Make your own classic San Antonio cocktails at home

BEXAR COUNTY, Tex. (KTSA News) — The weekend is here and while many of us would love to leave home and head to our favorite watering holes for an adult beverage, local restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus are keeping that from happening.

However, you can bring the bar to you.

The Esquire Tavern in downtown San Antonio has some cocktail recipes you can do from home!  The Esquire Tavern and Downstairs at the Esquire are selling wine, beer and cider for curbside pickup or delivery within two miles of their location and through Postmates, Grubhub, Favor and Doordash.

Here are some of Esquire’s signature cocktail recipes from Beverage Director Houston Eaves.

50:50 Freezer Martini

• Ingredients:

  • 750mL bottle of Navy Strength Gin (I like Hayman’s Royal Dock)

  • 1 bottle of Dry Vermouth (recommended: Dolin Dry)

  • 1 lemon peel

  • Castelvetrano olives (optional)

• Preparation:

  • Wash hands for 20 seconds

  • Empty half of one bottle into a clean measuring cup, pour half of the other bottle into that bottle to fill it, and then what’s in the measuring cup back in the other bottle to fill that one

  • Put both full bottles in the freezer, wait a couple hours & then pour yourself a Martini

  • Express the oil of a lemon peel over the drink for enhanced aromatics

  • Optional – enjoy some Castelvetrano olives on the side, or even add some olive juice to your mix to taste

French 75

• Ingredients:

  • 1 oz. Hayman’s London Dry Gin

  • 0.5 oz. lemon juice

  • 0.5 oz. simple syrup

  • 1 bottle of a dry sparkling wine

• Preparation:

  • Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup, then top off with the sparkling wine

  • Give the mixture a hard shake

  • Strain the mixture twice

  • Pour into a champagne flute and garnish with a lemon peel

Sea of Confusion

• For something a bit more complex, booze aficionados can try their hand at this specialty cocktail sure to make anyone feel like they’re lounging at the beach or cruising at sea.

• Ingredients:

  • 1oz Hamilton Jamaican Gold Rum

  • .5oz Clear Creek Pear Brandy

  • .25oz Chartreuse

  • .25oz Amaro Sfumato

  • .75oz Passionfruit Syrup

  • .5oz Lemon Juice

  • 5-6 dash Angostura-Lemonhart 151

  • Mint

• Preparation:

  • Fill a glass of your choice with ice (pebble ice is recommended)

  • Combine all ingredients in the glass

  • Stir all ingredients together

  • Top with a generous sprig of mint