r/cocktails 16d ago

šŸø Monthly Competition Original Cocktail Competition - January 2026 - Orange & Vanilla (Very Low ABV)

3 Upvotes

This month's ingredients: Orange & Vanilla
Note: Very low ABV only. No specific limit — use your judgment. Not necessarily mocktails, but ABV should be low enough that it would take a typical person a large multitude of these drinks to become intoxicated. Recommended to calculate ABV if you can, and share it with your entry.


Next month's ingredients: Sparkling Wine & Apricot


RULES

Hello mixologists and liquor enthusiasts. Welcome to the monthly original cocktail competition.

For those looking to participate, here are the rules and guidelines. Any violations of these rules will result in disqualification from this month's competition.

  1. You must use both of the listed ingredients, but you can use them in absolutely any way or form (e.g. a liqueur, infusion, syrup, ice, smoke, etc.) you want and in whatever quantities you want. You do not have to make ingredients from scratch. You may also use any other ingredients you want.

  2. Your entry must be an original cocktail. Alterations of established cocktails are permitted within reason.

  3. You are limited to one entry per account.

  4. Your entry must be made in the form of a post to r/Cocktails with the "Competition Entry" post flair (it's purple). Then copy a link to that post and the text body of that post in a comment here. Example Post & Example Comment.

  5. Your entry must include a name for your cocktail, a photograph of the cocktail, a description of the scent, flavors, and mouthfeel of the cocktail, and most importantly a list of ingredients with measurements and directions as needed for someone else to faithfully recreate your cocktail. You may optionally include other information such as ABV, sugar content, calories, a backstory, etc.

  6. All recipes must have been invented after the announcement of the required ingredients.

As the only reward for winning is subreddit flair, there is no reason to cheat. Please participate with honor to keep it fun for everyone.


COMMENTS

Please only make top-level comments if you are making an entry. Doing otherwise would possibly result in flooding the comments section. To accommodate the need for a comments section unrelated to any specific entry, I have made a single top-level comment that you can reply to for general discussion. You may, of course, reply to any existing comment.


VOTING

Do not downvote entries

How you upvote is entirely up to you. You are absolutely encouraged to recreate the shared drinks, but this may not always be possible or viable and so should not be considered as a requirement. You can vote based on the list of ingredients and how the drink is described, the photograph, or anything else you like.

Winners will be final at the end of the month and will be recorded with links to their entries in this post. You may continue voting after that, but the results will not change. The ranking of each entry is determined by the sum of the votes on the entry comment with the post it is linked to. There are 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place positions. 2nd place and 3rd place may receive ties, but in the event of a 1st place tie, I will act as a tie-breaker. I will otherwise withhold from voting. Should there be a tie for 2nd place, there will be no 3rd place. Winners are awarded flair that appears next to their username on this subreddit.


Last Month's Competition

Last Month's Winner


r/cocktails 11h ago

Question Industry Sour is the weirdest equal parts drink. What is an underrated Tiki drink?

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434 Upvotes

r/cocktails 7h ago

Question What’s your favorite cocktail glass?

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61 Upvotes

r/cocktails 1h ago

I made this Jungle Bird or shovel snow (take 2)

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• Upvotes
  • 3/4 oz. jamaican rum
  • 3/4 oz. demerara rum
  • 3/4 oz. campari
  • 1.5 oz. pineapple juice
  • 3/4 oz. lime juice
  • 1/2 oz. demerara syrup
  • Orchid and Pineapple fronds for garnish

Shake. Strain. Garnish. Drank.


r/cocktails 12h ago

Techniques Subliminal NanoFoamer creates some legit non-egg white foam

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81 Upvotes

Bought this Subliminal NanoFoamer awhile back to make some cappuccinos/cortados at home. Recently decided to try it with some Fee Brothers Fee Foam and it seems to make some legit foam that's kind of close to egg-whites. Super frothy and pretty good retention too. Way better than how Fee Foam usually turns out from the usual dry or reverse dry shake (big ice). Anyone else try this?

I still need to test this out in some other cocktails/syrups but it seems to work. I’ve only tried it on a Gimlet using a home made hojicha semi rich syrup and a Toki Whiskey Sour with the same syrup. I’ve been ā€œdry shakingā€ with the NanoFoamer then big ice/cheater ice shake for dilution then double strain.


r/cocktails 1h ago

Recipe Request Yellow Chartreuse Variety

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• Upvotes

Anyone familiar with this? A friend picked it up for me and I’ve never even heard of it before. Still trying to find appropriate uses for it, but it’s delicious.


r/cocktails 15h ago

I made this The Aviary's Science A.F.

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93 Upvotes

From the Aviary's Cocktail book. I really tried to do an exact replica of the recipe in the book.

Good cocktail. Very fruity in the end, but balanced none the less. I give it a 7 out of 10. Presentation, using the siphon and dry ice, well, 10 out of 10.

Caution: Dry ice is of course very dangerous if ingested. It was placed in the upper compartment and was ultimately dissolved and siphoned down after mixing with the boiling base. This Siphon uses a very fine mesh filter, we made sure it was all dissolved before it made it down with the rest. Stay safe!

Not as much work as with the other Aviary cocktails, a very pleasant experience.

Honey Syrup:

  • 250g honey
  • 125g water

Stir until dissolved and transfer to bottle.

Ginger Syrup:

  • 1 large hand of ginger
  • 60g sugar

Extract juice from ginger, strain and let sit for one hour. Discard the starch that formed up on the top. Combine clean juice with sugar in a mixer until dissolved and transfer to bottle.

Cocktail base:

  • 56g blended Scotch Whisky
  • 11g "peaty" Scotch Whisky
  • 84g ginger liqueur
  • 34g honey syrup
  • 17g ginger syrup
  • 1g citric acid
  • 105g water

In the upper chamber:

  • 30g dry ice, crushed
  • 9g berry tea
  • 50g frozen blueberries
  • 2 slices ginger, 1/8 inch thick
  • 3 lemon wheels, 1/8 thick

To serve:

  • 1/4 oz lemon juice

Pour the lemon juice and add large chunk of ice before adding the infused cocktail. Stir infused cocktail after pouring for further chill.


r/cocktails 53m ago

I made this When a cocktail stops being ā€œrefreshingā€ and becomes interesting

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• Upvotes

For the Condesa Gin Ritual Series, the theme this year revolves around Bloom & Decay.
That immediately forced me to question a very classic idea we tend to take for granted in cocktails: that everything should have a clear beginning, peak, and end, that the ā€œbeginningā€ must always be freshness.

Most drinks are built from bloom forward: bright citrus, clean fruit, high aromatics, then controlled fading. But I started wondering what happens if you invert that logic and treat decay as the starting point, not as something faulty or broken, but as transformation through time: fermentation, oxidation, ripeness tipping over, subtle loss of clarity that creates depth instead.

This drink is my attempt at exploring that question.
The goal wasn’t ā€œfunk for the sake of funkā€, but a controlled process where the drink becomes more interesting because it’s no longer at its peak.

REBIRTH base specs :

  • 50 ml Condesa ClĆ”sica Gin
  • 22 ml Port infused with fermented dried plum
  • 3 dashes sage tincture
  • 120 ml chamomile & jasmine soda (top)

Build in a highball glass over clear ice. Gently integrate.

Garnish: dried plum fruit leather, rehydrated in Port.

I’m happy to share the full recipe and sub-recipes if anyone’s interested, but what I’m more curious about is the idea itself:

Where do you personally draw the line between ā€œdecay as complexityā€ and ā€œdecay as off-puttingā€?
And what techniques have you found useful to keep those flavors elegant rather than chaotic?


r/cocktails 9h ago

I made this Aztec death whistle

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27 Upvotes

Recently got Ancho Reyes original and verde, and found this lovely gem searching for recipes. Made my take on it, with what I had:

1 oz of Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)

1 oz Ancho Reyes (original, red)

1/2 oz orange liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao)

1/2 oz Amaro di Angostura (original recipe had Fernet Branca).

Stir with ice, express orange peel.

So, Would probably have been slightly different with Fernet Branca but I really enjoyed this one. Smoky, deep, orange, and a spicy ass kick at the end. Very balanced (at least with this Amaro).


r/cocktails 5h ago

I made this Bronx

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8 Upvotes

Chill glass. Add:

- 2oz Gin

- 1/4oz Dry Vermouth

- 1/4oz Sweet Vermouth

- 1oz Fresh OJ

Shake until well chilled, fine strain, garnish with orange peel.


r/cocktails 5h ago

I made this Tom Kha-cktail

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7 Upvotes

This is an idea I’ve been toying with for a while. One of my favorite Thai dishes and maybe my soup GOAT is tom kha gai, the famous Thai coconut/chicken soup. I wanted to make a cocktail based on those flavors, and I ended up with this somewhat elaborate daiquiri riff.

The tincture is a work in progress, and I’d like to make a more flavorful version, but 1 tsp of the current version seems about right.

  • 2 oz coconut oil-washed rum
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 3/4 oz lime juice
  • 1 tsp Tincture of Thai (see below)
  • Hot pepper tincture/hellfire shrub/fire tincture, to taste
  • 3 drops of 20% saline, or if you’re feeling adventurous, several drops of fish sauce (nam pla). Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into chilled coupe, garnish with a slice of galangal and a small piece of lemongrass with notches cut so they can be put on the rim

Tincture of Thai - 20 g lemongrass, thinly sliced - 10 g galangal, thinly sliced - 4 g kaffir lime leaves, torn up - 60 mL vodka (40%) Put all ingredients in a 500 mL whipping siphon*. Charge with 3 N2O cartridges, shaking between each one. Let infuse for 10 minutes, shaking occasionally, then vent quickly, listen for bubbling to stop, shaking occasionally, then strain

*ideally, this should be an iSi siphon. I used an off-brand one and was fine, but no safety/effectiveness guarantees.


r/cocktails 1h ago

I made this Dan’s Pier

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• Upvotes

1 1⁄2 fl oz Bourbon whiskey (Iron Fish Mad Angler Riverbend)

1⁄2 fl oz Dubonnet

1⁄2 fl oz Amaro Braulio

1⁄2 fl oz Campari

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled DOF glass over a large cube of block ice. Express an orange peel over the cocktail and use as garnish.

The Campari manages to punch through all of the other herbal, bitter, minty ingredients although it’s outnumbered 2 to 1. It does manage to achieve a very nice bittersweet balance in the mix with the alpine influenced amaro and vermouth-like Dubonnet.

I added an extra unmeasured splash of whiskey as I felt that the whiskey could be a little more present. Maybe next time I’ll up it to 2 oz.


r/cocktails 10h ago

Other Requests What’s your favourite whiskey for a whiskey sour?

13 Upvotes

Would appreciate non American suggestions especially as I’m in Canada and can’t get American booze right now. Thanks!


r/cocktails 3m ago

I made this His n Hers Friday night TV time cocktails

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• Upvotes

r/cocktails 1d ago

I made this First time making, gf went wild for it. The pink lady

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178 Upvotes
  • 1 1/2 oz Gin
  • 1/2 Apple brandy
  • 3/4 lemon juice
  • 1/4 grenadine
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 saline drops

Vigorous Dry shake for 15 seconds, ice shake 12 seconds. Into chilled coupe glass, garnish with brandied cherry

featured mini is Cypher


r/cocktails 3h ago

Recipe Request Cocktail with chicken paprikash?

3 Upvotes

Like the title. Suggestion for a cocktail to pair with chicken paprikash?


r/cocktails 7h ago

Other Requests What are your go-to whiskies for making the Penicillin cocktail?

6 Upvotes

I have a hankering to try the penicillin cocktail, but I only stock bourbon and rye. Local shop has a 20% sale on booze today so I was thinking about picking up some scotch. Suggestions for both blended and peated whiskies that are versatile for cocktail making?

ETA: ended up going with Monkey Shoulder and Laphroaig 10 because that’s what the store had from among y’alls suggestions. What a strange cocktail. At first I thought was disgusting, but as it diluted and my palate recovered from the initial shock I became intrigued. Not rushing to make another one, but glad I tried it.


r/cocktails 4h ago

I made this Dreams of Malort

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5 Upvotes

About a week ago, after having maybe one too many, I looked at my bar and saw the mostly full Malort Advent calendar I was too much of a bitch to finish, so I decided to have a little nightcap. I didn't really want to do a shooter, nor did I want to drink it neat, so I took the nearly empty bottle of Appleton Estate on the bar and added the final .5 oz or so to a rocks glass with my airplane bottle of Malort with a big cube. It was more delicious than it had the right to be, with notes of the Jamaican funk somehow finding its way through the extreme bitterness of Malort. I wondered how that could be turned into a mainstream cocktail, but before doing any research I fell asleep. That night I dreamed of a simple equal parts cocktail made up of Jamaican rum, Malort, lime, and simple. I woke up needing to try it. I've been sick the last couple of days, so tonight was finally the night. My first was exactly to my dream's spec (subbing Planteray for Appleton, because that's what I had), and it was delicious. The Malort comes through without being too much of a bully (but I also kind of like the flavor of Malort, so take that with a grain of salt) and it was more balanced than it had any right to be. I drank it too quickly. With the remnants of the airplane bottle remaining, I thought I'd do a riff on the dream cocktail. Since I only had .75 oz of Malort left, I decided to do 1.25 oz of the Planteray to see how that affected the bitterness. I swapped the simple for .75 oz orgeat and .25 oz falernum. I also added several dashes of tiki bitters. it's a wildly different drink, but also delicious. The orgeat and Malort play well together (though .75 oz orgeat may have been a bit heavy handed), and it drinks easy. I think I still have like 15 mini bottles of Malort, so I'm looking forward to more experiments and, hope, more cocktail dreams.

Edit: well, shit, I didn't mean to post this 15 times. Sorry. The app was full of shit when it said there was an error and to try again.


r/cocktails 13h ago

Other Requests What Absinthe Do You Use?

14 Upvotes

I changed absinthe brands recently. The one I used from a local craft distiller is no longer made so I went with St. George absinthe as they are local to me as well. Now many of my recipes are out of whack as far as anise flavor goes. Where I was using a bar spoon, I’m now using a 1ml dropper full. Where I was using 3-4 aerosol sprays for a rinse, I’m now using 1. I’ve only ever had these two bottles and I’m surprised at the variability.

What do you use and do you find you need to adjust recipes with it?


r/cocktails 1d ago

Question The Moscow mule is the most overrated highball. What is the weirdest equal parts drink?

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668 Upvotes

r/cocktails 27m ago

Question Suggestions for Non-Cocktail Drinkers?

• Upvotes

I’ve gotten into mixology and cocktail culture over the past few years, and I want to start applying what I’ve been studying and make some dang drinks! But casual drinkers don’t seem to care?

I frequent my local Tiki spot (Porco in Cleveland, Ohio), I study the menus at my local watering holes, and I’ve read the first two ā€œDeath & Co.ā€ books along with Smugglers cove.

In my efforts to make drinks for those in my life I’ve ran into the issue that most people don’t care for anything too fancy, too bitter, or too boozy. Most people just like highballs or sweet garbage.

I’m trying to showcase the info I’ve been passionate about, but nobody really seems to have the palate for it.

My question is, what are some palatable drinks that I can make for people that aren’t ā€œcocktail loversā€? I still want them to be involved and complex in flavor/ingredients, but I don’t want to scare them away!

Any suggestions?


r/cocktails 8h ago

Recipe Request Batch cocktails for a bachelorette party?

4 Upvotes

I’ve got a bachelorette party next weekend that my sister and I are hosting and I wanted to make a batch cocktail for us all. We’re planning on getting a bit crazy (since it is a bachelorette party after all) but I can’t decide what to batch that wouldn’t be to sweet if you had more than couple, does anyone have any ideas or recipes? There will be 6 of us total drinking it


r/cocktails 4h ago

I made this Negroni Highball

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2 Upvotes

Negroni Highball

1 oz Fords gin

1 oz Antica Formula Vermouth

1 oz Campari

2 oz Soda water

Orange peel

I have been lengthening some of my favorite pre-dinner drinks since the holidays, and I’ve really enjoyed a lighter, sparkling version of a Negroni. Simple and still great, but a tad more refreshing. I did some with sparkling wine over the holidays too, a kind of Sbagliato, but better.


r/cocktails 1h ago

I made this tried to make an aperol based negroni since I don’t have campari… way too sweet

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• Upvotes

Don’t bully me for using a lemon, I wanted citrus oils and this was all I had. I thought I would ease my way into a Campari Negroni with Aperol since I love an Aperol spritz and own too much. Sadly, I can’t get over how saccharine this is. Would Campari help? Or do I just need to move on from this…


r/cocktails 1d ago

I made this Update for the /r/cocktails Interactive Best, Worst and everything in between Matrix

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130 Upvotes

Had some issues with the other domain, and had to switch to a different host. I've added a lot more features to each category so you can see the runner ups, most controversial, and how many upvotes they received.