Elissa Dunn, formerly known as The Badass Bartender is now know as HellQueen Cocktails. She’s bartending at the famous Merc Bar in Phoenix and loves to see her fans while she’s working, just don’t get grabby with the garnishes. We talked with Elissa today about making an espresso martini, with tequila - mind blown! And then she opens our eyes to a whole new world with a variety of takes on the espresso martini. Of course we get into her story, war stories, and end (as always) with tips. 

Tip: how to shake

In shaker add: 

2oz Tequila

1oz chilled espresso

1oz coffee liqueur

.5oz simple syrup (more or less depending on the coffee liqueur you use)

Pinch of salt

Big chunk(s) or ice fresh from freezer (no wet ice - ICE MATTERS!)

Double strain into chilled coupe glass

Garnish with 3 espresso beans

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Hellqueen Cocktails (fka The Badass Bartender) - Elissa Dunn

https://linktr.ee/hellqueencocktails

@Hellqueencocktails

Merc Bar 

2525 E Camelback Rd #120

Phoenix, AZ 85016

mercbaraz.com

@mercbaraz

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The national drink of Puerto Rico needs to get back in the rotation. In this episode we cover the traditional Pina Colada, but then get a little funkey with a deconstructed pina colada and toss aperol into the mix for a bitter pina colada. Stick around for the story and a tip on how to make fire! Ooouu ahhhh. 

Brad, I just want a regular pina colada. Here you go

In the blender add:

6oz pineapple juice

3 oz of coco real cream of coconut or coco lopez

1.5 oz of light rum, I like something with a little swagger like 3 star by Plantaion 

1-2 c crushed ice

Blend it, and pour into your hurricane glass or pint glass

Garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry and play some Rupert Holmes

The deconstructed pina colada 

Chill your coupe glass

Grab your mixing glass and bar spoon (pint glass and a soup spoon works too)

2 oz pineapple-infused Diplicatico aged white rum (Flor De Cana extra-dry works great too)

1.5 oz coconut water

1 tsp of Kalani coconut liqueur (Rum Haven works too)

½ tsp of 2:1 simple syrup 

1 dash angostura bitters

Strain into your coupe glass

No garnish!

Bitter pina colada

In your blender add: 

1.5 oz rum

¾ oz aperol

1 oz coconut cream, from the can like thai kitchen

1.5 oz pineapple juice, fresh

½ oz lime juice

½ oz orgeat syrup

Ice

Blend it and serve in pint glass

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 3 of The Art Of Drinking we revisit spirits and liqueurs we introduced to you over the past 2 seasons pllus, you’ll get a chance to meet a few new ones. Speaking of “new ones”, we will be teaching you how to make at least 28 new cocktails this season and revisiting a few you’ve met in the past. Hey! It’s ok, there is more than one way to build a drink (looking at you #OldFashioned), and you need to know this stuff. So get ready, season 3 starts… now! 

Tip: 3 drinks you need to have ready and how to build out your bar cart.

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of THE most UNDERRATED cocktails the Mint Julep takes a left turn and meets… Jules. Enough said.  

Mint Julep

Silver/PewterJulep cup (if you can)

Double Rocks (if you can’t)

Julep Straw (if you got the julep cup, you better get the julep straw)

Lewis bag

Wooden hammer (it’ll probably come with the lewis bag)

In your glass:

(Add ice to your Lewis bag and beat the ever lovin’ crap out of it)

Buzzed & Wired Julep

In a cocktail shaker add:

Moderate shake (don’t get angry)

Strain over freshly cracked ice and garnish with fresh mint

Tip: How to grow mint

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you haven’t tried clarified cocktails, you simply haven’t lived! This episode is about where it all started and where it’s going! Uncle Brad brings the history and the very first recipe (documented) for Mary Rockett’s Clarified Milk Punch. Jules takes us into the future, or at least Mexico, with a Spicy Mezcal Clarified Margarita. Ouuu… fancy!

Mary Rockett’s Clarified Milk Punch - thank you Splendid Table

What you’ll need

Steps

1. In one container you are going to infuse your brand by combining 2 cups of brandy, lemon zest strips, and orange zest strips. Seal and let rest at room temp for 18 hours to 2 days. 

When brandy infusion has completed its “resting”

What you’ll need

Spicy Clarified Mezcal Margarita

Steps

Tip: How to clarify your cocktails

Splendid Table

Website: www.splendidtable.org

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A classic tiki cocktail in its own right, that is synonymous with the Caribbean - it’s the Painkiller. According to a 2015 factoid, there have been over 4 million Painkillers served… I wonder how much higher that is today?! A painkiller is meant to alleviate your pains and worries while you sip away with the sunset and, with Jules’ frozen twist, it’ll be hard to imagine you’re not on a tropical vacation.

How to make the Painkiller:

In your shaker tin

Shake it for 2 seconds

Fill your chilled collins glass up with ice

Strain over ice in your collins glass, tiki mug, or plastic cup

Garnish with fresh nutmeg

Toss a pineapple wedge in there if you want

Jules’ Frozen Chiller

1 oz. Dark rum

1 oz Mezcal

½ cup frozen pineapple juice

½ cup frozen mango

1 oz. coconut cream

1 oz fresh orange juice

½ oz strawberry syrup

Blend until smooth

Today’s tip: two ingredient cocktails!

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest blindspots in the spirits world is Pisco. The history is as complex and interesting as the spirit itself. You should be drinking Pisco, and if you’re not, now is the time to try it. In this episode we give you the BEST Pisco Sour cocktail recipe (you’ll ever have) and of course a Pisco Sour recipe with a Join_Jules twist, guava Pisco Sour.

Pisco Sour Cocktail Recipe

Chill your coupe glass

In your Boston Shaker (big side), add

Dry Shake for 30 seconds - HARD!

In your Boston Shaker (small side), add

• Copious amounts of ice to your shaker

Shake for another 20 seconds

Double strain into your chilled coupe glass and add

• 5 dash Angostura bitters, pretend it’s connect the dots and you’re making the circle first, then take a toothpick and connect the dots

Guava Pisco Sour Cocktail Recipe

Chill your coupe glass

In your Boston Shaker (big side), add

Dry Shake for 30 seconds - HARD!

In your Boston Shaker (small side), add

• Copious amounts of ice to your shaker

Shake for another 20 seconds

Double strain into your chilled coupe glass and add

Tip: How to taste (sip) alcohol and what to look for  

Shout out to Suyo

IG: @suyopisco    

Website: www.suyopisco.com 

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are talking with Global Bartending Champ, Cocktail Consultant, Spirits Expert, Cocktail Judge, and all around great human, Kaitlyn Stewart of Like-a-ble Cocktails. Kaitlyn shares her story, some of her tips and tricks, as well as what she looks for when judging cocktail competitions. Oh… we talk about the Paper Plane too!

(the perfect) Paper Plane

This is an equal parts cocktail, so if you got a big glass, up it to 1 oz each.

Chill your coupe glass

In your shaker add

SHAKE!!!! For 20 seconds

Double strain into your chilled coupe glass

Garnish with a mini-paper plane 🙂

Tips: Kaitlyn gives her top tips: Shaking with ice, creating drinks, using salt and acids

Kaitlyn Stewart - Like-a-ble Cocktails:

IG: @likeablecocktails / @k8os 

Tik Tok: @likeablecocktails 

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we talk about the history of Irish coffee, you’ll learn how to drink Irish whiskey, and how to make the BEST Irish coffee and BEST Irish coffee milkshake. Need we say more?

Irish Coffee 

Warm a 6oz coffee mug / glass (clear is best if you want to show off)

In another container, lightly whip 1 oz of heavy cream (heavy whipping cream is the same thing)

• In one hand hold your bar spoon so the spoon faces up and just under the surface of the coffee. With your other hand, pour your lightly whipped cream into the center of the spoon so the cream floats on top of the beverage. If you did it right, you’ll see a defined line between the cream and the coffee below. 

Sip your drink through the cold cream and never ever (EVER) stir your cream into the coffee.

Irish Coffee Milkshake… ya baby!

In a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into your old school milk shake glass 

Garnish: crushed up thin mints or dusting of chocolate

Tip: How to drink Irish Whiskey 

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Margarita is nice, but Paloma is her funner sister (yes, “funner” is a word). In this episode we talk about a mid-century classic that didn’t become popular in the states until the 2000’s, and man what a miss that was! Learn why this drink needs to be among your “go to” cocktail recipes. Oh, and just because we love our listeners SO much, we present to you 3 drinks!

Paloma (with just Squirt and Tequila)

Give it a stir with your bar spoon

• Garnish with lime wheel

Brad’s Bougie Paloma

• Rim collins glass with Tajin and add cracked (or fridge) ice

In shaker Add 2 oz of reposado Tequila (I used Cimaron)

SHAKE

Find homemade grapefruit soda and gelatin-shot recipe at www.joinjules.com/podcast 

Pompelmo (aka Jules’ Frozen Italian Paloma)  

In blender add:

Pulse until smooth like a slushee 

Pour into glasses (or pitcher) 

Garnish with grapefruit wheel, orange wheel, and/or lime wheel

Tip: Smoking cocktails (and no, the Paloma is not smoked… but Jules will try at some point)

The Art of Drinking

IG: @theartofdrinkingpodcast 

Jules

IG: @join_jules

TikTok: @join_jules 

Website: joinjules.com

Brad 

IG: @cigarsnvino

This is a Redd Rock Music Podcast

IG: @reddrockmusic

www.reddrockmusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices