Tequila and Sage Smash

Drink: Tequila and Sage Smash

Establishment: Heaven's Dog

Location: San Francisco, California

First Connoisseur: Holly (When I get back to 'Frisco)

1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

6-8 fresh sage leaves

2 ounces of añejo tequile (we used Herradura)

3/4 ounces of honey syrup (equal parts hot water and honey)

Muddle the lemon at the bottom of the shaker. Add sage and gently muddle with a bit of tequila. (Erik Adkins at Heaven's Dog shakes with sage in the tin, but you know I hate chlorophylling my drinks - technically, though, this is why this drink is called a 'smash,' so don't be afraid, you'll double strain. If you want to remove the sage at this point, it is ok.) Add remaining ingredients and shake. Double strain into an ice-filled Collins glass and garnish with spanked sage.

This drink should not taste like a sour. Make sure that the honey syrup and the lemons are well balanced. We used meyer lemons, a sweeter variety, which worked great. A super summery drink.

MacFuddy Smash

We have extolled the virtues of not pulverizing your mint in a muddle or shaking it on ice until it shreds it to bits, however there is a style of drinks that actually calls for it- the smash. Famous barman Jerry Thomas called the smash “a julep on the small plan” because the smash and julep often has the very same ingredients. However, the smash’s mixing procedure does not call for as much time or delicate hand as the julep does. Essentially, the smash needs the bitter green in a plant to suck out sugar in a drink and add dimension.

Cereal Milk Stout

Drink: Cereal Milk Stout
Establishment: Momofuku Milk Bar
Location: Manhattan, New York
First Connoisseur: Holly, recreated with alcohol

2 ¾ cups cornflakes

3 ¾ cups whole milk

2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

Stout or coffee liqueur (I used Lake Louie’s Mr. Mephisto’s Imperial Stout)

The Milk Bar in Manhattan is not an actual bar, but I thought their signature cereal milk would make for a great mixer for cream cocktails. Here’s how to make cereal milk. Toast 2 ¾ cups of cornflakes in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool. Add the toasted flakes to 3 ¾ cups of whole milk and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Strain flakes from milk; discard flakes. Add sugar and salt to milk and whisk until dissolved. Add your cereal milk as a topper to an ice cold glass of your favorite stout or Kahlua for a sinfully decedent end to the cold months.