The Tippling Bros. a Lime and a Shaker Read online

  Add all the ingredients except for the ginger beer to a cocktail shaker.

  Add ice and shake.

  Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.

  Fill with the ginger beer and stir.

  Stir in the spoonful of diced red apple to garnish.

  12 Uvas

  1½ ounces blanco tequila

  ½ ounce white grape juice

  ¼ ounce Elderflower Liqueur

  ½ ounce Cinnamon Syrup

  1 bar spoon fresh lime juice

  3 to 4 ounces Cava

  12 frozen seedless red grapes

  flute

  A tall pick

  In celebration of New Year’s Eve, when in Mexico, it is customary to eat 12 grapes before midnight.

  Add all the ingredients except for the cava and grapes to a cocktail shaker.

  Add ice and shake.

  Place the frozen grapes in a chilled flute glass instead of ice cubes.

  Strain the cocktail into the flute glass and fill with the cava.

  Garnish with the tall pick for eating the grapes.

  10 ounces Averna amaro

  10 ounces smoky mezcal

  6 ounces cold water

  5 ounces fresh lemon juice

  5 ounces fresh grapefruit juice

  2½ ounces Simple Syrup or agave nectar

  3 (12-ounce) bottles or cans of spicy, chilled ginger beer

  punch bowl, tall glasses

  Grapefruit wheels and mint sprigs

  Add all the ingredients except for the ginger beer to a large punch bowl.

  Stir and add a large ice block.

  Add the chilled ginger beer.

  Stir and garnish with grapefruit wheels and mint sprigs.

  Tipps’ Tip: To make a large ice block for punches: Fill a large metal mixing bowl or loaf pan with water. Freeze overnight. When ready to remove, run hot water over the outside and invert. For extra fancy-pants points, freeze the water with herbs, berries, or fruit slices.

  Serves 10

  1½ ounces mezcal

  ¾ ounce Cocchi Americano

  ¾ ounce orange curaçao

  ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

  ¼ ounce Simple Syrup

  coupe

  A flamed orange peel

  From our friend Charles Joly, a well-known Chicago barman, an entrepreneur and a handsome bastard.

  Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker.

  Add ice and shake. Strain into a coupe glass.

  Garnish with the flamed orange.

  Fruit Refresco

  Lemon Refresco

  Pineapple-Ginger Agua Fresca

  Cucumber Agua Fresca

  Citrus-Basil Agua Fresca

  Strawberry-Cinnamon Agua Fresca

  Orange-Hibiscus Agua Fresca

  It’s hard to believe, but there will be days when you won’t crave tequila or mezcal—most likely on days that were preceded by the drinking of too much tequila or mezcal. This is when you turn to the easy-to-make, quenching sodas known as refrescos, as well as the agua fresca, a Mexican staple ladled out on street corners throughout the country. A refreshing contrast to all those herbs and chiles going down, it’s a simple but quenching mix of water, sweetener, and in-season fruit, herbs, spices, or grains. The star of any pool party.

  1½ ounces fruit puree (any variety)

  1 ounce Simple Syrup

  1 ounce fresh lemon juice

  Soda water

  tall

  Rim of Pico Piquin

  Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker.

  Add ice and shake until very cold.

  Strain into a tall glass filled with ice with the Pico Piquin rim.

  Top with the soda water and gently stir.

  2 ounces fresh lemon juice

  1 ounce Simple Syrup

  ½ ounce agave nectar

  Soda water

  tall

  Rim of Pico Piquin

  Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker.

  Add ice and shake until very cold.

  Strain into a tall glass filled with ice with the Pico Piquin rim.

  Top with the soda water and gently stir.

  Pineapple-Ginger Agua Fresca

  ½ quart pineapple puree

  1½ quarts cold water

  ½ ounce ginger syrup

  tall

  In a large container or mixing bowl, mix the pineapple puree with half the water.

  Pour through a fine strainer.

  Add the syrup and remaining water and stir.

  Chill and serve in tall glasses over ice.

  Serves 10

  Cucumber Agua Fresca

  1 quart cucumber juice (from peeled or unpeeled cucumber)

  1 quart cold water

  1 cup Simple Syrup

  ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

  ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  tall

  In a large container or mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and stir.

  Chill and serve in tall glasses over ice.

  Serves 10

  1½ quarts cold water

  1 quart fresh orange juice

  2 cups fresh grapefruit juice

  10 ounces Honey-Basil Syrup

  ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

  tall

  In a large container or mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and stir.

  Chill and serve in tall glasses over ice.

  Serves 15

  1 quarts cold water

  ½ quart strawberry puree

  6 ounces Cinnamon Syrup

  tall

  In a large container or mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and stir.

  Chill and serve in tall glasses over ice.

  Serves 10

  Orange-Hibiscus Agua Fresca

  2 quarts cold water

  1 quart dried hibiscus flowers

  3 cups freshly grated orange zest

  ½ cup granulated sugar

  tall

  Add the dried hibiscus flowers, water, and sugar to a cooking pot.

  Bring to a boil.

  Let steep and cool.

  Strain the dried hibiscus flowers and add the liquid to a large container or mixing bowl.

  Add the orange zest and stir.

  Chill and serve in tall glasses over ice.

  Serves 10

  Simple Syrup

  Arbol-Chipotle Syrup

  Black Pepper Syrup

  Cinnamon Syrup

  Ezpazote Syrup

  Ginger Syrup

  Guajillo Syrup

  Hoja Santa Syrup

  Honey Syrup

  Honey-Ginger Syrup

  Honey-Basil Syrup

  Mexican Spiced Syrup

  Morita Chile Syrup

  Oregano Syrup

  Red Wine–Pear Syrup

  Kaffir Lime Syrup

  Sugar and water: simple, yes, but also a vital building block to creative mixology and making great cocktails. Flavoring syrups is one of the easiest ways to extract and capture flavor and to make your drinks stand out naturally, whether at home or behind the bar. With the right ingredients and an iota of practice, a repertoire of syrups can become a serious tool in your bartender’s bag of tricks. And, to get a little Martha on you here, they make great gifts when you’re broke. Just fish some empty bottles out of your neighbors’ recycling bins and Christmas is covered.

  A
ll the syrup recipes that we are listing here require a little stove time. There are other ways to infuse simple syrup with flavor, whether through pressure, prolonged infusion, or maceration. We use them in some of the restaurants at certain times, but for home use and behind most bars, heated syrups are the way to go. You’ll note that most of the syrups here utilize a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water, which yields a syrup that is not overly viscous but with plenty of flavor. Oftentimes, cocktail recipes will call for syrups with 2:1, 3:1, or other ratios. We’re old and grouchy. We like to keep everything, including our syrups, as simple as possible. Whether making syrups and juices/purees at home or for use in a bar or restaurant, the Tippling Bros. say seal, date, refrigerate.

  16 ounces granulated sugar

  2 cups water

  Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  4 arbol chiles

  1 chipotle chile, broken in half

  ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

  ½ cinnamon stick

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  4 tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns

  1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the peppercorns, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  8 sticks cinnamon

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the cinnamon, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  5 tablespoons dried epazote leaves

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the epazote leaves, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  ¾ cup finely chopped fresh ginger

  Add the Simple Syrup and ginger to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  9 to 10 guajillo chiles

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Break up the chiles, add to the cooking pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  5 tablespoons dried hoja santa leaves

  This syrup can also be purchased at Mexican groceries or online.

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the hoja santa leaves, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  2 cups honey

  2 cups cold water

  Add the honey and water to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

  Allow to cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Honey Syrup

  ½ cup finely chopped fresh ginger

  Add the Honey Syrup and ginger to a saucepan.

  Bring to boil and cook for 1 minute.

  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  2 cups honey

  2 cups cold water

  1 bunch Italian basil, stems removed and discarded

  Add the honey and water to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

  Stir in the basil leaves and let cool to room temperature.

  Strain and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  1 stick Mexican cinnamon

  1 whole nutmeg

  1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped

  3 whole star anise

  2 tablespoons allspice

  2 tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns

  2 whole cloves

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  3 sticks cinnamon

  5 morita chiles

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Break up the chiles and add with the cinnamon sticks, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  2 tablespoons dried oregano

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

  Add the oregano, remove from the heat, and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

  Cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  1 (750-ml) bottle red wine

  2 cups granulated sugar

  1 whole pear

  ¼ cup whole, fresh orange peels

  Add the wine and sugar to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil. Add the pear and orange peels, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

  Allow to cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 quart

  1 quart Simple Syrup

  10 kaffir lime leaves (available online or in Asian specialty markets)

  Add the Simple Syrup to a saucepan.

  Bring to a boil.

  Add the lime leaves and boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

  Cool to room temperature, strain, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

  Makes 1 Quart

  Chipotle Salt

  Cinnamon Salt

  Cumin Salt

  Mexican Spice Salt

  Hibiscus Salt

  Fennel Salt

  Strawberry-Fennel Salt

  Salt and Pepper Mix

  2 parts kosher salt

  1 part ground chipotle

  In a bowl, thoroughly mix the ingredients.

  Store tightly sealed in a dry container for up to 2 weeks.