The Buildout

Latest Episodes:

The (Re)Martini Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

It's Mr. David Wondrich. It's the Martini. And this ain't no riff or re-run.

Instead, we're revisiting this most iconic of classics at Cocktail College, and we're doing so with one of the biggest names in the business. For decades, Wondrich has been at the forefront of chronicling and uncovering cocktail history. He is a James Beard Award-winning author, the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, the resident Spirits & Cocktails historian and advisor at Flaviar, and co-host of the Fix Me a Drink podcast.

Listen on (or read below) to discover Wondrich's Martini recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!

David Wondrich’s Martini Recipe

Ingredients

- 3 parts London Dry gin, such as Tanqueray

- 1 part dry vermouth, such as Noilly Prat

- 2 dashes orange bitters

- Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

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What Ever Happened to the ‘Beer Cocktail Boom’? Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Take yourself back, listener, to the early 2010s. Craft beer has reached a crescendo. The cocktail movement has fully established itself. And so, for the better part of a decade, “beer cocktails” were being dangled as a dazzling new hybrid form of mixed drinks that might take on. That was the idea, at least. But then…well, it never really took off. What went wrong for this new frontier of hybrid drinks? And why have we never covered beer as a bonafide ingredient, fitting of this show? Here to shed light on those questions and re-examine that basically forgotten period of promise is VinePair’s very own contributing editor, Dave Infante. You might already be familiar with Dave, as the host of VinePair's sterling "Taplines" podcast, which offers weekly deep dives into moments of history and meaningful movements within the beer industry. Consider this week's episode an all-VinePair mashup, with Snakebites, Bulldogs, and the much-heralded "Beer Cocktail Boom." And don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Frank Bruni: "Cockatails With a Buzz"

CNBC: "Get Ready for a Beer Cocktail Boom"

Robert Simonson: "The Mexican Bulldog Lets the Mixing Take Place as You Sip"

Maro's "Challenge THE BULLDOG!": https://maros-shrimphousebulldog.com/house-drink/

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Episode 100 Special: (Re)Defining the Cocktail Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

"A stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters." Over 200 years since their publication in a New York state newspaper, those 13 words continue to stand as the very definition of the cocktail. They ring true when dissecting everything from an Old Fashioned to a Martini, Manhattan, Sazerac, or Pisco Sour. But do they capture the full essence of 21st-century cocktails or is this iconic definition due a modern-day re-examination? We're joined today by Greg Boehm, CEO of Cocktail Kingdom and the Cocktail Kingdom Hospitality Group to explore just that. We'll also learn about his background as an antique book collector and publisher, and the impact his work has had on the modern cocktail landscape. It's our 100th episode special, listener, so please don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

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Techniques: Garnishes Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

Garnishes: Form or function? Foundational part of a drink's creation or afterthought? These are but a sprinkling of the topics we’re exploring in today’s techniques episode, where we're joined by New York-based Leo Robitschek, a James Beard Award-winning author and beverage director, and partner at Sydell Group. Listen on to discover Leo's considered, distinctly culinary approach to garnishes, and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

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Techniques: Bitters Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Angostura. Peychaud's. Orange. Chances are, that might be the extent to which your cocktail bitters experience extends, and if that is the case, you're missing a trick. Because as today's guest explains, bitters are an essential cocktail seasoning and a requirement in every drink. That guest is Sother Teague, beverage director at New York's Amor y Amargo and Overthrow Hospitality; host of "The Speakeasy" podcast; and author of “I’m Just Here for the Drinks.” And today's show is an ode to this complex category of ingredients, and a one stop shop for everything you need to know about using them.

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The Alaska Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

We’ve covered multiple cocktails named after cities and neighborhoods before but this week marks the first drink named after a state — and it’s a classic. Trey Sanford, bar manager of Anchorage’s South Restaurant + Coffeehouse, joins us to break down the Alaska, an iconic mix of gin, yellow Chartreuse (if you can get your hands on it), and orange bitters. Listen on (or read below) to discover Trey’s Alaska recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!

Trey Sanford’s Alaska Recipe

Ingredients

- 2 ½ ounces Amalga gin

- ½ ounce Yellow Chartreuse

- 2 dashes Scrappy’s orange bitters

- 3 drops saline solution (80:20 made with high-quality sea salt)

- Garnish: orange twist

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

3. Garnish with an orange twist.

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Reinventing the Ramos Gin Fizz Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Most of what’s notable about the Ramos Gin Fizz comes before you take a sip — namely, its striking appearance, which arrives as the product of a painstaking, 10-minute preparation time. But what if there was a way to eliminate the muscle-straining extended shake and, as a consequence, put the Ramos on a permanent cocktail menu? At The Gem, in Bolton Landing, N.Y., Richie Boccato and team have done just that. Better yet, they’ve managed to do so without fancy equipment or molecular techniques. Listen on (or read below) to discover Boccato’s reinvented Ramos Gin Fizz recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!

Richie Boccato’s Ramos Gin Fizz Recipe

Ingredients

- ⅜ ounce fresh lemon juice

- ⅜ ounce fresh lime juice

- ⅞ ounce demerara syrup (2:1)

- 1 ounce heavy cream

- 1 ½ ounces Old Tom Gin, such as Barr Hill, Hayman’s, or Greenhook

- 4 or 5 drops orange flower water

- 1 ½ teaspoons pasteurized egg white powder

- Pinch (tip of teaspoon) charcoal salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender with a heaped scoop (8-10 ounces) crushed ice.

2. Blend on a high setting until chilled and all ingredients fully incorporated.

3. Pour intoe a chilled Collins glass.

4. Garnish with an orange “rose,” made with a mint sprig and a cherry on a bamboo skewer.

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The Godfather Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

While Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” continue to enjoy critical acclaim more than 50 years after its release, the same can’t be said for its namesake cocktail. But just because the disco-era mix of Amaretto and Scotch was traditionally cloying and unbalanced, doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of a 21st-century upgrade. Joining us to teach us how to do so is John Ware, bar director of New York City’s Forsythia. Leave the gun, take the cannoli, and listen on (or read below) to discover the Forsythia Godfather recipe — and don’t forget to like, review and subscribe!

John Ware’s Forsythia Godfather Recipe

Ingredients

- 1 ¼ ounces blended scotch, such as Speyburn

- ¼ ounce smoky whisky, such as Puni Alba Malt

- ⅔ ounce amaretto, such as Disaronno or Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira

- ¼ ounce Ostinato Secco Dry Marsala

- ½ teaspoon honey syrup (2:1)

- 1 teaspoon Reisetbauer Hazelnut eau de vie

- 4 drops of saline solution (5:1)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled rocks glass with a large rock of ice.

3. Garnish with a brioche pastry (filled with Chantilly pastry creme, topped with powdered sugar) and Cantucci (almond biscotti) on the side plate.

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The Army & Navy Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

It's the Army & Navy, folks, an orgeat-sweetened gin sour (sans egg white) that seems to be perenially there, hiding in plain sight — camouflaged, if you will. Joining us to talk through this relatively anonymous classic is Ben Brown, beverage director of New York's Porchlight. Listen on for tips on how to make your own orgeat, ideal sour specs, and general chat on David A. Embury's curmudgeonly nature. Listen on (or read below) to discover Brown's Army & Navy recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!

Ben Brown's Army & Navy Recipe

Ingredients

- 2 dashes Angostura bitters

- ¾ ounce lemon juice

- ¾ ounce orgeat

- 2 ounces London Dry gin

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice.

2. Shake until cold and strain into a chilled Coupe glass.

3. Serve without garnish.

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The Missionary's Downfall Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

Not just an evocative name, the Missionary's Downfall blends pineapple, rum, mint, peach brandy, and lime, and fits into that category of cocktails we first devour with our eyes. Beyond its stunning appearance lies a fascinating back story, complete with characters like Don the Beachcomber and tales of smuggling mint seeds into Hawaii. Walking us through all of that and more is the Italian-born rum enthusiast and exotic drinks connoisseur, Daniele Dalla Pola. Based in Miami, Daniele is an expert on tiki culture and runs the fantastic adjoining bars Esotico and The Kaona Room. Listen on (or read below) to discover Dalla Pola's recipe — and don’t forget to subscribe!

Daniele Dalla Pola's Missionary's Downfall Recipe

Ingredients

- ½ ounce lime juice (strained)

- ½ ounce peach brandy

- 1 ½ ounces white rum

- 3 pieces pineapple

- 8 mint leaves

Directions

1. Blend everything together without ice using a stick blender.

2. Add a small amount of crushed ice and blend again until chilled.

3. Garnish with a mint sprig in the center of the cocktail.

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