How can you make a cupcake better? Add liquor, of course. That’s exactly what Dustin Todd Rennells does with his liquor-infused cupcakes, and they’ve become a must-try sweet treat in the Boston area. Rennells creates all the flavor combinations himself and models them after popular cocktails, such as a Cosmo, sangria and even Jell-O shots. “Those are my two favorite things,” Rennells, of Jamaica Plain, said of the original combination of cupcakes and cocktails, “why not put them together?”

The cupcakes often have liquor baked into the cake as well as drizzled on top, and some even include liquor-infused fruit as toppings. He uses everything from vodka, rum and brandy, to red wine and beer in his cupcakes and is looking forward to experimenting with tequila next. And it doesn’t end there. Rennells’ newest creations are savory cupcakes, like a scallion-cornmeal cake with Brie cheese baked inside and topped with Vidalia onion cream cheese and bits of pancetta. He continues to experiment with savory cupcakes as well as inventing new liquor-infused combinations.

Contact Rennells through his event planning company, Dustin Rennells Design, at Dustinrennellsdesign@gmail.com