Rust Belt

A type of rum made from cane juice rather than cane molasses. Rhum agricole originated in the French Caribbean islands. The dark varieties have been aged in charred oak, lending their color to the rums.

A drink made from or flavored with vanilla (beans). Common brands include Bols, Galliano, Kahula, DeKyuper. You can make it yourself! Slice 2 whole vanilla beans lengthwise in half. Combine beans with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup simple syrup and 1 3/4 cup brandy in a sealable glass container. Swirl until the sugar dissolves. Let steep for 2 weeks (and up to 4 weeks, depending on your desired vanilla strength), stirring frequently. Remove the vanilla and enjoy!

The most common fruit juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; pure citric acid. Lemon juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

The second most common juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; 4% from citric and 2% from malic, with small amounts of succinic acid (this is what gives it a little bloody taste). Lime juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rose water or orange flower water. Sometimes other nut derived syrups are referred to as orgeat. You can make this yourself! There's a few recipes, this one if from liquid Intelligence. Combine 660g very hot water with 200g nuts of your choice (almonds are traditional). Blend together at high speed, then strain through a fine strainer or cheescloth. Add salt if you'd like. Then combine 500g nut milk with 500g sugar, blend to combine. If the emulsion breaks, use a stick blender to quickly recombine (or shake hard before using). If you're up for it, add 1.75g Ticaloid 210s and 0.2g xanthan gum to stablize the emulsion. If you can't find Ticaloid, use a mixture of gum arabic and xanthan gum in a ratio of 9:1. This recipe doesn't use rose or orange flower water, if you'd like you can add small teaspoon of either.

You know what eggs are. In cocktails, eggs are used for their foaming properties, giving the drink a rich and creamy texture. The eggs proteins form a 'net' that traps air and liquid extremely well; for this reason, drinks that contain eggs are shaken. They are also used for egg washing, a type of booze washing. Some cocktails use only the egg white (fizzes) and some use the whole egg or only the yolk (flips). There are common non-egg substitutes out there, check out insta-foam

A concentrated aromatic bitters made in Trinidad from water, ethanol, gentian and other herbs and spices; used in many classic cocktails like the Manhattan.