Sunday, November 10, 2024

water line

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Linie Aquavit
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Cointreau
(1/8 oz Demerara Syrup as my addition for balance)
2 dash Fee's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (2 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixir)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass (coupe), and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Sundays previous, I began searching the KindredCocktails database for drink ideas. There, I landed on the Water Line by Sara Rosales, a Seattle bartender and co-owner of Lady Jaye, circa 2013. The spirits balanced merely by Cynar and an orange liqueur had worked so well in the Devil in a Boot and Hugo Ball, that I was keen on trying this one. Moreover, rye-aquavit combination has been great in cocktails like The Staggerly and in my creations like the Day Old Bread that I was ready to stir this one up. Once done, the Water Line showcased an orange, caramel, rye, and caraway aroma. Next, a caramel orange sip rose to rye, caraway, and herbal orange swallow.

Saturday, November 9, 2024

hell haggerty

1 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup

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

Two Saturdays ago, I became inspired by the Armstrong from Idlewild with the Sfumato-cinnamon syrup combination. From there, I swapped the rye-rum base for the duo of Scotch and apple brandy that paired well with Sfumato in the Leaf Fall. Perhaps it was the Montenegro-cinnamon containing Battle Annie that got me on the gang naming convention, for this one I dubbed Hell Haggerty who I learned about in Herbert Asbury's book The Barbary Coast. Haggerty was part of the Sydney Ducks gang of British criminals from Australia who made their way to San Francisco's red light zone during the Gold Rush, and he owned two notorious establishments, the Goat & Compass and the Golden Rule.
The Hell Haggerty enticed the senses with orange, peat smoke, roast, and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip launched into smoky whisky, apple, bitter herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

Friday, November 8, 2024

goat rodeo

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1 dash Demerara Syrup (1/8 oz)
2 dash Spiced Cherry Bitters (King Floyd's Cherry-Cacao)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.
Two Fridays ago, I made a recipe that I had recently spotted on Reddit cocktails forum called the Goat Rodeo. The drink appears on the current menu of the Black Rabbit in Nashville and user SolomonGorillaJr was cited as the source. A goat rodeo is a slang term for when something disasterous and unbelievable is occurring and one holds back and watches the train wreck occur; it is also the name of a bluegrass-classical fusion album featuring Yo-Yo Ma. In the glass, the Goat Rodeo corralled a cherry and grape bouquet for the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip stampeded towards rye, herbal, orange, and chocolate-cherry flavors on the swallow.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

cafe lunaire

2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/8 oz Galliano Ristretto (Mr. Black)
3/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and decided upon the Cafe Lunaire by Colleen Edwards circa 2018. It was subtitled "the freaks come out at night" which could perhaps be a 1984-era Whodini reference. With coffee, cinnamon, and chili flavors, I was intrigued, but I was surprised that this was not an agave-based drink but a Cognac one. In the glass, the Cafe Lunaire brought a lemon, cinnamon, and coffee bouquet to the nose. Next, a roast-driven sip progressed into Cognac, coffee, chili pepper, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

towser the mouser

1 1/2 oz Power's Gold Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Method Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Balvenie 14 Year Scotch (Glen Grant 16 Year)
1/4 oz Drambuie
1 tsp Nocino (Russo)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe), and garnish with orange oil from a twist (include the peel).
Two Wednesdays ago, I looked to my to-make list and decided on the Towser the Mouser by Ally Marone as a Bobby Burns riff at Grand Army Bar in Brooklyn circa 2021. I sourced the recipe from Robert Simonson's Substack, and the bar's Facebook mentioned that it was named after the long-lived tortoise shell cat at the Glenturret Distillery that is believed to have killed close to 29,000 mice in her 24 year lifespan or approximately 3 per day. Once stirred and strained, the drink gave forth an orange, whiskey, and nutty aroma. Next, honey and grape on the sip led to whiskey, chocolate, walnut, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

gravesend

1 3/4 oz Whistlepig 10 Year Rye (Templeton)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Amaro Lucano
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry.
Two Tuesdays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard set for the Dutch Kills' Fall 2024 menu, and I had to make the Gravesend that was attributed to Boston expat Jason Kilgore and owner Richard Boccato. Overall, it reminded me of a Liberal with Lucano and Ciociaro filling in for the Amer Picon and Angostura and chocolate for the orange bitters. With three Italian ingredients, perhaps the drink was named after the 2020 television series about Italian-American crime families. In the glass, the Gravesend proffered up cherry, rye, caramel, and orange aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip expanded into rye, caramel orange, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

Monday, November 4, 2024

autumn old fashioned

1/2 oz George Dickel Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Tariquet VSOP Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Bank Note Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with lemon and orange twists.
Two Mondays prior, I reached for Death & Co.'s Cocktail Codex book and landed on the Autumn Old Fashioned that Devon Tarby created in 2013 as a take on Brian Miller's 2007 four spirit Old Fashioned, the Conference. Once assembled, the Autumn Old Fashioned offered up lemon, orange, and maple aromas. Next, caramel and maple on the sip traipsed into brandy, Scotch, and caramel flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and allspice finish.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

squid missile

1 1/2 oz Coruba Rum
1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1/4 oz Jagermeister
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Shake with ice and strain into a Collins (Tiki mug) with ice.
Two Saturdays ago, I had a grapefruit that had been shed of all its garnish peels and was ready for juicing. From my collection of to-make drinks, I selected the Squid Missile at Gilly's House of Cocktails in San Diego from their opening Fall 2023 menu that I sourced via online recipe flashcards. The maple-grapefruit duo was one I discovered in Don the Beachcomber's Volcano Bowl, and the Jägermeister Tiki aspect made me think of the Rough Seas, Escape Hatch, and Lost U-Boat. Later I realized that the whole combination reminded me of my Volcano Bowl riff with Jägermeister in the mix that had different spirit and lacked falernum that I dubbed the Vagalume Bowl. Once in the glass, the Squid Missile launched to the nose with caramel-maple and funky rum aromas. Next, maple, grapefruit, and lime on the sip guided towards rum, maple, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

Saturday, November 2, 2024

banana cognac

2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Saturdays ago, I got back from my bartending shift, and I was exhausted and looking for a simple nightcap to make. On the BartendersChoice app, I latched on to the Banana Cognac by Zachary Gelnaw-Ruben at Lion Lion circa 2017 that was as simple of a build as the Monkey Wrench with spirit, banana liqueur, and bitters (here, molé instead of a scant amount of Fernet). In the glass, the Banana Cognac showboated an orange, caramel, and chocolate bouquet. Next, a caramel sip with a hint of tropical flowed into Cognac, cooked banana, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.