Curated by Principal Bartender Sondre Kasin, COQODAQ’s cocktails offer an innovative twist on classics. One of the hero cocktails is The Egg, COQODAQ’s take on the classic Vodka Soda which has been a staple cocktail for many over time.
The goal behind The Egg cocktail was to create something visually fun and creative without being too over the top. The simplicity, purity, and non-pretentiousness of a vodka soda is what the team wanted the flavor to be. So the question when making The Egg was how to stay true to the feel of the vodka soda, but at the same time make it “elevated” and with a COQODAQ twist.
Grey Goose was Sondre’s vodka of choice as it is a beautifully nuanced vodka that is clean in flavor and has an elegant mouthfeel to it. In addition, the Jasmine and St Germain Elderflower liqueur added unique elements of flavor and roundness, whereas the verjus brought in acidity.
The result is a clear cocktail presentation that resembles that of a vodka soda, and then the lychee is incorporated into the egg ice cube. The team uses techniques from gelato making to ensure a frothy creamy consistency as the lychee egg melts over time, which provides both flavor and texture.
Earth Day is just around the corner so there’s no better time to highlight the growing trend of herb-enhanced and sustainable cocktails along with brands making sustainable efforts! Check out the below for some inspiration and products working on making a change!
Trading Post
Simple. Zesty. Bursting with flavor. This effervescent drink achieves maximum flavor with minimal effort. But don’t skimp out on the shiso leaf garnish—it adds a bright nose to the cocktail, reminiscent of mint or basil.
1 oz Broken Shed Vodka
3 oz lime and yuzu soda
Garnish: 1 shiso leaf
Add Broken Shed Vodka into a glass filled with ice. Top with lime and yuzu soda and stir. Garnish with the shiso leaf.
Second Nature
Broken Shed. Crushed ice. Lychee, coconut, lime juice… and the surprising kicker – lavender bitters. This tropical yet floral cocktail is the perfect way to cool off by the pool.
1.75 oz Broken Shed Vodka
1 oz unsweetened lychee purée
0.75 oz coconut syrup
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
1 dash lavender bitters
Garnish: mint bouquet
Short shake all the ingredients with 3 ice cubes, then strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with the mint bouquet and serve with a straw.
Mother Earth
This simple cocktail is a harvest of flavors and tastes like springtime.
1 oz. Kettle One Botanical Cucumber + Mint
0.5 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz. freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1.5 oz. Sparkling Wine
A Long Thin Cucumber Slice
Combine the Ketel One Botanical Cucumber + Mint, Elderflower Liqueur, and Fresh Lemon Juice in an ice-filled shaker and shake for at least 15 seconds. Strain into a Champagne Flute and top with Sparkling Wine. Immerse the Cucumber Slice in the glass and serve.
If you are not looking to have a cocktail, can we offer you some Champagne!? Champagne was the first wine-growing region in the world to implement a carbon footprint assessment and identify the main sources of emissions. Since the region’s carbon footprint plan was enacted in 2003, the CO2 emissions generated by each bottle of Champagne have been cut by 20 percent. The Champagne region aims to achieve a 75 percent decrease by 2050. Great stuff from our friends in Champagne!
Below are a few other brands and spirits that are working on sustainability efforts across our industry!
Ilegal Mezcal – the leading artisanal mezcal – has just shifted to 100% recycled glass bottles. All Ilegal Mezcal bottles will now be made by a family-run company that recycles 10,000 tons of glass each year at its facility in Jalisco, Mexico. A full press release can be found here. Using only fully mature 100% sustainable espadín agave, Ilegal mezcal contains no artificial colors, yeasts, flavors, or additives. Waste water at the distillery is treated and then re-used for distillation, and agave fiber waste is transformed into adobe style bricks used at the facility.
Novo Fogo Cachaça is a carbon-negative producer of USDA-certified 100% organic cachaças (Brazil’s national spirit that is known as rum’s older cousin) handcrafted at their zero waste distillery using methods that prioritize environmental and human sustainability. Their line of cachaças include a silver cachaça that is the first carbon neutral product on the market.
Have a safe and happy Earth Day and as always…. #TipYourBartenders ! Cheers all!
Our Spring Issue of Bartender, which is viewable on the main page of our site, www.Bartender.com, has a great article on Spring cocktails! But, there are so many more to see and feature from Bartenders around the world.
We wanted to continue to showcase a few like these ones below!
Filthy Animal Featured at L.A. Jackson, Nashville, Tennessee
1.5 oz Lairds Brandy
.75 oz PX Sherry
.25 oz Falernum
.25 ozCrème deCacao
.5o z Grenadine
.125 ozGingerSyrup
1oz Cranberry juice
.75oz lemon juice
Splash of Ginger Ale
Start with 1.5oz of Lairds Brandy in a shaker. Add in .75oz of PX Sherry. Add in .25oz Falernum. Add in .25oz of Creme de Cacao. Add .5oz of Grenadine to the shaker. Add .125oz of Ginger syrup, Add 1oz of Cranberry juice, Squeeze in.75oz of Lemon juice (or half of a small lemon). Shake. Then top it off with a splash of Ginger Ale.
NEGRONI BIANCO Featured at Osteria Lupo, New Orleans, LA
3/4 oz Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz Suzed’Autrefoi
1/2 oz Alpe Lys
2 bar spoons Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot
3 drops Bitterman’s Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
Stir and strain over largerock. Express and garnish with generous grapefruit peel.
Red Seal of Shimoda Featured at Sushi By Scratch, Coconut Grove, FL
1 oz pomegranate juice
1/4 oz port
1/4 oz lemon
1/2 oz honey
1 1/2 Toki Suntory Whisky
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and garnish with matcha green tea salt on rim of cocktail glass using lemon juice. Serve in a Nic & Nora glass.
Looking for more cocktails? Check out our Instagram @BartenderMagzine and our magazine!
