Thomas Eslinger

One year ago married the love of my life, my strongest champion and the best life partner I could ever hope for. It meant so much to have been surrounded by such love and joy that day, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to be sent into this year. The year we became a family. Jen, I feel so lucky to have seen you become, and grow into such a strong mom, already, in such a short time. The love you have for our daughter fills my heart and takes my breath away every day. Joni and I are so lucky to have you in our lives as our co-best friend. Happy first anniversary my love ❤️ @punkyjsobel ❤️ 📷: @hannawalkowaik

New cocktails for early spring at Republique! We have a new house martini! Built to be the perfect start to your meal. Sip one with oysters or a tuna tartlet with caviar on top. Fords Gin and Bar Agricole New Mission Pisco, Dolin Dry and Dolin Blanc, finished with a touch of Le Citron du Roulot liqueur and Aceto di Timorasso, a crisp mineral & floral vinegar from the south of Piedmont. Ice cold and perfectly refreshing, you’ll probably have two. I have a long history with the Garibaldi, but there is no better cocktail to showcase the incredible citrus produced in California. Our Garibladi tops Campari with juice from wildly delicious Tangelos from JJ’s Lone Daughter Ranch in Redlands. This is California spring in a glass, a little bitter, a little sweet and packed full of flavor. One of my favorite micro seasons is when the sakura blossoms start bloom and menus across the globe share a fun sakura highball or martini for a few weeks. This is our entry into the seasonal melee- the Sakura Aviation. We start with a subtle floral and fruity base of Capurro Pisco Quebranta and Empirical Spirit’s new Stonefruit, which brings base notes of marzipan. The usual creme de violette is replaced with sakura blossom infused vermouth from Mancino and the signature aviation notes are rounded out with maraschino and lime cordial from Leopold Bros.

In Southern California we may have to suffer through a few weeks of heavy rain and flooding every winter, but we are so lucky for the incredible produce that we receive in January and February. Our first new cocktail for the middle of winter is the Strawberry, which is built around muddled strawberry’s from Harry’s Berries and Ventura Spirits Strawberry Thief Brandy, which distills whole organic strawberries that otherwise wouldn’t have been sold from farms around Ventura County. The drink receives a bitter backbone from Matchbook Strawberry Daytrip Amaro, herbal structure from Nouasin Gin and blanche armagnac infused with tarragon. This is the perfect bitter+juicy winter strawberry drink. Next is our Bergamot cocktail. A few weeks ago Chef came to me with a case of Bergamots he’d gotten at the market and asked me to create a drink with them. I enthusiastically said yes, even though I’d never seen a fresh bergamot before. This drink is built around the intense aromatic oils that are released from muddling a piece of the fresh citrus fruit. The base of No. 3 Gin is boosted by a splash of Ten to One White rum, making this a delicious cross between a gimlet and a daiquiri. The third drink is one of my favorite styles of cocktail - a savory martini variation. Our Alaska was inspired by my visit to Bar With Shapes for a Name in London where they sub Yellow Chartreuse with olive brine out in their house Naked and Famous. Playing off that sweet brine flavor, the Yellow Chartreuse is washed with tahini and surrounded with the herbal notes of Empirical Cilantro Spirit and La Quintinye Dry Vermouth. A base is provided by Linnie Aquavit and Siembre Valles High Proof Tequila, which lends beautiful green notes to complete the savory profile. Come on in and give these a try!

Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend, the love of my life, my wife and the future (only a couple weeks!) mother of our daughter. I’m so lucky to have you in my life and I cannot wait to see the mother you become ❤️

Winter Cocktails 2026 The inspiration for our Passion Fruit cocktail came while talking to chef about balancing sauces using fresh and cooked flavors. Like in Mexican cuisine when both roasted chilis and fresh chiles are used to get a broader depth of flavor. For this fresh and roasted cocktail we start with the contents of one whole fresh passion fruit, alongside one of my favorite spirits, @empiricalspirits Ayuuk, made with roasted pasilla chiles from Oaxaca. This is complimented by notes of fresh mint, lime & bright Spanish vermouth from @tximistavermouth . All of these flavors are brought together with savory & funky kick of Clarin from @saintbenevolence , happy Haitian Independence Day! The resulting Passion Fruit cocktail lets the bright acidity of the passion fruit shine, while providing a complex background of supporting flavors that reminds me of a delicious passion fruit sauce. Next is a Vesper inspired by the flavors of white wine from Burgundy, specifically my favorite, Chablis. We start @renaisgin , which uses Grand Cru Chablis grapes as a base and Kimmeridgian limestone from the region as a botanical. Complexity and body is added with Bar Agricole Pisco, infused with citron peels and the wonderful Jean-Marc Roulot Liqueur de Citron, which is made in Meursault about an hour south of Chablis. The vermouth for our Vesper is split between @bordiga1888 Bianco Vermouth and a wonderfully crisp Chablis from Domaine Dupré. This final drink was inspired by LA native son @vision_in_motion ’s Persimmon Negroni at @viceversamiami in Miami. Our Mandarin cocktail uses Fuyu persimmon skin, infused into @suncliffespirits Gin & @leopoldbros Cocktail Bourbon, and persimmon fruit blended into Bordiga Aperitivo to add extra texture and depth to fresh muddled mandarin, lemon juice and a touch of cacao. The resulting cocktail is a familiar gin citrus crusher with extra California seasonal depth and structure.

We added Copenhagen to our itinerary about three weeks before we left for Europe. Partially because we wanted to go somewhere a little cold & partially because Jen had been dreaming of visiting for years. She was very right with this one. We fell in love, from the pastries to the architecture, the social design to the fashion, we were immediately hooked. Jen & I haven’t stopped thinking about those cinnamon rolls and BMOs since, and are already plotting our return, though next time maybe when it’s a little warmer.

Pear and apple season is one of my favorites of the year. Not just because of the apple tart we have on the menu (incredible) but they are also my favorite flavors to create cocktails around. There is so much juicy acidity paired with beautiful depth in apples and pears, along with an incredibly rich history of production of brandies and other spirits- from funky pear eau de vies to incredibly complex calvados. I created these three cocktails for our winter menu at @republiquerestaurantla to show off the wonderful variety this season brings us, stop by and try them while they’re still with us. Pear- Leopold Bros Cocktail Bourbon, split with St George Pear Brandy is given texture and freshness with Le Mone Meyer Lemon Apertif, Floc de Gascone and our whey cordial. Finished with a touch of Chartreuse Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. Like crisp, boozy pear juice. Chrysanthemum- La Quintinye Blanc vermouth lays the foundation, paired with pommeau, Benedictine and Neversink Apple Gin infused with fennel seed. A winter twist on the classic. Apple Highball- A fancy adult apple juice starting with Cyril Zang’s 00 unaged apple eau de vie infused with yuzu peel, chamomile tea, bay leaf and topped with Eric Bordelet Poire Granite. One of my favorites, the Poire Granite is a dry pear cider made entirely of fruit from one tree, which is over 200 years old.

When Bombay started they set out to create a different style of gin, through the use of vapor distillation. But what they ended up creating was much more. They created a different style of gin, one that has personal connection and relationship with the growers and foragers that provide their 10 botanicals. From the juniper in the hills of Piedmont to the Murcian lemons in the South of Spain, each botanical is tirelessly tested for quality and flavor to make sure the gin we drink is the most authentic representation of these terroirs. Thank you so much to @drannebrock for letting us in on her wealth of knowledge and teaching us how to interrogate the origins of botanicals. And special thanks to @krsv , @shannonsevans and @vision_in_motion for being our tireless guides through the week. And to my new sheep friends for teaching me the magic of the English country side. Photography courtesy of @bombaysapphireus #BombaySapphire #BombaySapphirePartner #ad

This Thursday, 8/21, we’re throwing one of my favorite nights of the year, @republiquerestaurantla ’s annual Tomato Tasting Dinner, in collaboration with the legendary @gomezmunak . As Chef Walter puts it, “This is the week everyone at the farmers market hates us,” because we take all the best tomatoes. This date wasn’t picked at random. Munak Ranch chose it specifically for when their tomatoes would be at absolute peak ripeness. For the dinner, the tomatoes are left on the vine an extra couple of days to fully mature. They are then picked and delivered directly to the restaurant, never seeing the inside of a refrigerator between the field and your plate. Tomatoes don’t get better than this. Summer flavor at its finest. In honor of the night I created two cocktails using beautiful Munak Ranch tomatoes. The first cocktail is the Pineapple Tomato. St. George Botanivore Gin forms the foundation, complemented by Veso Tomato Vermouth, Leopold Bros. Bianco Aperitivo, and tarragon. Our whey cordial adds both texture and acidity, resulting in a cocktail version of a refined tomato and burrata salad. Bright, savory, and balanced. Next is our take on the classic Naked & Famous. Agua del Sol Espadín is supported by Matchbook Distilling Sunchoke Spirit, Bordiga Aperitivo, and Yellow Chartreuse. Leopold Bros. Lime Cordial supplies the citrus, while smoked heirloom tomato water adds a savory depth. A complex, layered cocktail that’s greater than the sum of its un-equal parts.

Happy birthday to the love of my life, my best friend and my wife. I’m so lucky to have such a strong, caring, empathetic and funny partner to tackle this life with. And I’m so proud I get to stand by your side everyday. We make the best plans and throw the coolest parties and I can’t wait to go on our next big adventure together. I love you ❤️

The Pickled Ramp Gibson, with guest reviews ranging from “The best Gibson ever!” to “This is a terrible idea for a Gibson!” This is one of my favorite cocktails I’ve ever made. Savory @fourpillarsgin Olive Leaf Gin provides the base paired with tarragon infused Blanche Armagnac and @empiricalspirits Cilantro spirit. Rounded out with blanc and dry vermouth and a splash of pickled ramp brine. The herbal peppery kick pairs perfectly with so many dishes on the menu, from the sashimi to the pork belly, or even the Little Gem salad. This is the second year I’ve done this drink at @republiquerestaurantla and this one’s even better than the last one. Stop by soon before I run out of brine!

Thinkin’ about the best party we ever threw…. 🪩🪩🪩 Shoutout to the most iconic @djtommyla ❤️‍🔥 (Wedding photos from @hannawalkowaik arrived in our inbox on my Dad’s birthday 🥺 it was the most perfect way to cap an often challenging day. Super overwhelmed trying to narrow down all our favs, we’ll likely be recounting the day across many posts ! Thank you Hanna we love you 🤍🤍🤍)