six figure

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 1/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed on the Six Figure by Dan Greenbaum at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2016 as a possible answer to my nightcap dilemma. The combination reminded me of Sother Teague's Disco Ball minus the Green Chartreuse aspect and Alex Day's Alto California with tequila and a touch of cinnamon instead of the mezcal. In the glass, the Six Figure presented a lemon, vegetal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, white grape and a hint of honey on the sip set up smoky agave, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

big country

3/4 oz Rey Campero Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Arette Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set from Death & Co. Denver's Summer 2024 menu, and I landed on the Big Country that reminded me of the Inside Job with tequila, sweet vermouth, and Braulio as common ingredients. Once prepared, the Big Country gave forth an orange, smoke, vegetal, caramel, and pine bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip transitioned into smoky agave, bitter herbal, and pine-lavender flavors on the swallow.

papa was a rodeo

1 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.After writing up the Water Line, I got inspired to riff on the Cynar-orange liqueur combination. I merged the idea with the mezcal-Cognac duo from the 1910 Cocktail and included its choice of Peychaud's Bitters. For a name, I dubbed this one Papa Was a Rodeo that was had played on the Magnetic Fields Spotify that night (which I was listening to since a few songs from their "69 Love Songs" album are on one of the playlists at work). Once mixed, the Papa Was a Rodeo opened up with orange, caramel, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, the caramel orange notes continued on into the sip before Cognac, smoky agave, orange, herbal, and anise flavors took over on the swallow.

island time

1 oz Dark Rum (3/4 oz Coruba + 1/4 oz Planteray OFTD)
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large cube, and garnish with a lime twist (orange twist).Two Sundays ago, I decided to make the Island Time by Courtney McKamey at Weather Up in New York City that I found in a September 2023 Imbibe Magazine article. Overall, it came across like a rum version of the Banana Boulevardier so I was game, and it was different from the other Island Time on the blog which is Sother Teague's cigar-inspired Daiquiri. Once prepared, this Island Time showcased orange and caramel aromas. Next, grape and caramelized fruit notes on the sip relaxed into funky dark rum and bitter banana and orange flavors on the swallow.

the man who was marked for death

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Two Saturdays ago, I was inspired by the previous night's Ninth Wonder with Ancho Reyes and crème de cacao to craft a new drink, and I took it in the direction of a stirred cocktail with Death & Co.'s True Romance that pairs Ancho Reyes with Punt e Mes in mind. For a name, I dubbed this one The Man Who Was Marked For Death named after a chapter and character in Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast book. The end result began with a cinnamon, chili, and dark fruit bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip flowed into vegetal, chili spice, chocolate, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

ninth wonder

3/4 oz Tequila (Arette Blanco)
3/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.Two Fridays ago, I sought out a recipe to make on the BartendersChoice app and landed on the Ninth Wonder by Erick Castro at Polite Provisions in San Diego circa 2014. The Ancho Reyes-cacao combination here made me think of the first time I tried it in the Battle of Puebla in 2015 and last in the Paseo Bravo. Moreover, the tequila, cacao, and citrus combination and the number name also reminded me of Twentieth Century riffs like the 21st Century. Once prepared, the Ninth Wonder gave forth a lime, dried fruit, and chocolate bouquet. Next, lime and caramelized roast notes on the sip jumped to vegetal, chocolate, and chili spice flavors on the swallow.

coin toss

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye, Laird's Bonded, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Hine H Cognac, or Famous Grouse Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe.I recently saw a mention of the Coin Toss from Death & Co., and I realized that I had not made one yet. It appears in the Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book attributed to Phil Ward in 2008. This was the original multiple choice cocktail in a section of the bar's menu that put the Mr. Potato Head method into practice by allowing the guest or bartender to pick the spirit. The Coin Toss was based on the template 2 oz spirit, 3/4 oz vermouth, and 1/2 oz liqueur(s) that Phil frequently used such as the simple Cynartown or the split spirit-split liqueur Airbag. With my choice of Scotch combined with Yellow Chartreuse, Benedictine, and Peychaud's, the recipe reminded me of the Blues from a Gun that I crafted on the fly at Drink with the 1895 combination of Yellow Chartreuse-Benedictine in mind from the Widow's Kiss. In the glass, the Coin Toss began with a grape and herbal bouquet. Next, the vermouth's grape filled the sip which was followed by Scotch, pine, dried fruit, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

confiant

2 oz Pusser's Rum (1 oz Hamilton's Demerara 86° + 1 oz Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Bigallet China-China (Amer Picon)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays prior, I made the other recipe that I had bookmarked on the KindredCocktails database when I found the Water Line a few nights before called the Confiant. The drink was crafted by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2015 as perhaps a rum Creole Cocktail of sorts. I had done similarly with a rhum agricole and dry vermouth in the Patois, but here Rafa utilized a British Navy-style rum and bitter-sweet Punt e Mes. Once prepared, the Confiant sailed in with a lemon and caramel bouquet. Next, caramel and grape notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow dropped anchor with rum, caramel, herbal, dark orange, woody, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

pin(head)s and needles

1 1/4 oz Ilegal Reposado Mezcal
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Zirbenz Liqueur
1/4 oz Amaro Braulio
1/4 oz Cherry Heering

Torch a plank of cedar and overturn a coupe to be smoked. Stir with ice, turn over the coupe, strain into that coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I ran an errand in Union Square, Somerville, so I stopped into Backbar for a drink. There, I became enraptured by the Pin(head)s & Needles from their special Halloween cocktail menu. Bartender Liz Pittari was inspired by the 1987 film Hellraiser, and the menu item was subtitled "Pine & smoke, pleasure & pain beyond your imagination." The mezcal, Punt e mes, and Cherry Heering combination reminded me of the Another Sunken Boat but here with bitter pine notes from the Braulio and Zirbenz. Once mixed, the Pin(head)s & Needles stalked the nose with dark cherry, smoke, and vegetal aromas. Next, grape and dark fruit on the sip siezed on to smoky, vegetal, bitter, and pine flavors on the swallow.