Rebekah Peppler

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This combination of dry vermouth, lemon, crème de cassis, dry tonic and sparkling rosé is bright and refreshingly bubbly any time of day. The small add of crème de cassis (a black currant-based liqueur) balances the drink's acidity, while a pinch of flaky sea salt smooths and enhances flavors. The drink can be made to serve one, as written, or the mix of vermouth-lemon-crème de cassis can be batched in advance, then poured over ice and topped with dry tonic and sparkling rosé just before serving.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The classic Pimm’s Cup calls for lemonade or ginger ale, lemon juice and Pimm’s No. 1, a gin-based liqueur, and is garnished with fresh fruit and a generous spray of mint. It’s a simple recipe that encourages many an adaptation. This peppery, springtime take adds a bouquet of arugula, muddled alongside cucumber, mint and citrus. Fresh arugula also makes it into the garnish, increasing the garden-to-glass energy of the final drink. Topping up with ginger ale leans this Pimm’s Cup a bit more toward mild and sweet, though you can riff further by using lemon soda or ginger beer or a combination of ginger ale and lemonade instead.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A double dose of basil — infused in dry vermouth and used as garnish — ensures this drink is fresh and herbal throughout. A splash of olive brine and a garnish with the olives themselves add salinity and balance. Use the leftover basil-infused dry vermouth in a 50/50 martini, Vermouth Royale, a Fair Play or pour as is over a large ice cube and finish with a citrus twist.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The popular lore goes that the Bicicletta, a classic Italian aperitivo, was named after the wobbling mode of transportation used by elderly men after a spirited afternoon or evening. However the drink came to be named, the three-part combination of red bitter liqueur, dry white wine and soda water is bright, refreshing and as easy to make as riding a bike.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Made in batches and served hot, sweet and scented with cinnamon and other spices, Café de Olla is traditionally brewed in an olla de barro, a tall clay pot. When making Café de Olla, choose quality, dark roast coffee and, if possible, grind it fresh. Second, seek out piloncillo — unprocessed, unrefined cane sugar named after the shape of the mold that is traditionally used to make it — for a richer, deeper, more caramelized flavor. If you don’t have access to piloncillo, use dark brown sugar and add a half to a full teaspoon of molasses. Lastly, take care to never allow the liquid to come to a boil, which can burn the coffee and make the final drink acidic. Serve as is, or set a bottle of tequila, rum, whiskey, cognac or amaro on the table and let drinkers add their chosen spirit to taste. If you have extra Café de Olla, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator and reheat or serve iced.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The caffè amaro takes a lighter, lower-in-alcohol approach to caffeinated cocktails. Made with cold brew coffee, amaro, vermouth, lemon and a brown sugar simple syrup, the drink is rich in both flavor and texture. Opt for a lighter, more citrus-forward amaro and be sure to shake the cocktail firmly — served up, the drink’s layer of creamy froth harkens to its full-proof, also caffeinated cousin: the espresso martini.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This bright, refreshing cocktail is Brazil’s national drink, made with the country’s most beloved spirit, cachaça. Prepared directly in the glass, the caipirinha has a short and immutable ingredient list: lime, sugar, cachaça, ice. When selecting a cachaça for this recipe, opt for an unaged, or white variety.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

With a rye-bourbon split and just enough slightly herbal crème de cassis to sweeten without overpowering, this manhattan variation is spirit-forward, with layered notes of sugar and spice. If you prefer to keep the drink to one type of whiskey, opt for rye and leave out the bourbon. The cocktail will be slightly more spice-forward and boozier in feel. Whatever you do, let the cherry garnish sit until the very end of the drink for an especially flavorful final snack.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Serve this bright, refreshing nonalcoholic mixed drink up in a chilled cocktail glass, or stretch it by pouring it over ice in a lowball glass and topping with a splash of soda water or tonic. However you choose to serve it, reserve the extra celery simple syrup and use it as a replacement for regular simple syrup in all manner of drinks, nonalcoholic and spirited, alike. Or, if you don’t have time to make the celery simple syrup for this drink, you can substitute in standard 1:1 simple syrup, though the resulting sour will lose some of its vegetal nuance.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Bright and bubbly, this tomato-infused take on the spritz combines muddled yellow cherry tomatoes with tequila, vermouth and lime. The resulting color is a sunny hue (though if you can find only red or orange cherry tomatoes, feel free to switch them in). For tequila, opt for a blanco over a reposado or aged variety to make the drink more herbal and light. Finally, while the recipe is written without garnish, you can always thread a few cherry tomatoes on a skewer and adorn the glass before serving.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Bright, bubbly and refreshing to drink, the El Diablo combines tequila with rich, sweetly acidic crème de cassis, fresh lime juice and sharply spiced ginger beer. To ensure a balanced cocktail, use a ginger beer with a low sugar content rather than a more sugar-forward ginger ale.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Rum and Cognac mix with a muddled sugar and lemon mixture, known as oleo-saccharum, and peach brandy in this classic punch, which dates back to the early 18th century. If you can’t find peach brandy (a dry, high-proof brandy distilled from peaches, not the saccharine peach-flavored liqueur) swap in a fruit eau de vie, such as apricot, plum, apple or pear. While this recipe is written to be served cold, it can also be served warm: Skip the ice block and gently warm the punch in a large saucepan or Dutch oven before ladling into small, heatproof mugs or tea cups. Hot or cold, finish each serving with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This cocktail’s combination of sherry, sugar and citrus is infinitely adaptable. Swap in a different sweetener. Use lemons or clementines or blood oranges instead of traditional orange slices. Add in seasonal fruit, say berries in summer, plums in autumn or jam any time of the year. Use different varieties of mint or another herb to garnish. Nuttier than fino or manzanilla, lighter and spicier than oloroso, amontillado sherry strikes the ideal middle ground in this drink. But you could also combine amontillado with another sherry — or tap in another variety altogether.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

In this bright, hydrating take on the Paloma, coconut water is incorporated two ways: in the shaker alongside tequila, grapefruit and lime juice, and in the ice the final drink is poured over. As the ice cubes melt, they infuse the drink with coconut-forward flavor. Use any extra ice cubes in the next morning’s cold brew coffee, iced tea or another chilled drink.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Frosty and smooth, this take on the piña colada adds coconut water to the classic combination of rum, pineapple and cream of coconut. Freezing coconut water into cubes takes a bit of forethought, but the act of blending them into the drink in lieu of standard ice cubes results in a drink that is layered with coconut flavor. The (optional) float of high-quality dark rum tips the drink toward party fare, and chilling your glasses in the freezer before pouring from blender to glass ensures the drinks stay frosty for as long as possible.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A simple variation on the espresso tonic (that first appeared in 2007 at Koppi Roasters in Helsingborg, Sweden), the coffee tonic relies on a smooth pour of cold brew coffee for its caffeinated topper. Choose a quality dry tonic and, for the prettiest float, add the ice and tonic water to the glass first before gently pouring the brew overtop. If your coffee palate leans sweet, add a splash of simple syrup or maple syrup. If you don’t have limes in the house, no need to run out. Simply swap for a slice or peel of another citrus, such as orange, lemon or grapefruit.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Strongly brewed black tea anchors this nonalcoholic take on a classic Dark ’n’ Stormy, lending its rich tannins to the final drink. When choosing a black tea, look to Darjeeling, English or Irish breakfast, or Assam. (For something without caffeine, reach for buckwheat tea and increase the brew time to 20 minutes.) The spices in the salted lime cordial are easily shifted to your pantry and preferences. If you don’t have ground ginger, totally fine. If you want to add cardamom, go for it. The point is to infuse the cordial with a warmth that complements the ginger beer’s sharp spice. Please don’t, however, skip the salt. The hit of salinity enhances the cordial’s flavors. Leftover cordial — sweet, spiced and deeply sour, can be mixed on its own with sparkling water or tonic or, if you’re looking to incorporate it into an alcoholic drink, into a gimlet.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A classic dirty martini can be made, depending on drinker’s preference, with all gin or all vodka, but using half gin, half vodka — with some vermouth and brine — results in a drink that leans a bit fresher and cleaner. (Should you prefer to stick with one spirit, use 2 ½ ounces of either gin or vodka in this recipe.) Olive brine keeps the drink in the classics lane or swap in a less traditional brine, such as cornichon, pickled jalapeño, pickled tomato or preserved lemon and change up the garnish to match. Or simply stick with the olives, which are a perennial favorite for a reason.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This bright, refreshing riff on the classic Sgroppino works perfectly with either lemon or lime sorbet, however be sure to use freshly grated lime zest to finish and ensure the drink leans properly toward gin and tonic. To keep it properly icy, make sure everything from the bottles of gin and tonic water to the bowl, whisk and final serving glasses are deeply chilled.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This pale green, gin-forward martini variation gets both its color and lightly earthy, vegetal flavor from tomato water made exclusively with green tomatoes. If you’re looking to tint your drink another color, feel free to swap in yellow or red tomatoes when making the tomato water, which takes very little effort but does take time. Save leftover tomato water in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days and use in other rounds of martinis, combine with a light beer and a little hot sauce over ice, or use in place of water in lemonade.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This recipe is far removed from the spiked six packs of yore. The cocktail’s hard lemon base is a combination of fresh lemon juice, vodka or limoncello, simple syrup and a pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt serves to enhance, balance and brighten, while a final topping of bubbly soda water lengthens and elevates. When choosing between vodka or limoncello, follow your palate. Vodka offers a more straightforward flavor. The limoncello variation is sweeter — though nothing approaching cloying — and a bit more complex.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Dry vermouth and fino sherry make up the base of this lower-in-alcohol cocktail, while keeping all the flavor of an original dirty martini. To start, ensure everything (the bottles of dry vermouth, fino sherry and spirit, the olive brine and garnish) is nicely chilled and use plenty of ice to stir your drink before pouring into your (also chilled) glass. If you’re unsure just how dirty you prefer your dirty martini, start with ¼ ounce brine and work your way up. Lastly, the small but aromatically complex addition of fino sherry gives the drink more depth and texture.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This bright, thoroughly modern combination of lime, blanc vermouth, mezcal and Cognac is topped, in a nod to classic Champagne punches, with sparkling red wine. If you don’t have sparkling red, opt for a dry Lambrusco, sparkling rosé or even a sparkling white. Using a sparkling white eliminates the festive color but keeps the effervescence. When choosing glasses or tea cups or ceramics to serve punch, be sure to err on the smaller side. Punch should be served in smaller portions — and refilled often.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A classic Michelada means different things to different people but its core ingredients remain constant: cold beer, lime, salt. Serve the beer-based cocktail as is, over ice, in a chilled glass rimmed with salt or adapt from there to your preferred Michelada by adding a litany of condiments such as: Worcestershire sauce (or salsa inglesa), hot sauce, Maggi seasoning, and Clamato or tomato juice, or both. If you like, switch out the salt rim for a Tajín rim.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Before the Negroni, there was the Americano, and before the Americano there was the Milano-Torino. This bittersweet combination of Campari (from Milan) and sweet vermouth (from Turin) is served on the rocks with an orange slice. While you can use any red bitter or sweet red vermouth you like, if you’re looking to hew closest to the classic, reach for some Campari, and a sweet vermouth from Turin, such as Carpano Antica Formula, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino or Del Professore Rosso Vermouth.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Flipping the idea of a cold one on its head, mulled beer is served hot and infused with fragrant warming spices — cinnamon, allspice, clove and star anise — with maple syrup for sweetness, Cognac for fortification and orange (in both peel and juice form) for brightness. The resulting drink is festive and warming, ideal for cold weather celebrations. When choosing a beer to mull, reach for something that isn’t too bitter or hoppy, such as a Belgian-style wheat ale (witbier), Hefeweizen or a low-hop amber ale.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A far cry from often overly sweet, heavily scented mulled ciders, this contemporary version combines apple cider with cardamom, coriander, black pepper, cloves, star anise and fresh ginger. The optional (but highly recommended) addition of pineapple juice introduces tropical, fruity notes, while fresh lemon juice and a small pinch of salt help temper the apple cider’s inherent sweetness. If you prefer your mulled cider spiked, add a splash of whiskey, Calvados, rum, Cognac or amaro to individual mugs.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This lighter, brighter take on mulled wine is both festive and modern, made with white wine rather than the more traditional red. The mulling spices stray away from the expected baking variety and include toasted coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel, allspice and bay. Blanc vermouth, elderflower liqueur and honey gently sweeten and layer flavors, while a final addition of lime juice adds a fresh pop of acidity.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Preserved lemon is a kitchen workhorse that easily moves to the bar. Here, it’s muddled with sugar and fresh lemon slices to release a light bitterness, harmonizing the sweet, the saline and the acidic. It appears once more, alongside olives and more fresh slices in the edible and fragrant garnish. While you can and should use both the preserved lemon rind and pulp (the pulp adds more welcome salinity and texture), use only the rind for the garnish. And, if you’d like to make this nonalcoholic drink alcoholic, add a splash of vodka, gin or, if you’re looking to triple down on the lemon flavors, limoncello.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Historically, punch is an alcoholic drink, made with a spirit, sugar, citrus and spice, but this variation drops the spirit and doubles down on its other central components. Opting for smoky Lapsang souchong adds distinctive depth and character to the punch, though another black tea, such as Earl Grey or Darjeeling or a more robust green tea, can also be used. Likewise, the oranges in the lemon-orange oleo-saccharum (a muddled sugar and citrus mixture) can be swapped out for seasonal citrus, such as satsuma, mandarin or blood oranges. Bear in mind you need to start this punch the day before serving: While some of the tea is brewed hot before being added to the lemon-orange oleo-saccharum, cold-brewing the remainder of the tea ensures that the final punch is deeply flavored, smooth drinking and more nuanced than astringent. A mix of tonic and soda water to finish imbues the punch with a bubbly, quinine bitterness and helps to balance the tannins of the tea.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Named in a similar (morbid) spirit as the Corpse Reviver and Death in the Afternoon, this New Orleans-born, absinthe-laced twist on a gin martini is best served very cold in a very cold glass. If you can’t find absinthe, use pastis in its place to approximate the spirit’s herbal, anise notes.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

All these years later, the formula for the manhattan, a late-19th-century classic, remains the same: two-parts whiskey, one-part vermouth, plus bitters, stirred over ice and served up. Making it “perfect” simply means splitting the traditional sweet vermouth into equal parts sweet and dry. While this recipe calls for rye whiskey, lending spiced notes to the final drink, bourbon is a fine substitute. As for the garnish, a cherry will sweeten the drink slightly (as well as provide a boozy snack), while a lemon twist brightens.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This simple recipe from “Le Sud: Recipes From Provence-Alpes-Côte D’Azur” recalls mornings in Antibes, a charming seaside peninsula between Cannes and Nice. If you find yourself there, wandering the market on Cours Masséna, make your way to the cheese stall and order the tomette à l’huile, a round of bright white chèvre in olive oil. Or ask for the freshest chèvre and make it yourself, as in this recipe. With a baguette, your afternoon is set.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The key to this citrus-forward nod to Portugal’s venerable porto tónicos lies in the citrus wheels that stack along the inside of the glass top to bottom. As aesthetically pleasing as they are functional, use any one citrus or mix of citrus, seeking out those with thin piths for glass-lining ease. Lime, lemon, orange, blood orange, mandarin, Meyer lemon, even kumquat are all excellent choices, depending on your personal preference and season. To keep the citrus rounds in place, use a wider-mouthed highball glass and alternate adding citrus and ice. Once the white port, vermouth, bitters, and tonic are added, the citrus will gradually impart its flavor into the cocktail as it sits, shifting the cooler's flavor as you drink.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

As with all short ingredient lists, quality matters. Make sure to look for a drier ginger ale with a bite to it and reach for a whiskey you like to drink. Bourbon will result in a sweeter-leaning drink, Scotch a smokier variation, rye one that’s a little more spiced. While the citrus garnish is optional, if you do opt for it, lean in fully and squeeze the garnish directly into the drink. The hit of fresh citrus will brighten and add a lovely aroma.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Traditionally served during the Festas Juninas, which are celebrated across Brazil during the cooler month of June, quentão is a sweet, spiced and deeply warming drink spiked with cachaça (or sometimes wine). To ensure the drink doesn’t tip over into saccharine, be sure to caramelize the sugar deeply. Don’t be too concerned when it clumps after you add the water — the sugar will re-melt as the spices and aromatics steep. Finally, once the cachaça is added, be sure not to let the liquid come to a boil to ensure the alcohol doesn’t evaporate before it makes it into your mug.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Pink, bubbly and lightly bitter, this frosty drink works equally well as a palate cleanser, dessert or hot afternoon cocktail. While this recipe was created with sparkling rosé in mind, feel free to use another dry sparkling wine: Prosecco, cava, crémant or pétillant naturel. A Lambrusco di Sorbara (the lightest in color and higher in acidity of the Lambruscos) makes an excellent swap as well.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Traditionally, a Sgroppino is an Italian palate cleanser, though it’s equally as suitable served as a cocktail or dessert. Whatever time of day you choose to make this boozy, lemony combination, you’ll want to drink it quickly once it’s in front of you. The slushy, lightly fizzy texture comes from a combination of sorbet, vodka and Prosecco — but, if you have another dry, light sparkling wine, that works well, too.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Muddled fresh tomatoes and sweet-savory tomato simple syrup create layers of flavor in this summery take on a classic sherry cobbler, and a dry, nutty amontillado sherry adds even more complexity. To make the crushed ice at home, simply add standard ice cubes to a bag, wrap in a towel and crush with a rolling pin.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Served cold and up, this bright green combination of snap peas, gin, lime and mint-infused simple syrup is about as fresh as it gets. Depending on the gin you choose, your drink will shift slightly in flavor. For example, using a London Dry gin (such as Beefeater, Tanqueray or Sipsmith) will lend a clean, crisp, juniper-forward backbone to your gimlet. Hendrick’s adds a distinct cucumber note, and Plymouth Gin results in a more mellow, citrusy drink. Whatever you use, make sure to crush your snap peas well to ensure their crunchy green flavor comes through — and save the extra mint simple syrup (it can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks) to swap in for standard simple syrup in any number of cocktails, whether a frozen daiquiri, sherry cobbler or hard lemonade.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The bright, citrus-forward combination of sotol, grapefruit, lime and orange bitters adds a sweetly acidic punch that balances the herbal, earthy undertones of sotol, a traditional spirit from Northern Mexico. A few dashes of orange bitters underscore those citrus notes even further (and should you have another citrus-based bitter on hand, such as grapefruit or lemon, feel free to swap it in). Serve it up in a chilled glass just as written, or add a salt or Tajín rim for a welcome layer of texture and spice (see Tip).

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This refreshing drink doubles down on the earthy herbal complexity of sotol, a traditional spirit from Northern Mexico. When making this cocktail, be sure to muddle the cucumber and mint well. This ensures the final drink is infused with plenty of their bright, vegetal and herbal flavors — as well as a pretty green hue. A pour of blanc vermouth adds a touch of floral sweetness.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Start with a spiced, citrus base, made with lemon peels muddled with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise, black peppercorns and tea leaves. Then, make a holiday drink your way. If you choose to spike it, reach for a favorite spirited bottle. Gin leans your drink refreshingly botanical, while whiskey feels a bit boozier and plays nicely off the base’s warming spices. If you want to make a nonalcoholic drink, simply add soda water, tonic and, if you like, a few dashes of Angostura bitters. (Note that, while the bitters lend a nice layer of flavor and depth, they do contain a small amount of alcohol, so if you’re abstaining just leave them out.) The point here is to make a drink you want to drink — and for your friend, partner, cousin or parent to make the drink they want to drink.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

Named for the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, who played a leading role in the unification of Italy, the classic recipe for this two-ingredient drink combines Campari, from Northern Italy, and fresh orange juice, a nod to Sicily in the south. This modern version features orange bitters and a pinch of salt, as well as an ounce of grapefruit juice. (If you want to skip grapefruit, you can also use five full ounces of orange juice.) Whether you make the classic or modern iteration, the key to the best Garibaldi is very fresh, very frothy citrus juice. For that, you’ll want freshly squeezed citrus and a firm, long, dry (without ice) shake, or, if you prefer, you can pulse the juice in a blender for a few seconds to aerate before adding to the glass.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A drink built and named for summer, Spain’s effervescent tinto de verano (summer red wine) matches the season’s easy-going nature. At its most traditional, the recipe sticks to just three ingredients: ice, red wine and citrus soda. (La Casera, from Spain, is most classic, but 7Up and Sprite also work.) This version includes an option for a bright lemon-lime syrup mixed with soda water to stand in for the classic’s soft drink, plus a pour of vermouth for rounder, herbal notes. But, should you prefer your tinto de verano adhere to tradition, feel free to add more red wine in place of the vermouth. While the below recipe will yield a balanced, light and fizzy tinto de verano, there’s no need to get overly caught up on perfect measurements, the drink readily adapts to personal preference — and eyeballing ounces.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This modern take on the Sherry Cobbler — and nod to the classic Tuxedo and Tuxedo No. 2 cocktails — makes for a bright, refreshing drink that’s slightly higher in alcohol by volume (or A.B.V.). The optional but highly recommended absinthe rinse lends a subtle yet grounding anise flavor to the drink. If you don’t have absinthe, use a splash of anise-forward pastis. To rinse, add the absinthe to the glass and swirl to coat; tip out the rest. A pinch of salt both aids in balancing the drink and highlights manzanilla sherry’s inherent salinity. If you don’t have manzanilla, use fino or, if you’re looking for a slightly richer drink, amontillado sherry.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

While coolers are often stretched with something sparkling, this rose-hued drink swaps in a pour of fresh watermelon juice. The inherent sweetness — and deep pink color palette — of both the juice and the Lillet Rosé is tempered with an ounce of gin and a splash of lime’s bright acidity. (If you can’t find Lillet Rosé, use Lillet Blanc or even a blanc vermouth in a pinch.)