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First, I’ll give you the basic recipes for vanilla extract and vanilla vodka. If you want to skip ahead to what makes them different, jump to the end. Recipe: Vanilla Extract Ingredients: 1.5 ounces vanilla beans, split lengthwise ~16 ounces vodka (or another spirit of your choice, just keep it between 80 and 100 proof) Build: In a pint size mason jar, add vanilla beans and vodka, seal, and place in a cool, dry, dark place for a minimum of 6 months. Closer to a year is preferred. Taste every couple of weeks or monthly. Once desired flavor has been reached, using a fine mesh strainer, filter out the vanilla beans and transfer the extract to an airtight container for storage. The vanilla beans can be used to flavor other spirits or dishes, used as garnishes, or blended to make vanilla bean paste. Recipe: Vanilla Vodka Ingredients: ~16 ounces vodka 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise Build: Place vodka and vanilla beans in a pint size mason jar, seal, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks. Taste regularly until your desired flavor profile is reached. Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter. Transfer to an airtight container for storage and use as you see fit. You can reuse the beans to flavor more spirits or blend them to make vanilla bean paste. Story: Now, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, what separates extracts and infusions. The two biggest factors are time and the ratio of vanilla(or other flavorant) to spirit, and they go hand in hand. Let’s start with time: For infusions, it does not take long to get a good product. You can infuse the flavor you are looking for in anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks, depending on what you are working with and the final flavor profile you want. For extracts, on the other hand, the longer the better, to a point. Depending on what you are extracting, you are looking at anywhere from a couple of weeks or months to possibly a year or more for full flavor development. That said, there will always be a tipping point where additional time becomes less critical for flavor development. In either case, the value of time in developing flavors and achieving your desired profile cannot be understated, and it is why it is always good to check on your infusions and extracts regularly. I generally check infusions every day or two, whereas extracts can be checked once a week or even once a month. The other key factor, ratios and concentration: For an infusion, you generally do not need much of the ingredient you are using to flavor your spirit, unless it has a high water content. For something like vanilla, herbs, or even jalapeños, a few pods, sprigs, or peppers per pint is usually plenty. With extracts, the opposite is true. Since you are aiming for a much more concentrated final product, you will want to significantly increase the ratio of flavoring agent to spirit. For vanilla and herbs, about a 1:10 ratio works well. That means for every ounce of vanilla beans or herbs, you use about 10 ounces of your spirit of choice. For something like peppers, you may want to go closer to a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio.

Brings a nice sour apple punch to any drink Recipe: Acid-Adjusted Apple Juice (Sour Apple Juice) Ingredients: 8 oz apple juice 5 g malic acid (about 1 tsp) 2.5 g citric acid (about ½ tsp) Build: Combine all ingredients in a plastic squeeze bottle. Seal and shake thoroughly until fully dissolved. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Perfect for all of your fall cocktails and mocktails! Recipe: Apple Pie Spice Simple Syrup Ingredients: 4 cinnamon sticks 2 whole nutmeg (cracked) ¼ cup cubed fresh ginger 4 cups water 1 cup white sugar Build: In a medium saucepan, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes to soften the spices. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender (or carefully in a stand blender). It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove solids. Return the liquid to the saucepan and bring back to a boil. Reduce until about 1 cup of liquid remains. Lower the heat, add the sugar, and stir until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Bottle and refrigerate for storage.

Our spin on a classic Southern-style chicken marinade. This one is perfect for whatever cut you like, from wings, to leg quarters, and even boneless, skinless chicken breast. Give this one a try and your chicken is sure to come out tender, juicy, and packed full of flavor, no matter how you cook it. Smoke it, fry it, roast it, grill it, pan fry it, or bake it. Recipe: Southern Style Chicken Marinade Yield: Enough for ~10 lbs of chicken Ingredients: 1 quart buttermilk 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot(or similar) 1/4 cup Badia Sazón Completa 2 tbsp Goya Adobo 2 tbsp onion powder 2 tbsp garlic powder Build: Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Use to marinate the chicken of your choice. While you can get away with just a couple of hours, it is recommended to marinate overnight, or even better, for a full 24 hours.

Recipe: Spicy Cranberry Mock-Margarita Ingredients: 3–5 fresh jalapeño slices (adjust to spice tolerance and the heat of the pepper) ½ oz lemon juice ½ oz lime juice 1½ oz non-alcoholic triple sec 4 oz cranberry juice Build Add jalapeño slices to a shaker and gently muddle to release their juices and oils. Add lemon juice, lime juice, non-alcoholic triple sec, cranberry juice, and ice. Shake to chill. Strain into a salt-rimmed margarita or rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Enjoy.

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.

Herby, slightly bitter, and full of complexity, with no booze or "boos" thanks to the Sage. Recipe: Sage of Enlightenment Ingredients: 8 large sage leaves 0.25 oz simple syrup 4 cucumber slices (¼-inch thick) 0.5 oz fresh lime juice 3 oz strong mint tea, chilled Sprig of sage & thin sliced cucumber for garnish Build: Add sage leaves and simple syrup to a shaker and muddle thoroughly. Add cucumber slices and muddle again to release their juices. Add lime juice, mint tea, and ice. Shake well to chill. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a small sprig of sage and a cucumber slice.

Creamy, spicy, and just a hint of sweet thanks to the pineapple juice. Recipe: Jala-Piña Colada Fizz Ingredients: 4 slices fresh jalapeño* 2 oz coconut milk 3 oz pineapple juice Splash soda water Build: Add jalapeños to a shaker and muddle lightly to release the juice and oils. Add coconut milk, pineapple juice, and ice, then shake to chill. Strain into a coupe glass and top with soda water. Serve and enjoy! Note: *Adjust jalapeños depending on heat tolerance and the spice level of the peppers. The goal is a mild kick, not overpowering. If your jalapeños are on the milder side, a small slice of serrano alongside them will liven it up nicely.

Inspired by the Trinidad Sour, this mocktail is bright and bitter, with a touch of richness from the orgeat that rounds everything out beautifully. Recipe: The Holly Ingredients: 1 oz lemon juice 1 oz orgeat 3 oz strong black tea 1/8 oz Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters* Lemon twist, for garnish Build: Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake well to chill. Strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy. * Note: While Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters have an ABV of 17.5%, the small amount used here keeps the final drink at approximately 0.36% ABV, which is below the commonly accepted 0.5% threshold for non-alcoholic beverages. That said, everyone’s comfort level and reasons for abstaining are different, if this is a concern, feel free to omit the bitters or substitute a non-alcoholic aromatic alternative. Story: This week’s Mocktail Monday is dedicated to one of our best friends, and one of the biggest inspirations behind the entire Mocktail Monday series. Truly kind, generous, and selfless, the world could always use more Hollys.

Balanced and Refreshing - The Club Soda and Simple Syrup Knock Just Enough Edge Off the Tonic Water for those who want complexity without the bitter. Recipe: Firekeeper’s Tonic Water Ingredients: 1.5 oz tonic water 1.5 oz club soda 0.5 oz lime juice 0.5 oz simple syrup (we used a butterfly pea blossom simple for the vibrant pink/purple color, but regular simple works just fine) 3 dashes orange bitters Fresh herbs for garnish (rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, etc.) Build: In a rocks or Collins glass filled with ice, add tonic water, club soda, lime juice, simple syrup, and orange bitters. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy! Story: This is the "Firekeeper’s Tonic Water," inspired by the novel Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley. The recipe was originally published in the book Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Ferdele. It’s a beautifully balanced drink: the club soda, lime, and simple syrup gently tame the tonic’s bitterness just enough to smooth things out, while still letting it peek through on the back of the palate and add a little complexity. Refreshing, layered, and quietly interesting, exactly what a good mocktail should be.

A non-alcoholic mojito, made with a butterfly pea infused simple syrup, mint, lime, and soda. Recipe: The Fauxjito (N/A Mojito) Ingredients: 6 large mint leaves 0.5 oz simple syrup (we used butterfly pea blossom simple for color) 1/8 lime wedge (optional) 1 oz lime juice 4 dashes El Guapo Cuban bitters ~4 oz club soda Build: Add mint, simple syrup, and lime wedge to a Collins glass. Gently muddle to release the oils. Add lime juice, bitters, and club soda. Fill with ice and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a lime wheel and a sprig of mint. Serve and enjoy. History: The Mojito Most people probably don’t think twice about the history of this simple, refreshing summer drink, but its origin story might surprise you. It started out in Cuba as a medicinal tonic called El Draque, named after the English privateer Sir Francis Drake, and was used to help fight off scurvy and dysentery. Over the years, it evolved with the culture and ingredients available, eventually becoming the summer icon we know and love today. While El Draque laid the foundation for the mojito, it definitely didn’t start out as the crisp, cool cocktail we’re familiar with. It took centuries of refinement to get there. The original version from the 1500s was made with aguardiente de caña, a much earthier, harsher precursor to rum, along with lime juice, sugar, and mint. It wasn’t until the 1700s, when rum production improved, that the drink started to evolve into something closer to its modern form. By the 1800s, the mojito (still without soda water) had found its place in Cuban culture, and by the early 1900s, it took on its final form with the addition of soda water, giving it that signature fizz and refreshment. From there, it didn’t take long for the drink to catch on, especially with tourists. During Prohibition, Americans flocked to Cuba in search of good drinks and better nightlife, and the mojito was ready and waiting. By the time the 1950s rolled around, it had left its mark across the globe, and it still stands today as a proud symbol of Cuban heritage and hospitality. So next time you're enjoying one, remember, this cocktail may be easy to drink, but its history runs deep.

Finished Egg Nog topped with Whipped Cream and Fresh Grated Nutmeg A Holiday Classic sans Alcohol: Egg Nog by the Glass or by the Pitcher Recipe: Egg Nog (Single Serve) Ingredients: 1 whole egg 3 oz milk 1 oz heavy cream 0.75 oz simple syrup 1/4 tsp rum extract 1/8 tsp vanilla extract Dash of nutmeg Dash of allspice Garnish: Whipped cream Nutmeg Build: In a shaker, combine all ingredients with ice and shake vigorously to aerate, emulsify, and chill. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Recipe: Egg Nog (Pitcher) Ingredients: 4 eggs 3 Tbsp sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 cups milk 1 tsp rum extract 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice Garnish: Whipped cream Nutmeg Build: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth and uniform. Add the heavy cream and whisk again until combined. Continue whisking as you add the milk, extracts, nutmeg, and allspice. Transfer to a pitcher or bottle and refrigerate until serving. We recommend enjoying within 1–2 days, though it likely won’t last that long. To serve, garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. History: Did you know that in 1826 there was an Egg Nog Riot at West Point? The story goes that cadets smuggled booze into their Christmas celebration, which sparked an uproar that damaged multiple buildings, led to several court-martials, and ultimately became known as the Egg Nog Riot, though in truth, eggnog was really just the scapegoat. More history coming soon.

Bougie but not Boozie Recipe: Dubai Chocolate Mock-tini Ingredients: 1 oz pistachio syrup ½ tsp instant coffee ⅛ tsp cocoa powder ~⅛ tsp vanilla extract 4 oz water Garnishes: Grated Dubai chocolate bark Coffee beans Crushed pistachios Build: In a shaker tin filled with ice, combine pistachio syrup, instant coffee, cocoa powder, vanilla, and water. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with grated chocolate, coffee beans, or crushed pistachios as desired. Notes/Options: if you find this to be too bitter for your taste, or just want to lighten the drink in general. Add .5oz of sweetened condensed milk before shaking.

Bright, Floral, and a Little Indulgent Pink lemonade with an indulgent, tropical twist. Ingredients: 3 oz fresh brewed hibiscus tea 1 oz fresh lemon juice ½ oz sweetened condensed milk Build: Add hibiscus tea, lemon juice, and condensed milk to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well until chilled and lightly frothy. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and a hibiscus flower. Enjoy! Note: we are using fresh brewed tea that is still warm, if you are using chilled tea, you will need to add about 1oz of water to help with dilution.

Cranberry Mule: Simple, Festive, Refreshing, and Downright Delicious The tartness of cranberry and lime melds with the bite of ginger to create a drink that honestly doesn’t feel like a mocktail at all. Recipe: Cranbery Mock-Mule Ingredients: ~4 oz cranberry juice (100% cranberry if available; we like Knudsen) ½ oz lime juice, or the juice of a small lime ~4 oz ginger beer or ginger ale (the spicier, the better. Fever-Tree or Buffalo Rock recommended) Build: Fill a mule mug (or similarly sized glass) with ice. Add cranberry juice, lime juice, and ginger beer or ginger ale. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lime wheel and enjoy.