In simple recipes, the little things count. This margarita variation gets a caramelly richness from aged tequila and agave nectar, bumped up with grilled lemon halves. The fruit gets browned quickly, then adds a slightly sweet, toasty flavor to the drink.
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One-Bottle Cocktail: Olivia Flip
This remarkable drink draws out the floral, peppery character of aged tequila by pairing the spirit with a little good olive oil. While the drink also includes a whole egg, which helps the flavorful oil to emulsify properly, this is nothing like heavy eggnog. It’s light and subtle on the palate.
One-Bottle Cocktail: El Gallito
This rare treasure, an umami-rich sweet-salty-smoky chipotle number, balances juicy pineapple with grassy green cilantro. It straddles the line between sweet and savory: a handful of cherry tomatoes tamps down the fruity flavor without pushing the drink into full-on Bloody Mary territory.
One-Bottle Cocktail: Can’t Elope in Panama
When melons are in season, it’s hard to beat their juicy, subtly floral flavor in drinks. For this cocktail, muddle up a few melon cubes, amp up the juice with lime and sugar, and shake it all with rum and a few aromatic cilantro leaves for a play on the daiquiri that’s really easy to love.
One-Bottle Cocktail: New World Spritz
This rum punch will please both cocktail newbies and seasoned sippers. Watermelon adds a fresh fruity flavor, while rum contributes a touch of vanilla (and depending on which rum you pick, a little funky richness). Tonic water helps each sip conclude on a mouthwateringly crisp and just slightly bitter note.
One-Bottle Cocktail: Walkabout
Made with sweet, ripe tangerines, mandarins, or clementines, this cocktail pops with enough juicy orange flavor to bring you out of any cold-weather doldrums. A pinch of ground turmeric gives the cocktail a delicate savory character.
