12 drinks
Mint Julep
Bourbon, sugar, and a fistful of mint, gently pressed and packed into crushed ice until the silver cup frosts over. No shaker, no strainer, just patience and cold.
Whiskey Sour
Bourbon, fresh lemon, and simple syrup, shaken hard and strained over ice. The Whiskey Sour is the sour formula in its cleanest form, and the ratio it teaches shows up in half the cocktail menu.
Lynchburg Lemonade
Jack Daniel's, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice, shaken hard and topped with lemon-lime soda. Tennessee's own whiskey lemonade, served in a Mason jar over ice.
Rebujito
Dry sherry and lemon-lime soda over ice, finished with bruised mint. Seville's actual Feria pour, built in the glass in under two minutes.
Tinto de Verano
Red wine and lemon soda over ice, in a 1:1 ratio. Spain's actual everyday summer drink, the one locals order far more than sangria.
Piña Colada
Rum, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut, blended with ice until smooth and frosty. The Piña Colada is proof a cocktail can take five minutes and still taste like a vacation.
Sangria
Classic Spanish red wine punch built for a pitcher, not a glass. Red wine, brandy, fresh citrus, and a night in the fridge — the maceration is what separates sangria from wine with fruit floating in it.
Paper Plane
Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. The Paper Plane is a modern classic built on a formula that sounds too simple — and works better than it should.
Margarita
The Margarita is a sour — tequila, triple sec, and fresh lime juice — built on the 2:1:1 formula. Understanding that ratio means you can adjust it, substitute ingredients, and diagnose why a Margarita tastes off.
Negroni
Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — stirred, not shaken. The Negroni is one of the few cocktails where understanding the formula is the entire lesson.
Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is a 200-year-old cocktail that survived because the technique is correct. Bourbon, bitters, sugar, and properly expressed citrus peel. Learn what controlled dilution and citrus expression actually mean.
Coconut Water Mojito
Coconut water replaces simple syrup in this refreshing mojito. Learn the muddling technique that keeps mint bright, not bitter, and why building directly in the glass is the right call.
