Tag: simple syrup

vodka

Vodka Gimlet | An Effortless 3-Ingredient Variation of a Timeless Classic Cocktail

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The Vodka Gimlet is a variation of the classic Gimlet using-- you guessed it-- vodka in lieu of gin. It's fresh, vibrant, and elegant. This rendition is perfect if you're looking to change things up, test drive a new vodka, or as an alternative for the imbiber who doesn't fancy the strong distinct taste of gin.

The Vodka Gimlet is a variation of the classic Gimlet using– you guessed it– vodka in lieu of gin. It’s fresh, vibrant, and elegant. This rendition is perfect if you’re looking to change things up, test drive a new vodka, or as an alternative for the imbiber who doesn’t fancy the strong distinct taste of gin.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

If you’ve been following along with me on my Instagram, receive my newsletter, or saw this Stork Club recipe post, you’ll know that I’ve been expecting a baby. Well, that baby is HERE!

While I was pregnant, I compiled a list of cocktail recipes made by my #drinkstagram friends. They all looked SO good and I was eagerly awaiting the day when I could safely enjoy them. That day has come. Technically. But the reality is that by the time evening comes around and both kids are in bed, I’m beat.

I have no physical or mental energy to spare on homemade ingredients and infusions. I don’t have the time for liquor store runs to purchase additional liqueurs and bitters, nor do I have extra cash laying around to pay for them. (Babies aren’t free– have you heard?)

I know one day I’ll be able to make all those recipes I’ve been drooling over. But for now, I’m at peace with my limitations. Limitations which are: minimal time + minimal ingredients.

Wouldn’t you know that classic cocktails are just that.

One of my all-time favorite cocktails is the gimlet. I was going to make myself one but then saw a new bottle of vodka sitting on my bar that has been waiting to be opened for months now.

Vodka is one of those spirits that I want to learn more about. I know that it can be distilled from a variety of ingredients (potatoes, wheat, grapes…) but it still mostly all tastes the same to me.

The Vodka Gimlet is a variation of the classic Gimlet using-- you guessed it-- vodka in lieu of gin. It's fresh, vibrant, and elegant. This rendition is perfect if you're looking to change things up, test drive a new vodka, or as an alternative for the imbiber who doesn't fancy the strong distinct taste of gin.

Howeverrrrr, when I opened up a bottle of vodka made from quinoa, my tune changed. The stuff tastes entirely unique. It’s got a unique earthy, mineral taste not common in vodka.

The best way to get a feel for a new-to-you spirit, after sipping it neat, is to use it in a classic cocktail. I plan on making a Lemon Drop using this quinoa vodka but thought that a Vodka Gimlet would be fun, too.

This was actually my first time trying a Vodka Gimlet and it was great. The quinoa lends some unique metallic notes to the drink while maintaining the tartness and crispness that I love in a classic Gimlet. I’ll definitely be trying out my other vodkas in a Vodka Gimlet to see how they all compare.

If you’re into the idea of a Vodka Gimlet, check out these other classic cocktail variations I’ve tried:

Have you ever made a Vodka Gimlet? Have you found that vodkas distilled from different ingredients produce a wildly different final product? Let me know in a comment– I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Vodka Gimlet is a variation of the classic Gimlet using-- you guessed it-- vodka in lieu of gin. It's fresh, vibrant, and elegant. This rendition is perfect if you're looking to change things up, test drive a new vodka, or as an alternative for the imbiber who doesn't fancy the strong distinct taste of gin. | easy vodka recipes | classic vodka recipes

Vodka Gimlet

The Vodka Gimlet is a simple variation of the Gimlet, a classic cocktail. It's fresh, vibrant, and elegant. Since this drink only has 3 ingredients, using fresh lime juice will make all the difference.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz vodka
  • ¾ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • ¾ oz simple syrup*

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker that's filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe glass.
  • Garnish with a lime wheel.

Notes

*Making your own simple syrup is all too easy. Just add equal parts water and white sugar to a sauce pan. Heat until dissolved and let cool. 
Keyword gimlet, lime, lime juice, simple syrup, vodka, vodka gimlet

Ingredients to Make a Vodka Gimlet

  • 2 oz vodka
  • 3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lime juice (fresh makes all the difference)
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup (more or less to your liking)

How to Make a Vodka Gimlet

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker that’s filled with ice. Shake well, about 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

mocktail

Tonic Rickey | An Effortless Alcohol-Free Cocktail Option You Can Make in 2 Minutes

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This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That's a win-win-win.

This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don’t feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won’t leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That’s a win-win-win.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I originally saw this Tonic Rickey mocktail recipe on my friend Camille’s Instagram. I’ve followed Camille long enough to know that anything she posts is gonna be good. You can find her original blog post here.

The Tonic Rickey is Camille’s version of a booze-less Gin Rickey, a classic cocktail made using gin, lime, and club soda or seltzer. It’s very similar to a classic Gin & Tonic so if you’re a fan of one, you’ll probably like the other, too.

A quick FYI in case you’re unaware (as I was at one point in life): tonic water and club soda are not the same. And while you can sometimes get away with using one in place of the other, there is a major taste difference between the two. I broke down the differences between all the clear sparkling liquids out there in my Americano cocktail post, but here’s a brief overview:

  • Club soda = water infused with carbon dioxide and minerals like salt
  • Tonic water = carbonated water with minerals and also quinine, a bitter essence derived from the cinchona tree; it’s got a distinct taste
  • Seltzer = carbonated water that usually does not contain any minerals
  • Sparkling mineral water = typically naturally carbonated and has naturally-present minerals
  • Sparkling water = carbonated water that can be flavored and sometimes sweetened

In my opinion, club soda, seltzer, mineral water, and sparkling water can all be used interchangeably. Tonic stands apart from them.

This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That's a win-win-win.

I really like Camille’s use of both club soda and tonic water. The reason being is that after the countless Gin & Tonic’s I’ve consumed over the years, my tastebuds now equate the taste of tonic with the taste of gin. And since this recipe is alcohol-free, it gives the drink some needed kick and flair.

Perhaps the best thing about this mocktail recipe is that if you typically keep a semi-well-stocked bar, you’ll always have the ingredients on hand. If you’re new to home bartending and what to know that products I recommend keeping on hand at all times, check out my Cocktails 101 article.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you could easily add some extra pizazz to it by adding a flavored simple syrup or a different variety of bitters. I think using lavender simple syrup with cardamom bitters would make for a killer Lavender & Cardamom Tonic Rickey.

If you make this Tonic Rickey mocktail recipe, be sure to tag both me (@girlandtonic_) and Camille (@thecocktailsnob_)!

Ingredients for a Tonic Rickey Mocktail

  • 1/2 oz fresh, fresh, fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup (click here to learn how to make your own)
  • 1 1/2 oz tonic water
  • 1 1/2 oz seltzer or club soda
  • 3 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters

How to Make a Tonic Rickey Mocktail

Fill a Collins or highball glass allllll the way up with ice. Add the freshly-squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. Stir with a bar spoon. Pour in the tonic water and club soda, stirring gently to combine. Add the bitters to the top of the glass. You can choose to stir them in or let them settle on their own in the drink. Garnish with a lime wheel or fresh herb.

Tonic Rickey Mocktail

This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Fill a Collins or highball glass all the way up with ice.
  • Add the freshly-squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. Stir with a bar spoon.
  • Pour in the tonic water and club soda, stirring gently to combine.
  • Add the bitters to the top of the glass. You can choose to stir them in or let them settle on their own in the drink.
  • Garnish with a lime wheel or fresh herb.

Notes

*To learn how to make your own simple syrup (it’s SO easy, I promise!), click here. 
Keyword angostura bitters, bitters, club soda, lime, lime juice, mocktail, simple syrup, tonic, tonic rickey
This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That's a win-win-win.
gin

Gin and Cabernet Sour | A Sophisticated and Easy Wine Cocktail

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A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It’s sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. Next time you’re hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special, make this easy wine cocktail. Your only regret will be not making it sooner.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I’ve made quite a few wine cocktails lately. The most recent two were made with white wine: the Bishop of Bordeaux and a delicious Mulled White Wine. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and will make them again in the near future. But red wine has my heart. Given the choice, I will always choose red over white. And of all the reds out there, Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite. So when I first heard of this cocktail that combined my two favorite alcoholic liquids– gin and Cabernet— I knew I had to try it.

Those two words were first spoken together to me by my good Instagram pal @ebbydranks. We were brainstorming different drinks to make together on an Instagram Live fundraising event and the first drink he suggested was a New York Sour. But that’s seriously the only classic cocktail I’ve ever made that I didn’t like. I didn’t even finish it. If you read that recipe post, though, you might see where I went wrong. Anyway, I told him a big fat NO to that idea and he countered with a Gin and Cabernet Sour.

All of those words together intrigued me. So I obliged. And I’m glad I did.

This is now my all-time favorite easy wine cocktail. It seriously tastes soooo good. And it looks stunning, too. There’s no need for a garnish when you’ve got a red wine float. What is a red wine “float”, though? Floating is the bartending technique of carefully layering one liquid ingredient on top of another. Floats only work if the liquid with the lighter density is poured slowly over the liquid with the heavier density.

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.

If you’ve never attempted a red wine float before, or if you have and it didn’t work, these tips might help:

  1. Pour the wine over the back of a bar spoon. This will help distribute it more evenly over the surface of the denser liquid.
  2. Keep your spoon close to the surface of the cocktail without actually touching it.
  3. Pour it slowly.

You can also check out a video of the red wine float I did for the New York Sour here.

I’ll be honest and say that the first time I made this drink with @ebbydranks on IG Live, I just dumped the red wine in the glass. I started off trying to float it and then I lost my patience and plopped it in. But it actually worked out okay because I can now say with full assurance that it tastes great both ways!

This drink is dying to be served in a Nick and Nora glass. Nick and Nora glasses are essential small wine glasses that are used for spirit-forward cocktails. If you don’t have one, a smaller lowball glass will do the trick.

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.

If you’re thinking about cocktails to serve for the holidays, this Gin and Cabernet Sour is a great option. It marries the mixed drink world and the wine world together in one beautiful glass. Plus if someone just really isn’t a liquor fan, they can just drink the rest of the wine. Or if they don’t like gin, simply swap it out for some whiskey and they can have something pretty close to a New York Sour.

Have you ever had a Gin and Cabernet Sour? Will you be trying one soon? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this unique and easy wine cocktail so comment below and tag me on Instagram.

Ingredients for a Gin and Cabernet Sour

  • 1 1/2 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz orange liqueur
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup (make your own!)
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 oz Cabernet Sauvignon

How to Make a Gin and Cabernet Sour

Add the gin, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 15-20 seconds. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass or a small lowball glass. Float the red wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. 

Gin and Cabernet Sour

A simple yet sophisticated cocktail made with red wine and gin.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz gin
  • ¾ oz orange liqueur
  • ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ¾ oz simple syrup
  • ¾ oz Cabernet Sauvignon

Instructions
 

  • Add the gin, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 15-20 seconds.
  • Strain into an empty Nick and Nora glass or a small lowball glass.
  • Float the red wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. 
Keyword cabernet, easy wine cocktail, gin, gin and cabernet sour, lemon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup

Looking for another easy wine cocktail? Check these options out:

Bishop of Bordeaux

Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

New York Sour

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.
gin

White Lady | An Easy Classic Gin Cocktail with 5 Ingredients

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The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail that's tart and smooth. You'll only need 5 simple ingredients and you probably already have all of them on hand.

The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail that’s tart and smooth. You’ll only need 5 simple ingredients and you probably already have all of them on hand.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

You can never go wrong with a classic cocktail. Especially if it’s a classic gin cocktail. Gin is my favorite spirit because each brand varies so wildly from the next. If you think you’re not a gin fan, I challenge you to keep trying different brands. Your match is out there.

Whenever I try a new brand of gin, I love using it in classic cocktail recipes. If you’re used to knowing what a classic cocktail like a White Lady or a Gimlet tastes like, it’ll be easy to see how much a particular gin changes the feel and profile of the drink.

For months now I’ve had a White Lady cocktail on my list of recipes to try. Don’t know if I have the right to call myself a lover of classic gin cocktail recipes without ever having tried a White Lady. Now I can though. Because I finally made one. And it’s dang good.

The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail that's tart and smooth. You'll only need 5 simple ingredients and you probably already have all of them on hand.

If you’re a fan of classic sour drinks like a Daiquiri or a Whiskey Sour, the White Lady is a must-try. It’s a gin sour made with a silky egg white. If you’re weirded out by the thought of using a raw egg white in your cocktail, I understand. Really, I get it. I waited years before trying one and I only wish I’d tried it sooner. You can read this post to see that the chances of getting sick from a raw egg white are actually pretty slim.

I also feel a lot better about consuming raw or undercooked eggs at my house because I’ve got my own supply of eggs. We live in a rural part of Texas and currently have 5 hens in our backyard flock. I was never a fan of birds until we got chickens. Now I’m the person who bypasses the monkeys to get to the bird exhibits at the zoo.

The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail that's tart and smooth. You'll only need 5 simple ingredients and you probably already have all of them on hand. Egg white cocktails using backyard chicken eggs.

It only seemed fitting to put our own little white lady in these pics. Although the egg white in this cocktail definitely does not belong to her because she’s a freeloader. She only lays eggs when she feels like it. Which is apparently never. At least she’s sweet.

You can always make the White Lady without an egg white. It’ll still be good– it just won’t be as smooth or as silky. And you won’t have that pretty foam on the top, either. If you’re wanting the foam and the silkiness but don’t want the egg, you can use aquafaba. It’s a great vegan option and lots of mixologists use it in place of egg whites.

If you love a good classic gin cocktail, check these other recipes out:

The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail that's tart and smooth. You'll only need 5 simple ingredients and you probably already have all of them on hand.

Ingredients for a White Lady

How to Make a White Lady

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice. (This is called a “dry shake”.) Shake for 20-30 seconds. You may want to shake over a sink because the lack of ice will mean that the metal cocktail shaker won’t contract to create a tight seal. I.e. it’s gonna leak. Then, add ice and shake for another 30-45 seconds. Your arm is going to scream but the more you shake, the better your foam will be. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

White Lady

A classic gin cocktail that's tart and silky smooth.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz gin
  • ½ oz Cointreau/orange liqueur
  • ¾ oz lemon juice
  • ¼ oz simple syrup
  • 1 egg white

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice. (This is called a “dry shake”.) Shake for 20-30 seconds.*
  • Then, add ice and shake for another 30-45 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes

*You may want to shake over a sink because the lack of ice will mean that the metal cocktail shaker won’t contract to create a tight seal. I.e. it’s gonna leak.
Keyword egg white, gin, lemon, lemon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup, white lady
The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail that's tart and smooth. You'll only need 5 simple ingredients and you probably already have all of them on hand.
rum

Bishop of Bordeaux Cocktail | A Unique White Wine Cocktail with Rum and Lime

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The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I was recently gifted a couple bottles of white wine but here’s the thing– I’m not a big white wine drinker. It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s the fact that it often tastes like straight-up juice to me. Which is a problem for a few reasons. 1) I chug it. Bad idea. 2) It’s expensive compared to actual juice. 3) I actually like the taste of alcohol. That’s three strikes. So although I’m highly unlikely to purchase my own white wine, I’ll happily chug sip it if it’s served to me.

But then I thought I could actually change problem #3 by adding in some alcohol. And that would also solve problem #1, too. And if I’m sipping and savoring the drink, it justifies problem #2. So basically I think I’ll start using it cocktails all the time now.

In fact, with one of the bottles I received, I made some mulled white wine with apple cider. It was so good. It had the classic warm spices of a traditional mulled wine but was much lighter on the palate. A real winner.

But for this second bottle, I wanted to delve deeper into the realm of mixed drinks. I wanted to make a true white wine cocktail. Not a mulled wine, not a sangria, but a cocktail.

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

Truthfully I would’ve been at a loss for what to make but my Instagram friend Risa had shared the Obispo de Cuba recipe on her page awhile back. This recipe is a lighter rendition of the Obispo de Cuba, also called the Bishop, that’s made with dark or gold rum and red wine. But since I used wine from Bordeaux, it seemed only fitting to call it the Bishop of Bordeaux. I thought about translating it in French to be fancy but Évêque de Bordeaux looks a little intimidating for non-French speakers like myself.

For this Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail recipe, you can use any fruit-forward white wine. If the wine is on the dry side, you can add more simple syrup to the drink if you’d like. This particular white Bordeaux that I used here was very sweet– too sweet for my wine-sipping preference. But it worked so well in this cocktail recipe.

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

You may notice that this recipe is very similar to a classic Daiquiri. If you’re a Daiquiri fan, I think you’ll enjoy the small addition of white wine in this cocktail. It brings another layer of sweet fruitiness that works really well.

I’ve gotta admit that I was hesitant to incorporate wine into a cocktail, especially white wine. But I really enjoyed this Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail and plan on making it again soon. Next up on my list is to start incorporating red wine into some recipes.

Have you ever used wine in a cocktail before? If so, let me know your favorite recipe down below!

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

Ingredients for a Bishop of Bordeaux

  • 1 1/2 oz white rum
  • 1/2 oz white Bordeaux or other sweet white wine
  • 1/2 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup

How to Make a Bishop of Bordeaux

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well for about 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe or a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

Bishop of Bordeaux

The Bishop of Bordeaux is a lighter verison of the Obispo de Cuba, or the Bishop. It's made with white wine and white rum. It's a perfect balance between tart, sweet, and fruity.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz white rum
  • ½ oz white wine
  • ½ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ oz simple syrup*

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well for about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe or a Nick & Nora glass.
  • Garnish with a lime twist.

Notes

*If you haven’t made simple syrup, check out the truly simple recipe here.
Keyword Bishop of Bordeaux, lime, lime juice, rum, simple syrup, white rum, white wine, white wine cocktail
The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.