Nick Kokonas’s Something & Tonic

Nick Kokonas’s Something & Tonic

The drink that launched dozens of Something & Tonic’s that would make their way into Nick Kokonas’s first book. Be sure to check out our Q&A with Nick, keep up with him on Instagram, and order a copy of Something & Tonic!

 

Nick Kokonas’s Something & Tonic Recipe:

 

1.5 oz Letherbee Gin

1 oz Ancho Reyes (or 3 dashes mole bitters + 1/2 oz simple syrup)

.5 oz lime juice

.5 oz rosemary simple syrup*

Top Note Classic Tonic Water, to top

Garnish: rosemary sprig

 

Add all ingredients except Tonic Water to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with Tonic Water, lift ice with a bar spoon to incorporate, and garnish.

 

*Rosemary Simple Syrup

 

1 cup (250 grams) white sugar

1 cup (250 grams) water

3-4 (5 grams) fresh rosemary sprigs

 

Combine all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove it from the heat and let the rosemary steep for 15 minutes. Remove the rosemary and allow the syrup to come to room temperature before storing it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Syrup can be stored for 2-3 weeks.

 

Spirit-Free Recipe:

 

2 slices jalapeno or favorite fresh chili

1 oz lime juice

1 oz rosemary simple syrup*

Top Note Classic Tonic Water, to top

Garnish: rosemary sprig, lime wheel

 

Add lime, rosemary syrup, and two slices of chili to a shaker with ice. Shake hard and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with tonic water, lift ice with a bar spoon to incorporate, and garnish.

 

Robby Haynes’s Low-Proof Saffron Mule

Robby Haynes’s Low-Proof Saffron Mule

With only ½-ounce of liqueur, this low-proof highball is “less of a cocktail and more of a flavor experience,” says Apologue Liqueurs co-founder Robby Haynes. If you’re looking to up the alcohol content, Robby recommends the addition of tequila or gin.

Be sure to check out our Q&A with Robby and keep up with Apologue on Instagram.

 

Image credit: Robby Haynes/Apologue Liqueurs

 

Robby Haynes’s Low-Proof Saffron Mule Recipe:

1 lime, cut into 8 chunks

.5 oz Apologue Saffron Liqueur

Top Note Ginger Beer, to top

Garnish: lime wedge, optional

Muddle 3 of the lime chunks in the bottom of a Collins glass. Add Liqueur and fill with ice. Top with Ginger Beer, stir and enjoy.

Julia Momose’s Japanese Whisky Highball

Julia Momose’s Japanese Whisky Highball

“Yes, it’s two ingredients! But as long as you have high-quality ingredients, it can really be an outstanding drink that’s more than the sum of its parts.” - Julia Momose, in conversation with Top Note about the Japanese Whisky Highball

Be sure to check out our Q&A with Julia and follow her on Instagram for more beautiful and inspiring food & drinks.

Image credit: Kailley Lindman

 

Julia Momose’s Japanese Whisky Highball Recipe:

1.5 oz Japanese whisky, from the freezer

Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top

Build over ice and serve bracingly cold.

Bridgit Loeffelholz’s Grapefruit & Aquavit Highball

Bridgit Loeffelholz’s Grapefruit & Aquavit Highball

This highball is earthy, tart and complex: the perfect year-round sipper!

Be sure to check out our Q&A with Bridgit and follow Dampfwerk Distilling on Instagram for the latest distillery news.

Image credit: Bridgit Loeffelholz


Bridgit Loeffelholz’s Grapefruit & Aquavit Highball Recipe:

1.5 oz Dampfwerk Aquavit

.75 oz dry vermouth

.75 oz grapefruit juice

.25 oz grapefruit oleo saccharum or simple syrup

2 drops saline, optional

1 drop lavender bitters, optional

Top Note Sparkling Grapefruit Soda, to top

Garnish: grapefruit slice and fresh thyme

Short shake all ingredients except Soda together with ice and strain into a highball glass. Top with Soda, stir, and garnish.

Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball

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

2 oz Top Note Club Soda No. 1

Garnish: twist of lemon

Stir gin and soda together in an ice-filled old fashioned glass and garnish.

Danny Jahnke's Floracillin Highball

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

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

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

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

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.

Grapefruit Mojito

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

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

2 oz Top Note Club Soda No. 1

Garnish: cocktail cherry

Shake Alchermes and lemon juice with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with Club Soda, stir and garnish.

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