Funk, Fire & Late-Night Cocktail Experiments

Tonight’s work went in two very different directions: a funky Halloween Mai Tai riff for The Shadows of the Lost Lore Tequila Competition and a warm, smoky Old Fashioned for the 2026

VinePair Elijah Craig competition. One is playful and a little wicked. The other starts with the feeling of a beach bonfire. Both came from the same place: wanting a cocktail to have a point of view, not just a list of ingredients.

The Devil’s Trill started with something I already love: a Mai Tai. I also love funky spirits, so Lost Lore Mixta gave me a direction I was excited to explore. Pairing it with Clément Blanc agricole brought that character forward, while toasted black sesame orgeat took the drink somewhere darker and more savory.

Fresh lime and dry curaçao keep that tropical foundation recognizable. Agave, saline and bitters help bring everything together, and the green, pandan, coconut, and spiced vanilla foam gives it the Halloween look I had in mind. On the side, a strawberry, hibiscus and fig glaze shooter with

Fruitful adds another playful layer. I’m super stoked on how those pieces come together.

Having a clear idea didn’t mean the first version was the final version. I shifted the balance toward the tequila and simplified the sweetness, letting the vanilla live in the foam rather than asking the cocktail to do everything at once. Those pivots weren’t about making it more complicated. They were about making the original idea taste more like itself.

Shadows of the Lost Lore: My First Actual Pop-Up

There’s another reason The Devil’s Trill means a lot to me: Shadows of the Lost Lore will be my first actual pop-up. I’ve done cocktail competitions, but this is a new experience, and I’m super stoked to be part of it. Developing the drink is one piece of that. Getting to share it with people in that setting is what I’m really looking forward to.

The way I’d describe the atmosphere is a competitive, non-competition feel. There’s still that drive to bring something you’re proud of, but the spirit feels friendly and collaborative rather than cutthroat. I want to bring my best while enjoying what the other bartenders are creating, too. That combination of creativity, community and a little friendly competition is a big part of the appeal for me.

The Devil’s Trill fits right into that energy: a Mai Tai riff with some funk, a Halloween look and a playful side shooter. I want it to be fun to drink and fun to share. Having this as part of my first pop-up makes the process even more exciting.

The Elijah Craig Old Fashioned is a different mood entirely. I’m picturing the bonfire pits at Bolsa Chica Beach with warm embers, a little smoke in the air, and the contrast of fire against the coast. That’s the feeling I want to translate into the glass, without losing the bourbon at the center.

Brown-butter-washed Elijah Craig lays the foundation. A rich caramelized pineapple syrup, blended with Madagascar vanilla Reàl, brings rounded tropical sweetness. Aromatic and bitters add structure, saline sharpens the edges, and a few drops of liquid smoke bring in that bonfire note.

The connection is heat. Charring oak, browning butter and caramelizing pineapple are different processes, but each transforms an ingredient and brings out deeper flavors. That gives the coastal inspiration a natural place alongside bourbon. I want the warmth and smoke to support Elijah Craig, not cover it up.

This one is still in development, including the name. For a competition cocktail, I’m thinking about more than whether an ingredient sounds interesting. Does it belong? Does the drink stay balanced? Does the story make sense when

you take a sip?

The photos show the other side of the finished glass: kitchen prep, shooter supplies, bottles, lighting and a backdrop. That’s what tonight actually looked like. Two cocktails, plenty of tasting, and a lot of excitement about where

they’re headed.

Want more of what I’m working on behind the bar?

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