Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

These Cocktails Will Perfectly Pair With Some of Your Favorite Vinyl Records

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Is there anything more perfect after a long-ass day of backbreaking or mind-numbing work than picking out your favorite vinyl album, mixing up a drink (or just pouring a double or triple pour of your favorite whiskey), and settling into your favorite chair to tune out the rest of the world for a little while? We think not (especially if you’re listening on one of these systems).

Jason Varney
“Booze & Vinyl” (Running Press, 2018) Image used with permission by copyright holder

André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington seem to agree with us, if their new book, Booze & Vinyl, is any indication of their mindset. In the book, they pair up a wide variety of cocktails — some classics, some riffs, and some modern inventions — with 17 different albums from the 2000s all the way back to the 1950s.

Recommended Videos

To give you a sense of what they’re spinning, we’ve picked out a few of our favorite cocktail and record pairings for you to dig into. Once you’re stirred and shaken your way through these, pick up the book

here

and check out the rest of boozy vinyl goodness.

Flannel Shirt

Booze and Vinyl Flannel Shirt
Jason Varney

Pair with:  Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York (1993), Side A

“This is a cocktail from bartender and drinks writer Jeffrey Morgenthaler, from his bar Clyde Common in (where else?) Portland, Oregon. Northwest slacker central! There is a lot of flavor here. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients—it’s an amazing drink, and it’s easy to batch for a crowd.”

Method: Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Royal Pimm’s Cup

Booze and Vinyl Royal Pimms Cup
Jason Varney

Pair with: The Smiths – The Queen is Dead (1986), Side A

“We like our ‘regular’ Pimm’s cups with ginger ale, but here we fancy the drink up a bit for the Mozzer with Champagne. Created by the owner of an oyster bar, Pimm’s is a mixture of herbs and liqueurs in a gin base. It’s well balanced on its own, so it doesn’t require a lot of doctoring to display its charms in a cocktail. Pimm’s Cups are beautiful both to drink and to behold.”

  • 3 oz Champagne or other sparkling wine
  • 2 oz Pimm’s #1
  • 1 cucumber slice
  • 1 orange slice
  • 1 strawberry, sliced
  • Sprig of mint to garnish

Method: Pour Pimm’s, cucumber, and fruit in a Collins glass. Muddle. Top with ice and Champagne. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Sidecar

Booze and Vinyl Sidecar
Jason Varney

Pair with: A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory (1991), Side B

“Perhaps the signature drink of the great American Jazz Age, the Sidecar is a double-feature of two exceptional French products: Cognac (brandy) and Cointreau. With a sugared rim, it’s a sure hit. And it’s a swanky accompaniment to this uplifting, jazzy masterpiece.”

  • 2 oz brandy
  • 1 oz Cointreau
  • .75 oz fresh lemon juice
  • Sugar to rim the glass
  • Orange peel to garnish

Method: Prepare a glass by wetting the rim and dipping it in sugar. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Reprinted with permission from BOOZE AND VINYL © 2018 by André Darlington & Tenaya Darlington, Running Press

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Start planning your Met Gala watch party with these classy cocktails
Agua Magica

It's almost time once again for an event that's a highlight for fashion fans and celebrity spotters everywhere: the Met Gala. This event, scheduled for May 5, is always guaranteed to show a stunning range of bold looks for everyone in attendance.

If you'll be watching along at home and rating the outfits with friends, then why not embrace the classy mood and add some cocktails? We've got a selection of recipes to get you inspired.

Read more
Set your Easter brunch apart with this pastel hued cocktail
LALO Tequila

Easter is time for pastel shades, and there's no cocktail ingredient more suited to that than Creme de Violette. It's one of those ingredients that can make a stunning addition to a cocktail, but needs to be used with care. It's most famously used in the Aviation, a drink which can have a stunning pale blue or pale violet color depending on the brand of Creme de Violette that's used. I have had magnificent Aviations -- and yes, the striking color is absolutely part of the appeal -- but I've also had ones which taste like swallowing a flower bed. That's Creme de Violette for you!

The art to using it well, in my experience, is to be very sparing with it. Half an ounce is quite enough to give a drink that violet flavor and color, though if you really love your florals then you could opt for more. You also want to use bold, flavorful other ingredients that can stand up to the strong taste of violet. Lemon juice is a traditional pairing too, to give a sharper edge to a drink.

Read more
Show off your skills with these gorgeous tequila cocktails
El Tequileño

Making great cocktails isn't just about great flavors -- it's about the whole experience of a drink. That includes details like garnishes, which add some visual flair and texture to drinks, as well as ingredients like bitters which are most detectable as scents. If you're looking to take your cocktail making game up a notch, then challenge yourself to create a drink which is truly beautiful, with pleasing colors and composition as well as great flavors.

These stunning spring drinks from El Tequileño are the perfect inspiration, capturing all the beauty of spring in a glass.

Read more