Fashioned

When Phil Ward, Death & Co’s first head bartender, was sketching our first menus back in 2006, he coined a name for an approach he loved to apply when developing new drinks: take a proven cocktail and substitute one component to create something new. We started calling it the “Mr. Potato Head” method and have been using the technique ever since because it’s both creative and reliable: every great drink is a blueprint for myriad other drinks.


At its core, this approach respects structure. You begin with a template you know—Old-Fashioned, Martini, Daiquiri, Sidecar—and identify the “core” (the drink’s primary flavor, usually a base spirit), the “balance” (sweeteners, acids, and modifiers such as vermouth or liqueur), and the “seasoning” (bitters and aromatics that complement or contrast the core). Then you choose one of the drinks elements and swap it out for another ingredient. 


Here’s how to practice Mr. Potato Head at home:

Start simple. We often teach Mr. Potato Head with spirit-forward cocktails because their bones are easy to read. Swap the rye in a Sazerac or the gin in a Pink Lady and you’ll immediately see how proof, flavor, and aroma shift the drink’s center of gravity. The Old-Fashioned family is especially instructive; nearly any spirit can anchor the template as long as the sweetener and bitters are tuned to support it.

Match intent, not just flavor. If the original ingredient is bracing or bright, your variation should land in the same zone of overall proof or acidity.

Mind proof parity. Swapping in a more alcoholic spirit without adjusting dilution or sweetness will make the drink read “hot,” so you’ll need to adjust the amount of sweetener and other components accordingly.  

Adjust ratios thoughtfully. Some substitutes are sweeter, drier, or more assertive—tighten or loosen other ingredients to restore balance.

Once you’re comfortable changing the base, graduate to swapping modifiers, juices, sweeteners, and bitters. You’ll quickly notice natural affinities (tequila loves lime; whiskey prefers lemon). And when you’ve mastered the classics, you can take the method to the next level with what we call “Super Mr. Potato Head.” Instead of starting from a classic template, we use an existing Death & Co recipe (which are often created using Mr. Potato Head method) and swap multiple components from there.

The Mr. Potato Head payoff is twofold: you’ll create original, dialed-in cocktails faster, and you’ll understand why a tweak works rather than guessing. Swap smart, taste constantly, and let the template teach you where the next piece should click.