Each year around the world, equity for women is spotlighted. The day always makes me think of the women that I admire. In celebration of International Women’s Day, I wanted to share my favorite female cocktail influencers with you. Following the drinks, photography, and adventures of these women inspire my own cocktail journey daily. I asked each of them to share their favorite cocktail with recipe and their favorite bars. You’ll also learn why I enjoy following each of them. Let’s go!
1. Rhonda (The Margarita Mum)
Rhonda is one of my favorite female cocktail influencers for a couple of reasons. The first is because of her love of margaritas, which I also love. She also has an awesome edible cocktail garden that I love following. Since Rhonda lives in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s nice to see living things in my feed in the dead of my own winter. To top it all off, The Margarita Mum account shares beautiful cocktails in her collection of vintage glassware. I always get inspiration for staging drink photos from her.
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@the_margarita_mum).
- Rhonda’s favorite bar: To be honest, I really don’t go to a lot of bars so I would have to say my home bar!!! I have such fond memories of visiting Salmon Guru (Madrid) and Paradiso (Barcelona). I also recently went to Gimlet in Melbourne and the cocktails and food were exceptional!
- Rhonda’s favorite cocktail: It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I really enjoyed a Kiwi Berry & Mint Margarita recently.
Kiwi Berry & Mint Margarita
Ingredients
- 60 mL reposado tequila
- 15 mL Cointreau
- 30 mL lime juice
- 2 large kiwi berries
- 1 bunch mint leaves
Instructions
- Muddle the kiwi berries in your cocktail shaker. Break in the mint.
- Add all the other ingredients with ice and shake vigorously until combined.
- Fill tumblers with ice, kiwi berries and more mint.
- Double strain the cocktail.
- Garnish with more kiwi berries, edible flowers and more mint!
2. Camille (The Cocktail Snob)
From her “good morning” posts to her obsession with glassware, Camille is another of my favorite cocktail influencers. Between her cocktail excursions in New York City and her beautiful cocktail shoots at home, her content is always inspiring. She recently shared a Reel featuring her favorite Black-owned glassware brands. And I am pretty sure it had everyone Googling for where they could purchase them. Camille shares her love for both boozy and non-boozy cocktails alike. She even has a book coming out later this year about mocktails called “Free Spirit.”
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@thecocktailsnob_).
- Camille’s favorite bar: 67 Orange (New York)
- Camille’s favorite cocktail:
Tonic Rickey Mocktail
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz tonic water
- 1.5 oz seltzer water
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 sprig rosemary
Instructions
- Combine simple syrup and lime juice in a glass with ice and stir.
- Slowly add tonic water and seltzer.
- Top with Angostura bitters. Don't stir.
- Insert rosemary sprig and enjoy!
3. Natalie Migliarini (Beautiful Booze)
A lot of things got me through the last two years, but one of my favorites was following Natalie’s Instagram account. Natalie shared her journey of getting through the pandemic in a personal and engaging way. Not only was she stranded in one city, after living and working on the road for years, but she was separated from her partner by an ocean. Since Natalie’s partner is usually behind the camera, she chronicled her process of learning to shoot all her own content in her rental apartment. During the pandemic, Natalie and James were luckily still able to release their cocktail book, “Beautiful Booze.” You might also recognize her from Season 1 of Netflix’s Drink Masters.
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@beautifulbooze).
- Natalie’s favorite bar: Hanky Panky (Mexico City)
- Natalie’s favorite cocktail: Insta Vacay [I can personally attest to the deliciousness of this one and recommend using this coconut syrup.]
Insta Vacay
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Stiggins' Fancy Dark Pineapple Rum
- 1 oz lime juice
- 0.75 oz coconut syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake for approximately 30 seconds to chill and combine the ingredients.
- Double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with edible flowers.
4. Katie Stryjewski (Garnish)
I’d been following Katie’s account for about a year when she came out with her book, “Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes from the Garden: Recipes for Beautiful Beverages with a Botanical Twist.” (You might recall it from my 2021 Cocktail Books post.) In addition to the book, I also love Katie’s cocktail creations. She has a great interactive feature on her blog that will help you pick a drink to make. Her tastes help push me in new directions.
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@garnish_girl).
- Katie’s favorite bar: Backbar in Somerville, MA
- Katie’s favorite cocktail: Picking a favorite cocktail is a tall order, but I love a Martini and any variations on it, so the Jabberwocky is up there.
Jabberwocky
Ingredients
- 0.75 oz London dry gin
- 0.75 oz Lillet Blanc
- 0.75 oz Manzanilla sherry
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Instructions
- Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass or coupe.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
5. Leah Hall (Gastronom)
When I started blogging about cocktails, I looked around for others in the space that lived close by. Leah (and her husband, Jay) live just 3.5 hours away from me. (We haven’t had the chance to meet yet, but it will happen!) In the last couple of years, I have enjoyed trading local bar recommendations with Leah, recreating their home cocktail creations, and following their home bar renovation process. Whether you want tips on making drinks at home or have question about how to run a cocktail business, you’ll enjoy following this cocktail influencer!
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@gastronomcocktails).
- Leah’s favorite bar: One in Omaha, Mercury, and one away from home, Pacific Cocktail Haven (San Francisco)
- Leah’s favorite cocktail: A Cherry Vanilla Whiskey Sour; this recipe calls for a cherry vanilla infused whiskey and a toasted cinnamon syrup. Check out the full recipe and how-tos here.
Cherry Vanilla Whiskey Sour
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz cherry vanilla infused single malt whiskey
- 0.5 oz lemon juice
- 0.25 oz toasted cinnamon syrup
- 1 dash Angostura
- 1 egg white
- 1 brandied cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Make Cherry Vanilla Infused Single Malt Whiskey and Toasted Cinnamon Simple Syrup ahead of time.
- Combine all ingredients in shaker.
- Shake to combine for 15 seconds.
- Add ice, shake another 15-20 seconds. Strain.
- Garnish with brandied cherries if desired.
Notes
6. Sonja Carlstrom (The Artful Cocktail)
Sonja’s Instagram feed never fails to add a pop of color as I am scrolling through. More than once, I have stopped to write down a recipe or just save a post because of how creative the staging is in a photo. It’s always fun to find cocktail influencers who seem to own endless styles of glasses and make almost every kind of cocktail. You’ll definitely find a huge range in Sonja’s work and I love seeing her creativity shine. Plus, if you love pops of color, Sonja will not let you down.
- Check out her Instagram account (@theartfulcocktail).
- Sonja’s favorite bar: My favorite bar is Bar Termini in London because they make the best negronis I’ve ever had!
- Sonja’s favorite cocktail: Glow Up
Glow Up
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz coconut rum
- 1 oz Aperol
- 0.5 oz kumquat liqueur
- 0.25 oz lemon juice
- coconut seltzer
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir and strain into a coupe glass with a large ice cube.
- Top with coconut seltzer. Garnish with orange peel.
7. Emily Arden Wells (Gastronomista)
Emily’s photography and work with liquor brands has taught me a lot. Her creative use of natural light, produce, and shadows are beautiful. I have really enjoyed watching her account grow and learn from her use of Reels. While she says she hasn’t had a chance to update her blog lately, you’ll find some really incredible cocktail recipes. She has them organized by spirit here, and I like to refer back to it when I am looking for inspiration.
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@gastronomista).
- Emily’s favorite bar: Right now, my favorite bar is my home bar – although my studio bar is more impressive. Covid, work, and a young kiddo has really had an impact on my social life. It’s really difficult to get out these days. So, that said, I’m excited to be able to go out more and see what people have been working on. I’d love to get to LA to check out @thunderboltla and @graciasmadresocal – those are two bars that have been doing a lot of cool stuff with clarification and batching. I love the nerd stuff.
- Emily’s favorite cocktail: The Negroni. Always and forever. Equal parts Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and whatever gin I have on hand. It’s unconventional, but I like a lemon twist in my Negroni. I also love a Jamaican Negroni, a Oaxacan Negroni, a white Negroni, a Sbagliato, a Bicicletta, a Boulevardier…basically all things Negroni.
8. Ashlee Tuck (Will Drink for Travel)
I swear that Instagram got me through the pandemic. It gave me the ability to travel vicariously through others and make new friends. Ashlee is one of them. Not only is her content bold and beautiful, it’s also inspiring. Back in 2020, Ashlee had the idea to start putting together a resource of all of the Black-owned spirit brands. If I recall correctly, the first list had 20+ brands, and has grown to include more than 160 brands. Through interviews with founders and cocktail content featuring new and historic brands, I have learned a lot. Ashlee also shares a passion for travel, as evidenced in her blog name. I love going along for the adventure via her accounts.
- Check out her blog and her Instagram account (@willdrinkfortravel).
- Ashlee’s favorite bar: The Vue at Hotel Washington (Washington, D.C.)
- Ashlee’s favorite cocktail: Blackberry Vanilla Margarita
Blackberry Vanilla Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 0.5 oz Grand Marnier
- 0.5 oz agave
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 0.25 oz vanilla extract
- 8 blackberries
Instructions
- If you like salt on your margarita, run a quarter of a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip the rim in salt.
- Muddle 5 blackberries in your cocktail shaker.
- Add tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and vanilla extract to your cocktail shaker.
- Shake for 10-15 seconds until chilled.
- Fill your glass with fresh ice and strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into your glass.
- Garnish with a the remaining blackberries and enjoy!
9. Chrissy (A Twist of Citrus)
Chrissy is another Instagram friend I’ve made during pandemic times. We’ve chatted about gardening (more like our woes), travel, and share an enthusiasm for gin. (Her account used to be @socialgingirl until late January this year.) Chrissy’s Instagram account is bursting with color and flavor. She was even voted Home Bartender of the Year for 2020! Her cocktail content is always creative and delicious. I am forever saving her recipes for later. She also throws in a snack or two, and has a great sense of humor. You will not be unfollowing this awesome content creator!
- Check out her Instagram account (@atwistofcitrus).
- Chrissy’s favorite bar: The Gibson Bar in London
- Chrissy’s favorite cocktail: Grapefruit, Blood Orange and Rosemary Paloma
Grapefruit, Blood Orange and Rosemary Paloma
Ingredients
- 45 mL blanco tequila
- 15 mL homemade blood orange liqueur
- 30 mL pink grapefruit juice
- 15 mL lime juice
- 7.5 mL rosemary syrup
- soda water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except soda water) to a shaker with ice.
- Shake for 20-30 seconds until cold.
- Strain into a Collins glass with ice and sliced citrus and top with soda water.
I just want to say thank you to each of these awesome female cocktail influencers for sharing their recommendations. Who are some of your favorite cocktail bloggers and accounts to follow?
