I’m a Jack and Coke kind of girl. Although it’s my signature drink, I’m always up for trying something new. After all, life is all about experiencing different flavors, cultures, and adventures. One way I indulge in this is through craft cocktails. I’m just fascinated by the unique combinations bartenders around the world come up with. Recently, I got to try my hand at making some unique cocktails thanks to Shaker & Spoon.

The brand was kind enough to send me their October 2017 Austin Without Limits Box.  Inspired by the “Live Music Capital of the World”, and one of my favorite cities, this box features drink recipes from three of Austin’s hottest bartenders. In addition to the recipes, each box comes with glossary card and enough contents to make 12 cocktails. All I had to do was add the liquor and the barware.

Craft Cocktails Goes to Austin

One of my favorite things about this box was that each recipe could be made with either Bourbon or Tequila. If you’ve ever been to Texas, you know both are popular choices. I like my dark liquor, so I made two of the drinks with Bourbon and one with Tequila. Next time, I might switch it up.

First up, I decided to fill my rocks glass with The Beat Goes On. Created by Jessica Sanders, award-winning bartender and owner of Austin’s drink.well., this craft cocktail ups the ante on the Old Fashioned.

The recipe required me to mix the included Spiced Mojo Syrup, orange bitters, Hella Bitters Aromatic Cocktail Bitters, anise pod, and lemon with my bourbon. My The Beat Goes On came out perfectly thanks to the easy to follow instructions. In just three simple steps, I was sipping my way through the rich, smoky, yet sweet flavor of my craft cocktail. It kind of made me nostalgic for the trip I took with my mom to Austin last April. I know she would have loved this drink as much I did.

Next, I took to Rainey Street in Austin for a cocktail inspired by Chris Bostick, owner of Half Step. Recently named to Esquire TV’s Best Bars in America, Bostick knows a thing or two about making your taste buds sing with to the delight of his Huarache Nights.

For this craft cocktail, I gave my tequila a shake alongside the box’s Ginger Grenadine Experimental Syrup, lime juice, soda water and lime zest. The results were a Collins glass filled with both smokiness and sweetness. The ginger, lime and pomegranate flavors mixed perfectly with the tequila. I could imagine drinking Huarache Nights while sitting outside with friends listening to some great music.

Last, but certainly not least comes the most unique cocktails I’ve ever made, the MaSour. Created by award-winning bartender Caer Ferguson, the MaSour is inspired by Texas’s first female governor. In addition to being the first woman to govern Texas, Mariam “Ma” Ferguson also worked to repeal Prohibition. She was a woman after my own heart.

I was excited and apprehensive about trying the MaSour. First off, it uses a raw egg white and secondly, it required me to fat-wash my bourbon. Fat-washing is a technique used by bartenders to add savory flavors to liquor. In this instance, I would be adding browned, salted butter. I love the flavor of brown butter. It’s rich and smoky.

After fat-washing the bourbon and following a few more steps, I was ready to fill my coupe. I topped it off with the charred flavor of a cinnamon stick and took a sip. My MaSour was an absolute delight. It was rich and creamy, yet somehow still light. I loved it, even more, knowing the bartender who created it had asked Shaker & Spoon to donate 50% of her proceeds to the Houston Humane Society. Sounds like a true Austinite to me.

My Craft Cocktail Experience

I absolutely loved everything about my Austin Without Limits box. It was so much fun creating my own craft cocktails. I can’t wait to try it again or to share them with friends. I also think these boxes would make a great gift for cocktail lovers, or anyone who likes to experiment with flavors.

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Do you like craft cocktails? Which drink from the box do you want to try?