The Bar Book — cocktails & mocktails from the star bar
By Naomi Christie-Joseph · mixologist, trained in New York · Berbice, Guyana
The Digital Bar Book · First Edition
✦
For my son — my pulsar star.
My father called me his star. Now I have a star of my own, and every drink in this book glows a little because of him.
The science of the star · ask NASA
A pulsar is what a mighty star becomes at the end of its story — its heart collapses into something impossibly dense: the mass of a sun, pressed into a ball the size of a city, spinning faster than a kitchen blender.
As it spins, it sweeps beams of light across the universe like a cosmic lighthouse — and every time the beam passes Earth, we see it pulse. Pulse, after pulse, after pulse. Its rhythm is so perfect that scientists use pulsars as clocks.
Small. Mighty. Precise. And its light never stops arriving. That's the name I chose for this bar — a lighthouse that welcomes you in, a clock that measures every pour, and a light that keeps reaching us, pulse after pulse. ✦
House rules · read before pouring
Welcome to the star bar. ✦ I trained in mixology in New York — on the side, while I did my Masters at NYU School of Law. So understand what that means: I am a lawyer and a bartender. I measure everything, I keep evidence, and objections to proper technique will be overruled.
Half this book has spirits. Half is my mocktail constellation — because everyone at my island gets a beautiful glass, including the little ones on the blue stools. The glow is for everybody; the rum is for grown folks.
The mixologist — beachside, Berbice. Shaker in hand, syrups at attention. ✦
Every pour in this book was raised at the Wine Tavern — my old bar inside Little Rock Suites, retired now, alive in every glass. Class was held there. Pulsar Star is the PhD. ✦
— Naomi · Pulsar Star ✦ a Little Rock brand
Counsel's orders: drink responsibly, never drive after drinking, and nothing with spirits for anyone under the legal age — mocktails were invented for a reason and mine are better anyway. 😄
The house drink — it glows indigo-blue and shifts colour when the lime goes in, pulsing like its namesake. Made in honour of my son, my pulsar star.
In the Glass
2 oz white rum (or gin)
1 cup brewed butterfly-pea tea, chilled (the glow)
¾ oz fresh lime juice, in a small side vessel
¾ oz simple syrup
Ice · soda splash
Star fruit slice or lime wheel, to garnish
Behind the Bar
Shake the rum, butterfly-pea tea and syrup hard with ice — count to ten like you mean it.
Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass; top with a splash of soda. It sits deep indigo.
Bring it to the table with the lime on the side. Pour the lime in front of them — the drink pulses from indigo to violet-pink. That's the star showing off.
Garnish with the star fruit. Serve while it's still performing.
The mixologist says: the colour change is science, not magic — but let them believe it's magic. Never pour the lime in the kitchen.
Serve it: tall glass, theatrical lighting, someone you love watching the colour turn.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): Same glow, no spirits: butterfly-pea tea base, fresh lime syrup, coconut water and sparkling water — the colour-shift still performs, the star still pulses.
The Little Rock
SignatureSpirited
Solid, golden, unshakeable — like the name it carries. A Demerara rum old fashioned for the family that built everything.
In the Glass
2 oz aged Demerara rum (El Dorado if you have it — we're in Guyana, act like it)
In a mixing glass, stir the rum, syrup and bitters with ice — stir, never shake, 30 good rotations.
Strain over your one big rock in a heavy tumbler.
Express the orange peel over the top — twist it skin-down so the oils spray — then drop it in.
The mixologist says: a proper old fashioned has three ingredients and zero apologies. Stir it cold, pour it slow.
Serve it: heavy glass, quiet evening, business concluded.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): Swap the rum for chilled black tea brewed strong with demerara sugar and a squeeze of orange — the family colours, minus the proof.
The Counselor
SignatureSpirited
Black and white, sharp as a closing argument — an espresso martini for the suit-and-heels life. They call me Counsel when I walk to court; this is what Counsel drinks when the verdict lands.
In the Glass
1½ oz vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz fresh espresso, cooled slightly
¼ oz simple syrup
3 coffee beans, for the verdict
Behind the Bar
Shake everything with ice — hard and long; the foam is the whole cross-examination.
Double-strain into a chilled coupe. The crema should sit like a white collar on a black suit.
Rest the three beans on the foam — health, wealth, happiness. Case closed.
The mixologist says: fresh espresso or nothing — day-old coffee is inadmissible evidence.
Serve it: chilled coupe, after the verdict, suit optional.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): The verdict without the sentence: fresh ginger beer, lime, bitters-free demerara syrup, tall over ice. Sharp, composed, fully sober counsel.
The Crown
SignatureSpirited
Champagne, gold, and a little ceremony — because somebody in this family is always being crowned. 👑
In the Glass
1 oz gold rum
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz honey syrup (honey + warm water, 2:1)
Chilled sparkling wine, to top
Lemon twist, curled like a crown
Behind the Bar
Shake the rum, lemon and honey syrup with ice.
Strain into a flute.
Top slowly with the sparkling wine — tilt the glass, pour down the side, protect the bubbles.
Crown it with the lemon twist.
The mixologist says: bubbles are royalty — never pour them from a height. Bow the glass to meet them.
Serve it: celebrations, launches, and every small win that behaves like a big one.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): Crown the young royals too: pineapple juice, fresh passion fruit, a whisper of nutmeg, golden and regal — zero spirits, full ceremony.
🇬🇾
Guyana in a Glass
Home, poured. The land of many waters keeps a good bar.
Guyana Rum Punch
SpiritedClassic
One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak — the old rhyme is the whole recipe, and the rhyme never lies.
In the Glass
1 part fresh lime juice (sour)
2 parts simple syrup (sweet)
3 parts Demerara rum (strong)
4 parts water/juice mix — orange & pineapple do it right (weak)
Angostura bitters · grated nutmeg · plenty ice
Behind the Bar
Say the rhyme. Measure by it — parts, not vibes.
Stir it all in a big jug with a few dashes of bitters.
Chill at least an hour — punch needs to sit and think.
Serve over ice, nutmeg grated fresh on top.
The mixologist says: punch is for sharing — make a jug or don't make it at all.
Serve it: family limes, birthdays, and any veranda after 4pm.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): The famous one-of-sour-two-of-sweet arithmetic works dry: lime, demerara syrup, strong sorrel brew standing in for strength, water, nutmeg on top.
Sorrel Rum Punch
Spirited
My iced sorrel from the PINKMADE kitchen, all grown up and gone to the bar. Ruby red with a gold heart.
In the Glass
4 oz chilled sorrel (steeped strong — see the PINKMADE cookbook)
1½ oz gold rum
½ oz lime juice
Simple syrup to taste
Ice · lime wheel & cinnamon stick
Behind the Bar
Shake sorrel, rum, lime and syrup with ice.
Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
Lime wheel on the rim, cinnamon stick standing like a flag.
The mixologist says: the sorrel does the heavy lifting — steep it deep or stay home.
Serve it: holidays, or whenever the sorrel jug looks at you a certain way.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): Already halfway holy — just leave the rum ashore: deep sorrel brew, clove, orange peel, ginger, honey. Christmas for everybody in the yard.
El Dorado Old Fashioned
Spirited
The Little Rock's older cousin — darker, slower, tells longer stories. Guyana's rum is the country's quiet superpower, and this is its throne.
In the Glass
2 oz El Dorado 12-year (or your best aged Demerara)
1 tsp demerara syrup
2 dashes aromatic + 1 dash orange bitters
One big rock · orange peel & a cherry if you're kind
Behind the Bar
Stir rum, syrup and both bitters with ice until properly cold.
Strain over the big rock.
Orange oils over the top; peel in; cherry if earned.
The mixologist says: aged rum took twelve years to get here — give it thirty seconds of proper stirring.
Serve it: slow evenings, good company, stories with no ending.
⭐ Star-dry twin (the mocktail): The golden legend, found sober: fresh mango and pineapple pressed together, lime, a demerara rim — El Dorado was the fruit all along.
🌟
The Mocktail Constellation
Zero spirits, full glow — everyone at the island gets a beautiful glass.
Justus Juice
Zero proofFor the prince
Orange and light blue — his colours, layered like a sunrise over water. Made for the next generation, served on a blue stool. 👑
In the Glass
1 cup fresh orange juice, chilled
½ cup blue sports drink or blue coconut water, chilled
1 tbsp simple syrup (into the orange juice)
Crushed ice · orange wheel & a paper star
Behind the Bar
Stir the syrup into the orange juice — sweeter means heavier, that's the layering secret.
Fill the glass with crushed ice; pour the orange juice in.
Pour the blue layer slowly over the back of a spoon so it floats on top.
Orange wheel and paper star. Deliver to the prince without spilling.
The mixologist says: layers hold if you pour slow and your hand doesn't show off. Patience, same as the roti.
Serve it: movie night on the island, four stools full.
The Pink Lady Spritz
Zero proof
PINKMADE in a glass — pink lemonade, bubbles, and absolutely no apologies. We think pink over here.
In the Glass
3 oz pink lemonade (fresh lemon + a splash of grenadine or strawberry syrup)
Sparkling water, to top
Fresh strawberries & a lemon wheel
Ice · sugared rim if you're feeling fancy (you are)
Behind the Bar
Sugar the rim first — wet it with lemon, dip it in sugar, admire yourself.
Fill with ice; pour in the pink lemonade.
Top with sparkling water; stir once, gently.
Strawberry on the rim, lemon wheel floating like a lily.
The mixologist says: pink is a colour AND a personality. Garnish accordingly.
Serve it: girl talk, book club, or Tuesday.
The Dreamer
Zero proof
Soft indigo, warm milk, honey — a lullaby you can hold. For the dreamers, and for the ones we sing to sleep. 💙
In the Glass
1 cup warm milk (or oat milk)
½ tsp dried lavender (or a chamomile bag)
1 tsp honey
Tiny drop of vanilla
Optional: a pinch of butterfly-pea powder for the indigo glow
Behind the Bar
Warm the milk gently with the lavender — never boil a lullaby.
Steep 5 minutes, strain.
Stir in honey, vanilla, and the indigo pinch if using.
Serve warm in a favourite mug, held with both hands.
The mixologist says: some drinks are for toasting; this one is for tucking in. Serve it quiet.
Serve it: bedtime, soft blankets, dream videos playing low.
Sorrel Sparkler
Zero proof
The celebration glass, no spirits required — ruby sorrel with bubbles, so the whole table can raise one together.
In the Glass
3 oz chilled sorrel (steeped strong)
Sparkling water or ginger ale, to top
Squeeze of lime
Ice · lime wheel & a cinnamon stick
Behind the Bar
Ice the glass, pour the sorrel, squeeze the lime.
Top with bubbles — down the side, gently.
Dress it exactly as beautiful as the spirited one. No second-class glasses at this bar.
The mixologist says: a mocktail gets the same garnish, the same glass, the same respect. That's the house policy.
Serve it: every celebration, everyone's hand raised.
Passion Star Cooler
Zero proof
Golden passion fruit over ice with a star fruit on the rim — sunshine dressed for the evening.
In the Glass
2 passion fruits (pulp scooped) or 3 oz passion fruit juice
½ oz lime juice
Simple syrup to taste
Sparkling water · ice
Star fruit slice, always
Behind the Bar
Shake the passion pulp, lime and syrup with ice.
Strain over fresh ice; top with sparkling water.
Star fruit on the rim — this is Pulsar Star, the star is not optional.
The mixologist says: taste before you top — passion fruit swings sweet to sour like a mood. Adjust like a professional.
Serve it: hot afternoons, good news, golden hour.
🍹
The Classics, Star-Fresh
The world's famous pours, remade the Pulsar way — fresh fruit, fresh juice, real coconut, no bottled shortcuts. Every one carries its star-dry twin, because everybody drinks at this bar.
Piña Colada, From the Actual Coconut
Forget the tinned syrup — we make the cream of coconut OURSELVES, from a dry coconut, the way a Berbice bar should. Pineapple means welcome in this family, and this glass is the warmest welcome on the menu.
Fresh cream of coconut: grate 1 dry coconut, steep in 1 cup hot water, squeeze hard through muslin — chill the milk and skim the THICK cream that rises; blend that cream with 2 tbsp demerara sugar. That's the treasure.
2 oz white rum · 3 oz fresh pineapple juice (press it yourself, taste the difference)
1½ oz your fresh coconut cream · squeeze of lime · lots of ice
Blend till it snows. Pour tall. Pineapple wedge on the rim — the welcome sign.
⭐ Star-dry twin: identical build, no rum, extra half-ounce of coconut cream — honestly, some nights the twin wins.
Mojito, Market-Mint
Mint from the market bundle, limes from the tree, demerara sugar from home — the Cuban classic with a Guyanese passport.
8–10 mint leaves pressed GENTLY with 2 tsp demerara sugar and the juice of a whole lime — bruise the mint, never shred it; bitterness lives in torn leaves
2 oz white rum · top with sparkling water · ice to the brim
Stir once from the bottom. Mint crown on top.
⭐ Star-dry twin: the same garden in a glass with extra sparkling water and a spoon of honey — the Justus-approved afternoon cooler.
Daiquiri, Three Honest Things
Rum, lime, sugar — the shortest recipe in the book and the fastest way to expose a lazy bartender. Fresh lime or nothing.
2 oz white rum · 1 oz fresh lime juice · ¾ oz demerara syrup (equal sugar and hot water, cooled)
Shake HARD with ice till the tin frosts your fingers.
Strain into a chilled coupe. No umbrella needed — confidence is the garnish.
⭐ Star-dry twin: fresh lime, demerara syrup and chilled green tea, shaken the same — bright, grown-up, spirit-free.
Margarita, Lime-Forward
The world's favourite, made like we mean it — fresh lime doing the heavy lifting and a demerara-salt rim that knows where it comes from.
Rim the glass: lime wedge around the edge, dip in salt mixed with a pinch of demerara sugar
2 oz tequila · 1 oz fresh lime · ¾ oz orange liqueur (or fresh orange juice reduced with sugar for the from-scratch road)
Shake with ice, strain over fresh rocks.
⭐ Star-dry twin: fresh lime, fresh orange, a splash of sorrel brew for the blush, salt-sugar rim intact — the ceremony survives sobriety beautifully.
Espresso Martini, After-Court
For the evenings when Counsel has WON and the night is still young. Strong coffee, shaken cold until it wears a crema crown.
2 oz vodka · 1 oz fresh-brewed espresso, cooled slightly · ¾ oz coffee liqueur or demerara syrup
Shake violently with ice — the foam is a verdict earned, not granted.
Strain into a chilled coupe; three coffee beans on the crema. Health, wealth, happiness.
⭐ Star-dry twin: cold espresso, demerara syrup and coconut milk shaken to the same foam — all of the ritual, none of the proof, twice the court-morning safety.
Star Sangria, Fruit-Heavy
A pitcher for the yard — wine wearing a fruit salad, or in its dry twin, the fruit salad throwing its own party.
1 bottle red wine · ¼ cup demerara syrup · 1 orange, 1 lime, 1 apple, ripe mango — all sliced thin
Big splash of fresh orange juice · cinnamon stick · chill 4 hours minimum — the fruit needs time to testify
Serve over ice, fruit in every glass — the fruit IS the point.
⭐ Star-dry twin: the same fruit drowned in sorrel brew and sparkling water with the cinnamon stick — the family pitcher, ages five to ninety-five.
Every glass at this bar glows for somebody. Pour with love, measure like a lawyer, and always garnish the mocktails like they're paying customers. ✦
Cocktail craft from behind the star bar — recipes, measures, mocktail twins, and the bar book as it's written. Poured into your inbox, free.
No spam at this bar — unsubscribe anytime. 18+ for the strong pours; the mocktails love everybody.
On iPhone/iPad: tap Share ⬆️ then "Add to Home Screen" — the bar book installs as an app.
The Digital Shelf
Own the Bar Book ✦ Collector's PDF Edition
Read the bar book free right here, forever. Or own the keepsake PDF edition — every recipe, beautifully laid out for your phone, tablet, or print at home.
