the minton

1 1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth (Lacuesta)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Aperol
3 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).Two Tuesdays prior, I was scanning the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Minton crafted by Kaleb Cribb at Farm 255 in George sometime at or before 2013. This Negroni-style drink utilized the Cynar-Aperol combination that has blossomed in the Mad Max, The Negroni that Wasn't, and other recipes, so I was curious to give it a try. In the glass, the Minton shared an orange, plum, caramel, and herbal aroma. Next, cherry, plum, and caramel notes on the sip slid into gin, orange, and dark herbal flavors on the swallow.

norma jean

2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
6 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.Two Mondays ago, I spotted the what seemed to be Marilyn Monroe tribute drink, the Norma Jean, on Kindred Cocktails. The recipe crafted by Vincenzo Marianella circa 2009 at Copa d'Oro in Santa Monica read like it was a cross between the South Side and the Deep Six. Once prepared, the Norma Jean began with a mint aroma that preceded a lemon and caramel sip. Next, a gin, minty, and herbal swallow came across with bitter grapefruit undertones.

rachel wall

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Strega

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

Two Sundays ago, I was inspired by the thought of Campari paired with Strega that worked well in the Count's Swizzle and I decided to riff on it. I ended up taking a Kingston Negroni angle with it but utilized Amontillado sherry to dry out the extra sugar brought to the table by the Strega liqueur. For a name, a harkened back to one of the curious rabbit holes that I went down while researching my "Toast the Historic Trees of Boston: A Walking Tour" for Angel's Envy's Toast the Trees month and went with Rachel Wall. Wall was New England's only woman pirate and the last woman to be hanged in Boston; however, she was not arrested on piracy charges. She and her husband turned to the pirating trade in 1781; they stole a ship, made it look like it was damaged by a recent storm, and Rachel would call out for assistance. When the rescuing ship would arrive, the pirates would board the ship and rob it, and their career totals were believed to be a dozen ships, $12,000 in plunder, and 24 sailors murdered. After her husband and other members of the crew drowned, she took to petty theft and highway robbery. Her downfall was stealing a bonnet, and during her trial, she requested to be tried as pirate despite that the sentence would be death. Her pride in her trade-lifestyle led to her being hung at the Great Elm on the Boston Common with a crowd of thousands looking on. The Great Elm itself was there when the city bought the Common as a cow pasture in the 1630s, and it lasted until a winter storm toppled it in 1875. All that remains is a plaque.The Rachel Wall as a drink proffered an orange aroma from the twist and the Campari. Next, a grape-driven sip led into funky rum, nutty grape, caramel, bitter orange, and herbal-spice flavors on the swallow.

bella luna

2 oz Plymouth Gin (Bombay Dry)
3/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
1/2 oz Crème Yvette
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Simple Syrup (omit)

Shake with ice and strain into a port glass (cocktail coupe).Two Fridays ago, I reached for the Death & Co. Cocktail Book and landed on the Bella Luna that I had never made before. The recipe was crafted by Brian Miller in 2009 and reminded a little of an Aviation. Once prepared, the Bella Luna shared a pine, grapefruit, floral, and berry bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and berry notes on the sip gave way to gin, dark berry, and floral flavors on the swallow.

mockingbird, wish me luck

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Aquavit (Aalborg)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

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

Two Thursdays ago, I got back from a night out doing brand work and was in no mood to search for a drink of the night. Instead, I was inspired by the rye-aquavit combination from the Long Way Home and Carra-Ryed Away and decided to mash it up with the Cynar, Chartreuse, and mole bitters trio from my Up Jumped the Devil (which I believe was inspired by The Drink of Laughter and Forgetting). For a name, I dubbed this one Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck after the title of Charles Bukowski's 1972 book of poetry.The Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck donated an orange, caraway, and herbal aroma. Next, caramel and malt on the sip led into rye, caraway, funky herbal, and Green Chartreuse flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish. While the other two combinations were what inspired this drink, it was the Chartreuse-aquavit pairing that had a beautiful synergy here.

nitty-gritty

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Espadin Especial Mezcal (Mezcal Union)
1 1/2 oz La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry (La Gitana)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 tsp Rothman & Winter Pear Liqueur
1/2 tsp Agave Nectar
1 dash Barcode Baked Apple Bitters (Dashfire Spiced Apple)
1 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I selected the Death & Co. Cocktail Book to uncover a recipe that I had previously skipped over. There, I was lured in by Joaquin Simo's 2011 Nitty-Gritty that was his riff on Audrey Saunders' Fitty-Fitty Martini. Besides switching the gin and dry vermouth to mezcal and Manzanilla sherry, he utilized agave nectar and liqueurs to add texture and sweetness. The Nitty-Gritty showcased a lemon oil and mezcal aroma along with hints of fruit. Next, a semi-dry white wine sip with notes of caramel led into smoky agave and briny herbal flavors with a pear-clove finish.

as one does

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 tsp Fernet Branca
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
5 leaf Mint

Build in a glass (I muddled the mint), fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Garnish with a mint sprig.Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted the As One Does by Joaquin Simo on Kindred Cocktails. This Pouring Ribbons 2013 creation made me think of the Cynar Julep but with tequila, Fernet, and chocolate bitters accents. Once prepared, the As One Does greeted the nose with mint aromas over caramel and herbal notes. Next, the caramel continued on into the sip where it was chased by minty, herbal, and menthol flavors.

van lee cocktail

50% Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Bombay Dry)
40% Dubonnet (1 1/4 oz)
10% Scotch (1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Mondays ago, I began leafing through my 1933 reprint of Jack's Manual when I came across the Van Lee Cocktail. The combination made me think of Audrey Saunders' Dreamy Dorini Smoking Martini that I was reminded about in a recent article, except this was the smoky version of a Zaza. The Van Lee once prepared showcased a smoke and plum bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and plum notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow proffered gin, peat smoke, and herbal-fruity flavors.

a study in pink

1 1/2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
3/4 oz Campari (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Sundays ago, I was perusing Kindred Cocktails when I spotted A Study in Pink that reminded me of a Jasmine with apricot instead of orange liqueur. The recipe was crafted by Christopher Bevins and named after the Arthur Conan Doyle story "A Study in Scarlet" as part of the Sherlock series. The Campari, apricot, and citrus reminded me of the Juniper #3 and the St. Botolph's Club, so I was eager to give this one a try.The A Study in Pink began with bright orange oil, apricot, bitter orange, and pine aromas. Next, lime and stone fruit on the sip uncovered a gin and bitter apricot swallow.