rebellion

1 1/2 oz Banhez Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Campari
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 drop Saline

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays prior, I returned to my list of drinks spotted in online recipe flashcard sets and decided to make the Rebellion created at Miniboss in San Jose, California. The Rebellion was one of their offerings for Negroni Week 2022, and I was able to find that Negroni Week menu on their Instagram page. Overall, the recipe read like a more mezcal forward and less rounded Last Mechanical Art, so I was intrigued. In the glass, the Rebellion launched off with an orange, vegetal, smoke, and herbal bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip was overcome by smoky agave, sharp bitter orange, rounded herbal bitterness, chocolate, and anise flavors on the swallow.

yukon river cocktail

40% Gin (1 1/4 oz Ford's)
40% Dry Vermouth (1 1/4 oz Dolin)
10% Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand)
10% Zara Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Fernet Branca (1/2 tsp)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I opened up my translated copy of the 1000 Misture book from 1936 and spotted the Yukon River Cocktail. Its Maraschino-Fernet accents to a Martini reminded me of the Primrose Hill, and its curaçao-Fernet accents made me think of the Paul's Own and Zumbo. In the glass, the Yukon River opened up with lemon, pine, cherry, and menthol aromas. Next, a semi-dry grape sip with vague fruity notes flowed into gin, bitter orange, cherry, and minty flavors on the swallow.

meridiem

1 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3/4 oz Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka (Bak's)
3/4 oz Tanqueray Old Tom Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
1 dash Bittermens Grapefruit Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and spotted the Meridiem that it attributed to its sister establishment Eastern Standard. I was able to find a Yelp Eastern Standard menu photo that dated this to 2015, and the menu included the subtitle "It's 12 o'clock somewhere". Overall, it read like a 50-50 Martini of sorts with a split base of gin and bison grass vodka that reminded me a little of the Vesper. After stirring and straining, the Meridiem gave forth a lemon, floral, and pine aroma. Next, a semi-sweet white grape sip turned into floral, grape, pine, and green tea flavors on the swallow.

woolworth

1 oz Highland Scotch (Royal Brackla 12 Year)
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays ago, I was on the Bartender's Choice app and spotted a Woolworth that was different from the Woolworth that I sourced from the PDT Cocktail Book. Their version was also attributed to John Deragon at PDT in Manhattan circa 2007 but it varied by Scotch and sherry calls such that it reminded me more of Rhianon Enlil's Neutral Ground than the book's version. Since Amontillado seemed like a better sherry choice than Manzanilla, I gave this variation a go. Once mixed, this version of the Woolworth rose to the senses with a lemon, nutty, and peat smoke bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip gave way to smoky Scotch, nutty sherry, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

king of the hoodlums

3/4 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Demerara Rum (Hamilton 86°)
3/4 oz Batavia Arrack (von Oosten)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the Cognac, Guyana rum, and Batavia Arrack split base in the 1930s Darling Cocktail, and I decided to mash it up with the Ciociaro-cacao combination from Little Branch's African Flower. Part of my thinking was due to how well crème de cacao and Batavia Arrack work in drinks like the 18th Century and Mutiny on the Mili Atoll. For a name, I dubbed this one the King of the Hoodlums after a character described in Herbert Asbury's The Barbary Coast book. James Riley who was better known to the San Francisco Police as that nickname came to San Francisco from New York City in 1868 and soon became one of the principal criminal ornaments. In the glass, the King of the Hoodlums showcased an orange, caramel, chocolate, and rum funk aroma. Next, caramel with a hint of orange peel on the sip parried with Cognac, funky and woody rum, chocolate, and orange flavors on the swallow.

my black and bitter heart

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Templeton)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Campari
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Mr. Black)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I was scanning through the KindredCocktails database when I spotted the My Black and Bitter Heart created by the Boozenerd's for Valentine's Day in 2014 via their blog. The Punt e Mes, Campari, and coffee liqueur trio reminded me of the Demerara rum-based Coffee Negroni but here with a split base of rye and Cognac akin to the Saratoga and Vieux Carré. Once mixed, the My Black and Bitter Heart conjured up Cognac and herbal aromas. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip entered into rye, Cognac, bitter herbal, roast, coffee, and char flavors on the swallow.

first word

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/8 oz Honey Syrup
3/8 oz Velvet Falernum
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Mondays ago, I turned to the Hawthorne's bar bible and spotted the First Word by bartender Ingrid Schneider. While the name suggested a Last Word riff, this one was veered off a bit. With Yellow Chartreuse and falernum, it was closer to the Eulogy save for the falernum being cut with honey syrup which would complement both the apple brandy and the Yellow Chartreuse here. Moreover, the name and the apple component made me think of the biblical first sin in the Garden of Eden in addition to the Detroit pre-Prohibition classic. In the glass, the First Word opened up with apple, honey, and clove aromas. Next, lemon and honey on the sip fell into apple, herbal, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

shadow moses

3/4 oz Knob Creek Rye (1 oz Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Hine Cognac (1 oz Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Turbinado Syrup (Demerara)
2 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (5 dash Strongwater Moutain Elixirs)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcards when I spotted a curious drink called the Shadow Moses that reminded me of the Lineage cocktail called the Red Sea because the bartender's nickname was Moses. This recipe was created at Minibar in San Jose, California, circa 2021, and I was able to find menu and drink photos on both Yelp & GoogleMaps. The structure reminded me of the Liberal variation in Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up but here with a split of rye whiskey and brandy with Demerara syrup instead of Bourbon with maple (and of course, Ciociaro for Picon). In the glass, the Shadow Moses offered up orange and Cognac aromas. Next, caramel and a hint of orange peel on the sip divided the swallow into rye, Cognac, herbal-orange, and walnut flavors.

gogol cocktail

30% Dry Gin (3/4 oz Ford's)
30% Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz Dolin)
20% Cognac (1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
20% Benedictine (1/2 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters (1 dash)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist (Myer lemon).Two Saturdays ago, I ventured back to the 1000 Misture book from 1936 and spied the Gogol Cocktail perhaps named after the Ukrainian author. On paper, it read like a Martini met a B&B and perhaps morphed into a De la Louisiane form. In the glass, the Gogol donated a lemon, caramel, and herbal aroma. Next, the caramel notes continued into the sip where they evolved into Cognac, pine, herbal, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Overall, it came across somewhat close to a Cognac-tinged Poet's Dream or Joan Blondell.