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UNIQUE BAR RECIPES & FUN HIGHLIGHTS

A collection of my favorite highlights from bars and some of my own bar specs from shrubs/syrups and individual cocktail recipes.

Experimenting at South on Main in SOMA (Copy)

Plantation Xaymaca & 22 YR Extreme No. 3 Rum at The Pantry Crest (Copy)

Date cocktails at Death & Co. (Copy)

'A Night to Remember' at Allsopp & Chapple (Copy)

Wine ice cube cocktail at Big Orange Midtown (Copy)

Birthday cousin cocktails at The Fold Botanas & Bar (Copy)

2017 & 2018 Nighty Night Imperial Stout from Lost Forty Brewing (Copy)

Roxor Gin at The Pantry Crest (Copy) (Copy)

CORPSE REVIVER NO. 2

One of my favorite classic cocktails to make for someone looking for a boozy brunch. There are many ways to spec this tradition, mine is below. Pictured above at South on Main.

COCKTAIL SPECS

1 oz. London dry gin

1/2 oz. Lillet blanc or Cocchi Americano Bianco

1/2 oz. Mandarin Napoleon

3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

absinthe spritz

shake, double strain into a coupe glass, garnish with brandied cherries or citrus twist

¡LA ATENCIÓN!

The challenge to make a spiced cold brew cocktail for a brunch menu, turned into a cocktail hit that I have re-invented several times over the years. Originally, the Chef’s wife wanted a ‘spicy brunch cocktail that wasn’t a bloody mary.’

A renewed spec was featured in NYC Autumn 2020 Tippler Passport for Echo Bravo 2020 using vodka, house-made habanero syrup, and PBR hard coffee.

OG COCKTAIL SPECS

1.5 oz Whole-grain vodka (Haku, Tito’s, Rocktown, Misguided Spirits)

2.5 - 3oz Spiced Cold Brew with Chile Peppers, Maple, Almond, & Vanilla

3/4 oz Rocktown Bourbon Cream or Beaverhill Bourbon Cream

shake & strain; served up in a coupe or neat in a rocks glass, topped with ground cinnamon

NYC TIPPLER COCTAIL SPECS

Version 2.0: 2 oz. whiskey, 1 oz. habanero agave, top with iced coffee, garnish with a splash of heavy whipping cream. Top with whipped cream!

WATERFALL MEZCAL NEGRONI

A more assertive negroni is always tasty. I designed this recipe to perfect a friend’s classic bar order that I happen to enjoy often as well. Pictured above at Runaway BK.

COCKTAIL SPECS

1.5 oz. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal

3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth

(50/50 blend: Carpano Antica, Cocchi Torino)

3/4 oz Cappelletti Aperitivo Americano Rosso

2 dashes Angustora bitters

stir, strain over rocks, garnish with an orange twist

Tasting mezcals with Sommelier Brett Bassett (Copy)

Homemade Rosemary Limoncello (Copy)

Happy Hour cocktails at Uncle Fred's (Copy)

Limited Release Saison Victoria from Lost 40 Brewing (Copy)

Black Manhattans celebrating Little Rock's first elected Black Mayor, Frank Scott at The Pantry Crest (Copy)

SPICED CHAI SYRUP

Created with autumn cocktails in mind.
Chai, star anise, & cinnamon (sage optional)

INGREDIENTS

8 spiced chai tea bags

32 oz water

10 cinnamon sticks

2 cups white or raw sugar

3 oz cloves

4 oz star anise

combine ingredients and simmer for

20-30 minutes, yields 30 ounces

ADVENTURE TIME

Rhubarb Amaro x Oleo Saccharum

This cocktail recipe was born as an experiment with a house-made orange-citrus cardamom Oleo Saccharum and a rhubarb amaro. I was excited to play around with new ingredients, at South on Main in Little Rock, from one of my bar mentors and friend, Courtney Stowers

COCKTAIL SPECS

1 oz. El Dorado 12 YR Rum

.75 oz. Orange-Citrus Cardamom Oleo Saccharum

.5 oz. Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro

.25 - .5 oz. Lemon Juice

.25 oz. Dom Benedictine

shake, double strain into a coupe glass

NORMAN’S COURT 1.0

This cocktail is served in a Collins glass and named after the two rums featured in it. Sailor Jerry's real name was Norman Collins. Smooth acid notes are produced by combining the spiced syrup and citrus while amplifying all of the rum notes. Featured on the Fall/Winter 2018 cocktail menu at The Pantry Restaurant in Little Rock with El Dorado 12.

COCKTAIL SPECS

1.25 oz. Sailor Jerry

.75 oz.. El Dorado 12 yr

1 oz. lime juice

1 oz. spiced chai simple syrup

shake, strain into a collins glass & garnish with a lime wheel, star anise

Tequila cocktails at Atlas bar in SOMA (Copy)

'¡ATENCIÓN!' Cold brew cocktail sans cream at South On Main (Copy)

Rock Town Distillery Bourbon Cream Liqueur at The Pantry Crest (Copy)

'Golden Reviver Martini' for Local Libations (Copy)

Experimenting with jam cocktails at The Pantry West (Copy)

Norman's Court featured at The Pantry Crest (Copy)

'Corrupt Toddy 1.0' at The Pantry Crest (Copy)

Superior Bath House beer flight in Hot Springs (Copy)

BEST BLOODY MARY

The most solid bloody mix recipe

SINGLE SERVING

1.5 oz. vodka

4-6 oz. bloody mix

shake or stir without dilution, strain into a pint or collins glass garnished with a half rim of spicy salt, pickled okra, citrus, and a fresh jalapeno slice.

BATCH RECIPE

138 oz. of fresh or 3 cans of 46oz. tomato juice

1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup lime juice

2 tbsp olive juice

1 tbsp worchestire, 1 tbsp horseradish

2 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce, 2 tbsp red pepper

3 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder

STEP 1: combine wet ingredients

STEP 2: sprinkle and whisk in dry ingredients.

STEP 3: 2-minute whisk stir.

YIELD: 138 ounces

SOLSTICE HORCHATA

I enjoy horchata year round but I crafted this recipe while listening to Vampire Weekend’s ‘Horchata.’ This cocktail can also be made using vodka but using a nice rum adds a perfect balance of sweetness without adding simple.

COCKTAIL SPECS

3-4 oz. Horchata

1.5 oz. El Dorado 12 Yr Rum

.75 oz. Rocktown Bourbon Cream Liqueur

or RumChata Cream Liqueur

shake, strain over rocks

ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick garnish

PUMPKIN-GINGER & CITRUS SHRUB

I created this original shrub for my Local Libations cocktail event for a complex pumpkin-spiced cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of pumpkin/sweet potato puree

(2 small pumpkins, 2-3 sweet potatoes)

3-4 cups light brown sugar

1/2 cup ginger root

4 cups apple cider vinegar

2-3 apples

dashes of ground ginger and cinnamon

STEP 1:

blend pumpkin & sweet potatoes into a puree.

STEP 2:

simmer brown sugar, ginger, puree, and vinegar on medium heat for 20 minutes

STEP 3:

add apples, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger, and store cool for 24-48 hours

STEP 4:

serve chilled, double strain for cocktails

YIELD: 32oz.