viking on vacation

2 oz Aquavit (1 oz Linie + 1 oz Krogstad)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into "the skull of your enemy", top with ice, garnish with a float of Peychaud's Bitters (5 dash) and a paper umbrella (I added mint sprigs). Two Sundays ago, I decided to make the Viking on Vacation by Chad Austin that I found in his Everyone Has a F*cking Cocktail Book for I had seen it floating around Instagram recently. Aquavit and peach liqueur appear in the Nordic tropical number Freydis and in Nightcap's Disappearing Act, so I was curious to try it in this Tradewinds-esque drink. Once prepared, the Viking on Vacation invaded the senses with a mint and anise aroma. Next, a creamy pineapple and lemon sip sailed into caraway, star anise, coconut, and peach flavors on the swallow.

a feast for crows

1 1/2 oz Bacardi 8 Year Rum (Don Q Añejo)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a cherry and lime wedge (cherry only). Two Saturdays ago, I opened up the Spec app, and in the Bardtenders podcast's collection was the A Feast for Crows by Jesse Cyr at Seattle's Olympic Bar. On an Instagram post, Jesse described how it is "a simple Jungle Bird twist with the addition of cassis. Still bitter, still tropical, but just a bit softer on the palate." My guess is that Jesse named this after the fourth novel in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R.R. Martin. Overall, the combination reminds me of the quirky Teresa that Gary Regan wrote about of Campari balanced by cassis and lime. In the glass, the A Feast for Crows flew to the nose with cherry over other fruity aromas. Next, dark fruit and pineapple notes on the sip were chased by rum, lime, and bitter dark berry-orange flavors on the swallow.

carpenter bee

3/4 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Nardini
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with candied ginger on a pick. Two Fridays ago, I got home from my bar shift and opened up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app. There, I latched onto the Carpenter Bee by Greg Keesee at Attaboy Nashville in 2023 as part of the spirit, amaro, ginger syrup, and citrus insect-themed series that includes the Dragonfly, Mosquito, and Scarab. I later realized that I had made this combination but with lime in the Yellow Jacket, but considering how Sasha Petraske's camp found the Bee's Knees to be different with lime juice and called it the Business, this makes sense. Here, the Carpenter Bee gave forth an apple, caramel, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip dug into apple, ginger, mint, and pine flavors on the swallow.

copperhead

2 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry. The Pegu Club eshewed a garnish, but I included it as described in the version in Madrusan's book. Two Thursdays prior, I selected my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book off the shelf and decided to make the Copperhead created at Manhattan's Pegu Club. A video of a Pegu Club's Ricky Agustin making the drink for Forbes confirms the recipe but did not call for a garnish, and a Punch article on the Diamondback Lounge mentions this as a riff. Essentially, the Pegu Club reversed the rye-forward classic into an apple brandy-strong one, and changed the ratio from 2:1:1 to 4:1:1 to dry it out a touch (not to mention the modern concern of reducing the cost given what Chartreuse costs these days if you can find it). With Madrusan's added garnish, the Copperhead slithered to the senses with a cherry and apple aroma. Next, honey and apple notes on the sip settled into apple, herbal, rye, and pine flavors on the swallow.

center of the galaxy

2 oz Blended Aged Rum (1 oz Dos Maderas 5+5 + 1 oz Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz St. George Raspberry Liqueur (Mathilde Framboise)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup (omit)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 pinch Freshly Grated Cinnamon

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wheel and a raspberry (cherry) in the center. Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make the Center of the Galaxy by Martin Cate via the Smuggler's Cove cocktail book. I had previously passed over this drink, but I recently spotted a friend on Instagram making this with framboise instead of St. George Raspberry Liqueur, and I figured that I could do the same with my mini of Mathilde's product. Martin described the drink's genesis as, "The discovery in 2009 that the center of the Milky Way galaxy contains a chemical that tastes like raspberries and smells like rum was the inspiration for this cocktail." Overall, the concept reminded me of a Knickerbocker with honey in place of the curaçao, so I was curious to finally give this one a go after having owned the book for a little over a decade. In the glass, the Center of the Galaxy showcased a lime and berry aroma. Next, lime, raspberry, and caramel notes on the sip spun off into rum, sherry (from the Dos Maderas Rum), honey, tart fruit, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

near enough to reach

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Lustau Oloroso Sherry
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1 dash Allspice Dram (1/16 oz Hamilton's)

Build in a Julep cup, add crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a lemon twist and an umbrella. Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour and opted for the Near Enough to Reach from the Summer 2021 menu. Banana liqueur and Oloroso last appeared on the blog as accents to a Kingston Negroni in the Tropicale, and the rye, banana, and sherry combination prospered in the Mr. Manager. In the glass, the Near Enough to Reach conjured up a lemon, rye, and ginger bouquet for the nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip transformed into rye, banana, nutty sherry, and ginger flavors on the swallow with allspice and ginger on the finish.

third colors

2 oz Aged Rum (1 oz Hamilton's Demerara River 86° + 1 oz Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Mondays prior, I looked to The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app for a nightcap and selected the Third Colors by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin at Manhattan's Lion Lion in 2018. The name and recipe structure are very similar to Zachary's Away Colors consisting of aged rum, banana liqueur, and Fernet. The combination of apricot and Sfumato reminded me of my Mountebank with Scotch and apple brandy (and a dash of absinthe) instead of rum. Therefore, I set off to mixing one up and enjoyed its orange, apricot, roast, and char aromas. Next, the roast and orchard fruit notes continued on into the sip where they were replaced by woody rum and bitter apricot flavors on the swallow.

codex medoza

1 oz Mezcal (Convite)
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime
1/2 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/2 oz Orgeat

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a smoldering cinnamon stick. Optional garnish: include a spend half lime shell or perhaps a mint sprig to make the drink's appearance less stark. Two Sundays ago was National Mai Tai Day, and I decided to enact an idea that I had earlier in the week that I dubbed the Codex Mendoza. I was inspired by my mezcal-chili pepper liqueur Aztec Death Whistle and, of course, the Mai Tai independently of the impending holiday. The name came about as I delved into the use of chili pepper smoke by the Aztecs as described in said Spanish source. The smoke was utilized in everything from behavioral modification for surly children in small amounts (pictured below) to dispatching European visitors by trapping them and suffocating them with large amounts. Once assembled, the Codex Mendoza showcased acrid cinnamon smoke over vegetal chili pepper aromas. Next, a creamy lime and hint of orange on the sip succumbed to smoky mezcal, chili pepper, orange, and almond flavors on the swallow with smoke and spice on the finish.

bask intentions

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Fosforo)
3/4 oz Marie Brizard Apry (Rothman & Winter Apricot)
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a blackberry and a raspberry (cherry) on a pick. Two Saturdays ago, I looked to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago and landed upon the Bask Intentions from their Spring 2022 menu. The name makes reference to "Bäsk is a Swedish-style liquor flavored with wormwood ('malört' in Swedish)" according to Wikipedia, although it is sometimes questionable if anyone handing you Malört is doing so with the best intentions. Malört has been paired with apricot liqueur in Whistler's Lightning Swords of Death and in my Cutman, and paired with tequila in The Violet Hour's Honey I'm Home, so it felt like a good use of the last of my grapefruit juice garnered from my spent garnish fruit. In the glass, the Bask Intentions launched off with apricot and cherry aromas. Next, lemon, grapefruit, orchard fruit, and hint of honey on the sip progressed into tequila, apricot, and bitter grapefruit flavors on the swallow.