Dissecting the Cocktail | Bellingham Alive | September 2025

DISSECTING THE COCKTAIL

WRITTEN BY ANNE

GODENHAM AND KRISTEN BOEHM

WE USUALLY ENJOY cocktails in their completed forms, after they’ve been measured, shaken, and poured. But the process is enjoyable in and of itself—hence the hypnotic effect of sitting at a bar and watching a mixologist work their magic!

This month, we’re giving you an indepth look at 10 mixed drinks from a handful of the North Sound’s best bars and restaurants. The talented bartenders have given us a run-down on how the drinks were made and what makes them special, so we can all enjoy a cocktail together to ring in the fall.

Mixology 101

AS YOU MIGHT have guessed, “mixology” is the craft of mixing ingredients to make a cocktail or other drink (yes, mocktails count!). While many of us honed our basic proportion skills in our youth by combining cheap spirits with crowd-pleasing mixers, going beyond the vodka-cranberry and shaking up multi-ingredient cocktails can feel like an intimidating step. So here’s an easy beginner’s guide to get you started and build your confidence.

Tools of the Trade

While bartending imagery is often rife with gleaming copper stirrers and fancy globe ice molds, there are really only a few things you need to have on hand:

• A shaker—we recommend the Boston style, as the metal chills the liquid inside faster.

• A way to portion out your ingredients, either a small measuring cup or a two-sided “jigger,” which typically has room for 1.5 ounces (AKA a jigger!) of liquid on the larger side and ¾ ounces (a half-jigger) on the smaller. Bear in mind that jiggers can come in different sizes, though, so make sure you’re familiar with yours!

• A Hawthorne strainer—your shaker will likely have a basic strainer built into the lid, but a separate strainer is more versatile.

• A citrus juicer. You can use a standard kitchen juicer if you like, or get a handheld one for faster and cleaner squeezing.

• A muddler—you can use a wooden spoon handle or other thick, sturdy utensil, but a muddler will do a better job breaking up mint leaves and other ingredients into sippable bits.

Spirits, Bitters, and Mixers

When it comes to making a great cocktail, the quality of your ingredients is key. You don’t have to go with top-shelf spirits, but it’s worth doing some research to figure out which producers, styles, and quality designations fit your budget and your goals. A local distillery like Chuckanut Bay Distillery can be a great resource for learning about specific spirits!

Bitters—alcoholic concentrates that add flavor, usually botanical, to cocktails in small dashes or drops—aren’t used widely enough in mixology to make them a necessity, but if you want to have a couple of standards on hand we recommend Angostura and Peychaud’s.

As for mixers, you’ll likely want to purchase fresh ingredients for any new cocktail you plan on making, but a few things are always good to stock: seltzer and tonic water; ginger beer and cola; and commonly-used juices like cranberry and orange. (For more mixer tips, check out the Kitchen Tips and Tricks on page 68!)

Techniques

If you’re a fan of 007, you’re familiar with the phrase “shaken, not stirred.” James Bond takes his martini how he likes it, despite the prevailing wisdom stating that a stirred martini is the preferable choice—shaking breaks up the ice, which clouds the surrounding liquid.

Ingredients and tools are important, but technique is crucial to an elevated cocktail. Whether the liquids are agitated in a shaker, stirred with a swizzle and then strained, layered for an intentional separation of colors and flavors, or even blended with ice to make a slushy, the way the ingredients are combined can make all the difference. When you’re comfortable with the core methods, you can level up to fancier techniques like floating and flavor rinsing.

Now that you understand the basics, you can see them in action on the following pages with our featured cocktails from local bars and restaurants!

Blue Bicycle lemondrop

Martini

Martini Brunch, Mount Vernon

COURTESY OF MARTINI BRUNCH

At Martini Brunch, they love to focus on as many local spirits as possible, and one of their favorite producers is Snohomishbased Skip Rock Distillers. When they saw the new release of Blue Bicycle, a blueberry gin made with local PNW blueberries, they had to get their hands on it, and that they did! It was so bright and fresh and not overly sweet—so they decided to make a juicy lemon drop with it. To make a Blue Bicycle Lemondrop at home you’ll need the aforementioned gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemonade, and simple syrup. If you zest your lemon before you squeeze it for juice you can make a rim sugar with lemon zest and granulated sugar for your martini glass.

The Dissection

• 1.5 ounces gin

• 1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice (don’t buy the lemon juice from the store—fresh absolutely makes a difference)

• 1/2 ounce lemonade

• 3/4 ounces simple syrup

Instructions:

• In a cocktail shaker add gin, lemon juice, lemonade, and simple syrup.

• Add ice and shake until the shaker is very cold to the touch.

• Strain and pour into your sugar-rimmed martini glass.

The Bartender

With a name like Caty Craft it’s no surprise you’d find them behind the bar! Caty has been crafting cocktails and curating the drink menu with Brooke at Martini Brunch since they opened in 2023. Caty’s drink of choice is Campari and soda with a sidecar of Jameson, if that gives you an idea of their palate. They love to create a “make me something,” a dealer's choice cocktail, as well as bourbon and whiskey cocktails like paper planes and Manhattans.

Island Ol’ Fashioned Old Fashioned

‘Ono Kitchen & Bar, Bellingham

An old fashioned is, as it sounds, a rather traditional cocktail, even said to have come about in the mid-1800s in response to overly complicated drinks. So how does ‘Ono Kitchen & Bar put its unique Hawaiian-PNW spin on a cocktail that breaks down into just three or four ingredients?

For their Island Ol’ Fashioned, they start by fat washing rye whiskey with burnt bananas.

“We burn bananas to get a caramelized flavor out of them, and then we smoke them with alderwood,” says Bartender Gavin Azevedo. To fat wash the whiskey, they steep it with the burnt bananas, infusing it with those rich, tasty flavors. They then purify it by chilling it, removing the solidified fat, and filtering it. Fat washing often leaves behind a smoother mouthfeel in addition to deep flavor notes. It can be used with other fats like butter, coconut oil, and even the fats from meat for savory concoctions.

“Then it’s just a simple old fashioned, except we use chocolate bitters, for a little bit more of an unctuous flavor to go along with that caramelized flavor. And we use our demerara syrup that we … put our own little touch on, as well.” This mysterious touch adds a hint of citrus to the demerara, a sugar often used in cocktailing for its richer, more complex flavor.

Azevedo begins mixing the drink by adding ice to a mixing glass, adding the fat washed rye, then the bitters and demerara. The ice is the last ingredient, and he likes to stir the drink roughly 40 times to attain the right dilution. Then, he filter-pours it into a rocks glass, garnishes with a banana leaf, and serves.

The Bartender

Gavin Azevedo is from Maui, which is coincidentally also where the owner of ‘Ono is from. He bartended in Oahu and Waikiki before moving to Washington, and has worked at ‘Ono for two years now. In his words, ‘Ono accomplishes “a nice balance of bringing the spirit of the islands and combining it with local flavors.” If you’re getting into cocktailing, he recommends you “just read and be inspired,” and says tuxedono2.com is filled with classic cocktail recipes for inspiration and guidance.

The Dissection

• Burnt banana fat-washed rye

• Customized demerara

• Chocolate bitters

• 3/4 ounces simple syrup

The Dissection

• Toasted jasmine rice infused vodka

• Toasted jasmine rice infused simple syrup

• Mango puree

• Lime juice

• Coconut Milk

Mango Sticky Vibes Vegan Clarified Milk Punch

Jack’s Bar, Bellingham

Jack’s Bar likes to focus on “sophisticated simplicity,” according to Bar Manager Dennis Schafer. That doesn’t mean that their cocktails themselves aren’t complex! By doing prep-work in advance and batching, Jack’s is able to serve up complicated cocktails like this vegan clarified milk punch in just a minute or two.

The crew at Jack’s conceived this cocktail with a few different things in mind. They wanted toasted rice and mango to be present in the flavor profile, inspired by mango sticky rice, and they wanted to round out their menu in terms of spirit type and vegan offerings.

To achieve the toasted rice flavor, both the vodka and simple syrup are infused with toasted jasmine rice. Mango puree is used for a fresh and juicy mango flavor. To balance the strong spirit and sweet fruit and syrup, lime juice was “the obvious choice” of sour for this tropical build. That acidic lime juice is also what jumpstarts the clarification process when everything else is introduced to the coconut milk.

After straining out the solids from the clarification process, what’s left is a crystal-clear batched cocktail ready to be stored and served over ice. From the customer’s perspective, the drink seems as simple as pour, stir, and garnish (with a strip of dried mango).

The Bartender

Bar Manager Dennis Schafer has worked at Jack's for about five years. Before that, you would have found him at Fairhaven’s Swim Club Bar, and before that, he helped open Rock and Rye Oyster House’s bar in 2014. So it’s safe to say he’s been around the Bellingham craft cocktail scene for a while! When making new drinks, he starts out by identifying the flavor profile he wants to accomplish, and always keeps the balance of a drink in mind.

Silk & Lullaby Clarified Milk Punch

The Dissection

• 24 ounces bourbon

• 8 ounces lemon

• 12 ounces chamomile tea

• 8 ounces honey syrup

• 2 ounces simple

• pinch of salt

• 20 ounces milk

Tide & Taste, Anacortes

COURTESY OF TIDE & TASTE

A chilled take on a winter classic, this clarified milk punch channels the comforting flavors of a hot toddy—think soothing honey, warm spice, and bright citrus—but serves them with crystalline clarity and a velvet-smooth finish. The milk clarification process lends a luxurious mouthfeel and transforms the familiar into something refined and unexpected. A truly elevated sip that surprises and delights from first glance to final drop–it’s a showcase of technique, balance, and creativity. A common practice on our cocktail menu: flavors you might be familiar with but served in a new, surprising, and exciting way.

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients except for the milk in a large container.

• Mix in milk, allow it to curdle.

• Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter; let strain overnight.

• Serve 3 ounces over a big ice cube with a lemon twist!

The Bartender

The bartenders behind the cocktail are the restaurant owners, husband and wife Nick and Kami LaLonde. Nick loves to create and Kami loves to taste-test. Nick approaches cocktail-making the way he approaches cooking: always experimenting with new techniques and flavor combinations. We love to take something familiar and present it in a totally new way.

Day Tripper

The Dissection

• BroVo gin

• Campari

• Amaro Montenegro

• Raspberry infused Yzaguirre Vermouth Blanco

• Orange bitters

• Basil oil

Rock and Rye Oyster House, Bellingham

A take on the Negroni

This aptly-named cocktail is bright and refreshing, but packs enough of a punch to get you wherever you need to go. It was dreamed up by Rock and Rye Oyster House Bartender Shannon Suschil as a summery riff on a Negroni. As Bar Manager Celia Scruton says, it’s “all spirit.”

They start the drink off with gin by BroVo Spirits, a Woodinville distillery. In addition to Campari, the aperitivo that lends a Negroni its signature bitterness, they add the herbaceous Amaro Montenegro. Then, instead of the traditional sweet vermouth, they use Yzaguirre Vermouth Blanco infused with raspberries.

“It really brightens everything up,” says Scruton. “It doesn’t come through as sweet or overpowering, it comes through as the [true] flavor of raspberry.”

Finally, orange bitters and house-made basil oil add touches of intrigue to this strong mixture. The basil oil sits on the surface and looks gorgeous, but it also adds a silky texture and helps round everything out with a fresh flavor.

Brunch Bevs

Is there anything better than meeting up with friends for a Saturday breakfast so late that it’s borderline lunch? Yes: adding a refreshing cocktail to start your weekend off on the right foot! COA Mexican Eatery & Tequileria is, as you might expect, known for their wide range of delicious Margaritas—they have locations in Mount Vernon, La Conner, and Bellingham. In Fairhaven, Colophon Cafe makes a mean Bloody Mary to add a savory side note to their indulgent French Toast Bake, and B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar will get your day started right with one of their Shaker Martinis. And that’s just to name a few!

The Bartender

Celia Scruton is an up-and-coming mixologist in the Bellingham bar scene. In just a year, she’s worked her way up from host to bar manager at Rock and Rye Oyster House. She accomplished this with passion and dedication, by studying the classics, and by trial and error. She recommends diving in and having friends (or co-workers) try your drinks and give their honest feedback. The best way to learn is often by doing!

Figlia Spritz Mocktail

Skagit Valley Larder, Mount Vernon

This delightful take on an Italian Spritz makes the classic afternoon refresher zero-proof by swapping the prosecco for sparkling water and the aperitivo (Aperol, Cynar, etc.) for a non-alcoholic version made by Figlia.

The combination of Meyer lemon, peach, and basil in the aperitivo gives this mocktail a refreshing, light, herbal flavor— it’s not sweet at all, despite the peach notes, and the finish has a slight bite to it from the gochugaru oil. The end result is nothing like an Aperol Spritz, and yet it fits the bill exactly.

The Dissection

• 1 part Figlia Sole Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo

• 3 parts sparkling water (we like Saratoga Springs because it has a nice bite to it)

• 2-3 dashes rhubarb bitters (optional and alcoholic)

• 3-5 dashes Algae Gochugaru Chili Oil

Instructions:

• Combine Figlia Sole with sparkling water in a large glass and add ice.

• If making the mocktail slightly alcoholic isn’t a dealbreaker, add 2-3 dashes of rhubarb bitters.

• Stir, then top with 3-5 dashes of gochugaru chili oil for a hint of spice and color, and enjoy!

The Bartender

Candace Kiersky is the owner of Skagit Valley Larder. She became a fan of the Aperol Spritz when working for an Italian restaurant group in New York City, where the staff would end their day around a large table with spritzes for all—“no more work after that!” As her experience with spritzes and wine sales increased, Kiersky learned that the base mix was infinitely adaptable, and she began to play around with combinations. When she encountered Figlia’s non-alcoholic aperitivo, she was immediately impressed: “It’s not trying to be something that’s already in the market; it’s completely new. You don’t [feel like] you should be drinking the alcoholic version of it.”completely new. You don’t [feel like] you should be drinking the alcoholic version of it.”

Mad Hatter Sour

Amendment 21, Bellingham

Merging drink-mixing traditions of the Prohibition era with creative craft cocktailing, Amendment 21 is a fantastic place to relax in comfort and style. Bartender Josh Gustafson has worked there for three years, and says they’re always working on their cocktail program, balancing the classics with exciting revamps.

In a similar vein, the Mad Hatter cocktail takes some widely held expectations and turns them on their heads. Would you expect a redux of a daiquiri to be the perfect warming drink for cold seasons?

Gustafson recalls that the drink was created for the fall/winter season of 2024.

“We were looking for something that was a little richer … with a lot of those wintery, baking spice types of flavors. We also wanted to work it in with rum,” says Gustafson. “Another part of it… we were trying to be better about not wasting any ingredients. The Luxardo syrup, which is the main sweetener in there, is from the can of cherries.”

That’s how something similar to a classic sour, made up of spirit, sugar, and citrus, became an extremely popular addition to the winter menu—so popular, it remained through spring and summer! When you taste it, you’ll understand why. The rum is warming in your stomach, pairing perfectly with clove and cardamom liqueur. Sweet Luxardo cherry syrup and bright lime juice bring the drink to life. The use of both Angostura bitters, known for its spice notes, and Peychaud's bitters, lighter and star anise-forward, add further complexity to the baking spice flavor profile. Sipping on this in summer might make you feel mad as a hatter, but we absolutely recommend it for all seasons.

Sip & See

For a drink with a view, head to Keenan’s at the Pier in Fairhaven for a sunset dinner or sunny Sunday brunch. Or go watch the boats while you sip a mixed drink or hard shake at Nicki’s Bella Marina in Bellingham!

Prefer your cocktail with a side of sports or other onscreen entertainment? Check out The Score Sports Bar & Grill in Ferndale or McKay’s Taphouse and Pizzeria in Bellingham. To add in your own friendly competition, stop by Tony’s Tavern in Custer and hustle your friends at the pool table!

The Dissection

• Rum

• Clove & cardamom liqueur

• Luxardo cherry syrup

• Lime

• Angostura bitters

• Peychaud’s bitters

The

As Amendment 21’s longest-running bartender, Josh Gustafson is casually confident behind the bar, with the knowledge and skill to back it up. He recommends newcomers to mixology “follow the classics,” and slowly make little tweaks as you learn what makes up a good drink.

Tea Garden

Galloway’s Cocktail Bar, Bellingham A take on the Bee’s Knees

On an extensive menu of classic and signature cocktails, the Tea Garden stands out for its sheer delightfulness. It has a sunny coloring and a floral, citrusy flavor, like everything good about an afternoon surrounded by blooms and busy bees.

Bartender Amanda Shoemaker explains that they prep for this drink by infusing jasmine into Outfitters Gin, a gin produced by Distillers Way out of Ferndale. Outfitters proudly uses mountain water from aquifers near Mount Baker, claiming it lends “crisp and refreshing” qualities to the botanical notes of mountain juniper and coriander.

Aperol is what gives the cocktail its clear orange coloring. It’s a low-proof Italian botanical liqueur, an aperitivo characterized by its bittersweet, citrus-forward flavor. The recipe is a secret, but we know it features gentian root, rhubarb, and cinchona. Lavender honey and lemon round out the bouquet of this cocktail. Bartender Garrett Ciaramella, who created the Tea Garden as a riff on the classic Bee’s Knees cocktail, says that the orange bitters were the final ingredient needed to activate the flavors and open the drink up. Finally, it’s polished with an orange peel twist and served on the rocks in a Collins glass, ready to transport you to your secret garden happy place.

The Dissection

• Jasmine infused Outfitters gin

• Aperol

• Lavender honey

• Lemon

• Orange bitters

The Bartender

Amanda Shoemaker and Garrett Ciaramella are bartenders at Galloway’s, where the signature menu is made up of recipes the bartenders themselves create. Shoemaker has worked everywhere from a punk pizza bar in Seattle to the bar at a ski resort in Taos, New Mexico. She hosts bitters making classes at Galloway's, and loves the craft and creativity of mixology. Shoemaker helped Ciaramella get started with craft cocktails, and he took the advice “try everything, even if you think it’s going to taste bad” to heart. He enjoys the process of experimenting and finding the right ingredient to balance a mixture.

Shruberita Margarita

Revival Lounge, Mount Vernon

COURTESY OF REVIVAL LOUNGE

This cocktail is based around a shrub that we make from berries in our garden and apple cider vinegar from our trees—really just a focus on local ingredients and how the bite of the shrub plays off the spicy sweet habanero syrup. It all plays well together, making a tangy, sweet, and spicy play on a margarita.

Through the straw it’s a smooth mix of berry and citrus, cold and refreshing, followed by the contrast of the habanero’s heat. From the salted rim it tastes like a berry margarita, salty with a bite of habanero, the berry and citrus lingering and soothing after.

Instructions:

• Rub the rim of a rocks glass with lemon or lime and press into pink peppercorn salt. Place ice in the glass to chill.

• In a small shaker, combine tequila, lime juice, blueberry shrub, habanero syrup, and triple sec.

• Add ice and shake for 15 seconds, creating a light and dark red drink, then strain into the glass.

• Add a lime wheel to garnish and enjoy!

The Bartender

CJ Tyron is a longtime bartender and food industry worker with experience in all levels of the business—but he’s a bartender at heart. He enjoys traveling for live music and exploring the food and cultures of other cities. CJ was born and raised in Skagit Valley, with a love for nature and combining spirits for a perfect drink and experience. He’s always ready to smile and laugh with guests, and always looking to elevate the experience of his guests.

The Dissection

• 2 ounces tequila, your choice (at Revival we use La Vieja Taberna, a blanco tequila)

• 1 ounce fresh lime juice, plus a wheel for garnish

• 1 ounce housemade blueberry shrub

• ½ ounce housemade habanero syrup

• ¾ ounces triple sec

• Pink peppercorn salt

• Egg whites

• Shanky’s Whip

• Cold brew

The All-Seeing Eye Espresso Martini

Odd Fellows Temple Room, Bellingham

In the atmospheric Odd Fellows Temple Room, the mysterious vibe is complimented by secret society decor, live music, and a menu of classic drinks like The All-Seeing Eye. This espresso martini will keep you wide-awake for any clandestine meetings on your schedule, according to Bartender Maya Lengyel.

To make this drink, Lengyel starts by dry shaking egg whites in a chilled shaker, followed by adding ice and Luksusowa vodka. With no actual dairy, the egg whites are what gives this coffee cocktail a thick, creamy layer of foam on top.

Next in are the star ingredients: cold brew coffee and Shanky’s Whip, a black liqueur and whiskey blend known for its rich flavor notes.

“Shanky’s Whip is the really signature thing about our espresso martini,” says Lengyel. “It’s an Irish whiskey liqueur that’s distilled from whey, and it tastes like toffee and hazelnuts and chocolate… it’s so decadent.”

After a wet shake, the drink is strained into a coup glass, garnished with cocoa powder, and served up.

• Luksusowa Vodka

Maya Lengyel is one of the main bartenders you’ll see at Odd Fellows Temple Room, the backroom venue connected to The Orion bar. She’s been there since it opened on New Year's Eve, 2023. She’s had almost every job there is to do in the service industry, starting as a barista at just 12 years old. This is her first full-time bartending position, and it’s a perfect fit, thanks to her love for talking to people, working the night away, and serving the dynamic crowds brought in by a live music venue.

by Kristen