Recipes
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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
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.
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
“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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.