Make your mixology game much more impressive with these show-stopping sophisticated cocktails. Let’s say you’ve got the cocktail basics down – there’s a guide for that here – and you’re ready to level up your fancy cocktail-crafting game. These sophisticated cocktails will advance your mixology know-how by incorporating smoke, egg whites, and garnishes that add an extra aesthetic pop. Tell us what you think of these 5 sophisticated cocktails on social media using #coppercraftdistillery.
Coppercraft Salt Free Hurricane
Coppercraft’s lake life version of the hurricane.
- 3 oz Coppercraft Rum
- 2 oz fassionola syrup
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz blood orange juice
- Luxardo cherry, garnish
- Blood orange wheel, garnish
In a cocktail shaker with ice, add all ingredients except garnishes and shake until combined and chilled. Strain mixture into a glass with fresh ice and garnish.
Basil Blueberry Gin Sour
Craft your own blueberry syrup to impress guests.
For the Basil Blueberry Gin Sour:
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves
- 2 oz Coppercraft Gin
- 1 oz blueberry simple syrup (recipe below)
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- .5 oz egg white
For the Blueberry Simple Syrup:
- 8 oz fresh blueberries
- 4 oz granulated sugar
- 4 oz water
- Tiny pinch kosher or sea salt
For the Blueberry Simple Syrup:
Pour equal parts sugar and water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about two minutes. Add the cup of blueberries and a pinch of salt to the sauce pan and stir to coat the blueberries in the sugar water. Turn the heat underneath the pan to medium-low. Allow the blueberries to simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Don’t stir them. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the blueberries and syrup cool completely to room temperature in the sauce pan. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a sterilized glass container.
For the Basil Blueberry Gin Sour Cocktail:
Carefully place two coupe glasses in the freezer to chill for five minutes. Combine the basil leaves, gin, blueberry simple syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a DRY cocktail shaker (no ice)*. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for about 20-30 seconds. Fill the shaker with ice, secure the lid, and shake vigorously for another 20-30 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass, garnish with a basil leaf and/or a fresh lemon slice, and serve immediately.
Read full instructions and recipe here.
Salted Caramel Martini
Combine two of our favorite flavor profiles for experimenting with sophisticated cocktails: salty and sweet.
- 1 oz caramel syrup, more for rim
- 1.5 oz Coppercraft Vodka
- 2 oz Irish cream liqueur
- Soft caramel candy, for garnish
- Kosher or sea salt, for rimming
Freeze the glasses for 10 minutes before rimming with the caramel syrup. This will help prevent the syrup from running down the glass too quickly. To rim the cocktail glass, begin by rolling the rim in a shallow dish of caramel syrup. Roll the glass in a dish of salt, coating it lightly all the way around. If you want to drizzle caramel inside the glass, hold it upright over the sink to catch any caramel drips. Lightly drizzle caramel webbing inside the glass. Immediately place the glass in the freezer so the caramel sets up while you mix the drink. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the vanilla vodka, Irish cream, and 1 ounce of caramel syrup. Shake well. Remove the glass from the freezer and strain the drink into it. Garnish with caramel candy. Serve and enjoy.
Read full instructions and recipe here.
Smoked Sazerac
A classic whiskey cocktail – smoked and sophisticated.
- 3 oz Coppercraft Rye Whiskey
- 1 oz ginger syrup
- .5 oz Absinthe
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- Cherry wood smoker chips
- Orange peel, garnish
Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and setting it aside while you prepare the rest of the drink. In another glass, add the ginger syrup and a few dashes of the Peychaud’s bitters and stir to combine. Then, add the rye and a few ice cubes to the glass with the bitters and ginger syrup, stir to combine. Place the cherry wood chips in a fire-safe bowl. Fill a jigger with approximately 1/2 ounce of absinthe and using a match or kitchen torch, ignite the absinthe. Pour the flaming absinthe over the cherry wood chips to ignite. Empty the ice from the first glass and invert it over the burning wood chips, filling the glass with smoke. Once it’s filled with smoke, carefully turn it right side up and very slowly, strain the rye, ginger syrup and bitters mixture into it. Place the orange peel on the burning cherry wood chips for a few seconds until the edges are lightly charred, garnish the drink with it and serve.
Read full instructions and recipe here.
The Bee’s Kiss
A creamy and smooth combination of rum and honey.
For the Bee’s Kiss:
- 2 oz Coppercraft Rum
- 1 oz honey simple syrup
- .75 oz heavy cream
For the Honey Simple Syrup:
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup honey
For the Honey Simple Syrup:
Place honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until honey and water are fully incorporated. Allow to cool and refrigerate.
For the Bee’s Kiss:
Place rum, cream and honey simple syrup into a shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail coupe.
Read full instructions and recipe here.
Find Coppercraft spirits for making sophisticated cocktails at our tasting rooms or in a store near you. Join our mailing list to stay up to date with the latest from Coppercraft Distillery. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information.