Sips & Synopsis - This Weeks Makings
☀️ What’s in Your Glass This Week...
Summer’s winding down and routines are ramping up, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. This week, we’re leaning into a little academic nostalgia and shaking up cocktails that feel smart, structured, and slightly rebellious (in the best way).
✔️ 3 clever, “classroom-inspired” cocktails
✔️ 1 extra credit mocktail
✔️ Back-to-school bar cart must haves
✔️ 2 links to keep your home bar sharp
✔️ Trivia & a quote that deserves a gold star
Let’s graduate from blender season with style.
Trivia Question❓
What cocktail’s name is rumored to come from an old-school student prank involving a strong drink and a quick escape?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter
🍊 Drink of the Week: The Paper Plane
A modern classic with equal parts bite and balance, this cocktail is named after a track by M.I.A.—but we like to pretend it’s an ode to passing notes in class.
Ingredients:
¾ oz bourbon
¾ oz Aperol
¾ oz Amaro Nonino (or Montenegro)
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
Shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a coupe glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or…a tiny origami plane.
Tart, bittersweet, and effortlessly cool - just like your favorite teacher.
📝 Bonus Cocktails
1. School Night Sipper (aka The Manhattan 101)
2 oz rye or bourbon
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with cherry
Add rye, vermouth, and bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for about 30 seconds until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry or orange twist.
2. Sharpener (Negroni & Tonic Hybrid)
1 oz gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth
Top with tonic water, garnish with orange slice
Light, bitter, and bubbly—perfect for “after class”
In a rocks glass filled with ice, add gin, Campari, and vermouth. Stir briefly to combine. Top with tonic water to taste. Garnish with a slice of orange or peel.
🧃 Mocktail Moment: Sparkling Cranberry Lime Cooler
2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
Sparkling water to top
Garnish: lime wedge + mint
In a shaker with ice, combine cranberry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake for 10 seconds to chill. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with lime and mint.
Tart, fizzy, and refined - perfect for a weeknight “hall pass.”
Back to Bar Cart
It’s that time of year when everyone’s reorganizing: backpacks, planners, meal prep containers. But around here, we’re refreshing our bar carts/or cabinets instead.
Out go the tiki mugs and sticky syrups. In come clean lines, aromatic bitters, and fresh citrus. The cocktails get a little neater. The glassware a little smarter. And yes, there’s something deeply satisfying about pulling off a three-ingredient stunner like the Paper Plane while everyone else is labeling folders.
This season isn’t just about going back to school. It’s about coming back to you, and making happy hour feel like extra credit.
🛍️ Back-to-Bar Essentials
Bar Planner Notebook – track your favorite recipes and flavor combos like a real cocktail scholar
Bitters Set for Beginners – 4 mini bottles, ideal for experimenting without the commitment
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
💡 Answer to Trivia Question:
The Harvey Wallbanger! Legend has it the name came from a California surfer named Harvey who, after a few too many vodka, OJ, and Galliano drinks, stumbled into walls on his way out. Classic.
🏁 Closing Time
Here’s to sharpening your bar skills, refreshing your setup, and embracing the joy of smart sipping. Whether it’s your first Paper Plane or your 50th, this week is about shaking things up - intentionally.
Because grown-ups deserve school supplies too.
Cheers,
Andrea
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