smoke signals

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (1 1/2 oz Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice and dirty dump into a single old fashioned glass (strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube). Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make the Smoke Signals from Alcove in Boston that I uncovered in a set of online recipe flashcards. Overall, the combination reminded me of Trader Vic's El Diablo with ginger syrup instead of ginger beer/ale as well as mezcal for tequila. There was also Ted Kilgore's Count Diablo that was a Diablo riff with ginger liqueur instead of ginger beer/ale as well, but that was also a mashup with Negroni. Once prepared, the Smoke Signals relayed to the senses a smoke and dark berry aroma. Next, lime and red fruit notes on the sip smoldered into smoky, agave, ginger, and tannic berry flavors on the swallow.

dream of the lava beds

1 3/4 oz London Dry Gin (Fords)
1/4 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I thought about the next drink to make for a regular who I hooked on Martini variations and as a follow up to the Portorico, a Martini with Jamaican rum and banana liqueur, that I had just served them. Here, I took the Poet's Dream and merged it with a Madame Lou (gin, dry vermouth, pineapple syrup) but with pineapple rum in place of the syrup. Plus a dash of Angostura was added to the equation for a little depth. I originally tried a 3:1 gin to pineapple rum ratio but that was a bit distracting, so I toned it down. For a name, I dubbed it the Dream of the Lava Beds with the first part of the name from the Poet's Dream and the second part from Madame Lou's nickname, the Queen of the Lava Beds. In the glass, the Dream of the Lava Beds erupted with an orange, pineapple, and allspice aroma. Next, white wine and caramel notes on the sip relaxed into pine, pineapple, herbal, orange, and clove flavors on the swallow.

demure thoughts

1 1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Peated Scotch (Caol Ila 12 Year)
1/3 oz Campari (2 tsp)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Rich Simple Syrup (Sirop JM)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Thursdays ago, I recalled meeting Shawn Soole at Portland Cocktail Week this year, so I reached for his Great Northern Cocktails book. There, I latched onto the Demure Thoughts by Dinah Kisil at Calgary's Proof Cocktail Bar that read like the Daiquiri with Scotch version of the Campari Swizzle. Moreover, rum and Scotch have worked well in Daiquiri riffs like the Mr. Howell and Strangeways Daiquiri, so I was sold. In the glass, the Demure Thoughts expressed itself with a peat smoke and herbal orange aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip were mindful of the rum, pineapple, whisky, smoke, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

the man comes around

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Sombra Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Spanish Brandy (Gran Duque D'Alba)
1 tsp Fernet Branca
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass (with ice), and garnish with a mint sprig. I was recently sent a three pack of bottles that included the sherry-tinged Gran Duque D'Alba Grand Reserva Brandy, and I recalled a recipe from New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles that I had been wanting to make once I had a Spanish brandy in stock. The drink was The Man Comes Around circa 2013 via KindredCocktails. Rafa was inspired after having a mezcal-Cynar cocktail at Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan followed by hearing subway musicians on the ride home who played Johnny Cash covers. When he made it back to his home bar, he whipped this up as a nightcap and named it after one of the songs he had just heard. The recipe was alluring for it had the mezcal, brandy, and Cynar trio that I utilized in my Papa Was a Rodeo and enjoyed in the Witch Doctor. Here, the Man Comes Around broadcast a mint and caramel aroma to the senses. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip flowed into brandy, herbal, vegetal, menthol, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

cannibalernum

1 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray Stiggins' Fancy)
2/3 oz High Proof Rum (1/4 oz each Planteray OFTD, Smith & Cross, and Privateer Navy Yard)
3/4+ oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, and fill with crushed ice. Float dashes of Bitter Truth Creole Bitters (Peychaud's) and Matthias' 2022 post shows a mint garnish. The weird measurements make more sense in metric. On Instagram, I spotted one of my friends making a tropical drink called the Cannibalernum that was created by Matthias Soberon circa 2019. I most recently had the combination of rum, passion fruit, falernum, and lime in the Saturn riff the Janus, and it has prospered in drinks ranging from the Sunakora Zombie to the Last Rites. Besides that, the mashup of the words "cannibal" and "falernum" made for an equally tempting concept as the ingredients. In the glass, the Cannibalernum hunted down the nose with a mint and anise aroma. Next, lime, melon, and tropical flavors on the sip ensnared rum, pineapple, passion fruit, clove, and funk flavors on the swallow.

fantasma

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
2 dash Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters (The Bitter Housewife)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lime twist. Two Mondays ago, I was perusing an online recipe flashcard set for Pammy's in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Luxardo Bitter Bianco recipe called the Fantasma caught my eye. The closest thing to this mezcal White Negroni on the blog was perhaps the aged gin-based Jaded Sensibilities, so I was curious. Moreover, a Yelp menu photo points this to the December 2017 timeframe. Once served, the Fantasma met the nose with a lime, vegetal, herbal, and smoke bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet white wine sip opened up into smoky mezcal, bitter herbal, wormwood, and cardamom flavors on the swallow.

the law firm

1 1/2 oz Diplomatico Exclusiva Rum
3/4 oz Quintinya Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
3/4 oz Amaro Lucano
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 dash Tiki Bitters (2 dash Bittercube Trinity)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Sundays ago, I looked up the folks offering mentoring sessions alongside me at Portland Cocktail Week, and some of them were apart of a Columbus, Ohio, bartender-built company called Historic Revelry. On the company's website was a recipe section where I landed on the Law Firm. Its rum, sweet vermouth, and amaro structure reminded me of drinks like the Palm Viper, Laughing Boy, and Bridgetown Stomp; therefore, I gave it a whirl. Once stirred and strained, the Law Firm summoned caramel aromas with a hint of rum funk. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip defended the rum, herbal, molasses, citrus peel, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

magician's downfall

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Demerara Rum (Hamilton 86° Demerara River)
1/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Juice (1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup (omit, see above)
1/2 oz Grenadine (Mulberry Syrup)
1 fistful Mint (12-14 leaves)

Spindle blend with crushed ice and pour into a Tiki mug (shake with ice and double strain into a Tiki mug). Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs. Two Saturdays ago, I saw a reference to a drink called the Magician's Downfall by James Hoffman on the Reddit Tiki forum, and I tracked down the recipe to the creator's How To Drink YouTube channel. While this was most likely inspired by the Missionary's Downfall given the name, this one had the rum, mezcal, passion fruit, mint, and lime of my Lili'uokalani's Downfall albeit with different rums and modifiers. Once prepared, the Magician's Downfall enchanted the nose with a mint aroma. Next, berry, lime, and tropical flavors on the sip shapeshifted into funky rum, smoky, passion fruit, berry, and mint flavors on the swallow.

mirage

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1/2 oz Aged Dark Rum (1/4 oz each Planteray's OFTD & Fiji)
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. After I landed back in Boston from my Portland adventure, I was in the mood for a nightcap so I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book by Michael and Zara Madrusan. There, I selected the Mirage by Joyce Chang at Bar Margaux in Melbourne circa 2024 from the book's Manhattan section. Since maple and sherry have been good bedmates in recipes ranging from the Mapplethorpe to the Midtown, I was game to give this one a go (when I was drinking it, Erick Castro's French Toast Flip came to mind, but the other examples in retrospect are more stripped down ingredient-wise). In the glass, the Mirage glimmered to the senses with rum funk, maple, and nutty grape aromas. Next, grape and amber notes on the sip opened up into Bourbon, nutty sherry, and maple flavors with rum undertones on the swallow.