Awesome Cocktails

Want to fix a drink but don’t know what to make? Shane Carley’s book The Home Bartender offers recipes for more than 200 cocktails, all of which can be made with four ingredients or less. In addition to classics like Cosmos and Old Fashioneds, you’ll get lots of new and creative cocktail ideas.

The creators of the excellent The Art of Mixology focus on their favorite ways to incorporate bourbon and whiskey into cocktails. After learning the basics of shaking, stirring, layering, and muddling, you’ll find dozens of drink recipes, from timeless classics to unique modern drinks. Like gin, rum, or other spirits? Check out the complete book series.

For Hendrick’s Gin’s sixth limited “Cabinet of Curiosities” release, Oasium, Master Distiller Lesley Gracie experimented with green botanicals, delicate herbs, and a kiss of citrus to capture a sensory oasis in every sip. Using Hendrick’s Gin as a base, Gracie built on its infusions of rose and cucumber to bring a verdant twist to classic gin cocktails.

TBH we haven’t had many RTD cocktails we’d drink again. Absolut’s tasty bottled Cosmopolitans and on-trend Espresso Martinis (made with real espresso and Kahlúa coffee liqueur) are an exception, especially because a $17 750ml RTD bottle blows $17 bar cocktails away. No mixology skills required. Simply shake or pour over ice.

One of the world’s most popular super-premium sipping rums, award-winning Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva is noted for its superlative smoothness and balance. It begins with sugar cane, locally sourced in Venezuela. A unique combo of batch kettle, pot still, and column distillations are at the heart of the refined Diplomatico style.

Enjoy delicious drinks anywhere your adventures take you with this cocktail shaker kit from Stanley. The stainless steel shaker holds up to 30 oz. of ingredients, and includes a citrus reamer, a jigger in its cap, and two stainless steel cups which nest neatly inside. In addition to shiny stainless, its available in matte black, gloss black, and cream colors.

Dr. Kevin Peterson’s fascinating book provides a scientific slant on mixology. Cocktail Theory – A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks explores the chemistry of scent and taste and offers ideas for creating uniquely elevated drinks. Trained in physics, engineering, and the science of olefaction, Peterson is renowned for his Detroit cocktail bar Castalia.

Fix mixed drinks wherever your adventures take you with this stainless steel cocktail shaker from Yeti. It features double-wall construction to keep contents cold, a twist-off cap, a sweat-proof exterior, and a leak-resistant lid. Fill, shake, and enjoy. Available in Camp Green, Rescue Red, Chartreuse, Cosmic Lilac, Navy Blue, and White.

Hibear makes the most versatile insulated bottle you can buy. The stainless steel All-Day Adventure Flask holds up to 32 oz. and includes the parts needed to make pour-over and cold brew coffee, tea, cocktails, infusions, and more. The silicone sleeve at its bottom can also be removed and used as a mug.

James Beard Award-winning mixologist Toby Maloney and the bartenders of Chicago’s The Violet Hour created this 320-page guide to the fundamentals of cocktail making. You’ll learn about balancing ingredients, getting the right textures, aromas, and temperatures, then advance to making your own concoctions.

Fósforo Mezcal Ensamble balanced, approachable, and less-smoky than most mezcals. Formulated by fourth-generation mezcalero Aaron Alva Sanchez, it’s a double-distilled blend of Tobalá (maguey) and Espadilla agave plants, roasted in underground pits before fermentation. The lingering full-mouth feel characterizes Fosforo’s Tobalá house style.

Hella Cocktail Co. and Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits makes booze-free margaritas easy with the More Than a Margarita N/A Cocktail Kit. Seedlip’s latest concoction, Notas de Agave, blends prickly pear, zesty lime, and agave flavors. Mixed with Hella’s Habanero Margarita Mix, it becomes a hangover-free cocktail with a tasty kick.

This unique recipe book is a great gift for science lovers and home mixologists. Dr. Logan Richardson of Flavor Lab explains the science behind beverages with step-by-step guides to making alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You’ll learn to make cola, hard seltzer, and kombucha from scratch, along with unusual drinks like Viking Blaand and buttered popcorn soda.

Bring new depth and dimension to your whiskey with this spirit-enhancing gift set. The kit includes various types of oak, herbs, and spices to infuse your whiskey with, along with two bottles for mixing and six stainless steel whiskey stones for ice-free chilling. They also make infusion kits for gin and vodka.

There’s so much more to explore in Mexican spirits beyond the basics. Crystal-clear Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal is a mezcal in the refined Cristalino category, having matured in oak barrels and filtered through activated charcoal. And delicious Alma Finca is the only premium orange liqueur made with fresh citrus and spices from the Yucatán.

Las Californias Cítrico Gin is a tale of two countries — the US and Mexico — where hyper-local foraging across the border takes advantage of the area’s biological diversity. The colder waters of Alta California provide ingredients such as kelp, while Baja’s dry deserts yield white sage and juniper plus other leaves and fruits.