the cocktails currently inspiring us...
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Kyle
May 21, 2026
I often question what qualifies as a "craft cocktail." There is definitely a spectrum, but would a Negroni be considered a craft cocktail? These are mass-produced ingredients that are combined, diluted and chilled according to a recipe. So, if that qualifies, does a Margarita made with Tequila and a mass-produced Margarita mix also qualify? Where is the line?
With today's cocktail, we have left that line FAR behind. Each ingredient used has been crafted and altered to serve the end product. The Gin gets some olive oil, is shaken, frozen, and then strained to create a spirit with a viscous mouth feel and a subtle/savory olive note. This is the perfect compliment to the tomato water cordial, which is basically one of the most food science'd ingredients we've ever used: separate the clear tomato water from a couple large beefsteak tomatoes by freezing them, grating them, and straining out the solids. That water is then acid-adjusted with citric and malic acid to the tartness of lime, sweetened with sugar, and then lightly salted. These 2 ingredients are combined, shaken, and double strained to reveal what is a Gimlet first, followed by the unmistakeable flavor of olive oil-drizzled tomatoes.
This was such a fun cocktail to put together, and we would LOVE to get this on a signature cocktail menu the next time you need mobile bartending services from Rumble+Stir.
CHEERS!
Recipe:
2 1/2 oz Olive Oil-washed Gin
2 oz Tomato Water Cordial
Garnish: 3 Cherry Tomatoes
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Kaelin
May 8, 2026
Making the Graceful Cannonball was super fun. The original intention was to make a Hugo Spritz into something other than a Spritz. Gin felt like a good liquor replacement for the champagne, considering that it would pair well with St Germain.
As someone who has only bartended for a couple of years, I took a lot of advice from other Rumble+Stirrers -- they mentioned that citrus was going to be needed to make this work, so we went with fresh lemon juice. From there, I added a splash of simple because I am a child who likes a little sugar in my cocktails.
At this point, we had some definite ingredients for the cocktail, but it was still missing something. I tried raspberry syrup, and split the citrus between lemon and lime. This still didn't really get at what I was looking for.
Then a long came Dry Curaçao, which allowed the Gin to pop a little more. Overall this was a really fun cocktail to develop, and I ended up learning a lot from the process. I highly recommend trying this one as Summer approaches!
Cheers!
Recipe:
2 oz Gin
1/2 oz St Germain
1/2 oz Dry Curaçao
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
Splash of Simple Syrup
1 dash Bitters
Garnish: Cocktail Cherry Bomb
Shake, double strain + bombs away!
Kyle
May 1, 2026
One of our favorite parts of being an event bartending service is when clients request a signature cocktail that goes beyond the classics. In many instances, they are looking for something significant within the context of the occassion that they are celebrating.
Welcome to Graduation Party Season, and the hunt we did for a drink that would represent a Graduate's future alma mater in Charleston, SC. This search led us directly to a very old recipe: the Charleston Light Dragoon Punch. This is an 18th century, large-format punch that would have been very popular among a certain, unfortunate section of South Carolina's population. I'll let you do the math.
In any case, this follows the classic Barbados Punch formula: One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, and Four of Weak. The end product is southern comfort in a glass (um, not that Southern Comfort). This would be a DYNAMITE punch to serve at your first summer pool party. FYI, we took a little creative license with the brandy ingredient, using some leftover Hibiscus-infused Cognac (see the "Tea Sting" below), and Applejack. *CHEF'S KISS* + CHEERS!
One
Recipe:
6 1/2 oz Blend of Hibiscus-Infused Cognac and Applejack
1 1/2 oz Jamaican Rum
1/2 oz Peach Liqueur
1 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
6 1/2 oz Chilled Black Tea
1 3/4 oz Sugar
top with Sparkling Water
Garnish: Lemon Wheel
Batch, stir, pour, top + garnish
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Kyle
April 24, 2026
This is an original drink that started out with the question: what would a Mezcal Cosmo taste like? The answer was "Not Good," but I saw a glimmer of hope. So I subbed Grapefruit for Cranberry Juice. That version tasted a little flat: bright but not much character.
Now, anyone who has created a cocktail knows that you can't go much beyond a third attempt, due to the impending drunk factor. So there was some pressure on version #3
I noticed with version #2, that there was a black pepper note trying to emerge. From a recent cocktail discovery (the "Hail Mary"), I knew that Suze could get us there. And I also thought that using a Curacao instead of Triple Sec might balance out the brightness.
Sure enough, #3 delivered, and in a way that was way more surprising and interesting than where this experiment started.
Definitely note that a teaspoon of Suze is a great idea for cocktails that just don't have that special something. Cheers!
Recipe:
1 oz Reposado Tequila
1 oz Mezcal
3/4 oz Curacao
1 tsp Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
Splash of Agave
Pinch of Salt
Garnish: Grapefruit Wedge
Shake, strain + garnish
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Kyle
April 17, 2026
I get very excited when my research reveals a drink like this one. It's as if it was sitting under my nose this whole time, because I am a big fan of Old-Fashioneds, Aged Rum, and the use of banana in cocktails. I should note that this is not my own creation, but comes from the modern legend Sam Ross (better known for his Penicillin and Paper Plane cocktails).
Here he has created an incredible balance that not only mixes the elements masterfully, but puts the banana notes in such a surprising place within the overall flavor. Let me use this moment to highlight the gem that is Giffard's Banane du Bresil -- a banana liqueur that is made from macerated and steeped ripe banana peels. This is not the candy banana flavor many fear, but lends a natural extension of the Aged Rum notes. The end product is something like an exquisite Old-Fashioned instead of a Banana Bread sweet thing. I highly recommend it, and encourage you to shake down your local bartender for this one. CHEERS!
Recipe:
1 1/2 oz Bonded Bourbon
1/2 oz Aged Rum
1/2 oz Banane du Bresil Liqueur
3 dashes Bitters
Garnish: Orange Peel
Stir, strain + garnish
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Kyle
April 10, 2026
Here is a very out-of-the-box stirred cocktail, that comes from bartender and bar owner, Maks Pazuniak, of New Orlean's Cure and Brooklyn's Jupiter Disco. This cocktail exists at the crossroads of a Boulevardier and a Vieux Carré; but the originality of the end product departs from those classics, and creates a flavor journey that our favorite drinks always seem to possess.
When you start a stirred cocktail with aged rum, you have our attention. You're going to use Bénédictine? Heck yes...Ok, now Cynar (artichoke-based amaro), a drop of smoky Islay Scotch (there's the cigar), a dash of bitters, and a rinse of absinthe. This has delicate and subtle written all over it, and although the drink is a strong one, each element holds its own and creates a fruity, floral, herbal, and smoky sipping experience. This won't be for everyone, but if you like strong, complex drinks and aren't afraid of a little smoke, we cannot recommend this highly enough. CHEERS!
Recipe:
1 3/4 oz Aged Carribean Rum
1/2 oz Bénédictine
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Laphroaig Select Scotch
1 dash Bitters
Absinthe Rinse
No Garnish
Stir, rinse + strain
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Kyle
April 2, 2026
At Rumble+Stir, we spend a lot of our time focusing on sipping cocktails with a stronger base spirit. For example, we love when a highproof Rum or Whiskey can have a profound impact on an everyday classic. With that said, as springtime approaches, refreshing, lower-proof long drinks start to sound a little more appealing.
The Americano is a cross between a Negroni and an Aperitif Highball. Instead of Whiskey or Gin, we have Sweet Vermouth and Amaro, which is then lengthened with sparkling water. The end result is a very pleasing and hydrating bitter-sweet experience.
This is also a good moment to highlight the ever-expanding world of Vermouth. Although Vermouth has been an afterthought left un-refrigerated at many bars, the masters of the craft are creating truly special products -- more herbal, botanical, and acidic than your typical liquor cabinet stalwarts. Although we have always sworn by Carpano Antiqua as THE option for sweet vermouth, the di Torino category has been turning our heads lately. We highly recommend the Cocchi Vermouth di Torino used in this version of The Americano. Cheers!
Recipe:
1 oz Vermouth di Torino
1 oz Campari
Top with Sparkling Water
Garnish: Orange Peel
Build in glass + garnish
Patrick
March 26, 2026
The Stinger is a cocktail that functions as a stirred, boozy, breath mint. Meant for after dinner refreshment, this classic is pretty one note and due for an update. I went ahead and infused cognac with hibiscus, a bright, colorful tea leaf that brings out the floral, fruity notes in cognac. I also cut back on the mint liqueur and added a small amount of amaretto, a classic Italian dessert flavor. The drink must be stirred for a good long while and tasted to be sure it is properly diluted. We’ll serve this in a chilled nick and Nora, finished with two spritzes of orange blossom water and lemon peel expression. No other garnish, the color of this one speaks for itself.
Recipe:
1.75 oz Hibiscus-infused Cognac
0.75 oz Creme de Menthe
0.25 oz Amaretto
Garnish: Lemon Oils + 2 Sprays of Orange Blossom Water
Stir, strain + garnish
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Kyle
March 19, 2026
This cocktail was the result of a recent collaboration with a U of R Simon business school student group. The prompts included a gin drink that could pay homage to a science club. Our first thought was to use an advanced technique that required hands-on preparation -- or something scienc-y. Our second thought was the Penicillin cocktail (Scotch, lemon, ginger-honey syrup, smoky Islay Scotch float).
First of all, lemon, ginger, and honey all work perfectly with gin, so that format was an easy choice. But what were we going to do for that smoky Scotch float?
Enter Cocktail Air, a lighter-than-air foam that is achieved with Sucrose Esters and a fish tank bubbler. Our air was made from Lapsang Souchong tea - a Chinese black tea, smoked with pine wood. And so the final result is a deliciously ginger-forward, slightly-smoky, floral lemonade. The name "Air Medicine" comes from what our 6 year old calls Albuterol (post-covid kid respiratory viruses are no joke!)
Recipe:
2 oz Gin
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Ginger-Honey Syrup
Garnish: Lapsang Souchong Cocktail Air
Shake, double strain, top with air
Isabelle
March 10, 2026
Isabelle didn't send me any words about this cocktail, but she didn't need to -- the drink speaks for itself. As a self-described Dirty Martini connoisseur, she is always looking for the perfect savory flavors to elevate a Gin cocktail.
Her Pickled Gibson is a 10/10. We made the brine with peeled, pearl red onions; garlic; white vinegar; water; sugar; and salt. At the 2:1 (Gin:Brine) ratio, the light magenta color rocks your world -- but the taste launches you directly to Planet Dirty Martini. The salt and sugar collaborate to elevate the botanicals of the gin and the acid of the vinegar, while the dilution from stirring balances this into a very drinkable treat.
The garnish is also ingenious: it's like having a purple and white mum floating in place of the Gibson's classic white onion. Cheers!
Recipe:
2 oz Gin
1 oz Pickled Red Onion Brine
Dry Vermouth Rinse
Pinch of Salt
Garnish: Pearl Red Onion Flower
Stir, rinse, strain, garnish
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Tanner
February 12, 2026
Unsurprisingly, I’m a fan of the NY Sour. Here’s why:
If I’m not having a beer, I’m probably having a glass of red wine or a dram. And why not combined both? The NY Sour combines the best of both worlds and still has the nice fluffiness of a traditional whiskey sour.
The first couple sips are heavier on the wine due to the float, and then the flavors mix as you sip, making for a light, tasty cocktail that is perfect year-round, despite wine and whiskey usually being winter/holiday timed favorites.
You can go with bourbon for a sweeter, summery version or use rye for extra spice and warmth on a winter evening. I prefer using honey syrup in lieu of traditional simple — to limit the sweetness of the cocktail.
Recipe:
2 oz Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1 dash Bitters
1 Egg White
Dry Red Wine
Garnish: Bitters
Shake with ice; dry shake without ice. Double strain, float wine and garnish.
Tanner
February 12, 2026
Unsurprisingly, I’m a fan of the NY Sour. Here’s why:
If I’m not having a beer, I’m probably having a glass of red wine or a dram. And why not combined both? The NY Sour combines the best of both worlds and still has the nice fluffiness of a traditional whiskey sour.
The first couple sips are heavier on the wine due to the float, and then the flavors mix as you sip, making for a light, tasty cocktail that is perfect year-round, despite wine and whiskey usually being winter/holiday timed favorites.
You can go with bourbon for a sweeter, summery version or use rye for extra spice and warmth on a winter evening. I prefer using honey syrup in lieu of traditional simple — to limit the sweetness of the cocktail.
Recipe:
2 oz Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1 dash Bitters
1 Egg White
Dry Red Wine
Garnish: Bitters
Shake with ice; dry shake without ice. Double strain, float wine and garnish.
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Kyle
January 30, 2026
The snow keeps falling on Rochester, NY. Let's eat lots of soup and drink lots of warm cocktails. I was taught about Mexican Hot Chocolate about 8 years ago from one of my favorite chefs in NYC -- a chef de cuisine named Juan Merino. I watched as he poured a few pounds of artisanal chocolate disks into a huge vat of milk, followed by a puzzling amount of cinnamon sticks and dried chipotle. From there he simmered it for a few hours, skimming off any skin that formed on the top. According to him, the real way to do this was with an egg. Maybe we try that next.
In any case, the key to our favorite hot chocolate is the mix of a perfectly fatty milk with a balanced ratio of cocoa to sweetened chocolate. The earthiness of the cinnamon and dried chipotle makes this a hot chocolate worthy of a lumberjack or caballero! Stay warm! CHEERS!
Recipe:
1 1/2 oz Cimarron Reposado Tequila
3 oz Mexican Hot Chocolate (milk simmered with cocoa powder, milk chocolate chips, cinnamon, dried chipotle)
Garnish: Dried chipotle
Add all ingredients in a hot mug and garnish.
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Kyle
January 25, 2026
We are in the middle of the biggest snow storm of the season thus far. The snow is at knee-height and is still coming. This calls for a warm cup of something. Warm cocktails are not always at the front of people's minds, but when they are, the most common is Irish Coffee or a Hot Toddy. The Hot Toddy is made with whiskey (or rum), lemon, honey, and hot water -- this is basically winter-time medicine (in a good way!). We LOVE that cocktail so much, that we also love playing with the format: using different hot teas instead of water, constructing it with more complex sweeteners like cinnamon syrup or a liqueur, or adding bitters. But our FAVORITE variation is made with Applejack. Applejack is a brandy made from distilled apples, and our go-to, Laird's, makes a bonded expression (100 proof, aged for 4 years).
The slight fruitiness adds a little extra hug on top of an already perfect winter drink. We highly recommend serving it with a cinnamon stick for stirring, and make sure that water is PIPING hot. CHEERS!
Recipe:
2 oz Laird's Bottled-in-Bond Applejack
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup (3:1)
3 oz Hot Water
Garnish: Cinnamon Stick
Add all ingredients in a hot mug, and stir with a cinnamon stick.
Kyle
January 13, 2026
One of our favorite classics is a Dry Gin Martini with a twist. That sounded awfully good during a recent trip to Vern's. For those unaware, Vern's is one of Rochester's food+bev gems: a very cool, Italian-inspired bar and restaurant situated right on Park Ave. Before arriving, we had a grapefruit-flavored snack, the remnants of which lingered for a while. So when we took that first sip of the Martini, the bright complexity of the grapefruit had a wonderful effect on the overall experience of the drink. Why not let others in on the fun?
So, approaching the Dry Pompelmo, we needed a citrus-forward gin. We HIGHLY recommend Tanqueray No 10 for this -- minimal juniper allows room for the orange and grapefruit peel notes to cut through. Dolin Dry Vermouth is a must - but we kept it slightly dry at 1 part to the 3 of gin. For the Grapefruit Bitters, we used 4-5 dashes of Fee Bros, but I would also be interested in trying this with Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters.
Recipe:
3 oz Tanquery No 10 Gin
1 oz Dolin Vermouth Dry
4-5 dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Garnish: Grapefruit Twist
Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.