The Buildout

Latest Episodes:

The Bronx Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

It’s an all-NYC episode today, as we pay a visit to the Bronx with a Manhattan detour, and considerable input from Brooklyn. The Bronx is the cocktail, Manhattan comes into play via the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, and our wonderful guest is Brooklyn native Frank Caiafa. Frank worked as the Beverage Director of the celebrated Peacock Alley and La Chine restaurants at the Waldorf-Astoria, from 2005 until its closure for renovations in 2017. Caiafa now runs the beverage and hospitality consulting enterprise, Handle Bars NYC, and is the author of “The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book,” which published just before the hotel’s closure. Listen on to discover Caiafa’s Bronx recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Enter the Mount Gay ‘A Taste of Home’ Cocktail Competition here.

Frank Caiafa’s Bronx Recipe

Ingredients

- 1 ½ ounces London Dry gin

- ½ ounce dry vermouth

- ½ ounce sweet vermouth

- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice

- 1 dash orange bitters

- Garnish: orange twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake until chilled.

3. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

4. Express and discard an orange twist garnish.

Intro music credit: “Arabian Nights,” by Joseph M. Knecht’s Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra, 1918 (M. David/W. Hewitt), courtesy Library of Congress, National Jukebox.

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The Piña Verde Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Modern classics, Carthusian monks, and Universal Studios? They’re all on the agenda today, as we’re joined by Erick Castro, host of the Bartender at Large podcast and proprietor of San Diego’s Raised by Wolves, to learn the story of his Chartreuse-laced Piña Verde. Listen on to discover the recipe for Castro’s creamy, tropical creation — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Erick Castro’s Piña Verde Recipe

Ingredients

- ½ ounce fresh lime juice

- 1 ½ ounces pineapple juice (50:50, Dole:fresh)

- ¾ ounce Coco Lopez

- 1 ½ ounce Green Chartreuse

- Garnish: pineapple fronds or mint sprigs.

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with some pebble ice.

2. Whip shake for 10 seconds.

3. Strain into a chilled Pearl Diver glass.

4. Top with more pebble ice and garnish with pineapple fronds and/or mint sprigs.

A huge thanks this week goes out to Cocktail College producer Darby Cicci and Shane Firek for laying down the killer intro for today’s episode!

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The Pimm's Cup Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

A quintessential British summer staple, the Pimm’s Cup has, over the years, developed notable ties with tennis tournaments, played a part in the history of the U.S. Bartenders Guild (USBG), and even gained some fans in New Orleans. To teach us about this beloved cocktail and its iconic, eponymous ingredient, we’re joined by San-Francisco-based Aaron Gregory Smith, the executive director of the USBG. Listen on to discover Smith’s Pimm’s Cup recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Aaron Gregory Smith’s Pimm’s Cup Recipe

Ingredients

- 3-5 slices of cucumber

- 5-6 mint sprigs

- ½ ounce ginger syrup (2:1 demerara sugar to water, simmered for around 15 minutes with peeled, minced fresh ginger)

- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

- 1 ounce Pimm’s No. 1

- 1 ounce gin

- 1 dash of aromatic bitters

- Soda water, to top

- Garnish: fresh cucumber and mint

Directions

1. Muddle cucumber with mint in a cocktail shaker.

2. Add ginger syrup, lemon juice, Pimm’s, and gin.

3. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled Collins or 12-ounce pint-shaped “pub” glass filled with ice.

4. Top with soda water and garnish with fresh cucumber and a mint sprig.

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Three Dots and a Dash Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

We’re learning a new language — that of morse code — at Cocktail College today, all told through the lens of a classic, if slightly lesser-known tiki drink, the Three Dots and a Dash cocktail. Anton Kinloch, owner of New Paltz’s Fuschia Tiki Bar is taking class, enlightening us on the irrefutable delights of allspice dram, Velvet Falernum, and this drink’s merits as a cocktail template. Listen on (or read below) to learn Kinloch’s Three Dots and a Dash recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Anton Kinloch’s Three Dots and a Dash Recipe

Ingredients

- 2 dashes Angostura bitters

- ¼ ounce allspice dram

- ½ ounce Velvet Falernum

- ½ ounce honey syrup (2:1)

- ¾ ounce lime juice

- 1 ounce fresh orange juice

- ½ ounce Guyana rum, such as Hamilton 86

- ½ ounce Jamaican Rum, such as Appleton 8 Year

- 1 ½ ounces of Rhum Agricole, such as J.M. Blanc

- Garnish: one pineapple frond and three cocktail cherries

Directions

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

2. Shake until well chilled.

3. “Dirty dump” the contents into a chilled Pilsner glass.

4. Garnish with a pineapple frond and three cocktail cherries.

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The Amaretto Sour Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

Examining another branch of the sour cocktail family, we're joined today by friend of the show Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Portland’s Pacific Standard to talk about his self-proclaimed “Best Amaretto Sour In the World.” We will also look at the evolution of sour mix, the subtle art of beating egg whites, and the exciting resurgence of liqueurs in the cocktail space. Listen on to discover Morgenthaler’s Amaretto Sour recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Amaretto Sour Recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of rich simple syrup (2:1)
½ ounce lightly beaten egg white
1 ounce of lemon juice
¾ ounce of cask-strength bourbon
1 ½ ounces of Amaretto
Garnish: Lemon peel, brandied cherry

Directions

Add all ingredients to a shaker with several large ice cubes.
Shake until chilled.
Strain into a 10-ounce Old Fashioned glass.
Top with ice and garnish with a lemon twist and a brandied cherry on a toothpick, tucked into the lemon peel.

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The Hot Toddy Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

Something sweet, something strong, and something hot — that’s all it takes to throw together a tasty Hot Toddy, according to Pip Hanson, beverage director of Minneapolis’ O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. Of course, this being Cocktail College, we’ll explore each of those components in much greater detail, and learn about Toddies (hot and cold) as a historic category of drinks. Listen on to discover Hanson’s Hot Toddy recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Pip Hanson’s Hot Toddy Recipe

Ingredients

- Boiling water

- 1 ⅓ ounces whiskey, such as Keeper’s Heart 110 proof

- ½ ounce milliliters piloncillo (unrefined raw cane) sugar syrup

- Lemon peel

Directions

1. Shock (heat) a handled Hot Toddy glass with boiling water.

2. Add sugar, lemon peel, and whiskey.

3. Mix well.

4. Top with 8 to 10 ounces boiling water.

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The Blue Hawaii Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

For many, the Blue Hawaii may conjure images of kitschy Hawaiian shirts and Jimmy Buffet concerts, but rest assured this cocktail has a rich, complex history that reaches far beyond its novel, neon blue color and elaborate garnishes. Garret Richard, chief cocktail officer at New York’s Sunken Harbor Club and author of the upcoming book, “Tropical Standard,” takes the hot seat today to discuss the Blue Hawaii’s history and lead us in remembering its creator, the late Harry Yee. Listen on to discover Richard’s Blue Hawaii recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Garret Richard’s Blue Hawaii Recipe

Ingredients

- 1 ounce sour mix (recipe follows)

- 1 ½ ounces fresh pineapple juice

- ¾ ounce Denizen white rum

- ¾ ounce vodka or coconut-oil-washed Plymouth gin

- ½ ounce Giffard blue curaçao

- 1 tsp of gum syrup (or cane syrup)

- 5 drops of saltwater solution (8 parts water, 2 parts salt)

- 12 ounces of crushed ice

- Garnish: pineapple leaf and wedge, orchid, and blue cocktail umbrella

Sour Mix

- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice

- ½ ounce of lime punch syrup (lime juice, oleo saccharum sugar, citric, and malic acid, all to taste)

Directions

1. Combine sour mix, pineapple juice, rum, vodka (or gin), blue curaçao, gum syrup, saltwater solution, and 8 ounces of crushed ice in a large tin.

2. Flash blend for 3-5 seconds.

3. Put remaining 4 ounces of crushed ice into a Hurricane glass.

4. Pour blended mixture into glass.

5. Garnish with a pineapple leaf, pineapple wedge, orchid, and blue cocktail umbrella.

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The Sex on the Beach Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

More than just an evocative name, the Sex on the Beach is brimming with ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia, and arrives topped with a fun (if questionable) backstory. Leading us on a vibrant trip down memory lane is Houston’s Alba Huerta, owner of the James Beard Award winning Julep. Listen on to discover Huerta’s Sex on the Beach recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Alba Huerta’s Sex on the Beach Recipe

Ingredients

- ¾ ounce Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom

- ¾ ounce vodka

- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice

- ¾ ounce cranberry juice

- ½ ounce crème de pêche

- ½ ounce orange juice

- ¼ ounce simple syrup

- Garnish: dehydrated lemon wheel

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.

2. Shake until well chilled.

3. Strain into a Double Old Fashioned glass filled with ice.

4. Garnish with dehydrated lemon wheel.

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The Irish Coffee Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

While simple in composition, the Irish Coffee is a bonafide cocktail and deserves to be treated like one. Helping us do so today is Jillian Vose, former bar manager and beverage director of the Dead Rabbit, and co-owner of Charleston’s soon-to-open Hazel and Apple. Listen on to learn everything you need to know about the Irish Coffee from one of the world’s leading experts on the drink — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

The Dead Rabbit and Jillian Vose’s Irish Coffee Recipe

Ingredients

- 1 ounce Irish whiskey

- 3 ¼ ounces drip coffee

- ¾ ounce rich Demerara simple syrup (2:1)

- 1 ounce freshly whipped cream

Directions

1. Add whiskey, warm coffee, and simple syrup to a warm, 6-ounce coffee glass.

2. Top with whipped cream.

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The Sherry Cobbler Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

While the Sherry Cobbler taps into the modern trend of lower-ABV cocktails, it’s safe to say that its golden era remains a distant memory. This drink was, as startender Harry Johnson noted in 1888, “without doubt the most popular beverage in the country.” Still, there remains much to enjoy and explore here, including the Sherry Cobbler’s role in inspiring themed bars across the Atlantic and spreading the practice of drinking through a straw. Melissa Brooke, bar director at New York’s PS, joins us to today to unpack all of this and more. Listen on to learn her Sherry Cobbler recipe — and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe!

Melissa Brooke’s Sherry Cobbler Recipe

Ingredients

- ½ ounce simple syrup

- 3 orange slices

- 2 ounces Lustau Amontillado sherry

- Garnish: fresh berries

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Hard shake until well chilled.

3. Strain into a chilled highball or snifter glass.

4. Top with crushed ice.

5. Garnish with fresh berries.