It’s Happy Hour! Ben & Matthew discuss muddling, layering, and bubblification. And probably not for the last time, Ben tells you how not to make a bomb. Then they present a layered and a muddled cocktail, with mixed results.

Ben muddles his way through an attempt to layer the Vertigo cocktail. It doesn’t go well, but the cocktail still tastes great with a refreshing kola and ginger vibe. To make up for it, he also gives a bonus recipe for a pretty but boozy Indigo Gin and Ginger Beer cocktail.

Matthew, on the other hand, deftly lays down a perfectly muddled Mojito. It’s the classic cocktail done right. He even throws in a bonus technique: the swizzle, to make it extra frosty.

(00:00) Opening—Matthew gets vetoed and wet-willied. Rough start

(04:05) Matthew is the life of the party

(08:00) Bubblification wins in a landslide

(12:30) Measure bubbles with your heart not jiggers

(17:53) Ben lays bricks

(19:49) Cocktail: Vertigo

(25:16) Cocktail: Mojito

(32:30) Swizzling: bonus technique

• 2 oz Averna
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 4 oz Ginger Beer
• Add lemon juice and ginger beer to a highball or collins glass with ice. Stir gently to combine. Using the back of a bar spoon, slowly layer the Averna over the top of the ginger beer and lemon juice. Your mileage may vary in successfully layering this cocktail. Try packing the glass tightly with ice and floating the Averna on the ice.

• 3-5 mint leaves
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 oz White Rum
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• Club Soda, to top
• Garnish: Mint Sprig and Lime Wheel
• Gently muddle mint leaves and simple syrup in the bottom of a highball glass. (If you prefer not having mint leaves in the drink, build it in a cocktail shaker.) Add rum and lime juice, then fill with ice. Stir to combine. Top with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and/or lime wheel.

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The links below that point to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase we may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. Links to any other destination are not affiliate links.

We own and recommend these books:

The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails with Just Twelve Bottles by David Solmonson, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold

Imbibe! by David Wondrich

Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, David Kaplan

Products we own, like and use:

• Measuring tools
• OXO Good Grips Mini Angled Measuring Cup, 2 Oz capacity
• OXO Metal Angled Measuring Cup
• OXO SteeL Double Jigger
• Shakers
• This shaking set is sold as two separate items on Amazon, you will need both
• Cocktail Kingdom Koriko Small Weighted Shaking Tin
• Cocktail Kingdom Koriko Large Weighted Shaking Tin
• Mixing Glasses/Tins
• Viski Crystal Mixing...

We’re muddling, layering, and take special care of our bubbles. We explain why the key to muddling is to muddle less, how to use layers to create a cocktail that evolves, how to keep your bubbly cocktails bubbling longer. Oh, and we also give advice on how to protect the most precious resource of all: the last lemon in your home.

(00:00) Opening

(01:35) Muddling: When to tap and when to smash

(07:32) Layering: The truth is Ben can’t do it

(12:19) Bubbles: How to keep your bubbles alive

(17:06) Save money like a pro

(21:03) Straining: It’s easy. Why did we even include this?

(22:38) Cocktail of the week: Aperol Spritz

(30:10) Closing

• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 splash to 1 oz club soda
• Orange Wheel for garnish
• Fill a large wine glass with ice. Pour in the Prosecco, the Aperol and then the club soda. Tuck the entire orange wheel in the glass. Don’t murder your bubbles.

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The links below that point to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase we may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. Links to any other destination are not affiliate links.

We own and recommend these books:

The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails with Just Twelve Bottles by David Solmonson, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold

Imbibe! by David Wondrich

Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, David Kaplan

Products we own, like and use:

• Measuring tools
• OXO Good Grips Mini Angled Measuring Cup, 2 Oz capacity
• OXO Metal Angled Measuring Cup
• OXO SteeL Double Jigger
• Shakers
• This shaking set is sold as two separate items on Amazon, you will need both
• Cocktail Kingdom Koriko Small Weighted Shaking Tin
• Cocktail Kingdom Koriko Large Weighted Shaking Tin
• Mixing Glasses/Tins
• Viski Crystal Mixing Glass, 17 oz
• Pint glass: you don’t need a link for this do you?
• Peelers
• OXO Good Grips Y-Peeler
• Bar Spoons
• Crate & Barrel: Bar Spoon with Muddler
• Cork Screw / Bottle Opener
• True Truetap Double Hinged Waiters Corkscrew
• Bar Towels
• White Flour Sack Towels
• Glassware
• Highball
• Strauss 13-Oz. Cooler Glass
• Lowball

It’s Happy Hour! Ben & Matthew discuss the methods of cocktail dilution, why stirring is more difficult than shaking, and how to not get punched in the face. Later they discuss if size matters, of your ice that is. Finally they introduce an original stirred cocktail and a modern-ish classic shaken cocktail.

Ben’s stirred Orange and Black is a bold yet balanced cocktail that blends the spice of rye whiskey with the rich, earthy notes of Mr. Black coffee liqueur. The orange liqueur adds a subtle brightness, while the bitters tie everything together. It’s the perfect practice field for perfecting your stirring technique.

Matthew is bringing the shaken Army and Navy, a smooth, citrus-forward sour that perfectly balances gin’s juniper bite with the creamy sweetness of Orgeat. It’s a classic, yet vibrant, cocktail with a luxurious texture and a refreshing finish that is elevated by the shaking technique.

(01:28) Building cocktails and mastering dilution

(02:31) Why aeration can make or break your drink

(05:30) How to shake a cocktail like a pro (but only if you listen twice)

(10:11) Does size really matter? Absolutely, when it comes to ice

(13:35) Aeration: the secret ingredient to flavor and feel

(16:56) Stirring cocktails: trickier than you'd think

(21:00) Mastering dilution with consistency

(23:00) Cocktail: The Orange and Black

(26:08) Cocktail: The Army & Navy

• 1 1/2 oz rye whiskey
• 1/2 oz Mr. Black coffee liqueur
• 1/4 oz orange liqueur (I used Cointreau)
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Garnish with orange twist
• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir to your desired dilution, then strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Express an orange twist over the glass, rub around the rim, and drop into the drink.

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz lime juice
• 3/4 - 1 oz Orgeat
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Garnish: lime wheel
• Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

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The links below that point to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase we may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. Links to any other destination are not affiliate links.

We own and recommend these books:

The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails with Just Twelve Bottles by David Solmonson, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold

Imbibe! by David Wondrich

Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, David Kaplan

Products we own, like and use:

• Measuring tools
• OXO Good Grips Mini Angled Measuring Cup, 2 Oz capacity
• OXO Metal Angled Measuring Cup
• OXO SteeL Double Jigger
• Shakers
• This shaking set is sold as two separate items on Amazon, you will need both
• Cocktail Kingdom Koriko Small Weighted Shaking Tin