Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

We are in the Top 10 finalists for the Tales Spirited Awards 🏆!

Last week, as we were getting ready to celebrate the 6th year anniversary of Cocktail Time, we found out that we had been chosen as one of the best broadcast, podcast, or online video series by Tales of the Cocktail 🤩. It feels amazing not only being nominated, but also to share a spot with many other amazing creators - all of which you can see along with each of their categories in this post: www.instagram.com/p/DYkJLAmDbzu/?img_index=6

This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without you, our Friends of Cocktails, so we want to thank you for tuning into Cocktail Time on any platform, for trying out the recipes, and for helping us share more knowledge about mixology and bartending around the world 🌎. The finalists will be announced soon during the second week of June, so stay tuned to see if we make it to the grand stage in New Orleans, and in the meantime I’d love to know your favorite Cocktail Time episode down in the comments. Cheers 🥂!

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1 day ago | [YT] | 261

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Shaking and stirring are not the only way to build cocktails 🤩!

If you want to get more aeration than stirring does, without adding the cloudiness of shaking, then throwing is the perfect technique. To do it, just fill the small shaker tin with ice and cover it with a hawthorne strainer, then build the cocktail and begin throwing it from the smaller tin to the larger.

You can increase the distance as you get more comfortable, and after a few throws you’ll notice the tins will get colder and the amount of liquid will increase. This is your signal to serve the cocktail, but make sure your guests have enjoyed the show too 😉.

Throwing is a great technique when you’re using wine-based ingredients like vermouth, as well as more delicate ingredients that open up with aeration like floral or vegetal flavors. This makes it one of my favorite ways to build a Martini, as well as a fun way to serve clarified cocktails. Let me know in the comments if you've tried throwing, and until next time, cheers!

6 days ago | [YT] | 107

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Want to feature your drinks on Cocktail Time 🤩?

I am building the largest cocktail survey ever made to find out how bartenders make their cocktails stand out. It covers 5 classics, including the Old Fashioned, the Martini, and the Margarita, and after 1000 people have sent in their answers I’ll feature them in a new episode. You can send in your answers here 👉: forms.gle/JRrwyuuWLTjjNuRD8

As a thank you for sending in your answers, by joining the survey you’ll get the chance to win a yearly Patreon subscription. This will give you early access to new episodes, along with free copies of every Cocktail Time e-book, more cocktail calculators, and even access to member-only livestreams. Thank you for your help, and I’ll see you soon in another episode. Cheers 🥂!

1 week ago | [YT] | 73

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Lactofermentation is one of my favorite cooking and mixology techniques, but sometimes it can take too long 🤔.

So whenever you’re making a starter, you can freeze the leftovers to save yourself time whenever you need to create new ferments. Just make sure you cover the ice mold to prevent any off tastes, and then all that’s left is to let an ice cube thaw slowly when you’re lactofermenting new ingredients to speed up the first stages of the process.

You can also use these ice cubes to create DIY fermented sodas too, as the bacteria will turn sugar into lactic acid and CO2, similarly to how ginger bug or kefir do. Just keep in mind that this works for starters with bacteria and molds only, not yeasts or enzymes. Read more about it in this blog by Revolution Fermentation: revolutionfermentation.com/en/blogs/other/how-to-s… 🫧. Cheers!

1 week ago | [YT] | 85

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Bell pepper in a Margarita… and it actually works 🫑🤩!

This is my entry for the 2026 Cointreau Margarita Challenge, where every competitor gets a random ingredient they have to build their winning Margarita around. Mine turned out to be bell pepper, which was more of a challenge than I first expected, but using a distillation technique I discovered in India and a clarified Bell Pepper & Pickle Brine Soda, I think we pulled it off. I just covered the full process in my latest episode: https://youtu.be/TQc6LrdjJsQ 👈

But more than just the recipe, this video is meant to inspire you to join the challenge too. Applications are open until May 31st, and whether you're a seasoned bartender or just getting started, this is your chance to compete on a global stage this November. So head on over to the full episode to see the Bell Fizz Margarita come together, and find out everything you need to know to submit your own entry. I'll see you there, and please drink responsibly. Cheers 🥂!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 86

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Making zero or less-waste cocktails doesn’t have to be hard, in fact you can start with something as simple as leftover pineapple rinds 🍍!

So make sure you wash your pineapple before making some Piña Coladas, then save the rinds and use them to make a rich pineapple syrup by covering them with sugar and leaving the mixture to sit in an airtight container overnight. This is the same process as making oleo saccharum using citrus peels, except a lot more tropical.

If you want something even more ambitious, the peels are covered with natural yeast that can kickstart the fermentation of tepache in no time. Check out this episode where I use leftover pineapple flesh and the rinds to make a tepache starter for DIY grapefruit soda: https://youtu.be/LPzdbaUsxa0?si=ItewP... 😋. Cheers!

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 137

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

I love when Friends of Cocktails tell us that they love the production of Cocktail Time 🤩!

Many moments come to mind, but some recent ones where I’m proud to show the work of our team are these animations made by Sašo. He’s our director of photography, and he has shared how some of these amazing effects are made in our Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/how-150-hours-of-146015955?u…

The second animation alone took over 150 hours of work and rendering, so I’d love for you to check out the behind-the-scenes of special moments like those. So consider becoming a Patreon member today, and stay tuned for more episode breakdowns like this one in the future. Cheers 🥂!

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 111

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Rather than infusing your next spirit with coffee or spices, try fat washing instead - and no, you don’t need to buy complicated ingredients like coffee or pepper oil to do it 😉.

Just blend the ingredient you want to infuse with neutral oil, strain it, and use the flavored oil to fat wash your spirit or liqueur like normal. It’s a bit more work than just adding your ingredient into a bottle and letting it infuse, but this process is great for when you want to add mouthfeel and flavor without changing the color of your original ingredient.

Also, by fat washing, your infusions are now clear of fats that can make your cocktails cloudy when chilled. This means you can use the technique to make anything from Panettone-infused scotch that’s perfectly clear, and even a clear Espresso Martini like we did here 🤩: https://youtu.be/OYJw9iSO-Vw?si=c0aJm...

1 month ago | [YT] | 151

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

Making cocktails is fun, math on the other hand… not so much 😅. So instead of having to open your calculator and adjusting each ingredient, the next time you’re making a large batch of Super Juice or Coconut Liqueur, just add how much you need to my Cocktail Calculators and they’ll do the work for you: www.kevinkos.com/cocktail-calculators

The Cocktail Calculators cover everything from DIY sodas, to cordials, and even an ABV calculator to help you when designing menus or even ready-to-drink cocktails. To get access to all of them you need to be a member of the Cocktail Time Patreon, but many of them are accessible to everyone, so head on over to kevinkos.com and enjoy the extra time saved when making your next large batch of cocktails. Cheers 🥂!

1 month ago | [YT] | 154

Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

If you are unsure about what to make for your next cocktail, you can use food as a starting point instead 😉.

Think about a dish that you love, or something that you are serving along with drinks for a nice dinner night, then think about a cocktail that would match with that food. Here, I started with dessert, going with a brownie served with homemade strawberry dressing, ice cream and whipped cream 🍓. Here is where the magic happens.

With leftover strawberry dressing, and the need for something fresh that would pair with it, I went with the classic combo of strawberries and basil. Lemon came in next, to balance the sweetness of both the dressing and the dessert, which made this mix of flavors call for a twist on a Gin Basil Smash 😋. A splash of prosecco in the cocktail before serving it adds a nice touch too, and who doesn’t like bubbles on a special occasion?

With that, we’ve built an easy, but delicious cocktail. But feel free to use the same technique to develop drinks that match savory options, or even classic bar snacks like nuts or chips. Until next time, cheers 🥂!

1 month ago | [YT] | 128