Recipes
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Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball
The highball is, in its purest historic iteration: spirit, mixer, and garnish. When you’re working with quality ingredients that complement each other, simple is truly king.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Ross and follow Great Lakes Distillery on Instagram for the latest distillery news.
Image credit: Ross Salchow
Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball Recipe:
2 oz Rehorst Barrel Reserve Gin
Garnish: twist of lemon
Stir gin and soda together in an ice-filled old fashioned glass and garnish.
Danny Jahnke's Floracillin Highball
Drawing inspiration from the classic Penicillin cocktail, Danny says, “Ginger and honey pair really well with the complex flavor notes of Flora,” making for a cozy and relaxing non-alcoholic cocktail.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Danny and follow Flora Hemp Spirits on Instagram for more non-alcoholic cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Danny Jahnke
Danny Jahnke’s Floracillin Highball Recipe:
2 oz Flora Hemp Spirit
.25 oz honey, warmed
.5 oz lemon juice
Top Note Ginger Beer, to top
Garnish: fresh rosemary, optional
Stir all ingredients together with ice in a highball glass.
Evan Knutson’s Gin & Tonic
Sage and citrus are married together with a host of complimentary botanicals in this creative take on the classic Gin & Tonic.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Evan and follow him on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Evan Knutson
Evan Knutson’s Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz sage-infused Death’s Door Gin
2 dashes Bittercube orange bitters
Top Note Indian Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: expressed orange peel (flamed, if desired)
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish.
Emily Vikre’s Negroni Highball
“All this thinking about Negroni’s led me to want to make a Negroni highball!” - Emily Vikre
Read our Q&A with Emily to learn more about her journey into the world of cocktails, distilling, and - you guessed it - Negroni’s!
Image credit: Emily Vikre
Emily Vikre’s Negroni Highball Recipe:
1 oz Vikre Distillery Gin
3/4 oz Vikre Distillery Amaro (or Campari)
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
Top Note Bitter Lemon Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: orange twist, optional
Combine the spirits in a highball glass with ice, top with Bitter Lemon, and stir gently. Garnish if desired.
Alyssa Hughes’s Pineapple Gin & Tonic
Add some flair to the classic gin & tonic with a splash of tropical citrus! Enjoy this lower-ABV refresher on the rocks or straight-up like Alyssa. She uses a small mason jar, but a coupe or champagne glass would work just as well.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Alyssa and follow her on Instagram for the latest updates on her distilling adventures.
Image credit: Alyssa Hughes
Alyssa Hughes's Pineapple Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
1.5 oz pineapple juice
1 dash Orange Bitters
Top Note Classic Tonic, to top
Garnish: Manderin orange peel
Stir all ingredients together in a glass with ice (or skip the ice as per Alyssa’s preference!) and garnish.
Irish Ale
In this Whiskey Ginger variation, Ginger Beer takes the place of Ginger Ale, providing a bigger, bolder drinking experience and just enough kick to keep us coming back for seconds (and thirds and…)
Irish Ale Recipe:
1.5 oz Irish whiskey
5 oz Top Note Ginger Beer
Garnish: lime wedge
Stir ingredients together in an ice-filled glass and garnish.
Jon East's Chai Highball
Jon made this for us on our Instagram live series, Highballs at High Noon! While its preparation is simple, this cocktail is incredibly complex.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Jon and follow him on Instagram for cocktails and cute dog pics.
Image credit: Jon East
Jon East's Chai Highball Recipe:
1.75 oz Twisted Path Chai Liqueur
1 dash Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
1 dash Bittermens Buckspice Gingersnap Bitters
4 drops Bittermens Xocalatl Mole Bitters
Garnish: citrus peel
Stir all ingredients together in a highball glass filled with ice and garnish.
Grapefruit Mojito
Everybody loves a mojito, but have you tried it with grapefruit? Mint and grapefruit make for an unlikely but harmonious pairing (calling all Taurus + Pisces couples!).
Grapefruit Mojito Recipe:
6-8 fresh mint leaves
2 oz white rum
.5 oz lime juice
1 tsp agave nectar
3 oz Top Note Sparkling Grapefruit Soda
Garnish: grapefruit and mint
Gently muddle mint and agave in a cocktail shaker. Add rum, lime juice and ice. Shake and double strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with sparkling grapefruit soda, stir, and garnish.
Love Bug
Alchermes is one of our favorite liqueurs for its complex mix of deep spices and delicate florals. Served with a splash of citrus and soda, this is the cocktail to make for the mixologist who thinks they’ve tried it all.
Love Bug Recipe:
2 oz Heirloom Alchermes Liqueur
.75 oz lemon juice
Garnish: cocktail cherry
Shake Alchermes and lemon juice with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with Club Soda, stir and garnish.
Rachel Miller's Gin & Tonic
"The classic Champagne Cocktail (bitters, sugar, sparkling wine) is one of my favorite drinks. It's delicious, celebratory, and so easy. Often it's finished with an expression of lemon over the top, and I like mine with just a drop of absinthe on top as well. This highball uses the tonic water to achieve the sparkle and the light bitter-sweet flavor of a Champagne Cocktail, along with tonic's best friend gin, a lemon cordial to amplify the lemon accent, and a touch of absinthe (optional), my preferred finish to the drink." - Rachel Miller
Rachel Miller's Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1 oz gin
.5 oz lemon cordial*
4 oz Top Note Classic Tonic Water
2-3 drops absinthe
Garnish: expressed lemon peel
Stir gin, cordial and tonic together in an ice-filled highball glass, finish with absinthe, and garnish.
*Lemon Cordial: Zest two lemons and set the zest aside. Juice the lemons and heat the juice in a pan with an equal amount, by volume, of white sugar. Bring the lemon juice and sugar to a boil, then immediately remove from heat and pour over the zest. Allow to cool and steep at least ten minutes, then strain well. Yields ~4oz cordial (multiply the recipe as needed for more cordial). Stored in the fridge, it will last for weeks.
Matcha Tonic
All aboard the matcha train!
If you’re new to matcha, this recipe is a great place to start! Think of it like a sparkling Arnold Palmer made with green tea instead of black.
If you’re already an avid matcha fan but haven’t tried it in a carbonated drink yet, prepare to be wowed!
Matcha Tonic Recipe:
1 tsp matcha powder
2 oz hot water
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz Top Note Indian Tonic Water
Garnish: fresh lemon slice
Whisk the matcha, simple syrup and hot water together until frothy. Set aside for a moment while you fill a glass with ice, lemon juice and Indian Tonic. Top with the matcha mixture, stir, and garnish.
Sparkling Butterfly Pea Lemonade
Butterfly pea flowers are beautiful flowers native to Southeast Asia, popular for their brilliant blue pigment and most commonly seen brewed as tea. However, their natural blue color can easily be infused into spirits and syrups and has become an exciting addition to the repertoire of both cocktail and zero-proof mixologists and home bartenders across the world.
Infusing the flowers produces a deep blue hue, but adding citrus juice changes the color to purple. Watching your drink change colors before your eyes is half the fun!
Sparkling Butterfly Pea Lemonade Recipe:
1.5 oz butterfly pea flower syrup
1.5 oz lemon juice
Garnish: fresh or dehydrated citrus
Stir all ingredients together in a glass with ice and garnish. (To achieve the best gradient effect, stir the syrup, soda and ice together first, then top with the lemon juice.)
Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup: In a small pot, combine 1.5 tbsp butterfly pea flowers, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let the flowers steep another 20 minutes before straining into a clean glass container. Keep refrigerated.