After hundreds of cocktails, countless techniques, and one unforgettable journey through the art of mixology, Cocktail College is closing the tab. For our final session, we’re doing something a little different: Tim is stepping into the guest seat to share his personal Martini recipe and reflect on what makes the Martini such an iconic cocktail. If you’d like to follow Tim’s next chapter, you can find him on Instagram @timmckirdy. In the meantime, let’s enjoy one last Martini together!

Tim McKirdy's Martini Recipe

- 3 ½ ounces London Dry gin, such Tanqueray or Ford’s

- ½ ounce Dolin dry vermouth

- 2 dashes Regans’ orange bitters

- Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir until well chilled.

3. Strain into a frozen Coupe glass.

4. Express and discard lemon twist to garnish.

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

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Is the Gibson a garnish, a riff, or a true standalone cocktail? In this episode, Sother Teague returns to Cocktail College to unpack his favorite pickled-onion Martini. From origins and oddities to the art of pickling itself, we explore what makes the Gibson unique — and why it’s become both a personal and community touchstone for Sother. Listen on (or read below) to discover Sother's Gibson recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Sother Teague's Gibson Recipe

- 2 ½ ounces London Dry gin, such as Hayman's

- ½ ounce Dolin dry vermouth

- 1-2 bar spoons Rakkyo brine

- Garnish: 3 pickled rakkyos

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir until well chilled.

3. Strain into a frozen Nick & Nora or Coupe glass.

4. Garnish with 1-3 pickled and chilled rakkyos.

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🎧 Related episodes:

(7) The Gibson

(54) Dirty Martini

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Sother: https://www.instagram.com/creativedrunk/

- Amor y Amargo: https://www.instagram.com/amoryamargo/

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Not all Corpse Revivers are created equal. No. 1 is dark, stirred, and elusive — a Cognac, apple brandy, and vermouth build codified in the Savoy but often overshadowed by its brighter sibling. Ben Hopkins of Brooklyn’s Pitts and Agi’s Counter joins Cocktail College to explore lineage, balance, and what it means to revive a drink with no citrus safety net. Listen on (or read below) to discover Ben's Corpse Reviver No. 1 recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Ben Hopkins' Corpse Reviver No. 1 Recipe

- 4 dashes Regans' orange bitters

- 1 ounce Method sweet vermouth

- 1 ounce Distillerie La Monnerie Calvados

- 1 ounce D'Ussé XO Cognac (or Hennessy VSOP)

- Garnish: grapefruit twist

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.

2. Stir until well chilled.

3. Double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass or brandy snifter.

4. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🎧 Related episodes:

(48) Corpse Reviver No. 2

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benhopkinsbenhopkins/

- Pitts: https://www.instagram.com/pitts_bk/

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Solubility sounds wonky, but it’s really the bartender’s key to moving flavor, color, texture, and aroma with purpose. In this Techniques episode, Eamon Rockey joins Cocktail College to turn it into a toolkit: choosing the right solvent (water, acid, alcohol, fat), when to use time/temperature/pressure (sous vide, vac machine, iSi whipper), and real-world cases (herbs, berry “consommé,” and chocolate) — plus how Rockey’s Botanical Liqueur embodies all of these ideas. Listen on to learn more — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🎧 Related episodes:

(136) Techniques: Preservation

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Eamon: https://www.instagram.com/eamonrockey/

- Rockey's Liqueur: https://www.instagram.com/rockeysliqueur/

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Can a cocktail really be made from just one ingredient? The Amaro Shakerato says yes — and proves it in this episode. Robby Dow of Wilmington’s Bespoke joins Cocktail College to explore how amari check every classic cocktail box, and why shaking different expressions side by side can lead to wildly different — and delicious — results. Listen on (or read below) to discover Robby's Amaro Shakerato recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Robby Dow's Amaro Shakerato Recipe

- 2 ounces Bràulio

Directions

1. Add Bràulio into a shaker tin with ice.

2. Shake until chilled with Kold Draft cubes — about 7 seconds.

3. Strain into the other side of the tin. Discard ice and reverse dry shake until you hear no more ice chips.

4. Strain into a frozen Nick & Nora or Coupe glass.

5. Rest for a moment before serving or drinking.

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🤓 Read more: Why You Should Know About Bràulio, the Insider’s Amaro

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Robby: https://www.instagram.com/thevodkaartist/

- Bespoke: https://www.instagram.com/bespoke.nc/

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Born in the golden age of aviation, the Air Mail combines rum, lime, honey, and Champagne into a twinkling mix of glamour and effervescence. In this episode, Leanne Favre of Brooklyn’s Dolores joins Cocktail College to explore the drink’s Cuban roots, its place between the French 75 and Old Cuban, and how to reimagine it today. Listen on (or read below) to discover Leanne's Air Mail recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Leanne Favre's Air Mail Recipe

- ¾ ounce honey syrup

- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice

- 1 ½ ounces Probitas rum

- 1 ½ ounces Champagne

- Garnish: lime twist

Directions

1. Add honey syrup, lime, and rum to a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled Highball glass with Kold Draft ice.

3. Top with Champagne.

4. Express a lime twist and lean on the rim to garnish.

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🤓 Read more: The Acid Test: What’s the Best Version of Lime Juice for Cocktails?

🎧 Related episodes:

(16) French 75

(13) Daiquiri

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Leanne: https://www.instagram.com/love_le/

- Dolores: https://www.instagram.com/dolores.bk/

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Half Piña Colada, half Strawberry Daiquiri, the Miami Vice is a frozen classic that became a symbol of resort culture and blender-fueled excess. Bold, colorful, and built for poolside drinking, it’s also a drink with surprising craft potential. Joining us to explore it is Miranda Midler, head bartender at NYC’s soon-to-open Oriana. Listen on (or read below) to discover Mirandas's Miami Vice recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Miranda Midlers's Miami Vice Recipe

(Half Strawberry Daiquiri / Half Piña Colada)

Strawberry Daiquiri

Ingredients

- 2 ounces white rum, such as Denizen 5 year, Pa’lante Rum, or Bacardí

- 1 ounce fresh lime juice

- ¾ ounce simple syrup

- Handful frozen strawberries, straight from the freezer, pulverized to a puree

Directions

- Blend all ingredients with ice or add to a frozen drinks machine

Piña Colada

Ingredients

- 1 ounce Cruzan Black Strap rum

- 1 ounce Appleton Estate

- ½ ounce Rhum J.M. Agricole

- 2 ounces Coco Lopez

- 3 ounces pineapple juice, frozen to slushee consistency (Dole or fresh squeezed)

- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice

- 45 milliliters water (to dilute)

Directions

- Blend all ingredients with ice or add to a frozen drinks machine

Miami Vice Assembly

- Layer in a chilled Hurricane or Poco Grande glass, with Strawberry Daiquiri on the bottom and Piña Colada on top.

- Garnish with an umbrella, pineapple fronds, toasted coconut, Angostura bitters, or nothing.

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Miranda: https://www.instagram.com/mirandamidler/

- Oriana: https://www.instagram.com/oriana.nyc/

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The Monte Carlo feels like an obvious extension of the Old Fashioned: whiskey, bitters, and Benedictine for sweetness. Under-ordered but beloved by bartenders, it’s a drink with depth, nuance, and history worth unpacking. Joining us to do just that is Alex Howard, Nashville-based co-founder and beverage director of Martha My Dear and The Ariston. Listen on (or read below) to discover Alex's Monte Carlo recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Alex Howard's Monte Carlo Recipe

- 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

- ½ ounce Benedictine

- 2 ounces Old Forester rye

- Garnish: lemon twist

Directions

1. Start with a big rock of ice in an Old Fashioned glass.

2. Add bitters, Benedictine, and rye.

3. Stir a few times to chill.

4. Garnish with lemon twist (optional discard).

📧Get in touch: cocktailcollege@vinepair.com

🍸Follow us:

- VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/

- Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/

- Alex: https://www.instagram.com/alxhow/

- Martha My Dear: https://www.instagram.com/marthas_nashville/

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