The Buildout

De Vie

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The founders of De Vie met while working at Paris’s legendary Little Red Door, where they began to imagine a bar of their own—one that carried for...

Sip & Guzzle

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider may not seem like an obvious bartending duo at first—but that’s exactly why they work so well together. Shingo is...

Licorería Limantour

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What started as a bar opened by some of Mexico City’s most famous party promoters has become one of the world’s great cocktail institutions. On to...

Death & Company

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Death & Company is one of the most influential bars of the modern cocktail era. It helped establish the East Village as a true cocktail destinatio...

Attaboy

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How do you inherit a room as legendary as Milk & Honey—and still make it unmistakably yours? On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down wit...

Pouring Ribbons

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with acclaimed bartender Joaquin Simo to tell the full story of Pouring Ribbons—from the early build...

Shinji's

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Stepping into Shinji’s feels a bit like tumbling down the rabbit hole.Drinks arrive inside hollowed-out oranges. A Ramos Gin Fizz appears in seconds...

Clover Club

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The original idea behind Clover Club was simple: open a great bar closer to home.What wasn’t simple was the execution. When the bar debuted, no one ...

Overstory

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Perched high above the clouds, Overstory is unlike anything else in Manhattan.Launching a refined, high-end cocktail bar in the heart of the Financial...

Martiny's

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When Takuma Watanabe left Angel’s Share, he wasn’t just moving on — he was chasing a vision: to build the ultimate Japanese-style cocktail bar i...

Clemente Bar

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Why would one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world — Eleven Madison Park — open a cocktail bar? Turns out the answer isn’t “because...

Superbueno

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mexico’s bar scene has exploded over the past decade — but bartender and owner Nacho Jimenez set his sights on something different: building a New...

Double Chicken Please

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When GN Chan and Faye Chen opened Double Chicken Please, the idea of cocktails that taste like food was still a novelty in New York City. Almost immed...

Katana Kitten

31 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Masa Urushido will never take credit for the runaway success of Katana Kitten. Despite the awards and global acclaim, he insists the real story is the...

Dear Irving

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Meaghan Dorman is rightfully considered one of the OGs of New York’s craft cocktail movement—but breaking into the scene wasn’t always so...

Sunken Harbor Club

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What began as a weekly pop-up inside the now-shuttered Fort Defiance slowly evolved into one of Brooklyn’s most imaginative cocktail destinations. T...

The Long Island Bar

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ask most drinks writers to name their favorite New York City bar, and chances are you’ll hear the same answer: The Long Island Bar. But the story of...

Maison Premiere

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2011, industry veterans Joshua Boissy and Krystof Zizka quietly opened Maison Premiere on a then-sleepy stretch of Bedford Avenue—far from the bu...

The Dead Rabbit

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2013, two celebrated bartenders from Belfast arrived in New York with a single goal: to open the world’s best bar, proudly rooted in Irish herita...

schmuck.

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They built one of Europe’s most celebrated bars. But when it came time to open in New York City, how did Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy make sure t...

Introducing VinePair’s Newest Podcast The Buildout

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Introducing The Buildout — launching next week.Every great bar has a story. We’re going behind the scenes with the people who built them: the foun...

The McKirdy Martini

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After hundreds of cocktails, countless techniques, and one unforgettable journey through the art of mixology, Cocktail College is closing the tab. For...

The (Re)Gibson

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is the Gibson a garnish, a riff, or a true standalone cocktail? In this episode, Sother Teague returns to Cocktail College to unpack his favorite pick...

The Corpse Reviver No. 1

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Not all Corpse Revivers are created equal. No. 1 is dark, stirred, and elusive — a Cognac, apple brandy, and vermouth build codified in the Savoy bu...

Techniques: Solubility

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Solubility sounds wonky, but it’s really the bartender’s key to moving flavor, color, texture, and aroma with purpose. In this Techniques episode,...

The Amaro Shakerato

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can a cocktail really be made from just one ingredient? The Amaro Shakerato says yes — and proves it in this episode. Robby Dow of Wilmington’s Be...

The Air Mail

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Born in the golden age of aviation, the Air Mail combines rum, lime, honey, and Champagne into a twinkling mix of glamour and effervescence. In this e...

The Miami Vice

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Half Piña Colada, half Strawberry Daiquiri, the Miami Vice is a frozen classic that became a symbol of resort culture and blender-fueled excess. Bold...

The Monte Carlo

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Monte Carlo feels like an obvious extension of the Old Fashioned: whiskey, bitters, and Benedictine for sweetness. Under-ordered but beloved by ba...

Techniques: Rethinking Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Once dismissed as “mocktails,” non-alcoholic cocktails are now among the most exciting frontiers in modern bartending. And at Kato in Los Angeles,...

The Cameron's Kick

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Cameron’s Kick is one of the great curiosities of the cocktail canon: a split-base sour that brings Scotch and Irish whiskey together in the sam...

The Enzoni

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2001, behind the bar at London’s Match Bar, Vincenzo Errico created the Enzoni — a twist on a gin sour that’s since become a modern classic. ...

Planter's Punch

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Planter’s Punch is more than a recipe — it’s a rhyme, a debate, and a cornerstone of rum history. From “one of sour, two of sweet” to its pl...

The Aviation

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Aviation: an early 20th-century classic, pale blue and delicately perfumed, with a reputation that still splits opinion. Gin, lemon, maraschino, a...

Episode 200 Special: 30+ Years of Craft Cocktail Culture

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To mark a major milestone, we’re stepping outside our usual format to explore the evolution of cocktail culture over the last three decades — and ...

Part 3: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the final chapter of our three-part mezcal documentary, we turn our focus to the present and future of the category. Visiting the progressive palen...

Part 2: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of our three-part mezcal documentary, we travel deeper into mezcal’s past, uncovering the ghosts that continue to haunt the spirit — fro...

Part 1: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the first installment of our three-part mezcal documentary, we head deep into Oaxaca’s rugged Sierra Sur to trace the roots of this singular spir...

Trailer: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Coming July 17, we're sharing a special, three-part miniseries on the Cocktail College feed: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Futu...

The Division Bell (re-run)

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With some very exciting mezcal programming coming up here soon on Cocktail College, today we're re-sharing an episode we recorded about an important m...

The Revolver

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A bold, minimalist blend of bourbon, coffee liqueur, and orange bitters, The Revolver looks like a Manhattan, leans like an Old Fashioned, and tastes ...

The Aperol Spritz

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past two decades, the Aperol Spritz has gone from holiday staple to American warm-weather icon — and it’s not hard to see why. The ratios...

Chilean Pisco Masterclass

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re coming at you with another live episode, recorded in front of an intimate crowd of bartenders and producers, for a deep-dive into a very...

The Gin Basil Smash

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Gin Basil Smash is an herbaceous, bright green game-changer, created by Hamburg’s Joerg Meyer in 2008. Equal parts photogenic and palate-pleasin...

The Golden Glove

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Built on a backbone of Jamaican rum, lime juice, Cointreau, and sugar, the Golden Glove first appeared on the menu at Havana’s El Floridita, crafted...

The Mexican Martini

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're going to explore a drink whose origins are only loosely Mexican — and which, even in today’s landscape of endless Martini riffs, doesn...

The Pink Squirrel

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Pepto-hued Pink Squirrel might sound like something dreamed up for a milkshake menu, but it actually has a solid history. And while its name hints...

The White Russian

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Built on the bones of the Black Russian, the White Russian traditionally adds cream or milk to vodka and coffee liqueur, transforming a stiff nightcap...

The (Re)Old Fashioned (Live From the VinePair HQ)

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our first ever recording in front of a live audience at the VinePair HQ, we're revisiting the Old Fashioned, a drink that embodies the very definit...

The Diamondback

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Diamondback owes its name to the Maryland terrapin and not the similarly titled venomous snake. Still, plenty of folks meet this cocktail expectin...

Bourbon Deep-Dive With Wild Turkey

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this very special edition of Cocktail College, we’re shaking things up and departing from a specific drink or technique to turn our focus to an i...

Remember the Maine

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Inspired by the rallying cry for a war history has often forgotten, Remember the Maine is a drink that wears its patriotism on its sleeve, and its ver...

The Tom Collins

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To be sure, the Tom Collins is a little boring on paper, but beyond its simplicity lies one of the great origin stories in cocktail history — comple...

The East India Cocktail

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

First documented in the late 1800's, the East India Cocktail combines Cognac, curaçao, fruit syrup, bitters, and maraschino liqueur. The drink has be...

Picon Bière

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

French soldier Gaétan Picon crafted his namesake liqueur — an intensely bitter, herbal, and orange-forward spirit meant to fight off fevers — in ...

The (Re)Mojito

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Few cocktails capture the essence of sunshine, simplicity, and sheer refreshment as the Mojito, a humble mix of rum, mint, lime, sugar, and soda water...

The Rusty Nail

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Rusty Nail is basically just Scotch and Drambuie, stirred over ice — no citrus, no dilution debates, no garnish wars. And yet, this two-ingredie...

The Hotel Nacional

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Named after the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba, today's tropical Daiquiri riff combines rum, pineapple, apricot liqueur, lime, and sugar, serving a per...

The Southside

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Southside is a cocktail with a split personality — part speakeasy classic, part country club staple, and depending on who you ask, a drink with ...

Techniques: Savory Cocktails

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Food-inspired cocktails, ingredient-driven drinks, and cutting-edge techniques: These are some of the key tenets of one of the hottest trends in mixol...

The (Re)Missionary's Downfall

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Few tiki and tropical drinks are as light, herbal, and dangerously sessionable as the Missionary’s Downfall. Created by Don the Beachcomber in the 1...

The Tequila Sunrise

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s sweet, it’s colorful, and it’s got a history wilder than a Rolling Stones tour bus — it’s the Tequila Sunrise. And while it might look ...

The Death in the Afternoon

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fine French sparkling wine meets absinthe in the two-ingredient Death in the Afternoon, a cocktail created by Ernest Hemingway and named after his 193...

The Fourth Regiment

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Never before on Cocktail College have we covered a cocktail that’s so defined by the inclusion of a very specific type of bitters as today’s drink...

The Singapore Sling

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When considering what makes a cocktail notable or even iconic, the Singapore Sling has a lot going for it. There’s the more than 100 years of histor...

The Mexican Firing Squad

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Mexican Firing Squad is a bonafide tequila-based classic with almost 100 years' history — despite what its '70s-disco-era-sounding name suggests...

The Lychee Martini

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might question why we're focusing on the Lychee Martini today, based upon its reputation for being overly sweet, garishly garnished, and a “Mart...

Techniques: Non-Alcoholic Cocktails (re-run)

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're partaking in Dry January, looking to dip a toe into the realm of Zebra Striping, or simply want to learn how to craft better non-alcoho...

Eggnog

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cooked or uncooked? Fresh or aged? Bourbon, Cognac, or rum-based? For this festive Cocktail College and the ultimate guide to Eggnog, we're joined by ...

The Moscow Mule

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Moscow Mule is arguably the ultimate workhorse cocktail. Equally at home in high-class bars as well as neighborhood dives, it’s a fantastic cand...

The Mimosa

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A simple but delightful brunch staple, the Mimosa has a surprisingly specific history for a mix of orange juice and sparkling wine. Today we're joined...

Techniques: Bitters (re-run)

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Spirit, sugar, water, bitters — in whatever order you like. Regular Cocktail College listeners will be very familiar with that catch-all description...

The (Re)Boulevardier

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's been almost two years since we first explored the timeless mix of Campari, American whiskey, and sweet vermouth, so now felt like an opportune mo...

A Spirited Deep Dive on Vodka

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're shifting our gaze from individual cocktails momentarily to explore a single ingredient. More specifically, one of the world's most popular spiri...

The Painkiller

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Painkiller carries unusual baggage for a tropical drink created in paradise. Those issues stem from contested origin stories — something we enco...

The Brown Derby

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're making a temporary pivot to being a grapefruit podcast today, all in the pursuit of perfecting the bourbon-based Brown Derby cocktail. Joining u...

The Angostura Sour

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite having such a simple formula — it's a sour made using aromatic bitters as the base spirit — the Angostura Sour is a much more modern creat...

Techniques: Building Faster Rounds

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our "Techniques" episodes often focus on processes and drinks that require expensive equipment and esoteric ingredients. But today we’re returning t...

The Between the Sheets

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A quasi-Sidecar riff with a triple threat of base spirits, today's subject is the Between the Sheets, a 1930's creation that all too often flies under...

The Blood and Sand

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's one of the most well-known, canonical Scotch cocktails, but is it actually good? Here to discuss and teach everything you need to know about the ...

The Chilcano

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve mastered the Pisco Sour and Punch, impressed your friends with El Capitan, now it’s time to kick back with the Chilcano, a zesty, refreshin...

The Negroni (re-run)

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this dive into the archives of Cocktail College, we're joined by Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Portland, Ore.’s Pacific Standard to discuss one of the ...

Mastering Reposado Cocktails

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Against a backdrop of explosive growth for tequila in the U.S., there remains a relative lack of classic and contemporary classic tequila cocktails —...

The Jasmine

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A riff on the Pegu Club that somehow tastes exactly like grapefruit juice? That can only be Paul Harrington's Jasmine cocktail. Paul joins us on the s...

The Bianco Negroni

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Negroni, in both its classic form and modern riffs, has won over drinkers around the world with its unique, complex bittersweet profile. Today, we...

The Paper Plane

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Ross, of Attaboy, Milk & Honey, Temple Bar, Good Guy's, and general cocktail creation fame joins us to discuss one of said creations: the Pape...

The Swampwater

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Konrad Kantor of New Orleans' Manolito Bar and Restaurant joins us today to explore — and in our opinion elevate — the Swampwater. A mix of Chartr...

The Naked and Famous

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Returning friend of the show, Joaquín Simó, joins us to discuss not only his most famous creation but one of the greatest and most well-known cockta...

The Breakfast Martini

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's one of the first "modern classics" in the canon, and we're joined by its creator, Salvatore Calabrese. The Maestro himself checks in to Cocktail ...

The Death Flip

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're traveling all the way to Melbourne, Australia today to chat with Chris Hysted-Adams and learn about one of the most interesting modern classics ...

El Diablo (re-run)

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're diving into the Cocktail College archives today to shine another light on an often-overlooked tequila-based classic: El Diablo. Here to mix up f...

The (Re)Sazerac

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A singular icon in the pantheon of American classic cocktails, the Sazerac has not experienced the same experimentation we’ve seen with the likes of...

Techniques: Mixing Wine in Cocktails

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of hosting a monthly After Hours party at the VinePair HQ, Will Patton and Devin Kennedy of D.C.’s Press Club stop by the studio to give us a ...

The Queen's Park Swizzle

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Reiner, partner of New York’s Clover Club, Leyenda, and Milady’s, makes a reappearance on Cocktail College to explore one of her all-time fa...

The Improved Whiskey Cocktail

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do you improve upon the very formula that brought us the Old Fashioned? Subjectively speaking, many may argue that it's impossible. But from a tec...

The Stinger

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Laura Maddox, bar manager-owner at Austin's Small Victory, joins us today to dissect the Stinger. Dubbed "the king of after-dinner cocktails," Laura t...

The Brooklyn

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Hedges, beverage director at Laurent Tourondel Hospitality, author of “The Seasonal Cocktail,” and founding partner at the beverage consulti...

The Banana Daiquiri

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vanessa Leon, National Educator for Diageo, visits Cocktail College today to talk about a drink that's near and dear to her heart: The Banana Daiquiri...

The Cosmopolitan (re-run)

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're taking a trip in the Cocktail College time machine as we revisit our 2022 conversation with Toby Cecchini, co-owner of Long Island Bar and The R...

Techniques: Preservation

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Miles Macquarrie, beverage director and partner at Decatur, Georgia’s Kimball House joins Cocktail College for another Techniques episode, this time...