Our company event is coming up. Which means I get to do the fun part of a CEO job – be the bartender. In previous companies, the logo always had one color. Making company cocktails were relatively easier.

But my current company – Riverside Insights – has two colors. And anybody who knows a little about mixology will tell you immediately after looking at the colors that they are very simple colors to make cocktails of. Separately. But putting them together is a chore. Midori (green) and Curacao (blue) are both fairly low in viscosity and will mix immediately upon pouring.

After making a complete mess in my bar, I think I have hit upon the perfect formulation with crushed ice, curacao, midori, vodka and simple syrup. The picture was taken about 5 minutes after making the drink. The colors stayed reasonably separated. Another 10 minutes and they started mixing up.

Does anybody else have any other trick up their sleeve that can help me?

This has pineapple, cardamom, lime juice and mezcal. Inspired by the menu from Nashville’s bar Bastion as featured in the magazine Liquor.

I am yet to be super impressed by any mezcal cocktail. I think mezcal is best had by itself. In this drink the cardamom or pineapple effect is completely subsumed by the mezcal smokiness. Unlike a neutral alcohol like vodka, mezcal does not have too many other liquids (like juices) that can soften it down.

I will try next time with pineapple juice instead of crushed pineapple and see if it makes any difference.

The earthen vessel and the pineapple bits with lime slices made the drink look good though!

A variation of a gimlet with pomegranate for her and a tamarind-mezcal cocktail for me.