Steve Pisani

Behind the bar

Favorite drinks

The recipes I keep coming back to.

Jungle Bird

Aviary Bar, Kuala Lumpur Hilton, 1978 · Double old fashioned, over ice

  • 1½ oz Planteray 20th Anniversary rum
  • ¾ oz Campari
  • 1½ oz pineapple juice
  • ½ oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz demerara syrup

Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Chartreuse Swizzle

Marcovaldo Dionysos, San Francisco, early 2000s · Collins glass, crushed ice

  • 1¼ oz green Chartreuse
  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • ¾ oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz velvet falernum

Build over crushed ice and swizzle until the glass frosts. Top with more crushed ice, and garnish with a sprig of mint and a little grated nutmeg.

Shakerato

Italy's espresso bars · Chilled coupe

  • 2 oz fresh espresso (a double shot)
  • ¾ oz Meletti coffee liqueur

Shake hard with ice until it foams, and strain into a chilled coupe. The crema shakes up into a thick head.

A bar spoon of simple syrup if you like it sweeter.

Il Professore

Antonio at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio, Naples · Old fashioned, over ice

  • 1 oz gin
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  • ⅓ oz coffee liqueur (a small-batch Italian one if you can find it; Kahlúa is fine)

Combine in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and stir. Garnish with an orange slice and a few coffee beans.

A Negroni with a touch of coffee liqueur, from Antonio, the barman in the hotel's lobby.

OG Hurricane

The original New Orleans Hurricane, not the neon syrup version · Hurricane glass or tiki mug, crushed ice

  • 2 oz dark rum
  • 2 oz light rum
  • 1 oz passion fruit syrup
  • 1 oz fresh orange juice
  • ½ oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz rich simple syrup

Shake all the ingredients hard with ice. Strain into a Hurricane glass (or tiki mug) over crushed ice. Garnish with an orange wheel, a cherry, or dehydrated citrus.

A serious rum drink, not a Bourbon Street sugar bomb. Passion fruit is the key, so quality matters (Funkin or Liber & Co), and adjust the syrup to its sweetness. Use two rums, not one; I like Appleton or Smith & Cross with Plantation 3 Stars. Batches well for parties without ice; pour over crushed ice to serve.

House Tiki

My tiki template, a Mai Tai skeleton that flexes with whatever rums are open · Tiki mug, crushed ice

  • 1½ oz aged or Jamaican rum
  • ¾ oz light rum or rhum agricole
  • ¾ oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz orgeat
  • ½ oz orange liqueur
  • ¼ oz rich simple syrup (adjust to taste)
  • ¼ oz allspice dram or falernum (optional)

Shake with ice. Strain into a tiki mug over crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig, dehydrated lime, or whatever's appropriate.

For when I want tiki but don't want to follow a recipe, or I'm trying new rums or clearing bottles. Pairings I like: Smith & Cross with Plantation 3 Stars (funky, bold), Appleton Estate with rhum agricole (balanced, grassy), El Dorado 8 with Probitas (rich, smooth), Plantation OFTD with Denizen White (heavy, complex).

Coffee-Pineapple Boulevardier

My signature riff on the Boulevardier, with house-infused Camparis · Rocks glass, large cube

  • 1½ oz bourbon
  • ¾ oz coffee-infused Campari
  • ¾ oz sweet vermouth

Stir with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with an orange peel, expressed.

For the coffee Campari, steep coffee beans in Campari for 24 to 48 hours. The coffee adds a roasty depth that suits bourbon, and a barspoon of pineapple Campari bridges bitter and tropical. My defaults are Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey 101, and Carpano Antica Formula.

What I pour when people come over, and something without booze.

Tiki Party

Full tiki experience. Break out the mugs.

  1. Jungle Bird. The star of the show, tiki meets bitter. Tiki mug or rocks glass.
  2. Mai Tai. The classic; no tiki party is complete without it. Shake hard, strain over crushed ice, in a tiki mug.
    1 oz aged rum · 1 oz Jamaican rum · ¾ oz lime juice · ½ oz orange curaçao · ½ oz orgeat · ¼ oz rich simple syrup
  3. Dark 'n' Stormy. Easy build, refreshing, a crowd-pleaser. Built over ice in a highball.
    2 oz dark rum · ½ oz lime juice · 4 to 5 oz ginger beer

Without booze: Ginger beer, lime and bitters, built over ice.
Ginger beer · a fresh lime wedge · 2 dashes Angostura (or aromatic NA bitters)

Neon Miami

Tropical vibes with a retro edge. Think 80s, bright colors, fun.

  1. OG Hurricane. Bright, boozy, party-ready. Hurricane glass or tiki mug, crushed ice.
  2. Jungle Bird. The signature, tropical meets bitter. Rocks glass or tiki mug.
  3. French 75. Bubbly, elegant, citrus-forward. Shake the base, top with champagne or prosecco, in a flute.
    1½ oz gin · ¾ oz lemon juice · ½ oz rich simple syrup · 2 to 3 oz dry sparkling wine

Without booze: Virgin Hurricane, shake the juices, pour over ice, top with soda.
2 oz passion fruit juice or syrup · 1 oz orange juice · ½ oz lime juice · ½ oz grenadine or simple syrup · soda water to lengthen

Sunday Gravy

Italian dinner pairings. Aperitivo into dinner, amaro after.

  1. Negroni. The classic Italian aperitivo, before sitting down to eat. Rocks glass, large cube.
    1 oz gin · 1 oz Campari · 1 oz sweet vermouth
  2. Negroni Sbagliato. Lighter, for those who want bubbles. Built over ice in a wine glass.
    1 oz Campari · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 to 3 oz prosecco
  3. Amaro digestivo. After the meal. Montenegro (approachable), Meletti (chocolate notes), Nonino (elegant), Averna (cola-like), or Fernet-Branca (for fans). Neat or one cube, in a small rocks or cordial glass.

Without booze: San Pellegrino and bitters, built over ice.
San Pellegrino · 2 dashes Angostura · a lemon twist

Pool Party

Refreshing, light, and easy to drink in the sun.

  1. Batch Margarita. A crowd-pleaser that scales. Rocks glass, salt on half the rim.
    2 oz blanco tequila · 1 oz lime juice · ¾ oz orange liqueur · ¼ oz rich simple syrup (per drink)
  2. Aperol Spritz. Light, bubbly, afternoon-appropriate. Built over ice in a wine glass.
    3 oz prosecco · 2 oz Aperol · 1 oz soda water · an orange slice
  3. Daiquiri. Simple, refreshing, fast to make. Shake, double-strain, serve up in a coupe.
    2 oz white rum · 1 oz lime juice · ¾ oz rich simple syrup

Without booze: Sparkling water and citrus, built over ice.
Sparkling water · lime or lemon wedges · a splash of cranberry for color (optional)

Holiday

Winter celebration. Warm spices, bourbon, seasonal vibes.

  1. Spiced Old Fashioned. An Old Fashioned with cinnamon syrup instead of simple. Warming, familiar. Stirred, over a large cube in a rocks glass.
    2 oz bourbon · 1 barspoon cinnamon syrup · 2 to 3 dashes Angostura
  2. French 75. Celebratory, bubbly, elegant. Perfect for toasts. Champagne flute.
    1½ oz gin · ¾ oz lemon juice · ½ oz rich simple syrup · 2 to 3 oz dry sparkling wine
  3. Hot Toddy. For late night or cold guests. Stirred in a mug.
    1½ oz bourbon or brandy · 1 tbsp honey · ½ oz lemon juice · 4 oz hot water · a cinnamon stick and lemon wheel

Without booze: Sparkling apple cider, poured and served.
Sparkling apple cider · a cinnamon stick