Sips & Synopsis - This Weeks Makings

• Cocktails that start with wine

• Trivia Question

• Drink of the Week - Cosmo-Sbagliato

• The Best of Both Worlds

• Bonus Mocktails - Spirit-Free, Still Creative

✨ What’s in Your Glass This Week...

Why choose just one?
This week, we’re leaning into one of 2026’s biggest trends: cocktail mash-ups. From your favorite classics to creative new combos, this is where bold meets balanced.

Whether you’re experimenting with flavor, sipping sans alcohol, or looking for something totally unexpected—this week’s drinks are here to shake things up.

✔️ One bold mash-up cocktail you’ll actually want to make
✔️ Three zero-proof bonus drinks for Dry January
✔️ An explainer on the mixology trend taking over 2026
✔️ Tools to help you remix like a pro
✔️ A quote, a trivia question, and a reason to play with your palate

Trivia Question❓

Which iconic cocktail, made with gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, is the foundation for countless mash-ups?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Drink of the Week: Cosmo-Sbagliato

Fruity. Bitter. Bubbly. A mash-up of Cosmopolitan charm and Negroni Sbagliato swagger.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz vodka

• 0.5 oz triple sec

• 0.5 oz cranberry juice

• 0.5 oz Campari

• 2 oz prosecco (or sparkling rosé)

• Garnish: orange twist or lime wedge

Directions:

1. Build vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and Campari in a rocks or wine glass with ice.

2. Stir gently to combine.

3. Top with prosecco.

4. Garnish with a citrus twist.

Tart meets bitter. Sweet meets sparkle. It works way better than it should.

The Best of Both Worlds

There’s something oddly comforting about a mash-up, it says, “I love both, so I’m doing both.” That’s the energy we’re carrying into 2026: experimentation without intimidation.

The Cosmo-Sbagliato is proof that your glass doesn’t need to follow any rules, just your mood. So try a little bitter. A little sweet. A little classic. A little “wait, what is this?”

Mash-ups are for the home mixologist who wants to play, and doesn’t mind raising eyebrows in the best possible way.

🛍️ Bar Cart Picks

🫙 Bitters Bottle Set – For pro-level flavor
🍷 Stemless Wine Glasses – Perfect for mash-ups
🌿 Seedlip Grove 42 (NA Spirit)

Bonus Mocktails: Spirit-Free, Still Creative

These mocktail mash-ups go beyond soda and juice, they’re all about elevated, adult flavors, that don’t miss the booze.

🫧 1. Shirley Temple Spritz

Nostalgia meets New Year sophistication.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz pomegranate juice

• 0.5 oz lime juice

• 0.5 oz grenadine

• Sparkling water to top

• Garnish: cherry + lime wheel

Directions:
Shake juices + grenadine. Pour over ice, top with sparkling water, garnish and enjoy.

🍊 2. Ginger Yuzu Smash (NA)

Bright citrus meets bold spice.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz fresh yuzu juice (or lemon + orange)

• 0.5 oz ginger syrup

• 3–4 mint leaves

• Sparkling water

• Garnish: mint sprig + citrus wheel

Directions:
Muddle mint + syrup, add juice and shake with ice. Top with sparkling water and garnish.

🍇 3. Botanical Berry Cooler

A zero-proof twist on a gin + shrub combo.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz berry shrub (or blackberry vinegar + sweetener)

• 1 oz non-alcoholic botanical spirit (like Seedlip Grove or Lyre’s)

• Tonic water to top

• Garnish: blackberries + rosemary sprig

Directions:
Shake shrub + NA spirit, strain over ice, top with tonic, garnish beautifully.