Your spice cabinet isn’t just for cooking. It’s a great source of big, bold flavors for cocktails, too. Sesame seeds can be muddled with sugar for a sweet-savory drink. A pinch of cinnamon + orange bitters transforms gin into something that tastes like cinnamon toast. The possibilities are endless. Here, Milk Street Editorial Director J.M. Hirsch muddles fennel seeds to get the same effect as rinsing a glass with absinthe (without having to pour any expensive liquor down the drain). The muddled—and eventually strained—fennel seeds add great flavor to a cocktail made with rum, ginger liqueur and Prosecco that Hirsch calls the Liquid Crystal. Try out his recipe, then get creative with your spices.