Cocktail onions may seem like an outdated garnish. A lot of bars don’t even bother to stock them. However, when done right, they add a nice savory finish to a good stiff drink.

Of course, you can’t make a Gibson without them.

Check out this tasty and simple recipe.

Ingredients:
3 oz Russian Standard Vodka 
0.5 oz fresh lime juice 
0.5 oz agave nectar 
6 cherry tomatoes 
8 basil leaves 
Kosher salt 
Cracked black pepper

Directions:
Muddle cherry tomatoes and basil with a dash each of salt and pepper.  Add lime agave and Russian Standard Vodka.  Shake vigorously with ice cubes and double strain into a coupe glass rubbed with lime and rimmed with equal parts salt and black pepper.  Garnish with a basil … Read more

Almost no drink welcomes warm weather the way a good mojito does. It’s simple and refreshing! I mixed up some basil mojitos. An easy way to change up your cocktail is to substitute ingredients. By using basil instead of mint, we found a whole new drinking experience without much work.

Try it out with basil or any of your favorite herbs! You can learn more about substitutions and creating new cocktail recipes in our book, … Read more

Spring is here! In honor of this beautiful season, here’s a low-calorie cocktail inspired by Thai flavors that’s perfect for this time of year. This drink clocks in at about 90 calories as-is but you can adjust it to your own taste by adding more liquor and more sugar to make it more similar to a classic mojito.

Created by Manny Hinojosa, Bacardi Portfolio Mixologist.

Created by Duggan McDonnell, courtesy of Tequila Don Julio.

Muddle 2 blackberries and 3 basil leaves in a Boston shaker. Add Tequila Don Julio, fresh lime juice, agave nectar and ice into shaker. Shake well. Strain contents into stemless martini glass over ice and garnish with a blackberry and basil leaf on a toothpick.

Tomatoes and basil were meant to be together. This simple bruschetta recipe will only take five minutes to make but will taste elegant and refreshing. Summer cocktail party food at its best!

I like to use a mixture of roma and heirloom tomatoes, but use the tomatoes available to you that are the freshest and ripest.

Ingredients

4 cups chopped tomatoes
8 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 red onion, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil (plus … Read more

Cucumber-Basil Collins An easy-to-make cucumber infused gin is the centerpiece of this refreshing cocktail …Read More

The first session I attended during last week’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans was a panel titled “2009 Big Trends in Cocktail & Spirit Service.”

The panel consisted of Jim Meehan, Michael Waterhouse, Devlin Tavern, and Simon Difford (Source Guide) and was moderated by Ryan Magarian (Aviation Gin).

The program covered the 4 Ps of Cocktail Service Success, not unlike the 4 Ps of marketing: product, precise execution, promotion, passion.

It was here … Read more