Category: Cocktails

Everyone knows the Aperol Spritz. It has made Aperol a household name and has made the company wildly successful. As popular as it is, Aperol has a lot of sugar (about 15g in a single shot, which is the equivalent of 5 sugar cubes, and 21g in the standard Spritz) and bright reddish-orange Aperol is artificially colored. It also doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor. 

Here’s our alternative. It’s a delicious, all-natural, low-sugar cocktail (75% less sugar than the Aperol Spritz) and it’s incredibly simple to make. It’s light, refreshing, and it really shows off the wonderful flavors in Batch 22. 

Fill a large glass with ice.

Pour in:

2 oz. Batch 22

3 oz. Prosecco or dry sparkling wine

1 oz. Pellegrino

Twist a strip of orange peel over the top, rim the glass, and drop it in.

Add a dash of orange bitters or fresh orange juice, if desired.

Stir gently and enjoy. 

This recipe is our riff on the Trinidad Sour, which is an amazing concoction that uses an ounce and a half of Angostura bitters (usually this ingredient is a just added with a few shakes). Our recipe employs Batch instead of Rye, so the bourbon-like qualities of the original recipe are replaced by more herbal and floral notes. 

In a shaker with ice combine:

1 oz. Batch 22

.5 oz. Orgeat

1.5 oz. Angostura bitters

.75 Lemon Juice

Shake vigorously to chill and strain into a Nick & Nora or coupe glass. Garnish with lemon.

While experimenting with a bunch of spirits and ingredients we were not familiar with, we stumbled upon this mix of flavors, which reminded us of a 70-proof, adult version of Coca-Cola. It’s super refreshing, not too sweet, and so easy to make. 

In a rocks glass with ice, stir:

2 oz. Mama Juana (spiced rum; we love Candela)

1 oz. Batch 22

.25 Lemon juice

1 oz. Soda

Squeeze of lemon

Stir and garnish with a wide lemon peel twist. 

The original version of this cocktail, made with vodka, was created by the beverage director at Albert’s Bar in New York City. With the flavors of Batch 22 added, it becomes a lovely mix of herbal notes, citrus, and honey. 

In a shaker with ice combine:

1.5 oz. Batch 22

.5 oz. Lillet (or Cocchi Americano)

.5 oz. Honey simple syrup

.75 oz. Fresh lemon juice

2 dashes Orange bitters

1 Fresh basil leaf (slapped) for garnish

Shake vigorously to chill and strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora. Top with fresh basil leaf.

We develop a lot of cocktails for South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2023, they wanted a “Don Quixote” themed cocktail to go with a special gala they were doing for the theater’s anniversary. We decided that a special aquavit-inspired Sangria would be the perfect signature drink for the event. 

Making a single serving of Sangria is…well, it’s basically just not done. If you’re going to make it, then make it for everyone! The recipe here makes enough for 20 servings, but you can double it or triple it if your party requires larger quantities. 

In a large punch bowl, pitcher, carafe, or carboy combine:

1 bottle Batch 22

2 bottles Red Rioja

3 tablespoons vanilla

12 large navel oranges (squeeze in juice of 2, slice remainder)

10 lemons (sliced)

10 limes (sliced)

Stir to combine and allow to sit for minimum of 2 hours. 

Right before service, add:

1 bottle of Prosecco

And stir to gently combine.

Serve in glasses with ice. 

Garnish with fruit slices if desired. 

This sweet, smooth cocktail evokes wonderful childhood memories for co-founder spouse Tracy because it highlights the flavors of the classic ice cream blend called “Chicago Brick,” which was a blend of coffee, vanilla, and orange sherbert. 

In a rocks glass mix:

• 1.5 oz. Batch 22
• 1 oz. Mario’s (or coffee liqueur)
• .5 oz. Cointreau

Add ice and stir. Garnish with orange slice

Lots of people taste honey when they first try Batch 22, even though there is no honey in it. The effect of all the main flavor components, along with the rich mouthfeel, can easily be experienced as “honey.” It turns out that adding honey syrup to an aquavit cocktail, along with a little boost of citrus, works beautifully, and makes for a delightfully light and sweet treat. Here’s our riff on the classic Prohibition cocktail, called the Bees Knees, which uses honey in its build. 

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Batch 22 Classic Gold
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce honey simple syrup (1/2 cup honey & 1 cup water)
• Garnish with lemon twist

In a cocktail shaker with ice combine the aquavit, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

Shake to chill and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

Garnish with a lemon peel.

This is our riff on the classic Sidecar, which is traditionally cognac based. By substituting Batch 22 for the cognac, you wind up with a herbaceous, not too sweet cocktail that’s had its citrus component turbo-charged. 

Ingredients

• Orange wedge and sugar for rim
• 1½ oz. Batch 22 Classic Gold
• ¾ oz. orange liqueur
• ¾ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Orange peel for garnish

To prepare the rim, rub the rim of the glass with the orange wedge. With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine aquavit, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.

Shake well to chill and strain into the prepared glass.

Garnish with an orange peel.

Like classic espresso, this dessert cocktail combines flavors of coffee and lemon with some of the added zing of herbs and spices.

In a rocks glass mix:

• 2 oz. Batch 22
• 2 oz. Mario’s (or coffee liqueur)
• 1 oz. Limoncello

Add ice and stir. Garnish with lemon peel twist

In many ways, absinthe is aquavit’s more potent cousin, but it’s a delicious, spicy, herbaceous ingredient that adds a lovely layer of complexity to any cocktail. One of the best-known absinthe cocktails is called the Corpse Reviver 2 and, when we wanted to play with the possibilities of mixing absinthe and aquavit, we came up with this intriguing mix of spirits that does, indeed, warm the heart. 

Ingredients

• .75 oz. Batch 22
• .75 oz. Lemon juice
• .75 oz. Cocchi Americano
• .5 oz. Triple sec
• 1 oz. Fierce and Kind Bourbon
• Absinthe for rinse.

Combine all ingredients except the absinthe in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Add absinthe to a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass, swirl, and dump. Double strain cocktail into glass.