Cocktail Enthusiast.
I am mindfully enjoying alcohol.
I want to truly appreciate the art of mixology.
I carefully study each cocktail's colors, flavors, and aromas, taking note of every nuance and subtlety.
I approach each drink as if it were a masterpiece to be savored and admired.
I aim to share my journey through the spirits I taste, the cocktails I drink, and the memories I make.
Runco & Co's Cocktail Wheel
Are you feeling lucky? Follow the instructions and enjoy your cocktail. If you are uncertain of what to mix, you've come to the right place.
1. Spin Runco & Co's Cocktail Wheel*.
2. Cross your fingers.
3. Celebrate what you got (no bad options here).
4. Click below on the result you got.
* If you lost your wheel, never had one or want a different option, no problem, browse through the other categories.
If you don't find a suitable option, I'm happy to chat and recommend something.
Old-Fashioned
The Old-Fashioned is one of the true classics in cocktail history. A sophisticated blend of bourbon, bitters, soda, and sugar, the Old-Fashioned cocktail has roots that go all the way back to the 1800s! The name comes from how it is made, with people heading to cocktail bars and requesting their drink be created in the ‘old fashioned way.’
Its defining traits of this type of drink are: is a spirit-driven cocktail, balanced by a small amount of sweetness, season with bitters the wrap up the drink, and garnish with citrus oils to enhance the experience. This simple formula makes it easy to mix but an ideal opportunity for exploration.
Old-Fashioned
- 2oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
- 1tsp Demerara Syrup*
- 2dash Angostura Bitters
- 1dash Orange Bitters
- Garnish: Orange Twist
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: stir over ice in a mixing glass. Then strain into a double rocks glass over one giant ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.
* You can substitute with Simple Syrup.
Chili Dip
- 2oz Tequila Añejo
- 1/4oz Ancho Reyes Original
- 1/4oz Pineapple Syrup*
- 2dash Orange Bitters
- Garnish: Orange Twist
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a double rock glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist over the drink, then drop it in.
* You can substitute with Simple Syrup.
Oaxaca Old-Fashioned
- 1&1/2oz Tequila Reposado
- 1/2oz Mezcal
- 1tsp Agave Syrup
- 2dash Xocolatl Mole Bitters
- Garnish: Orange Twist
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a double rock glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with a flamed orange twist over the drink, then drop it in.
Vermouth Cocktail
- 2oz Vermouth Rosso
- 1/2tsp Simple Syrup
- 2dash Angostura Bitters
- 1dash Orange Bitters
- Garnish: Lemon Twist
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and strain them into a double rocks glass over one giant ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Highball
We'll never know who was the first to mix scotch with sparkling water, but it seems it was around the turn of the 20th century. This was the birth of the Whisky Highball, which indicated you were drinking scotch in a tall, or high, glass. A highball is composed of a core spirit that provides seasoning balanced by a nonalcoholic mixer, effervescent or still. From the simple combination of these two ingredients and glassware came a family of drinks that were simple, refreshing, and with lots of potential.
One of the main success factors for a highball is understanding how two ingredients can work together. This involves understanding flavor affinities and the qualities of spirits and mixers.
Gin and Tonic
- 2oz London Dry Gin
- 4oz Premium Cold Tonic
- Garnish: Lime Wedge
- Glass: Highball
- Process: pour the gin into a highball glass, then add 3 ice cubes. Stir for 3 seconds. Add the tonic water and top with ice. Stir one last time. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Bloody Mary
- 2oz Vodka
- 4oz Tomato Juice
- 3/4oz Lime Juice
- 3drops Hot Sauce
- 3/4tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/8tsp Horseradish
- 1/4tsp Spices Salt
- 1/4tsp Salt
- 1/4tsp Pepper
- Garnish: Tajin Rim. A Cherry Tomato, Olive, and Carrot on a Skewer. A Celery Stalk on the side.
- Glass: Highball
- Process: rub a lime wedge on the rim of the highball glass and rim with tajin. Fill the glass with ice cubes to the top. Add the salts, pepper, sauces, horseradish, and lime juice in a sharker and combine until smooth. Add the vodka and tomato juice to the shaker with three ice cubes. Shake all the ingredients until combined. Then double strain into the prepared highball glass. Garnish celery stalk and skewer.
Paloma
- 2oz Tequila Reposado
- 1oz Grapefruit Juice
- 1/2oz Lime Juice
- 1tsp Agave Syrup
- 4oz Grapefruit Soda
- Garnish: Grapefruit Wedge
- Glass: Highball
- Process: rim half of a highball glass with salt. Short shake all the ingredients (except soda) over ice. Strain them into the rimmed glass full of ice cubes. Top with soda and garnish with a lime wedge.
Bicicleta Robada
- 1oz Mezcal
- 1oz Campari
- 1&1/2oz Grapefruit Juice
- 1/2oz Lime Juice
- 1/2oz Simple Syrup
- Soda
- Garnish: Grapefruit Wedge
- Glass: Highball
- Process: short shake all the ingredients (except soda) over ice. Strain them into the rimmed glass full of ice cubes. Top with soda and garnish with a lime wedge.
Sidecar
The Sidecar is rumored to have been created by an American army captain stationed in Paris during World War I (though it is not the only story around). The captain rode in a motorcycle sidecar, hence the drink's name. Sidecars are related to Daiquiris, both evolving from the sour template, but the distinction of the Sidecar is the inclusion of a significant amount of flavorful liqueurs. This addition of liqueur adds a lot of complexity and mysteriousness to this cocktail type that extends well beyond this Cognac base drink.
For example, the Margarita and Cosmopolitan also fall into this category, making them very versatile and fun to use.
Sidecar
- 1&1/2oz Cognac
- 1oz Cointreau
- 3/4oz Lemon Juice
- 1tsp Simple Syrup
- Garnish: Orange Twist
- Glass: Coupe
- Process: shake all ingredients with ice and strain them into a chilled coupe glass. Express the orange twist over the drink and place it in.
Margarita
- 2oz Tequila Blanco
- 3/4oz Cointreau
- 3/4oz Lime Juice
- 1/4oz Simple Syrup
- Garnish: Salt Rim and Lime Wedge
- Glass: Double Rocks
- Process: rim half of a double rocks glass with salt. Shake all the ingredients over ice and then strain them into the rimmed glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Naked and Famous
- 3/4oz Mezcal
- 3/4oz Aperol
- 3/4oz Maraschino Liqueur
- 3/4oz Lime Juice
- Garnish: Lime Wheel
- Glass: Nick & Nora
- Process: shake all ingredients over ice and strain them into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Cosmopolitan
- 2oz Vodka
- 3/4oz Cointreau
- 1/2oz Lime Juice
- 1/2oz Cranberry Juice
- 1/2oz Simple Syrup
- Garnish: Lime Wheel
- Glass: Coupe
- Process: shake all ingredients over ice and strain them into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Negroni
A zeitgeist defining cocktail, which has a history spanning over 100 years, the Negroni can be traced back to 1919. According to the story, the drink was first concocted in Caffè Casoni by legendary barman Fosco Scarselli. Count Negroni – a bar patron, lived partly in Florence and London and traveled extensively. Back in Florence, always drinking Americanos: bitters, vermouth, and soda, the Count required a stiffener, and after drinking gin previously in London, the barman obliged, and the rest is history.
The Negroni is actually from the Martini family, whose proportions vary greatly. Because of the addition of a full ounce of Campari, as the bitter, it dials down the gin and introduces sweet vermouth to balance them both.
Negroni
- 1oz London Dry Gin
- 1oz Campari
- 1oz Vermouth Rosso
- Garnish: Orange Wedge
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: stir over ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a double rocks glass over one giant ice cube. Garnish with an orange wedge.
Luxardo White
- 1&1/2oz London Dry Gin
- 1oz Cocchi Americano Vermouth Blanc
- 3/4oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
- Garnish: Orange Twist
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a double rock glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist over the drink, then drop it in.
La Rosita
- 2oz Tequila Reposado
- 1/2oz Campari
- 1/2oz Vermouth Rosso
- 1/2oz Dry Vermouth
- 1dash Angostura Bitters
- Garnish: Orange Twist
- Glass: Coupe
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
Mezcalero
- 1oz Mezcal
- 1oz Vermouth Blanc
- 1oz Aperol
- Garnish: Grapefruit Twist
- Glass: Single Rock
- Process: stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Strain them into a rocks glass over one big ice cube. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Daiquiri
The simplicity of the Daiquiri cocktail must not fool you. It is a modest combination of rum, lime juice, and sugar, shaken and served up. But, it is said that to be an absolute master bartender, you must master the daiquiri recipe. The Daiquiri is part of the sours family, a broad cocktail class that combines spirit, citrus, and sweetener. It is an excellent template for experimentation and creativity.
It was invented in the iron mines of Daiquiri in Cuba when American engineer Jennings S. Cox established a rum ration for the workers in the iron mines. Later, using ingredients available to him, he experimented with different blends to finally produce a Daiquiri.
Daiquiri
- 2oz White Rum
- 3/4oz Lime Juice
- 1/2oz Simple Syrup
- Garnish: Lime Wedge
- Glass: Coupe
- Process: shake all ingredients with ice. And strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Grapefruit Collins
- 2oz London Dry Gin
- 1&1/2oz Grapefruit Juice
- 1/2oz Lemon Juice
- 1/2oz Simple Syrup
- 4dash Peychaud’s Bitters
- 2oz Soda
- Garnish: Grapefruit slice
- Glass: Highball
- Process: pour the soda into a highball glass. Short shake the rest of the ingredients in a shaker. Then strain into the highball glass previously filled with soda. Fill the glass with ice cubes and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Moscow Mule
- 2oz Vodka
- 1/2oz Lime Juice
- 3/4oz Ginger Syrup
- Club Soda
- Garnish: Lime Wedge
- Glass: Copper Julep
- Process: short shake all the ingredients with three ice cubes in a shaker. Strain into a bronze mug or julep filled with ice. Top with soda. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serve with a straw.
Agave Smash
- 1&1/2oz Tequila Reposado
- 1/2oz Mezcal
- 1/2oz Lemon Juice
- 1/2oz Agave Syrup
- 6 Blueberries
- Garnish: Blueberries on a Pick
- Glass: Double Rock
- Process: In a shaker combine the blueberries, agave, and lemon juice. Muddle until extracting the blueberry juice. Add the tequila and mezcal with ice. Shake until chilled and double strain into a double rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Add 4 blueberries on a pick for garnish.
Martini
Iconic classic cocktail. The myth says that an Italian Bartender in the famous Knickerbocker bar at NYC made a riff of "The Martinez" (a cocktail that first appeared in Jerry Thomas Bartender's Manual in the late 1880s) to Mr. Rockfeller by substituting the ingredients for dry gin, dry vermouth, and bitters—suggesting a new name for the drink: Martini. But no one really knows the true story.
Traditionally stirred, not shaken, a Martini is a composition of dry gin (or vodka thanks to James Bond), dry vermouth, bitters, and garnish. The two key factors of the Martini are the ratio between gin and vermouth and the type of garnish you choose for the cocktail. A classic Martini can be garnished with olives, lemon peel, or pickled onions.
Martini
- 2oz Gin or Vodka
- 1oz Dry Vermouth
- 1dash Orange Bitters
- Garnish: Olives, Pickled Onions, or Lemon Twist
- Glass: Martini
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with your preferred option.
Manhattan
- 2oz Rye Whiskey
- 1oz Vermouth Rosso
- 2dash Angostura Bitters
- Garnish: Brandied Cherry
- Glass: Martini
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino brandied cherry.
Expresso Martini
- 1&1/2oz Vodka
- 1/2oz Baileys Irish Cream
- 1oz Expresso Coffee
- 1/2oz Coffee Liqueur
- Garnish: Coffee Beans
- Glass: Martini
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with fresh coffee beans.
The Bandolier
- 1&1/2oz Mezcal
- 3/4oz Vermouth Blanc
- 1/2oz Ancho Reyes Liqueur
- Garnish: Jalapeño Slice
- Glass: Martini
- Process: stir all the ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a seedless jalapeño slice.