Warning! There’s a storm set to start brewin’ after the lengthened Labor Day weekend. Apologies to all who’ve yet to squeeze out the last drops of summer fun—but the beach will be barricaded, and we’re pulling the plug on the pool. Too early to begin preparations for what’ll be an all-out assault of fall frights? Famous last words!

Like a pack of werewolves trying with all their might to minimize the effects of the moonlight, we’re shedding our swimwear and going all-in on the spooky stuff. Are you SHOCKED??!

To make the biggest splash for this mystical early-season makeover, there was but one choice of spirit: bourbon. Known the world over for its rich heritage and celebrated for its dependable tasting notes of toffee, vanilla, and light spice, bourbon stands tall at the peak of utter versatility; as capable of cooling you off on Derby Day as it is as a winter warmer. There’s nothing scary about the Kentucky-born spirit’s role in the creation of some of the most memorable cocktails throughout history, right?

(Jump scare) Guess again! The fright levels are squarely in the hands of the three bartenders of the BOO-rbon Box, and they’ve got some dastardly designs on the cocktail experience to come—a four-week-shriek of cascading fall flavors that swing the cellar door open to unleash the unsettling bellow from below: BOOOOOOO-rbon. No startled spit-takes allowed! Subscribe now to get yours—it’s slated to ship the week of September 1st.

The chances for pumpkin spice havoc run high throughout the kitchen tables and cafe menus of early autumn, but Greg Mayer’s creation is about to rule them all. His Mischief Night is the most gourd-geous of antidotes to holiday hijinks, a bourbon sour shaken with egg white featuring bright lemon and some not-so-sneaky warmth from spiced pumpkin syrup and mole bitters. Where have all the neighborhood rabble-rousers gone? They’re at home, throwing back the latest in fashionably fall cocktails! 

Greg began his career in the hospitality industry working in kitchens as a line cook and transitioned to roles behind the bars of many hot spots nationwide. Over the past few years, Greg represented the iconic Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey in NYC. Now he’s back in creation mode, working on cocktails for the Shaker & Spoon community! 

Don’t lose your head trying to pinpoint all the many essences and aromas within this drinkable dedication to Sleepy Hollow—we’ll just tell you! The NY town at the heart of all the lore has simmering moodiness to spare, but also proximity to some of the best apple pickin’ around! Lindsay Matteson begins her story there—establishing an irresistible meet-cute between spiced apple cider and the beloved bourbon of her Bluegrass home state. From there, some inciting incidents from the supporting cast: super lemon juice with its sharply acidic tongue, lapsang souchong syrup as the quietly intense brooder, and a spritz of smoked rosemary filling the air with a fog of yummy mystery. The End . . . until round two!

Lindsay is a bartender and bar manager who has played a role at such notable bars as the Flatiron Lounge, Pouring Ribbons, canon, and Amor y Amargo, where she served as the head bartender. Most recently she was the bar manager at Barnacle, an Italian aperitivo bar, and the classic oyster joint the Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle, WA. Today, she consults on bars and teaches internationally on the overlap of hospitality and mindfulness for the bartender. She also paints cocktails and has a book of her art available on Etsy.

Follow the squishy sounds of the circus peanut to a spot under the big top, where Sother Teague’s high-flying cocktail techniques have attendees in a fit of Nervous Laughter. Balance is the name of the game in this bourbon old fashioned, which begins by fat washing the spirit with allspice-infused brown butter before stirring up the hysterics with a molasses-laced banana syrup and walnut bitters. Leave the horseplay to the professionals, but with this dreamy drink by your side, all manner of monkeying around will be permitted! 

Sother is the beverage director at New York’s Amor y Amargo and host of The Speakeasy on Heritage Radio Network. In 2018, he was honored with Wine Enthusiast’s Mixologist of the Year Award, and he has authored two books, I’m Just Here for the Drinks and Let’s Get Blitzen, and created Driftwood Bitters and Garden Party Bitters. Catch up on all the Sother favorites in the S&S catalog, including The Weekender, Ash and Elm, Dragon Tears, and Fruitcake Weather.

We’re screeching toward a season full of satisfying, sinister sipping. Sign up for the BOO-rbon Box and find yourself shaken by how creative, crisp, and freaky-good our cocktails can be! 

🎃🍎🍌,
The Shaker & Spoon Team

*not vegan: Bitter Girl Go Walnuts Bitters contain honey. Circus peanuts contain pork gelatin.
*potential allergens: Bitter Girl Go Walnuts Bitters contain walnuts.