trophy room

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Maison Rouge Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcard set for Club 33, the New Orleans-themed restaurant at Disneyland in Anaheim, and came upon the Trophy Room. The recipe reminded me of the Physically Forgotten which is the gin version in the same ratio but with different bitters. I was able to find a Yelp menu photo from 2022 that had the description, "Tucked away among the magic of New Orleans' Square, a secluded room once played host to all manner of festivities and celebrations, with walls adorned with talking beasts and treasures from exotic far off lands." The description made me think of Muriel in New Orleans where Andrea and I attended an absinthe soirée towards the end of Tales of the Cocktail 2009 (see photo below). Once mixed, the Trophy Room donated an orange and nutty cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, a caramel-driven sip developed into Bourbon, Cognac, herbal, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow. The Maraschino came across as a little heavy handed here, so perhaps decreasing that amount could benefit the balance; surprisingly, I did not have a similar complaint a little over two years ago for the gin-based Physically Forgotten though.

held in contempt

2 oz Speyside Scotch (Glen Grant 16)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/8 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I fired up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and latched onto the Held in Contempt by Mikey Reihill at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2023. The recipe seemed like a good follow-up to last night's Scotch-Ciociaro drink, The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, and Scotch and Ciociaro have worked well before in Little Branch's .38 Special, my Jolly Jane, and other recipes besides that Julep. In the glass, the Held in Contempt gave forth a lemon, caramel, and apricot bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and a hint of orchard fruit notes on the sip slid into Scotch, bitter caramel orange, and apricot flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and orange finish.

the man with the x-ray eyes

1 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Grenadine
2 dash Absinthe (16 drop St. George)
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint leaves in syrup and liqueur in a double old fashioned glass. Add rest of the ingredients, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a bouquet of mint. Two Fridays ago, I was inspired by the previous night's Smoke Julep and the recent Last One Standing to craft my own Julep variation. With the latter's Ciociaro element, I thought about the Picon/Ciociaro-grenadine combination in the Jayco and 8th Arrondissement that dates back to the classic Picon Punch, and I added it in to soften the amaro. For a name, I dubbed this one The Man with the X-Ray Eyes after the Bauhaus song that was a tribute to the 1963 movie of that name. Part of the impetus for the name was the desire not to have back-to-back posts with photos of drinks in Julep cups, so I imagined a see-through vessel instead. Once assembled, The Man with the X-Ray Eyes offered up mint over peat smoke and a touch of fruitiness on the nose. Next, caramel and berry notes on the sip widened into smoky Scotch and bitter orange-berry flavors on the swallow with a mint and anise finish.

smoke julep

1 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint leaves in maple syrup. Add rest of the ingredients, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a bouquet of mint. Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and turned to the Julep section where I found the Smoked Julep by Phil Ward at Death & Co. circa 2008. Scotch, apple brandy, and maple is a trio that I recently saw in the Blackjack and that I utilized six years ago in the Lumberjack Negroni, so I was curious to try it in a Julep. Moreover, Scotch and muddled mint is something that I had not experienced before, but only with the mint as a garnish. With my freshly picked garden mint, the Smoked Julep opened up with mint over hints of apple and smoke to the nose. Next, apple and maple notes on the sip grew into smoky Scotch, hint of apple, and maple flavors on the swallow.

start me up

1 oz Elijah Craig 12 Year Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum (Doorly's 12 Year) (*)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Strega
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
(*) The bar's 2019 cocktail book has this as Scarlet Ibis Rum. Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make the Start Me Up that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards for the NoMad in Los Angeles. I uncovered both a drink photo and menu photo on Yelp from 2018 that had it under the "NoMad Classics" section, and I later found the recipe in The NoMad Cocktail Book where it was attributed to Leo Robitschek and Jessica Gonzalez; there it called for the Trinindad rum Scarlet Ibis. While the book did not say, if I had to wager, I would guess that it was named for the Rolling Stones song. As for the recipe, Strega has been paired up with either honey or ginger in a few drinks, but only appeared with both in Skull & Crown Trading Co.'s Hanalei Moon mixed in with a few other tropical ingredients. Once assembled, the Start Me Up gave forth a star anise and lemon aroma. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip evolved into Bourbon, rum, honey, ginger, anise, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

fat cat

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS) (*)
3/4 oz Sloe Gin (Plymouth)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Orange Blossom Water (10 drop)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist (include the peel).

(*) Originally an equal parts drink (save for the orange blossom water) that included the twist in the glass.
Two Tuesdays prior, I spied the Fat Cat by Yoann Tarditi at Satan's Whiskers in London circa 2023 via the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app. I later found a post on the bar's Instagram that had it as an equal parts recipe and included the peel as garnish. Overall, the concept reminded me a little of the Charlie Chaplin (and Frank Caiafa's comment that they sometimes added gin to the classic at the Waldof Astoria for backbone and balance similar to the Fat Cat's structure). While I generally think of sloe gin mixed with gin, whiskey, rum, and agave spirits, Cognac is a rarity, and the only one with brandy that I have tried was the Manhattan Exposition at Deep Ellum. Once shaken and strained, the Fat Cat gave forth an orange, apricot, and dark fruit aroma. Next, lemon and dark berry notes on the sip subsided into Cognac, apricot, and red fruit flavors on the swallow.

baudouine

1 1/2 oz Siete Leguas Añejo Tequila (Cimarron Reposado)
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1 tsp Marie Brizard White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
3 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Mondays ago, I spotted a reference to the Baudouine at the NoMad bar in London, and I soon located the recipe in The NoMad Cocktail Book. The drink created by Gino Pellarin at the original Manhattan location was perhaps named after a historic building that was build in 1896 in the Classical Revival Style including a small Greco-Roman temple on the upper levels and that is located around the corner from the bar (until the New York City location closed in 2021). There are three reposado tequila-based drinks containing Amaro Nonino on the blog, and they are all from Death & Co. or their alumni: West of East India, Spaghetti Western, and Los Amargos, so I was interested to see NoMad's take on it. In the glass, the Baudouine ascended to the nose with a raisin and vegetal aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip developed into tequila, chocolate, orange, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

saddle up!

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Amaro Averna
1/4 oz Passion Fruit (Passion Fruit Syrup)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and became intrigued by the Saddle Up! by Kathryn "Pepper" Stashek at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2019. I was lured in by the Averna-passion fruit syrup combination that I enjoyed in the Permanent Holiday and as well as in the African Queen when I utilized passion fruit syrup instead of liqueur. Once mixed, the Saddle Up! gave forth an orange, smoke, and roasted vegetal aroma. Next, caramel and tropical notes on the sip rode into roast agave, smoke, herbal, and tangy orange flavors on the swallow. As the ice melted over time, the drink became more passion fruit driven.

chocolate stinger (audrey saunders)

2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/4 oz Marie Brizard Crème de Menthe (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Marie Brizard Crème de Cacao (Bols White)
1 tsp Kahula
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe or an old fashioned glass with ice.

Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I found in Pierre Ferrand's 2016 NYC Cocktail Book called the Chocolate Stinger that was created, or better stated improved upon, by Audrey Saunders at the Pegu Club in Manhattan. The Stinger is a classic first published in 1914 that dates back to the 1890s of shaken instead of stirred Cognac and crème de menthe. It is also a drink that I have a distinct memory of from Russell House Tavern. While we did put it on the menu in 2014, in 2013, I recall two troublesome townie women who sat at my bar one early afternoon and one of them ordered a Stinger. I recall shaking it, serving it on crushed ice, and garnishing with a mint sprig. She was appalled at the presentation and asked for it to be strained. Luckily, when it was later on the menu, my bar manager was smart enough to serve it up. I think that bar guest would be appalled by this variation of a Stinger as well given the excess flavors and lower mint quotient than expected. However, Audrey's recipe was tempting for crème de menthe and cacao work well together as I learned in Death & Co.'s Midnight Mountain and that I utilized in my Year of the Dragon, and minty Fernet works amazingly with crème de cacao. One Instagram friend commented that the Chocolate Stinger reminded them of the After Eight which is crème de menthe with either chocolate or coffee liqueur depending on the recipe with either vodka or Bailey's as the third ingredient; here, all three liqueurs are present, so that observation was rather on point. It turns out that there is a mid-century recipe known as the Chocolate Stinger that is simply the two crème liqueurs with or without vodka shaken together. Given Audrey Saunders' high level of perfecting drinks, it was a good reason to shake up (instead of stir) another straight spirits recipe. In the glass, Audrey's Chocolate Stinger gave forth brandy and mint aromas. Next, mint and roast notes on the sip developed into Cognac, chocolate, and mint flavors on the swallow with coffee and mint on the finish.