Here’s a little beauty I shot for my friends over at Palomar in Portland. Honestly, you’d have to be trying pretty hard to take a bad photo in this space– there’s just so much natural light and good vibes.

Plenty of bars nowadays put out menus of classic cocktails with a “new spin.” Generally this means they just added an ingredient to an Old Fashioned 🤷‍♂️ However, Palomar owner Ricky Gomez is a master at making subtle tweaks to classic recipes that help elevate them vs. creating “new” riffs. It’s a fine line for sure, but it’s a noticeable difference.

Take the below for example: this is not Palomar’s riff on an El Presidente. It’s just an El Presidente cocktail. But Gomez swaps out the orange curaçao for Amaro Nonino (a bittersweet, herbal digestif) and adds a touch of Oaxacan rum for a little bit of funky complexity. It’s still the classic prohibition-era drink, but with some expert adjustments that bring it up to par with modern cocktails.

Palomar Portland cocktail — ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Añejo rum
3/4 oz Bianco Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Paranubes Oaxacan Rum
1 tsp quality grenadine

instructions:

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Express an orange peel over the top, then discard.

More cocktail recipes:

High-Proof Preacher Blog

Pineapple Demerara Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned meets… well… Pineapple! The star ingredient in this cocktail is Pineapple Demerara syrup- and it’s definitely worth making! The syrup itself can be a bit inconsistent, so you may need to adjust the amount you add to the cocktail to properly balance it.

Blended Piña Colada

It’s cold and rainy today, so it’s hardly the right time for blended Piña Coladas. Or maybe it’s the perfect time?

Islay Daiquiri

The Daiquiri is the perfect island drink, so I love the idea of making a version that uses Islay Scotch: whisky that is made on the Scottish island of Islay.

Smoked Rum Negroni

Smoked Old Fashioneds are way overdone– so I guess it’s time to start smoking Negronis. Also, if you haven’t made a Negroni using funky Jamaican rum, what are you even doing with your life? It’s hard to truly improve on a classic, but if I’m being honest, I’ll take this combo over the classic Gin-Campari-Vermouth spec any day.

Vanilla Bean Daiquiri

I had the honor of visiting Belize to check out the Copalli Rum distillery and their organic farm. One afternoon, a bartender that worked at the distillery made me a Copalli Rum daiquiri made with syrup that was infused with freshly harvested vanilla. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since– it was just so good!

Jungle Bird

This is one of those rare cocktails where I will tell you it doesn’t matter that much how precise you are with measuring. Yeah you want to get the general proportions right, but a little extra pineapple juice or a little less Campari isn’t going to hurt anything.

It's Not Rocket Surgery

This creation calls for a split base of funky pot still rum and my very favorite: Yellow Chartreuse. The eye-catching purple float on top of the drink is none other than Empress Gin of Instagram fame, which is made with indigo Butterfly Pea blossoms. As the gin sinks and mixes with the rest of the drink, it forms a soft gradient…

Mai Tai

There are few other cocktails that have the unique ability to transport the imbiber to faraway beaches with a single sip. Behold the humble (or not-so-humble) Mai Tai. Like the margarita, daiquiri and a whole slew of other famed tropical-ish cocktails, the Mai Tai’s popularity was also its downfall. Chain restaurants and cruise ships have rendered this Tiki classic almost unrecognizable from its former glory.

Daiquiri

A classic daiquiri is one of the most delicious and simple cocktails you could make. Sadly a lot of people hear “daiquiri” and immediately picture a sugary, frozen boat drink that is meant to be consumed aboard an overcrowded cruise ship. Although this classic drink has certainly been bastardized by restaurant chains and cruise lines alike, you simply have never had a real daiquiri until you’ve made one like this.

Tropical Tux

Cognac Old Fashioned cocktail meets... tiki? Whatever it is, this cocktail recipe is an especially good one. Stirred and boozy, but with strong tropical vibes– try it out and let me know what you think!

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