Golden Pothos Cocktail| A tantalizing vodka or gin cocktail with turmeric & cardamom

The Golden Pothos cocktail is a Girl & Tonic original. It’s a tantalizing (if I may say so myself) vodka cocktail with turmeric and cardamom. It’s a whole slew of adjectives: bright, effervescent, bitter, earthy. My husband, who is not a big cocktail fan, actually liked it. He liked it. He actually said “Hmm, pretty good.” If that doesn’t compel you to try making one, I don’t know what will.


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’re a fellow plant lover, you’ll recognize the name of this cocktail and know why I picked it, based on the color of the drink. Actually, I don’t know if I can call myself a plant lover. I think I’m verging on plant hoarder. I have 17 houseplants, a propagation station, a dozen outdoor plants, and a [humble] vegetable garden. Here’s a selection of some of my favorites (I actually say “This one’s my favorite” about all of them, but don’t tell them that):

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I may be a plant lover but I am NOT a plant expert. Many a plant has died under my care, but as the years pass I’m getting better at figuring out what each one needs. That, and I have a pretty awesome plant bestie that helps me with troubleshooting from time to time.

We frequently swap plants, give each other cuttings, go plant shopping together, and send each other detailed videos of our plants’ growth. For real. I’ve given her cactus cuttings, only to have to get a cutting from that cutting because my original died a sad death in an unexpected freeze. Plants are the gifts that keep giving.

The Golden Pothos is a tantalizing vodka cocktail with turmeric and cardamom. It's bright, effervescent, earthy, and a touch bitter. If you're a fellow plant lover, you'll recognize the name of this cocktail and know why I picked it, based on the color of the drink.

Actually, that plant bestie is also my cocktail bestie. She and I began exploring craft cocktails together in Reno years ago. We had our own special happy hour several days a week in her beautiful midcentury home. Yep, those were the days. Now we live in different cities but we still share pictures of our cocktails (and plants) frequently. Moral of the story: get you a plant/cocktail bestie.

If you’re looking to get into houseplants or you’re wanting to liven up your living space with some green, check out golden pothos (sometimes called Devil’s Ivy). It’s pretty hard to kill, does well in low and bright light, and is easy to propagate. Or just make yourself a Golden Pothos cocktail instead.

The first several times I made this cocktail, I made it with vodka. And it was great. Then one day I decided to use gin and wow. WOW. I also made it with a citrus tonic and that combination made all the flavors in this cocktail come. to. life. If you can find citrus tonic, please please please try it in this recipe. And try this recipe with both vodka and gin and then let me know which one YOU prefer in a comment or over on my IG.

The Ingredients for a Golden Pothos Cocktail

How to Make a Golden Pothos Cocktail

Combine all ingredients except the tonic water into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Pour into a lowball glass with ice and top off with tonic water. Alternatively, you could pour it into a coupe glass and add just a splash of tonic. It’s great both ways.

The Golden Pothos cocktail is a craft cocktail with cardamom, turmeric, and tonic. It's perfect for people who don't like sweet drinks.

Lemon Drop

The Lemon Drop is a classic vodka cocktail best made with only 4 ingredients. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice makes all the difference in this simple cocktail.

I’m bringing you yet another classic cocktail that’s been abused and misconstrued. The Lemon Drop, commonly referred to as a martini riff, is actually not a martini at all in the technical sense. The only similarity a Lemon Drop cocktail and a martini have in common are the glasses they’re traditionally served in. Now honestly, I don’t care if you wanna call it a Lemon Drop martini but *some* people out there would be quick to correct you. I can respect their desire to protect the martini’s integrity but sometimes keeping your mouth shut protect’s your own.


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! 


Keeping with the theme of integrity, I feel that I should be forthcoming with y’all and let you know this was my first time ever having a Lemon Drop. I’ve been on a kick with simple classic cocktails lately (thanks to the #2020pandemic) and was trying to think of another drink that required few ingredients. Lemons and limes are something I always have on my grocery list, pandemic or not. Utilizing fresh citrus juice & zest in cooking makes a world of difference and the same goes for mixed drinks.

This recipe uses vodka, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, & simple syrup. But truthfully you could skip out on the orange liqueur. Some recipes on the ~interwebs~ call for it, others don’t. You do you. I personally love adding orange liqueur to cocktails because it adds a layer of sweetness & boosts your drink’s flavor complexity. It is the liqueur I think every home bar should have on hand. You’ll use it in margaritas (wow, can’t believe I haven’t posted a margarita recipe yet), sidecars, cosmos, mai tais, sangria, and a bunch of other drinks.

The Lemon Drop is a classic vodka cocktail best made with only 4 ingredients. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice makes all the difference in this simple cocktail.

While we’re talking about orange liqueur, I’ll take this opportunity to teach you the distinction between liquor and liqueur. You might be rolling your eyes at such an elementary topic, but there was a time in everyone’s life where they learned the difference between the two words. Before I got into craft cocktails, I thought “liqueur” was just some peoples’ way of saying “liquor” in a fancy way. Hand-on-heart. I should be embarrassed to admit that, but I’m kinda known in my family for mispronouncing words so 🤷🏻‍♀️.

There are only 6 categories of liquors (whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, brandy) while there are countless liqueurs. Technically speaking, liqueur could fall under the title “liquor” because by definition liquor is a distilled spirit. The biggest distinctions between the two are that liquor typically has a higher ABV (alcohol by volume) and is not sweetened. Liqueur, on the other hand, is sweetened with sugar, oils, and extracts and usually has a lower ABV. Here’s a super helpful infographic from The Spruce Eats:

A helpful infographic from The Spruce Eats for distinguishing the difference between liquor and liqueur.

So if you’re looking to add, say, raspberry flavor to your drink but don’t want to make it super boozy, add a raspberry liqueur. If you’re wanting a slow-sipper, you can use two types of liquor, like gin & vodka, and utilize fresh raspberries to introduce the flavor.

Try making a Lemon Drop with orange liqueur and one without. You can see what your preference is. I think you’ll notice the difference.

Rim the glass of your Lemon Drop with superfine sugar and lemon zest.

Ingredients for a Lemon Drop

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 1/2 oz orange liqueur (*if you don’t have this, you can increase the vodka to 2 oz*)
  • 1 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice (Fresh. Please. For the love of all things holy)
  • 1/2 – 1 oz simple syrup, depending on how tart you want it
  • superfine sugaroptional

How to Make a Lemon Drop

First, pour your superfine sugar onto a plate or in a shallow dish. You can zest some lemon into it to make it even better. Rub the rim of a martini or coupe glass with a lemon. Then dip the rim into the sugar. The lemon juice will make the sugar adhere to the glass. Now put your martini or coupe glass into the freezer. It’s a small extra step that’ll make your drink colder & fancier. Ideally, you would do this step 15+ minutes before making the drink so that the glass had time to get super chilled. But a few minutes is better than none.

Juice your lemon. Pour the vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, & simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until your arm is burning and your hand is freezing. Take the glass out of the freezer and pour the Lemon Drop in. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Lemon Drop is a classic vodka cocktail best made with only 4 ingredients. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice makes all the difference in this simple cocktail.

Gimlet | A 2- or 3-Ingredient Classic Cocktail

The Gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and sugar. It's light, crisp, and refreshing, making it the perfect spring-time drink.
Gimlet

Wow. Crazy times, right? We are experiencing something unprecedented as a country–no, as a planet– right now thanks to COVID-19. I hemmed and hawed about whether or not I should post cocktail recipes, because it all seems a little frivolous right now.

However, I’m thinking you’ve got some extra time on your hands. And since I’m assuming most people can’t go out, I’ve compiled a list of several classic cocktail recipes that have 3 ingredients you probably already have. I’ll be writing them over the next week or two. If you don’t have the right ingredients, make some modifications and call it a quarantine experiment. Everything is more fun when you call it an experiment, right?


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! 


The Gimlet is a classic cocktail. Traditionally, it calls for lime cordial (the most common being Rose’s Lime Juice). However, I don’t have any lime cordial and I’m not about to brave the stores for something so… unessential. So I’m improvising by using fresh lime juice and sugar. It’s definitely different than what a Gimlet usually tastes like, so make sure to give both versions a fair try once grocery stores and online-orders are bit easier to deal with. One plus side to using fresh lime juice is the extra dose of vitamin C. Extra vitamin C in a time like this sounds like a good idea to me.

The Gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and sugar. It's light, crisp, and refreshing, making it the perfect spring-time drink.

If you have citric acid chillin’ in your pantry, though, you can make this homemade lime cordial. I really want to try this in the future so if any of y’all make it, let me know how it is!

If you have some leftover rose simple syrup, honey simple syrup, matcha simple syrup, or beet simple syrup from one of my other cocktails, you could always use that in place of the traditional simple syrup in this recipe. See? So many ways to experiment while you’re stuck at home! Also– if you’ve got a kid at home with you, make them a mocktail with lime juice, sparkling water, and simple syrup. It’ll basically be a DIY Sprite, with no artificial weird stuff.

I opted to make this cocktail outside, because why not? It took me all of 45 extra seconds to carry the ingredients outside. I can’t believe it’s the first time I’ve ever mixed a drink outdoors. It definitely won’t be my last. I actually made this Gimlet while wearing my baby in a ring sling. Baby-wearing, cocktail-slinging. I am Mama, hear me roar. Or something like that.

The Gimlet is a classic cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and sugar. It's light, crisp, and refreshing, making it the perfect spring-time drink.f

The Ingredients for a Traditional Gimlet

The Ingredients for a Do-What-You-Can-With-What-You-Have Gimlet

How to Make It

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir until the syrup is incorporated well. Or rebel against tradition since we’re already not using lime cordial and shake the dang thing. Strain into a coupe glass or martini glass. Sip on your porch or balcony to add some vitamin D to your vitamin C.

Gin recommendations for Gimlets (or other cocktails that put gin on full display)

I only had Opihr gin on-hand (a spiced gin) and while it was still definitely good, I would recommend gins that lean more clean-tasting, like:

  • Hendricks (distilled with cucumbers, so this would be complemented in a Gimlet)
  • Bombay Sapphire
  • Prairie (certified organic & gluten-free) **This has been my go-to gin for years. I love supporting small-scale distilleries and family-run farms. I love, love, love this company. No, this isn’t a sponsored post but, uh, Prairie Organics if you’re reading… hi 🙋🏻‍♀️
  • Beefeater (has a less-pronounced juniper taste & goes nicely with citrus)
  • Koval (a kosher and organic small-batch dry gin)

I’m personally just getting into the wide, wide world of gin. Honestly, prior to starting this cocktail blog and building relationships with other cocktail bloggers, I didn’t know gins could be SO diverse and distinct. We’re all learning here together at Girl & Tonic! If you’re interested in delving into gins more, or you’re just bored at home with nothing to read because your library’s closed, The Gin Observer is informative and has a ton of gin brands and cocktail recipes to explore.

Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour gets a bad rap. To be honest, prior to creating the one you see in the picture, I’d only had one once… and that was the LAST one I ever planned on having. A friend bought it for me at a bar so I politely sipped until, Oh wait, someone’s calling me– hang on! *quickly places down drink & feigns sadness when it disappears a few minutes later* Don’t act like you’ve never been saved by a fake phone call.


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! 


Most whiskey sours at your typical bar are going to be made with a whiskey sour mix. Y’all. Syrup-y mixes are rarely good. And if you’re the type who loves whiskey sour mix (no minimal judgment), I think you’ll enjoy a real whiskey sour ten times more. Fresh is always best. Change my mind.

One way that traditional whiskey sours are different from frat party whiskey sours is that the traditional version calls for an egg white. Truthfully, anytime I saw “egg white” as a cocktail ingredient, I kinda shuddered. I knew enough to know that they’re added to create foam and give drinks a silky texture… but the mental block was too great. Perhaps the apprehension stems from a childhood of banned raw cookie dough and a fear of Salmonella.

BUT I recently learned that only 1 in 20,000 eggs have Salmonella and that the average consumer will encounter 1 contaminated egg every 84 years. I’m not a big math person, but those numbers made me feel a lot more comfortable about using a raw egg white in a cocktail.

Plus, I also have my own backyard chickens so that puts me even more at ease. Although a healthy-looking chicken can still have Salmonella pop up in their eggs, it’s rare. But if you’re really freaked out by the possibility, just buy pasteurized egg whites in a carton. If you just need additional information before you can proceed, here’s a great article to read. Didn’t mean for that to rhyme but that was cool.

Here’s the little lady that made this classic cocktail possible. Internet, meet Helen. Helen, meet Internet. She’s a cochin (excuse her dirty feet feathers, but aren’t they adorable?) and is sweet as can be. She’s one of the more timid chickens my husband and I have had over the years but I absolutely love looking out the window and seeing her little cotton ball butt running across the yard.

If you’re starting to get serious about making cocktails at home, make this classic recipe and use a raw egg white. I double-dog dare you.

The Ingredients

  • 2 oz whiskey (I used a corn whiskey because it’s 100% gluten-free but you can use whatever you like)
  • 3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 1 egg white – optional
  • 1-2 dashes Angostura bittersoptional

How to Make a Whiskey Sour

If you’re not using an egg white, just add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. If you are feeling adventurous, or you already know you love an egg white in your drink, add all ingredients to your cocktail shaker WITHOUT ice. (This is called a “dry shake”.) Shake for 30-45 seconds. Then, add ice and shake for another 30-45 seconds. Your arm is going to be screaming but the more you shake, the better the egg white will incorporate into the drink and the more foam you’ll get. Strain into a coupe glass.

As the drink settles, the foam will rise to the top. Garnish with a few more dashes of bitters. Besides just looking fancy, they actually add to the aromatic experience of the drink.

The Authentic Daiquiri | A Classic Cocktail with 3 Ingredients

The authentic Daiquiri is a classic, 3-ingredient cocktail made with rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.

The daiquiri is a classic cocktail. As classic as it gets. And yet somehow, I know I have to pause and clarify just what kind of daiquiri I’m talking about here. I’m talking about a REAL, authentic daiquiri of yesteryear. Not the bright red frozen insult spilling out the top of a much-too-tall stadium cup. Those things make my stomach churn just looking at them. Why we would do such a thing to a time-honored classic is beyond me.


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! 


The Daiquiri is a classic, 3-ingredient cocktail made with rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.

The Daiquiri has a long history, dating back to the early 1900s. Although technically, an old British Navy admiral named Edward “Old Grog” Vernon, could be first credited for the combination of rum, citrus, and sugar in an attempt to sober-up his crew. Anyhow, the Daiquiri lived in relative obscurity until the 1930s until Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald brought attention to it.

Hemingway actually loved the drink so much that he concocted his own variation of the drink, The Hemingway Daiquiri. The attention from renowned authors, coupled with the diminishing supply of whiskey (thanks to Prohibition and WWII), Americans were now more willing to turn to the rum which was previously frowned upon for being the drink of sailors and vagrants.

Brian Petro’s article about the history of the Daiquiri goes into interesting detail and even explains how this cocktail became the swirling, sugary mixture you see in dispensers at sporting events. It’s quite an informative read if you can spare a few extra minutes.

The Daiquiri is a classic, 3-ingredient cocktail made with rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. Garnish it with a slice of lime using a miniature clothespin for a fun detail.

So, let’s reclaim the Daiquiri name for what it is- a sophisticated yet uncomplicated cocktail. (Also, can we talk about that adorable mini-clothespin? I could just squeal. You can find your own at Dollar Tree.)

The Daiquiri is a classic, 3-ingredient cocktail made with rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.

The 3 Ingredients for an Authentic Daiquiri

  • 1 1/2 – 2 oz rum
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • 3/4 oz lime juice (about 1 lime)

How to Make an Authentic Daiquiri

Juice your lime into a cocktail shaker. My lime had already been chillin’ in the fridge for a while so it wasn’t the freshest. But I’m sure the sailors aboard Old Grogg’s ship managed with worse. Add a generous amount of ice, the rum, & the simple syrup.

Shake all 3 ingredients vigorously for 30 seconds. Push through the burning in your arm muscle and the chill in your hand. Unless you can shake a cocktail shaker vigorously for 30 seconds without your arm getting tired. In that case… kudos to you and you might as well keep on shaking until it does to get a little workout in. Pour into a coupe glass and put your nose in the air while you drink it because you, my friend, now know how to make an authentic daiquiri.

Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Check out this one:

It’s gorgeous, affordable, and comes with a bar spoon AND a jigger. This is one small investment you need to make if you’re interested in creating cocktails at home!

Interested in other 3 ingredient cocktails? Check out these easy cocktails: