged Gin

.75 oz Lemon Juice

.5 oz Honey Simple Syrup

Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top

Garnish: lemon wheel

Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled Collins glass and garnish.

Kentucky Mule

Kentucky Mule

Bolder than a Moscow Mule and with a bigger kick than a Whiskey Ginger, this simple cocktail holds nothing back in the flavor department.

Kentucky Mule Recipe:

2 oz Bourbon

.5 oz Lime Juice

4 oz Top Note Ginger Beer

Garnish: Lime Wedge, Fresh Mint

Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled Mule mug or highball glass and garnish.

Moscow Mule

Moscow Mule

This classic needs no introduction! We love Mules for their simplicity but the mug really makes the drink feel special.

Moscow Mule Recipe:

2 oz Vodka

.5 oz Lime Juice

4 oz Top Note Ginger Beer

Garnish: Lime Wheel

Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled Mule mug or highball glass and garnish.

Paloma Negra

Paloma Negra

Quench your thirst with this refreshing coffee-spiked Paloma. We recommend substituting part or all of the tequila with mezcal for a smoky spin!

Paloma Negra Recipe:

2 oz Tequila

1 oz Coffee Liqueur

1 oz Grapefruit Juice

3 oz Top Note Sparkling Grapefruit Soda

Garnish: Grapefruit Slice, Salt-Rimmed Glass (optional)

Rim a glass with lime or grapefruit and salt (optional) and fill with ice. Add all ingredients to your prepared glass, stir and garnish.

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