pillars of society

2 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Cynar (*)
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand) (*)
2 dash Absinthe (1/2 bsp Kübler)

Build in a rocks glass, give a quick stir, garnish with a lemon twist, and serve room temperature.
(*) Original was 1/2 oz each which was too orange forward; I wanted to do a 2:1 which has worked before but 2/3 to 1/3 oz seemed awkward.

I continued on with my tinkering with the Cynar-curaçao combination, and I began to think about Maks Pazuniak's room temperature drinks such as the Charlatan. I kept that drink's Punt e Mes base, swapped in the two liqueurs, and accented the concept with absinthe. Moreover, the curaçao in a drink such as this reminded me of Kirk Estopinal's Hotel Room Temperature. Like the Prelude to a Broken Arm, I kept with the Dada art theme and named this the Pillars of Society after a 1926 piece by Hugo Ball.The Pillars of Society greeted the senses with a lemon, orange, caramel, and grape bouquet. Next, grape and orange notes on the sip flowed into bitter orange and funky vegetal flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.

tin city sazerac

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Maraschino (Maraska)
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass pre-rinsed with absinthe (Kübler), and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Mondays ago, I was inspired by all of T. Cole Newton's Sazerac riffs in his Cocktail Dive Bar book such as the Night People and 3, 2, 1 Contact!. Therefore, I began to think of drinks that I could mashup into a Sazerac akin to what I did with a Green Point for the Algiers Point. Instead of that Manhattan variation as a starting point, I selected the Red Hook to merge with a Cognac Sazerac especially with how well Maraschino and absinthe work together in the Improved Cocktail.I dubbed this one the Tin City Sazerac after the shantytown that was built in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn during the Great Depression that gave shelter to the longshoremen and sailors waiting for the economy to return. In the glass, it began with a lemon and anise aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip transformed into rye, Cognac, rounded bitter, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

el camino

1 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Rye Whiskey (Redemption)
1/2 oz Benedictine
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Sundays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted the El Camino that was published in a 2015 issue of Imbibe Magazine. The drink was created at the Chestnut Club in Santa Monica, California, and it reminded me of the Don Lockwood that I had mixed up the night before. The combination of a smoky and a non-smoky spirit joined together by Benedictine and Peychaud's reminded me of Death & Co.'s Shruff's End.The El Camino began with an orange, smoke, anise, and vegetal-herbal aroma. Next, a rich, slightly caramel sip drove into rye, smoke, herbal, and bitter cherry flavors on the swallow with a dry finish.

don lockwood

1 oz Rainwater Madeira (1 1/2 oz Blandy's 5 Year Verdelho)
1/2 oz Bourbon (3/4 oz Old Grand-Dad 114°)
1/2 oz Benedictine (3/4 oz)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters (2 light dash)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Saturdays ago, I returned to T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and spotted the Don Lockwood which in name and Bourbon component only reminded me of the one created at Dutch Kills. This one was crafted by Cole for the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, and he similarly named it after Gene Kelly's character in Singin' in the Rain. The combination of Madeira and Benedictine was alluring for it worked rather well in the Prospector, and I had success with it in the Provocateur and Undercover Angel.The Don Lockwood proffered a lemon oil and grape bouquet. Next, grape and a light caramel note on the sip danced into Bourbon, oxidized fruit, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a lightly anise finish.

canongate

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Royal Brakla 12 Year)
1 1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Walnut Liqueur (Rosso Nocino)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.

Two Fridays ago, I removed a book from my computer desk and uncovered a note highlighting the interactions of Aperol, walnut liqueur, and Cynar. The duo of Aperol and walnut has worked great together in the Old Money and Mr. Burgess, and that got me thinking to one of my favorite nutty-Aperol combinations in the Prospect Park with Maraschino as the nutty component. Therefore, I made my riff subbing in walnut liqueur for the Maraschino and swapping the spirit to Scotch to complement the walnut element such as in the Storm King. For a name, I dubbed this one after a historic neighborhood in Edinburgh, Scotland.The Canongate proffered a Scotch and nutty cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, roast, and fruity notes on the sip shot into whisky, walnut, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

the goblins turned to stone

1 1/2 oz Genever (Bols)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I was still inspired by the Cynar-curaçao combination after having last tinkered with it in the Prelude to a Broken Arm. I thought about how well Genever works with each such as in the Sherry Duval and Red Light, and I thus selected it as a base spirit. For a fourth component, I opted for Cardamaro which melds well with Genever such as in the Herbivore.For a name, I selected the Goblins Turned to Stone from a collection of Dutch fairy tales. Here, it showcased orange and malty aromas. Next, grape, caramel, and malt on the sip transformed into malt wine, herbal, orange, and minty notes on the swallow.

bail out

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Four Roses Yellow)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Allspice Dram (1 bsp Hamilton's)

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and spotted the Bail Out that he created at Coquette in New Orleans in 2008 and named after the economic news headlines that year. The combination made me think of the Honeymoon Cocktail until I remembered that was Benedictine and curaçao instead of honey (honey in the name only). However, I have had that duo of Benedictine and honey before in drinks like the Fecamp 500 and Jitterbug Sour and have utilized in my aperitif French Film at Loyal Nine.The Bail Out approached with a lemon and honey bouquet. Next, lemon, malt, and honey on the sip led into Bourbon, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Interestingly, the drink came across like a mashup of a Gold Rush and a Frisco Sour which was the opposite of times that needed a bail out.

fall back

2 oz Bourbon (Angel's Envy)
1/4 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Tuesdays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Backbar for some drinks and snacks. While I was expecting their "Backbear" bear-themed menu, that was not finished yet, so they offered up a menu of house classics from the last 10 years. While I started with the Model T from the inaugural menu, I selected the Fall Back (made with Angel's Envy Bourbon) as my second round (here spelled with a space as opposed to the Fallback from Sasha Petraske's book). The recipe was crafted by opening bartender Bryn Tattan sometime in the opening year of 2012 (I am guessing in the autumn of that year) as an Old Fashioned riff. In the glass, the Fall Back provided beautiful maple and walnut accents to the Bourbon finished in port casks and made for a delightful tipple.

book of lies

2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Zacapa 23 Rum
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum

Build in a single old fashioned glass, give a quick stir, garnish with orange oil from a twist, and serve room temperature.Two Mondays ago, I pulled the Jupiter Disco: Preservation zine out of the frequently used book pile and spied the Book of Lies. This drink was crafted by Al Sotack in 2013 at the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. as a reverse (room temperature) Rum Manhattan utilizing the duo of Zacapa for richness and Smith & Cross for funk that I have seen work in the Frau Holle and Desk Job. Once prepared, the Book of Lies opened with an orange and caramel aroma. Next, grape, caramel, and plum notes on the sip offered up funky rum, raisin, and orange flavors on the swallow.