Generally, simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water with a pinch of salt. You can warm it up on the stove or blend or just stir ingredients until sugar dissolves. Interchange your sugar (i.e. demerara sugar) or your water (i.e. pomegranate juice) to make different syrups.

Simple Syrup Recipe: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 pinch of salt.

Demerara Syrup Recipe: 1 1/4 cups Demerara Sugar, 1 cup water, 2 pinches salt.

Honey Syrup: 1 cup honey, 1/2 cup boiling water, stir until syrup is formed.

Grenadine: 1 cup Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, 1 cup sugar, 1 pinch salt.

Strawberry Shrub: Let 2 cups frozen strawberries and 1 cup sugar sit overnight, strain out the juice, add apple cider vinegar to taste.

Every Sunshine Consulting Cocktail Class can be done without alcohol. Using unsweetened tea or non-alcoholic spirits in place of alcohol allows participants to engage for the entire class. 100% of Dr. Sunshine’s recipes are tested to taste amazing without alcohol. You will make some of the best mocktails you’ve ever had.

Non-Alcoholic Options include a blend of over-steeped herbal tea: 2-3 teabags steeped 5 minutes in 1 cup of water. Bengal-Spice is a house favorite. Also, there are Non-Alcoholic Spirits that are available. Click here N/A Spirits Ideas.

Bring everything else on the Prep List to class and you will make every cocktail we make, but yours will be alcohol-free!

You will participate in the entire class.

Over-steeped tea instructions. Steep 2 Herbal Tea bags in 1 cup of cold water for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and bring the tea to class as your “spirit” option.

Dr. Sunshine suggests Bengal Spice, Rooibos, Chai Spice, and Lapsang Souchong (smokey) as his favorite teas.

Fresh juice is always best. Cut your lemon or lime in half and squeeze the juice out. Purchase a hand juicer, as it is usually under $20 and will last many years. If you are going to use the skin of the fruit for garnish, cut it off first, then juice into a bowl and set aside until you are ready to make your cocktail. Fresh juice is best for about 24 hours. Typically the juice of half a lemon or lime is perfect for a single cocktail.

You can buy juice in a bottle if you want - it’s definitely easier - but most people think fresh juice tastes best. Add 3/4 ounce (22 ml) of bottled juice per cocktail.

Juicing 2 limes or lemons before your cocktail class with Dr. Sunshine will suffice in case of any whoopsies.

Measuring the ingredients of your cocktail is key to creating the perfect balance of spirit, sweet, bitter, and water. You can use a cocktail jigger, a measuring cup, tablespoons, or even science beakers! Any of the above devices will work wonderfully.

During class, we will be measuring liquids in units between 1 tablespoon, to 3 ounces. Make sure your measuring device measures in small enough units to accommodate.

Here are some basic conversions:

• 2 oz = 60 ml = 1/4 cup

• 1 oz = 30 ml = 1/8 cup

• ¾z = 25 ml = 1.5 tablespoons