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Spicy Prickly Pear Mock Margarita in a rocks glass on top of a white counter, garnished with a lime wedge and salted rim. Since I just finished cleaning and juicing a bunch of prickly pears yesterday, I figured I might as well put them to good use for Mocktail Monday, and a non-alcoholic margarita riff just felt right. Recipe: Spicy Prickly Pear Mock Margarita (Aye! Mockarita!) Ingredients: 2–3 fresh jalapeño slices, adjusted based on your spice preference and the heat of the jalapeños 1.5 oz fresh lime juice 0.75 oz prickly pear syrup (recipe below) 0.75 oz non-alcoholic triple sec 2 oz room temperature water Build: Add jalapeño slices to a shaker tin and muddle lightly. Add lime juice, prickly pear syrup, non-alcoholic triple sec, water, and ice to the shaker tin, and shake well. Since we muddled the jalapeños, strain into a salt(or Tajín) rimmed glass over fresh ice so you don't have little bits of jalapeño in the finished drink. I prefer a rocks glass with a large cube, just because it melts slower. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy! Recipe: Prickly Pear Syrup Ingredients: 8 oz (1 cup) prickly pear juice 6 oz (3/4 cup) white granulated sugar Build: Add juice and sugar to a squeeze bottle and shake until the sugar is fully dissolved. Store in the fridge for about a week. Note: I prefer 4:3 juice to sugar ratio for this one, to account for the sweetness in the prickly pear juice, itself, so that this comes out closer to a 1:1 simple syrup in terms of sweetness.

Bitter, Sour, Smokey, and Just a Touch of Sweet. The Naked and Famous has it All! Created by Joaquín Simó while working at Death & Co. in New York, this cocktail has been described as the “bastard love child” of the Last Word and the Paper Plane. Simó’s original version calls for lime juice, but I genuinely think lemon’s brighter tartness gives the drink just a little something extra. Recipe: Naked and Famous Ingredients: 3/4 oz Lemon Juice(Or lime juice for the original version) 3/4 oz Aperol 3/4 oz Mezcal 3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse Build: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake well to chill. Double strain into a chilled coupe, martini, Nick & Nora, or other appropriate glassware. Garnish with a lemon or lime twist. Enjoy!

Negroni Sbagliato with Prosecco, Campari, and Carpano Antica A Bright, Bubbly Twist on the Classic Negroni Recipe: Negroni Sbagliato Ingredients: 1.5 oz Campari 1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (we like Carpano Antica) 1.5 oz Prosecco Build: In a mixing glass filled with ice, add Campari and sweet vermouth. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over ice, or into a chilled coupe or champagne flute without ice. Top with Prosecco, garnish with an orange twist, and enjoy. History: From Happy Little Accident to Viral Cocktail! Sometimes life’s little mistakes lead to great inventions, and the Negroni Sbagliato, literally translated as “Wrong Negroni”, is no different. As the story goes, Mirko Stocchetto was working behind the bar at Bar Basso in 1970s Milan when a customer ordered a classic Negroni. In his rush, he accidentally grabbed a bottle of Prosecco instead of gin and poured it in. And just like that, history took a delightful detour. In an alternate timeline, maybe Mirko noticed his mistake, dumped the drink, remade it, and moved on with his night. But thankfully, that’s not how it went. Instead, realizing what he’d done, he paused, then decided that the Prosecco might actually make for a refreshing twist on the original. So, he served it anyway. As luck would have it, the customer loved it. The drink was an instant success, spreading first across Milan and eventually around the world. For decades, the Negroni Sbagliato enjoyed a quiet but steady presence in the cocktail world, beloved by bartenders and those in the know. That is, until one fateful interview in 2022, when House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy casually mentioned it as their favorite drink. And just like that... it. went. viral. Almost overnight, the “mistaken” Negroni became an internet sensation, capturing the attention (and taste buds) of a whole new generation. Not bad for a happy little accident born in Milan all those years ago.

Like a slice of fall in a glass, this cozy mocktail brings all the warmth of apple pie. Ingredients: 1 oz apple pie spice syrup 3 oz apple juice 1 whole egg Nutmeg and a cinnamon stick(for garnish) Build: Add all ingredients to a shaker tin, then fill with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled and egg is whipped. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg.

A fall inspired, non-alcoholic version of a whiskey sour. Recipe: Spiced Apple Sour Ingredients: 1 oz lemon juice 4 oz spiced apple cider (Preferably RW Knudsen's) 1/2 oz aquafaba or ~1/2 oz egg white (about half an egg white) Freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon Build: Add the lemon juice, spiced apple cider, and aquafaba or egg white to a shaker tin. Add ice and shake vigorously to chill and develop foam. Strain into a coupe glass, or into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

For October’s inaugural Mocktail Monday, I knew I had to do something with pumpkin spice, so for your consideration, here is the Pumpkin Spice Black Tea Old Fashioned. An homage to fall, you get a little subtle pumpkin flavor, some nice warm pumpkin pie spice, and some subtle bitterness on the back of the palate to keep things interesting. Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Black Tea Old Fashioned Ingredients: 0.75 oz pumpkin spice syrup (recipe below, or alternatively, you could use 0.5 oz simple syrup, a dash of pumpkin pie spice, and a barspoon of canned pumpkin) 3 oz strong black tea 3 dashes El Guapo Holiday Pie Bitters 2 dashes aromatic bitters Build: We are building this one in the glass because I don’t feel like making more dishes. Add all ingredients to a rocks glass, add ice, and stir to chill. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve! Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Syrup Ingredients: 4 oz 1:1 simple syrup 1 oz canned pumpkin 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice Build: Add all ingredients to a squeeze bottle and shake to combine. Note: I find it best to do this while the syrup is still warm, as it helps the spices bloom a little better. This should keep in the fridge for about a week.

A bowl of our finished C&C Chili, topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, fresh jalapenos, and served with some classic saltine crackers. Our tried-and-true chili recipe that will have your guests coming back bowl after bowl after bowl after bowl. Full of flavorful, rich, hearty, and not unnecessarily complicated, with a spice level that is just right. Recipe: C&C Chili Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef (we prefer 93/7 or 90/10) 1 medium-large onion, 1/4-inch diced 1 bell pepper, 1/4-inch diced 2 Tbsp C&C Seasoning 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained 1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans, drained 1 (10 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes and green chiles 1 (7 oz) can medium fire-roasted green chiles 2 cups beef broth Build: Preheat a 6 qt pot over medium-high heat. Add your ground beef and cook for ~10 minutes, until the beef has cooked through, any liquid has evaporated, and the meat has started to brown. To the browned ground beef, add the onion, bell pepper, C&C Seasoning, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir and sauté for 2–3 minutes to sweat the vegetables and bloom the spices. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to continue simmering for at least 30 minutes. A few hours would be better if you have the time, though, as that allows the flavors to continue to meld and build. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good at 30 minutes, but like most soups, time is the secret ingredient that takes it from good to great! Serve however you like. I personally am a fan of cheese, crackers, sour cream, and fresh jalapeños, but make it your own!

All of the C&C Aliño ingredients laid out, waiting to be blended and turned into one of the best marinades/seasonings you can make. This is one of my better half's recipes, and one that we use quite regularly in this house. What may be a seemingly simple blend of produce is perfect for seasoning steaks, chicken, or pork, or adding to your soups and stews for a great punch of flavor. Recipe: C&C Aliño Ingredients: The ingredients are always the same, but the proportions change depending on what we have on hand and/or need to use up. The batch we are making today is extra large since we had a Costco-sized bag of green onions to use, but a standard batch is usually as follows: 1 bunch cilantro 1 medium-large onion, quartered (white or yellow, it doesn't matter) 2-3 bunches green onions 1 large bell pepper, quartered (like the onion, color doesn't matter) 6-7 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp olive oil, optional, but it does help with blending Build: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to pause a few times to stir/compact the ingredients so the blades can grab them. Use within a day, or store in the freezer for later. To store in the freezer, pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a zip-top bag and store in the freezer until ready to use. Use as a marinade for meats, or add it to your soups and stews for a punch of flavor.

Pomegranate Black Tea Collins, simple and flavorful. We forwent a garnish on this one because the beauty is the simplicity Simple yet flavorful, this week's Mocktail Monday is light and tart, with just a hint of spice from the ginger beer and a touch of bitterness from the tannins in the tea on the back of the palate. Built in the glass we're going to serve it in, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Don't be fooled, though. While it might be low on effort, it's high on flavor. Recipe: Pomegranate Black Tea Collins Ingredients: 2 oz strong black tea, chilled 1 oz pomegranate juice 0.5 oz lime juice ~3 oz spicy ginger beer or ginger ale Build: Add all ingredients to a Collins glass, top with ice, and serve.

The finished Strawberry Balsamic Spritz, Garnished with some (definitely not frozen) strawberries. Admittedly I would have rather used a single fresh strawberry, but you make do with what you have some times. It's so crazy, it just might work... is what I thought when this popped into my head, and what do ya know? It did! I know it might sound like I went off the deep end, but you gotta try this one. I have been meaning to start tinkering with shrubs for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it, so this one draws some inspiration from the shrub format but takes a shortcut. Recipe: Strawberry Balsamic Spritz Ingredients: 0.75 oz strawberry syrup 0.25 oz balsamic vinegar 0.5 oz lemon juice 0.25 oz feta brine or about 1.5 mL 20% saline solution ~4 oz soda water Build: In a rocks glass, add syrup, balsamic, lemon, and brine. Stir with a bar spoon to combine. Add soda water, top with ice, garnish with some(definitely not frozen) strawberries, and enjoy!

The finished Bushwacker, smooth and creamy, with a milkshake like consistency. Garnished with a few extra neon red maraschino cherries, just because. It took many an iteration, but I have finally come up with a bushwacker recipe that I would put up against the best of them. This one comes out perfectly creamy, and doesn't have that overtly icy texture that so many others do. Recipe: Bushwacker Ingredients: 4 oz bushwacker base(recipe below) 2 oz Half and Half 8 oz ice(roughly a mounded cups worth) Chocolate Syrup (optional) Maraschino Cherry (Optional) Build: Prep a hurricane(or similar sized) glass by drizzling chocolate syrup on the inside, if you choose to do so. Add Bushwacker base, milk, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into prepped glass, garnish with a cherry(or cherries), if so inclined, and serve. Optionally, add a float of your choice on top for an extra punch (coconut rum, dark rum, 151, banana rum, and chocolate Crown are all good options) Side note, if you can put the glass and/or blender in the freezer for an hour or two ahead of time, that will help get and maintain a creamier, more milkshake-like consistency. Recipe: Bushwacker Base (Yields 3) 2 oz Coffee Liquor - I use Grind, but you can use whichever you prefer 2 oz Gold or light aged Rum 2 oz Amaretto Liquor 2 oz Coconut Vodka - Sub Coconut rum if you cant get the vodka 2 oz Dark Creme de Cacao 2 oz Coconut Cream 1 tsp Xanthan gum Build: Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer to an appropriately sized squeeze bottle and store in the freezer until ready to use, minimum 8 hours, a full 24 is ideal. The good news is that you can make this way in advance, as it stores in the freezer almost indefinitely. History: How the Bushwacker came to be. A staple of bars along the Gulf, the Bushwacker may now call the beaches of Florida and Alabama its home, but to find its birthplace, we have to hop on a boat and travel a little further south to 1975 St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Originally developed by Angie Conigliaro, a bartender at the Ship's Store & Sapphire Pub, the Bushwacker was named after Bushwack, an Afghan hound belonging to one of the regulars. The Bushwacker started life in response to a request from bar manager Tom Brokamp for a blended coffee liqueur drink, smack in the middle of the frozen cocktail boom, and quickly became the Sapphire Pub's signature cocktail. Just a few years later, the Bushwacker would find its way stateside when Tom Brokamp, the manager of the Sapphire Pub, decided to move to Pensacola and started serving up his version of the Bushwacker at the Sandshaker Lounge. From there, as they say, the rest is history, and the Bushwacker spread across the beaches of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama like wildfire. Today, 50 years after its invention, the Bushwacker has withstood the test of time and continues to be celebrated with countless festivals and recipe variations, wowing those who imbibe just as it did all those years ago.

The finished Product. We ended up with 24 egg cups in this batch, but the family starting eating before we could get a full picture. This is our go to for a quick weekday breakfast. Prep these on Sunday and store them in the fridge to eat throughout the week, or pop them in the freezer to have handy for those mornings that just go a little sideways. Recipe: Egg Cups Yield: ~24 egg cups Ingredients: 2 Tbsp butter 9 oz container thin-sliced deli ham, cut into about 1/2" squares (you could also use turkey, roast beef, chicken, whatever your heart desires) 1 medium onion, 1/2" diced (I prefer yellow, but white works just fine) 2 bell peppers, 1/2" diced 18 large eggs 8 oz fine shredded cheese (I like the fiesta blend, for no specific reason) Build: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, then add butter. Once the butter is melted, add ham and cook for 3-5 minutes, until it starts to brown. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking or burning. After the ham is browned, add peppers and onions and sauté for ~3 minutes, or until they get just a little color and begin to soften. Transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool. Spread the mixture up the sides of the bowl to help it cool faster. While the ham, onion, and peppers cool, preheat the oven to 325°F (I find this is the sweet spot for speed and texture). Once the ham, onion, and peppers have cooled (they don't have to be room temperature, just not hot to the touch, to avoid scrambling the eggs), add your eggs and cheese, then whisk/mix well to combine. Portion into greased muffin tins and bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your tins. They are done when firm, with just the smallest jiggle in the centers. Once cooked, remove from the oven, pop them out of the tins, and allow to cool on a plate or wire cooling rack. After they cool, place them in a gallon zip-top bag and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for a couple of months. To reheat, depending on your microwave: From the fridge, cook for about 30-60 seconds on high. From frozen, wrap in a damp paper towel and cook for 1-2 minutes at half power. This is to reheat a single egg cup. Additional time will be needed for 2 or more.

Few drinks are more New Orleans than the Ramos Gin Fizz. Born in the 1880s and first called the New Orleans Fizz by Henry Ramos, it’s sweet, sour, lightly floral, delightfully creamy, and still boozy enough to mean business. Recipe: Ramos Gin Fizz Ingredients: 2 oz London Dry gin (Bombay Sapphire or a similarly citrus-forward option) ¾ oz simple syrup 1 oz heavy cream 1 egg white (about 1 oz) ~6 drops orange blossom water 3–5 drops vanilla extract 2 dashes orange bitters ½ oz lemon juice ½ oz lime juice 2 oz club soda Build: In a shaker tin without ice, add all ingredients except the club soda. Add the lemon and lime juice last to help prevent the cream from curdling. Dry shake vigorously for about 30 seconds, holding the tins tightly to avoid leaks. (Optional: Add a wire blender ball or the spring from a Hawthorne strainer to help with emulsification) Add ice and shake hard for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the shaker is fully frosted. Strain into a Collins glass and let rest for about 3 minutes to allow the foam to set. Add the club soda to the ice left in the shaker tin and gently swirl to combine. Using a straw or chopstick, poke a small hole in the center of the foam and slowly pour the soda mixture through the opening, allowing the foam to rise. Enjoy!

It's another mocktail Monday! We are back from our break, and with the weather warming up we wanted to bring on the summer vibes. Its light, its bright, its summer in a glass, and best of all its 100% alcohol free. Recipe: Strawberry Coconut Collins (N/A) Ingredients: 2 medium strawberries* 2 oz coconut water 0.5 oz cream of coconut 1 oz lemon juice ~3 oz club soda Optional (but highly recommended): 1/8 oz imitation rum flavor 4 dashes El Guapo Polynesian Kiss bitters 4 dashes El Guapo Summer Berries bitters Build: Add strawberries to a shaker and muddle. Add all ingredients (except soda) to the shaker with ice and shake to chill and combine. Add club soda to the shaker**, then strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. (Optional) Garnish with a lemon twist. Serve and enjoy! Notes: *I used frozen and thawed strawberries, for a couple of reasons. 1. Fresh aren't readily available yet, and 2. Thawed strawberries muddle way easier! ** adding the soda to the shaker may be a little unconventional, but I believe it gives a better incorporation and distribution in the final drink.

With spring in the air and St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, we wanted something light, refreshing, and of course… green. Enter the Emerald Tonic. Subtle cucumber is offset by bright kiwi and citrus, with just a splash of bitterness from the tonic to add a little complexity. It checks all the boxes and is perfect for celebrating the warmer days ahead. Recipe: Emerald Tonic (N/A) Ingredients: 4 cucumber slices (~¼" thick) Juice of 1 lime (~1 oz) Juice of ½ kiwi 2 oz pineapple juice ~3 oz tonic water Build: Add cucumber slices to a shaker and muddle. Add the lime juice, kiwi juice, and pineapple juice. (Tip: a citrus press works great for juicing kiwi.) Add ice and shake well to chill and combine. After shaking, add the tonic water to the shaker, then strain through a Hawthorne strainer into a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice and lime wheel, and enjoy!