BANG BANG SHRIMP

house verdita, honey & ginger, fresh orange juice, soda

PLAN C

tinhorn creek

BOTTEGA SPARKLING LIFE

espresso, fever tree tonic, grapefruit, lemon

GRAPEFRUIT ESPRESSO TONIC

NOA italian aperitivo, bottega sparkling life, orange, soda

APERITIVO SPRITZ

bottega sparkling life, lemon, honey, ginger, plum

SUMMER SPRITZ

MICHELADA

HOYNE BREWING DARK MATTER

SUNDAY SESH APPLE CIDER

KRONENBOURG 1664 ROSÈ

MILLER HIGH LIFE

MODELO ESPECIAL

NORTH POINT "LIFE OF RILEY" HAZY IPA

TALISMAN PALE ALE

DOVETAIL LAGER

brown butter traveller whiskey, brown sugar, bitters ~ 2oz

brown butter old fashioned

patron reposado, luxardo espresso, espresso, brown sugar, bitters ~ 2oz

ripxo

belvedere, luxardo antico, orange, prosecco ~ 2oz

something with vodka

pimm's, lambrusco, passionfruit, guava, orange, soda ~ 2oz

pimm's sangria

casamigos blanco, triple sec, house verdita, lime, agave ~ 2oz

verdita-rita

casamigos mezcal, el gobernador, passionfruit, guava, lemon, honey & ginger, almond, vanilla, egg white ~ 2oz

dovetail sour

disaronno amaretto, amaro montenegro, campari, ardbeg scotch, lemon, egg white ~ 2oz

D.A.D

traveller whiskey, amaro nonino, aperol, lemon ~ 2oz

our paper plane

Prepare the quick pickled Fresnos first so flavors mellow while you finish: in a small heatproof bowl or jar combine rice vinegar, water, sugar and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve.

Add the thinly sliced Fresnos to the pickling liquid, press down so they're submerged, cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (up to 2 hours refrigerated). Drain before using if desired.

Trim and thinly slice scallions on a bias; separate white and light-green parts from dark greens if you want to reserve some greens for garnish.

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, lime juice and minced garlic until smooth and homogenous. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness (add more sriracha to increase heat, more sweet chili or honey to mellow).

Season with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and set the aioli in the refrigerator to chill while you fry the shrimp. The sauce can be made several hours ahead and kept refrigerated.

Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. Season lightly with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper; toss to coat.

Place the shrimp in a bowl and pour the buttermilk over them; stir to coat and let sit 5 minutes (this helps the batter adhere).

In a shallow dish combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder and paprika. Whisk to combine and break up any lumps.

Heat a heavy skillet or deep pot over medium-high and add enough vegetable oil to reach about 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep (about 2 cups). Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small pinch of batter — it should sizzle and brown within ~30 seconds.

Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, remove shrimp from buttermilk letting excess drip back into the bowl, then dredge each shrimp thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing lightly to form a thin coating. Shake off excess.

Fry shrimp in batches for 1.5–2.5 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and crisp and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Maintain oil temperature near 325–350°F; adjust heat as needed.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels to drain. Keep warm in a 200°F oven if desired while finishing remaining shrimp.

When all shrimp are fried and drained, place them in a large mixing bowl. Add about half of the chilled bang bang aioli and gently toss to coat each piece. Taste and add more aioli if you prefer a heavier coating. (Reserve a little aioli for drizzling if desired.)

Plate the coated shrimp, sprinkle with pickled Fresno slices, scallion greens, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with lime wedges and extra aioli on the side.

large shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on or off per preference

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

buttermilk (or whole milk + 1 tbsp lemon/vinegar)

all-purpose flour

cornstarch

baking powder

garlic powder

paprika (smoked or sweet)

vegetable oil (for frying)

mayonnaise (preferably full-fat)

sweet chili sauce (store-bought)

sriracha (adjust for heat)

honey or agave

fresh lime juice

garlic, very finely minced or grated

Fresno or red Fresno-style chilies, thinly sliced

rice vinegar

water

granulated sugar

scallions (green onions), thinly sliced on bias

sesame seeds (optional)

lime wedges (for serving)

Place cilantro, parsley, and mint in the bowl of a small food processor. Add peeled garlic clove, chopped ginger, honey, and lime juice.

Prepare Verdita

Pulse the herbs and aromatics until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed (about 10–15 pulses).

With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil and vinegar to emulsify into a loose green sauce. If the verdita is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a pourable but still vivid texture.

Season with salt and black pepper, pulse once or twice to combine, then taste and adjust honey, lime, or salt as desired. Transfer the verdita to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes roughly 3–4 tablespoons.

Combine honey, sliced ginger, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Stir until the honey dissolves, then simmer 2–3 minutes to infuse the ginger.

Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to deepen the ginger flavor.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small jar, pressing on the ginger to extract flavor. Cool to room temperature before using. Refrigerate any extra syrup for up to 1 week.

Fill a tall glass or highball with ice cubes (about 1 cup).

Pour 4 oz fresh orange juice over the ice.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of house verdita directly into the orange juice. Use a spoon to gently swirl and partially incorporate the green sauce — the verdita should create mottled green ribbons through the juice for visual contrast and herbal flavor.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of the cooled honey & ginger syrup until blended with the orange and verdita.

Top gently with 3 oz chilled soda water. Give the drink one or two gentle stirs to combine without fully homogenizing; you want some texture from the verdita to remain visible.

Garnish with an orange wheel or twist and a sprig of cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.

Optional variation: For a slightly brighter, fizzier profile, use sparkling citrus water and increase soda to 4 oz. For a boozy version, add 1.5 oz blanco tequila or gin before topping with soda.

fresh cilantro leaves (packed, stems trimmed)

fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (packed, stems trimmed)

fresh mint leaves (packed)

garlic cloves (peeled)

ginger (fresh, peeled and chopped)

honey

extra-virgin olive oil

white wine vinegar

salt

black pepper

water (to thin, as needed)

fresh ginger (thinly sliced)

fresh orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)

house verdita

honey & ginger syrup

soda water (chilled)

ice cubes

orange wheel or twist (for garnish)

cilantro sprig (optional garnish)

Open the bottle of Tinhorn Creek Merlot 2022 and pour into a decanter. Allow to breathe for 15–20 minutes at room temperature to soften tannins and reveal fruit characteristics. You will use this wine as the primary body of the cocktail blend.

Decant wine

In a large mixing pitcher or shaker with ice, add 6 oz vodka, 3 oz fresh lemon juice, 3 oz simple syrup, and 1.5 oz Campari. Stir briskly for 20–30 seconds to chill and dilute slightly.

Combine spirit and modifiers

Strain the chilled spirit-modifier mixture into a clean pitcher (discard ice in the shaker). Slowly fold in the decanted Merlot (the full bottle) and stir gently 10–12 revolutions to integrate without over-aerating. Taste and adjust: if the blend tastes too bitter from Campari, add up to 0.5 oz additional simple syrup; if too sweet, add 0.5 oz more lemon juice.

Incorporate the Merlot

Place two large ice cubes or one sphere into each of six rocks glasses.

Prepare glassware

Divide the finished cocktail evenly among the six prepared glasses. Express an orange peel over each glass (twist to release oils) and drop the peel in. Garnish each with a small thyme sprig tucked beside the peel. Serve immediately.

Pour and garnish

This recipe yields 6 generous cocktails that highlight the Merlot's red-fruit and supple tannins alongside citrus brightness and bitter-sweet complexity. Keep chilled and consume within 1–2 hours for best aromatics.

Serving note

Tinhorn Creek Merlot (2022)

Vodka (neutral spirit)

Fresh lemon juice

Simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)

Campari

Orange peel twists

Fresh thyme sprigs

Ice (large cubes or spheres)

Ensure the Bottega Prosecco (sparkling wine) has been chilled to 40–48°F (4–9°C). Place bottle in an ice bucket with ice and water for at least 20–30 minutes, or refrigerate for several hours prior to serving.

Chill bottle

Select a clean champagne flute or white wine glass. If desired, rinse with cold water and pour out to slightly chill the glass; tilt the glass and drain completely so no extra water dilutes the wine.

Prepare glass

Carefully remove the foil and loosen the wire cage while keeping a thumb over the cork. Hold the bottle at a 45° angle away from people and slowly twist the bottle (not the cork) to ease the cork out with a quiet pop. Wipe any drips from the lip of the bottle.

Open bottle

Pour approximately 5 fl oz (about 150 ml) of chilled Bottega Prosecco into the glass. Pour gently down the side of the glass to preserve carbonation and obtain a steady stream of fine bubbles.

Pour

For a subtle aromatic accent, twist a thin strip of lemon peel over the surface to express oils and drop it into the glass, or add a single fresh raspberry or a thin strawberry slice to float in the glass.

Garnish (optional)

Serve immediately while the wine is cold and effervescent. Keep remaining bottle chilled in the ice bucket or refrigerator and consume within 1–2 days if re-corked with a sparkling wine stopper.

Serve

Use tongs or a small spoon to place delicate garnishes (raspberry or strawberry slice) to avoid warming the wine with your hands.

If serving multiple glasses, open bottles shortly before guests arrive to maintain effervescence and pour into pre-chilled glasses as needed.

Bottega Prosecco (or other sparkling wine)

Fresh lemon twist (optional garnish)

Fresh raspberries or strawberry slice (optional garnish)

Champagne flute or white wine glass

Wine cooler or ice bucket (optional)

Wine opener (if bottle sealed with cork) or screw-top opener

Tongs or small spoon (for placing garnish)

Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice to chill it while you prepare the other components.

Prepare glass and ice

Pull a double shot of espresso (about 2 oz) using freshly ground coffee. Allow the espresso to rest for 10–20 seconds so it cools slightly but still retains crema.

Pull espresso

In a small mixing glass or measuring jigger, combine 1 oz fresh ruby grapefruit juice, 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice and 0.25 oz simple syrup (omit or reduce syrup if you prefer less sweetness). Stir gently to combine.

Mix citrus and sweetener

Dump the ice from the chilled serving glass and refill with fresh ice (scattered or cubed). Pour the grapefruit/lemon mixture over the ice. Gently pour the 4 oz tonic water into the glass, pouring down the side to preserve bubbles.

Assemble

Carefully float or pour the 2 oz espresso over the back of a spoon slowly onto the tonic so the espresso sits partially layered on top. If you prefer the flavors integrated, stir gently once or twice with a bar spoon.

Add espresso

Express the oils from a grapefruit twist over the drink and drop it in, or add a grapefruit wedge and a lemon twist as garnish. Serve immediately with a straw or stirring rod so the drinker can mix to taste.

Garnish and serve

freshly pulled espresso

Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water (or similar high-quality tonic)

fresh ruby grapefruit juice

fresh lemon juice

simple syrup (optional, adjust to taste)

grapefruit twist or wedge (garnish)

lemon twist (garnish)

Place a large wine glass or rocks glass in the freezer for 5 minutes or fill it with ice and water to chill while you prepare ingredients.

Chill glass

Roll the orange on the counter with the palm of your hand to loosen juices. Cut one half of the orange in half again. Reserve one half for a wheel or twist garnish; squeeze approximately 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce fresh orange juice from the other half.

Prepare orange

Discard the ice/water from the chilled glass if used and fill the glass about 3/4 full with fresh large ice cubes (enough to leave minimal air space). Pour in 2 oz NOA Italian Aperitivo, then add the freshly squeezed 1/2 oz–3/4 oz orange juice.

Build the spritz

Slowly pour 3 oz Bottega Sparkling Life (prosecco) into the glass over the back of a spoon or directly to preserve carbonation. Top with 1 oz chilled soda water to taste and gently stir once with a bar spoon (one full rotation) to integrate.

Add sparkling and soda

Float or place an orange wheel on the rim (or make a thin orange twist and express its oils over the drink then drop in). Serve immediately with a short straw if desired.

For an orange twist: use a vegetable peeler to remove a 1/2-inch wide strip of zest, avoiding too much pith. Hold it over the drink and give it a firm twist to express oils, then drop it into the glass or clip to the rim.

NOA Italian Aperitivo (or similar aperitivo liqueur)

Bottega Sparkling Life (or other dry sparkling wine/prosecco)

Soda water

Fresh orange (for juice and garnish)

Orange wheel or twist

Combine equal parts honey and hot water to make a pourable honey syrup (example: 60 g honey + 60 ml hot water yields ~120 ml). For this recipe you will use 45 ml of the finished syrup. Stir until honey dissolves and let cool to room temperature.

Make honey syrup

Peel and thinly slice or julienne the fresh ginger (about 20 g). Lightly muddle half of the ginger slices in a small bowl or measuring cup with 30 ml of the honey syrup to release aroma — press 6–8 times with the back of a spoon. Let steep 5 minutes, then strain out solids. Reserve the ginger-infused honey syrup for the cocktail.

Prepare ginger

Halve and pit the plums. Cut one plum into thin wedges for garnish and roughly chop the second plum (include skins) into small pieces. Place the chopped plum in a mixing pitcher or large jar.

Add the muddled ginger (the pieces you pressed earlier) to the chopped plums in the pitcher if you prefer a stronger ginger-plum flavor; otherwise use only the strained ginger-infused syrup.

Add the fresh lemon juice (60 ml) and 15 ml of the reserved honey-ginger syrup to the chopped plums. Using a muddler or the back of a spoon, gently muddle the fruit/juice/syrup mixture 6–8 times to crush the plum and release juices without creating a purée. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher to remove solids if you prefer a clear spritz; otherwise leave the fruit in for a more rustic presentation.

If you strained the plum mixture, pour the strained juice into a large chilled pitcher. If not, leave fruit in the pitcher and continue. Add 45 ml of the honey-ginger syrup total (this includes the 15 ml used to muddle — if you already used 15 ml, add an additional 30 ml). Stir gently to combine with the lemon-plum base.

Slowly add the chilled Bottega sparkling wine (750 ml) to the pitcher, pouring gently to preserve bubbles. Stir once gently to combine — avoid vigorous stirring.

Top the mixture with 250 ml chilled sparkling water to lengthen and lighten the spritz. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 15 ml more honey syrup if you prefer sweeter, or a squeeze more lemon if you prefer brighter acidity.

Fill 4 large wine glasses with ice (about 2 cubes each or as desired). If left unstrained, divide a few pieces of muddled plum among the glasses for texture and visual appeal.

Divide the Summer Spritz mixture among the glasses (approx. 230–250 ml per glass). Garnish each glass with a lemon wheel, a plum wedge, and a mint sprig if using.

Serve immediately while sparkling. Briefly stir in each glass if fruit has settled before handing to guests.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Plan C

Tinhorn Creek

Bottega Sparkling Life

Grapefruit Espresso Tonic

Aperitivo Spritz

Summer Spritz

Michelada

Hoyne Brewing Dark Matter

Sunday Sesh Apple Cider

Kronenbourg 1664 Rosè

Miller High Life

Modelo Especial

North Point "life Of Riley" Hazy Ipa

Talisman Pale Ale

Dovetail Lager

Brown Butter Old Fashioned

Ripxo

Something With Vodka

Pimm's Sangria

Verdita-rita

Dovetail Sour

D.a.d

Our Paper Plane