The gimlet is a classic cocktail that deserves more attention! Made with gin, lime juice and sweetened with simple syrup, it comes from the sour family of cocktails (my specialty). Save the elaborate cocktails with unrecognizable ingredients for ordering at fancy bars—a simple, citrusy, not-too-sweet cocktail at home is one of life’s simple pleasures.

The gimlet is light and bright, like a more casual version of a martini that you can sip slowly on a porch. I love a gimlet in the spring or summer—they’re fresh and just right. If you enjoy ordering a good gin cocktail or a margarita made with real lime juice, you will love a homemade gimlet.

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Love a good paloma? Me, too. The paloma is a delightfully fizzy grapefruit, lime and tequila cocktail hailing from Mexico. If you enjoy a Greyhound, grapefruit margarita or ranch water, this cooling drink is right up your alley.

South of the border, palomas are typically made with grapefruit soda like Squirt or Jarritos, which taste similar to Sprite to me. Up here, bartenders often mix them with fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling water instead. I prefer mine to be less sweet and more citrusy, so I love the made-from-scratch option.

This paloma recipe is made from scratch with basic ingredients. You’ll need tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime, simple syrup (which is very easy to make), and Topo Chico or sparkling water. Make them at home with top-shelf tequila and you’ll enjoy a better paloma for less money than you’d pay a restaurant.

To make this paloma, we’ll shake everything but the Topo Chico in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shaking the ingredients together yields the kind of paloma you’d receive at a fancy cocktail bar. It’s a brief step that is worth the extra effort.

Finally, we’ll pour the mixture into a glass filled with ice and top it with Topo Chico to retain all those glorious bubbles. You can watch how it all comes together in the brief video below.

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Have you tasted a great whiskey sour? One made with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and quality whiskey? They’re bold yet balanced, with a lovely lemony flavor.

Whiskey sours are one of my favorite drinks to order at swanky cocktail bars. If you have sworn off the whiskey sours of your college days, the ones made with cheap whiskey and fake sour mix, I assure you that legitimate whiskey sours are worth your while.

Whiskey sours are also fun to make at home. Serve them during the holidays, on game days, or for date nights in. If you have already enjoyed my Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour or New York Sour, I have no doubt you’ll love the original.

To make a whiskey sour, you’ll need just a few basic ingredients—good whiskey, fresh lemons, a little sweetener, and an optional egg white. Fancy cocktail cherries, such as Luxardo, are a worthwhile investment and keep for quite a while in a dark cabinet.

Whether you like your whiskey sour with no foam, extra foam, up or on the rocks, you’ll find all the details you need to craft your ideal whiskey sour in the recipe below. Gather your ingredients and your cocktail shaker!

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Do you know Tom Collins? The cocktail? If not, you’ve been missing out. I used to serve Tom Collins way back when I was a bartender, and I believe this classic drink deserves some more attention.

Tom Collins cocktails taste like grown-up lemonade. They’re irresistibly citrusy, fizzy and refreshing, with herbal notes from the gin. While lemonade can be cloying, Tom Collins need not be too sweet—I like mine with just a splash of simple syrup to round out the flavors.

If you enjoy a cold French 75 or Bee’s Knees, you’ll definitely enjoy a Tom Collins. They all share a similar flavor profile. Tom Collins are the perfect cocktails for hot summer afternoons, since they’re served over ice and full of hydrating club soda. I’ll always choose a Tom Collins over a gin and tonic.

To make a Tom Collins from scratch, you’ll need a few basic ingredients (gin, lemons, club soda, and sugar or honey), a cocktail shaker and plenty of ice. Add a fancy cocktail cherry if you really want to do it right. Cheers!

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True to its name, simple syrup is so simple to make. And yet, homemade simple syrup can seem intimidating if you haven’t done it before! Today, I’m sharing a basic recipe describing how to make simple syrup to sweeten your cocktails, coffee or tea, or any other beverage, really.

In its most basic form, simple syrup requires just two ingredients, sugar and water. Plus, it’s ready in just a few minutes, and you’ll be one step closer to enjoying your drink when it’s done. Cheers to that.

The beauty of making your own simple syrup is that you can make it more than just sweet, if you wish. You’ve seen me take advantage of this opportunity in a number of drinks made with simple syrup over the years.

Below, you’ll find some fun variations to flavor your simple syrup with fresh herbs and other seasonings. Off we go!

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I’ve indulged in my fair share of cocktails this year, but sometimes, I just want a fun, fizzy, non-alcoholic drink. Something cold to savor on a hot afternoon, or an enticing alternative to chilled wine in the evening. Something party-worthy to offer my friends and family members, and all the cute kids who come with them.

This beauty is refreshing and hydrating, and so colorful that it makes a slow afternoon seem downright festive. The outrageous pink color comes from hibiscus tea, which is easy to find at the grocery store if you look for Tazo’s “Passion” blend.

Once the tea has had a chance to cool, we’ll fill our glasses (or a pitcher) with ice. We’ll finish off these drinks with some honey simple syrup (as little or as much as you want), a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a gentle glug of Topo Chico, the finest of sparkling waters. This hibiscus drink is a fun spin on agua de Jamaica (hibiscus iced tea commonly served in Mexico).

I’ve been on a Topo Chico kick this summer, but really, any sparkling water will do. The end result is full of flavor, lightly sweet, and irresistibly bubbly.

A note on pregnancy safety: Hibiscus is considered potentially unsafe for pregnancy, so out of an abundance of caution, I would not recommend this mocktail if you are expecting.

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When life gives you lemons… make a cocktail. How about that? My friends and I have been sending each other instructional videos on how to make our favorite cocktails for happy hour.

I’ll never be a gin and tonic girl, but I’ve been enjoying gin-based drinks as the weather warms up. Gin plays nicely with citrus and fresh herbs, so it seems just right for this time of year.

The Bee’s Knees is a classic Prohibition-era cocktail made with gin, lemon and honey. It’s brightly flavored, lightly sweet, and just an overall delightful drink—hence the name.

Enjoy one at home on a nice spring day. It tastes even better on a patio or balcony, if you have one. Cheers!

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I’ve been meaning to share this epic mai tai recipe with you for months! I found the recipe in my friend Alana Kysar’s beautiful new cookbook, Aloha Kitchen (affiliate link). Alana is effusive and thoughtful, hard working and talented, and you would know this all by glancing at her book. She sent me a copy and I’ve learned so much about Hawaiian culture and cuisine from it.

Her mai tai recipe is in the drink section at the back of the book. I’ve been wanting to learn how to make a proper tiki drink ever since we got a tiki bar in town, so here we are.

Alana says, “The mai tai is commonly associated with Hawaii, despite is California origin. Whether you believe Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic invented the drink, its strong tie to the islands remains. If you’ve ordered them in the past, chances are you’ve had varied experiences, ranging from great to terrible and everything in between.”

This mai tai recipe is well balanced, deliciously tropical, and quite boozy, like a mai tai should be. Your average cocktail contains one-and-a-half ounces of liquor, and this one contains three ounces of rum. You have been warned.

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Are you acquainted with the French 75? The French 75 is a refreshing and citrusy, sparkling gin cocktail that packs a punch. It’s perfect for the holidays and other celebratory occasions. The French 75 is the answer any time a bubbly cocktail is in order!

French 75’s are made with a standard pour of gin and topped with Champagne, so it’s a strong drink in a sparkling dress. In fact, it’s named after the French 75-mm field gun, which was commonly used in World War I.

Here’s my only spin on this classic cocktail: I used honey instead of sugar in the simple syrup. The light honey flavor plays beautifully with fresh lemon and herbal gin. That said, you can absolutely keep the the original recipe and use sugar if you’d prefer. My recipe works either way!

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Have you met my new friend, the mezcalita? She’s fun like a margarita, but smoky, spicy and more mysterious. I got to know her this summer on a trip to Mexico City.

The mezcalitas varied from restaurant to restaurant, but they were all more orange-forward than your standard limey margarita, with spicy salted rims.

Naturally, I figured out how to make my own mezcalitas when I got back. I discovered a small mezcal selection at a nearby liquor store (right by the tequila) and purchased a mild, mixable mezcal called Vida.

I went home and flipped the proportions of citrus juice in my favorite margarita recipe, to make them taste more like orange than lime.

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