Cocktail Classic Creations

They came. They shook. They brought the buzz. Raleigh’s top ’tenders stirred up major magic at our annual Cocktail Classic—and we’re still riding the high. Missed the party of the year—or want to recreate the vibes at home? We got you. Sip the night’s most memorable pours below—and don’t forget to cast your vote for Best Bars & Bartender here.

Il Matrimonio
Sean McKinney
Sous Terre
Riff on an Old-Fashioned 
Buffalo Trace

• 2 oz. buttered Buffalo Trace Bourbon* 
• 1/4 oz. Faretti Biscotti Liqueur
• 1/4 oz. 2017 Felsina Vin Santo 
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 3 drops saline solution 
• Sambuca mist 
• Pizzelle for garnish

Combine ingredients over a cube of ice and stir for 6–8 seconds. Mist with Sambuca and garnish with pizzelle. 

*Buttered Buffalo Trace Bourbon 

• 1 lb. unsalted butter 
• 1 whole vanilla bean, scraped 
• 3 toasted star anise pods 
• 2 L Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Add butter, vanilla bean and toasted star anise pods to a saucepan. Brown butter over medium heat, slowly cooking in vanilla and star anise. Once browned, remove immediately from heat and pour into dry container. Let cool for 15 minutes, then add Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Let mixture stand at room temp for 1 hour, then transfer to freezer overnight. The next day, remove the fat layer and strain through oil filter.

Love Hack
JJ Porter
Urban Oak 
Riff on a Gin Martini 
1000 Piers Coastal Carolina Gin 

• 2 oz. 1000 Piers Coastal Carolina Gin
• 1/2 oz. St. Germain 
• 1/2 oz. Lillet Rosé
• 1/4 oz. Gorae lemon soju 
• 1 dash Crude “Rizzo” bitters 
• Fresh grapefruit peel cut into 3 long, thin ribbons 

Combine ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Carefully drop grapefruit ribbons along the inside of the glass. 

Gamze
Rance Slabaugh
Foundation 
Riff on a Tom Collins 
Weldon Mills House Vodka

• 2 oz. pistachio-washed Weldon Mills House Vodka* 
• 3 drops of rosewater 
• 3/4 oz. grenadine 
• 3/4 oz. lime juice 
• Club soda 
• Pistachios for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 8 seconds. Fine-strain over ice into a 10 oz. Collins glass and top with club soda. Slide a bar spoon into the cocktail and move it up and down to combine with the soda. Garnish with crushed pistachios.

*Pistachio-Washed Weldon Mills House Vodka

• 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
• 1 (750 mL) bottle vodka

Lightly toast pistachios in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then add pistachios to a nonreactive container or jar with the vodka. Seal and infuse at room temperature for 24 hours, agitating occasionally.

After infusion, place the mixture in the freezer for 12–24 hours to solidify the fats. Once frozen, strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to remove pistachio solids and remaining fat. Store in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.

Apple Bottom Drinks
Nolan Ruhmke 
William & Company
Riff on a Cosmopolitan 
Durham Distillery Damn Fine Vodka 

• 2 oz. apple- and spice-infused Damn Fine Vodka*
• 1 oz. acid-adjusted white cranberry juice** 
•  1/2 oz. oleo saccharum*** 

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Double strain into coupe glass.

*Apple- and Spice-Infused Damn Fine Vodka (yields 1 1/4 cups)

• 1 bottle Damn Fine Vodka
• 1 apple, chopped 
• 3 cinnamon sticks 
• 2 anise stars 
• Handful of cloves

Combine apple, cinnamon sticks, anise stars and cloves in the bottle of Damn Fine Vodka. Let sit for 1–2 days. 

**Acid-Adjusted White Cranberry Juice

• White cranberry juice 
• Citric acid

Mix 6mg of citric acid for every 8 oz. of white cranberry juice.

***Oleo Saccharum

• 5 oranges 
• 3/4 cup white sugar

Peel oranges and cover peels in sugar. Let sit for 1–2 days. 

Let It Linger
JT Langford 
Gussie’s 
Riff on a Margarita 
Corralejo Tequila

• 1.5 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila 
• 1 oz. cinnamon-apple-honey syrup* 
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice 
• 1/2 oz. cinnamon-apple liqueur 
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal for rim
• 3 candied cranberries on a skewer

Combine tequila, cinnamon-apple-honey syrup, lemon juice and cinnamon-apple liqueur in a shaker and shake with ice. Double strain into a coupe glass rimmed with freshly blended Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Garnish with three candied cranberries on a skewer. 

*Cinnamon-Apple-Honey Syrup

• 1 cup water 
• 2 cups honey 
• 2 cinnamon sticks 
• 4 Honeycrisp apples 

Dice and core apples, and toast cinnamon sticks for 3 minutes. Flash apples and toasted cinnamon sticks in 1 cup of boiling water. Combine water, apples and cinnamon sticks in a separate pot with honey. Simmer on low to medium heat for 15 minutes. Strain and let cool. 

Old Irma’s Bones
Skyler Spaulding 
Mr. Henry 
Riff on a Daiquiri 
Outer Banks Distilling

• 1.5 oz. Kill Devil Silver Rum 
• 1/2 oz. strawberry puree* 
• 1/2 oz. white balsamic vinegar 
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. agave
• 2 bar spoons Campari 
• Strawberry-Campari caviar** 

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Double strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with strawberry-Campari caviar. 

Clarified Version
Scale all ingredients up to desired batch amount, then add 25% of the volume in whole milk. Allow to curdle, then strain through cheesecloth. Repeat as needed until clear in color. 

*Strawberry Puree

• 5 oz. bag frozen strawberries
• 5 oz. water

Thaw strawberries, then blend with water until smooth.

**Strawberry-Campari Caviar

• 6 oz. strawberry puree, strained
• 3 oz. Campari 
• 3/4 tsp. agar agar powder
• Neutral oil 

In a saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine strawberry puree and Campari (2:1 ratio). Add agar agar—1% of total mixture’s weight (roughly 1/2 tsp.)—and whisk constantly until boiling. Continue whisking for 1–2 minutes to fully combine, then remove from heat and let cool 2–3 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a tall, narrow vessel with cold neutral oil. Using a squeeze bottle, drop strawberry mixture into the oil—making drops large enough to sink to the bottom. Once you have desired caviar amount, strain from oil and rinse under cold water until no oil remains. Store in fridge for up to 5 days. 

Gingerbird
Wright Dixon
Moon Room 
Riff on a Gimlet 
Moonbird Gin 

• 2 oz. Moonbird Gin 
• 1 oz. pear ginger cordial* 

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain and serve in a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with pear slice. 

*Pear Ginger Cordial (yields 2–3 cups)

• 4 ripe pears (Barlett or Bosc), peeled, cored and chopped 
• 1.5 cups water 
• 1.5 cups sugar 
• 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• Juice and zest of 1 lime 
• Cloves, optional

In saucepan, combine chopped pears, water, sugar, sliced ginger, lime juice, zest and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes, until pears are soft and liquid is syrup-like. Gently mash pears with potato masher or fork to release flavor. Remove from heat and let steep for 10–15 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, let cool and pour into bottles or jars. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer. 

Cherry Berry Tribute
Jarod Johnson 
Killjoy 
Riff on a Gold Rush 
Bulleit Bourbon

• 1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon 
• 3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1/2 oz. diluted honey* 
• 3/4 oz. spiced cherry syrup** 
• Brandied cherries 

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into rocks glass with ice and garnish with
brandied cherry.  

*Diluted Honey

• Honey 
• Water 

Combine honey and warm water in a 1:1 ratio.

**Spiced Cherry Syrup

• Cherry jam 
• 3 cups water 

Add 3 cups water to your favorite cherry jam and bring to a boil until it thickens into a syrup. 

Cumin to America
Sandra Abuor 
Watts & Ward 
Riff on a Sidecar 
Hennessy V.S

• 1.5 oz. Hennessy
• 3/4 oz. whole milk
• 3/4 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau or Dry Curaçao)
• 3/4 oz. fresh orange juice
• 3/4 oz. vanilla syrup (1:1)
• 0.375 oz. fresh lemon juice (just under 1/2 oz.)
• Cumin syrup*
• Cumin foam**

Add 3/4 oz. whole milk to a separate glass. Combine remaining ingredients and slowly pour into the milk (never the other way around). Let sit for 30–45 minutes to fully curdle. Strain through a mesh strainer, then through a coffee filter or paper towel for clarity. Serve in glass topped with cumin foam. You’ll yield about 3.25 oz. clarified liquid. To batch for four cocktails, multiply quantities by four.

*Cumin Syrup

• 2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
• 10 oz. 1:1 simple syrup

Toast whole cumin seeds until fragrant, then simmer in 1:1 simple syrup for 10–15 minutes, strain and chill.

**Cumin Foam

• 10 oz. cumin syrup
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 N₂O cartridges
• 1 pint whipped cream dispenser

Combine syrup and egg whites in a bowl, and whisk gently until slightly foamy. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a whipped cream dispenser. Charge with 2 N₂O cartridges, shaking 10–12 times after each charge. Chill for at least 1 hour.  

The Mary Sue
Kirby Batterson 
Dram & Draught
Riff on a Whiskey Smash 
Cook’s Mill American Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• 2 oz. blackberry Cook’s Mill Bourbon Whiskey* 
• 3/4 oz. kumquat & calamansi lemon oleo**
• 1/2 oz. rosemary simple syrup***
• 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice 
• Kumquats, fresh blackberries and rosemary for garnish

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Double strain into rocks glass and top with pebble ice. Garnish with a skewer of dehydrated kumquat, fresh blackberry and flamed rosemary.

*Blackberry Cook’s Mill Bourbon Whiskey (yields 1 1/4 cups)

• 2.5 cups frozen blackberries 
• 1 cup Cook’s Mill Bourbon Whiskey 

Combine ingredients in sealed jar and sous vide at 140°F for 30 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer. Store in sealed container in fridge for up to 4 weeks. 

**Kumquat & Calamansi Lemon Oleo (yields 3 oz.)

• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar 
• 1/3 cup water 
• 1/4 cup dehydrated kumquats 
• 1 Tbsp. calamansi lemon juice 

Combine ingredients in sealed jar and sous vide at 140°F for 30 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer. Store in sealed container in fridge for up to 4 weeks. 

***Rosemary simple syrup (yields 3 oz.)

• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup water 
• 1 sprig flamed rosemary 

Combine ingredients in sealed jar and sous vide at 140°F for 30 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer. Store in sealed container in fridge for up to 4 weeks.