Tahitian Rum Punch

The second most common juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; 4% from citric and 2% from malic, with small amounts of succinic acid (this is what gives it a little bloody taste). Lime juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A juice used in some cocktails for its tart and acidic properties. Grapefruit juice can be pre-squeezed and kept fresh for many days like orange juice, unlike lemon and lime juice.

A citrus juice used in many cocktails, both for its sweet and tart taste and its color. Orange juice, unlike lemon and lime, can be kept fresh for days. In a blind taste test, most people liked day-old orange juice.

A tropical fruit, used in many tropical cocktails for its sweet flavor and yellow color. You can either juice a real pineapple, buy pineapple canned in juice (not syrup) or buy pineapple juice in a container.

A wine made from non-colored grape pulp (skin removed), primarily white grapes.

Produced by moderate aging (3-8 years) of molasses-based rums. Flavor profiles vary: some recipes call for a lighter Spanish-style rum (e.g., from Puerto Rico or Cuba), while others call for a richer rum from Barbados (Mount Gay, Doorly's) or Jamaica (Appleton Signature).

Often referred to as silver or white, these rums are actually lightly aged (1-3 years), but have had their color removed by charcoal filtering. They are molasses based (as opposed to the cane juice-based rhum agricole, clairin, or cachaça). Flavors range from light (Bacardi, Caña Brava, Plantation 3 Star, El Dorado 3) to more flavorful (Probitas, Ten-To-One).

A sweet, banana flavored liqueur usually around 17-25% ABV.

This syrup swaps in golden-hued demerara or turbinado sugar as opposed to processed/bleached white sugar. This gives a deeper, almost caramel-like flavor with a funky molasses nose popular in tropical drinks. We always use 1:1 syrup unless otherwise noted in the recipe itself.

A liquid produced from macerating vanilla pods in ethanol. To be considered 'pure' the solution must contain a minimum of 35% alcohol and 100g of vanilla beans per litre. One drop goes a long way.

Aromatic plants used in cocktails as a garnish or muddled into the liquor to add a light fresh taste. Common in the Mint Julep.