fire lily

1 1/2 oz Ford's Gin
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Thai Chili Firewater Tincture (3 dash my Hellfire Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I turned to the Martini section of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book, and I was drawn in by the Fire Lily that was created by Eric Alperin at The Varnish in Los Angeles as perhaps a riff on the Water Lily from Little Branch. Eric converted the Sour into a smoky and spicy Martini-style drink, but given the straight spirits nature, it slightly reminded me of the White Lily too. It also gave me a reason to use my bottle of violette for the second time that week that I had not dusted off since I made the Final Say last summer. Once prepared, the Fire Lily lept off with an orange, vegetal, floral, and pine aroma. Next, a hint of orange on the sip blossomed into gin, smoke vegetal, floral orange, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

sepia negroni

1 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Attaboy and became intrigued by the Sepia Negroni. An article about Florence Cocktail Week 2025 mentioned that Attaboy served this drink during their guest shift. True, this is not a not a Negroni but an abstraction; the use of Sfumato in this Negroni-adjacent drink reminds me of the Caustic Negroni that I came up on the fly to satisfy a request during my guest shift at Backbar years ago. Once stirred and strained, the Sepia Negroni conjured forth an orange, nutty sherry, and smoky roast aroma to the nose. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip unfurled into gin, nutty, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

testarossa collins

1 1/2 oz Rhum Barbancourt Blanc (110°)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup 2:1 (1/2 oz Ginger Syrup 1:1 + 1/4 oz Simple Syrup)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 1 oz soda water, fill with ice, and garnish with a pineapple wedge (lime wheel). Two Wednesdays ago, I reached for my copy of the Cuban Cocktails: 100 Classic and Modern Drinks book from the Cienfuegos crew of Alla Lapushchik, Jane Danger, and Ravi DeRossi, and I happened on the Testarossa Collins by Tom Chadwick of Cienfuegos and Dram Bar. The book claims that Tom was inspired by the French house musician Kavinsky who crashed his Ferrari Testarossa in 1986 and then "mysteriously came back to life as a Zombie" with the Fernet representing the Italian sports car. Wikipedia declares that "The concept behind OutRun [Kavinsky's 2013 debut album named after a video game featuring a Ferrari] follows Kavinsky's backstory of a young man who crashed his Testarossa in 1986 and reappeared in 2006 as a zombie who produces electronic music." Overall, the recipe read like a rum and soda instead of completely Fernet-driven Cure for Immorality, so it seemed worthy of a go. In the glass, the Testarossa Collins opened up with a lime, grassy rhum funk, and ginger aroma. Next, a carbonated lime and pineapple sip drove into grassy rum, ginger, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

wingspan

1 3/4 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a recipe called the Wingspan on Difford's Guide that caught my eye. The drink was created at the Savoy Hotel Bar in London circa 2014 as a cross between the Aviation and the World War II-era Wings (recipe not found) created there. From the menu's ingredients list, Simon Difford interpreted the drink as above, and after making it, I thought that the recipe could be tweaked a little. The Lillet/Cocchi Americano-Punsch aspect reminded me of recipes like the Metexa and Happy Daze, so I gave it a go. In the glass, the Wingspan soared to the nose with orange, pine, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and pear notes on the sip glided into gin, grapefruit, black tea, and soapy floral flavors on the swallow. Overall, the violette was a little much, and perhaps the Cocchi Americano could be bolstered to be more like the Metexa. My proposed recipe:

Wingspan (Fred's suggestion)
• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1/2 oz Swedish Punsch
• 1/8 oz Crème de Violette
• 1 dash Orange Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

inwood

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Café Lolita (Borghetti)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays prior, I was lured by an unusual combination in the Inwood at Attaboy via online recipe flashcards. One friend on Instagram commented that they had not experimented with Chartreuse and coffee flavors, and I commented that "I have never seen it before. Cacao and hot chocolate, yes." Since Green Chartreuse can stand up to Fernet such as in the similarly structured Green Hornet, I figured that it would do alright with even a robust coffee liqueur. Once stirred and strained, the Inwood presented a lemon, coffee, and herbaceous aroma. Next, a roast-driven sip led into rye, coffee, and herbal flavors on the swallow with roast and orange elements coming through on the finish.

loose cannon

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Fernet-Vallet (Fernet Branca)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and found the Loose Cannon by Brandon Bramhall at Last Saint in Charleston via the Manhattan section. The recipe made me think of the Alcazer from Pioneer of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 (rye, Fernet, orange liqueur), and the combination of whisk(e)y, Punt e Mes, and those two liqueurs can be found in the Scotland the Brave. In the glass, the Loose Cannon shot off with orange, grape, and minty aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip stepped aside for Bourbon, herbal, bitter menthol, and orange flavors on the swallow.

st. stephen's sour

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Aged Rum (Dos Maderas 5+5)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into a glass filled with crushed ice (big cube), and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I came across the St. Stephen's Sour by Jeffrey Morgenthaler at Portland's Clyde Common in 2014 via Imbibe Magazine. Overall, the concept reminded me of the Cameron's Kick, but instead of Scotch and Irish whiskey, it features the punch duo of rum and brandy. Moreover, it also came across like a Between the Sheets with orgeat instead of that classic's orange liqueur. Once shaken and strained, the St. Stephen's Sour showcased a lemon and nutty aroma. The sip mirrored the nose with creamy and lemon notes, and the swallow revealed rum, Cognac, and nutty flavors.

late for lunch

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Aperol
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a glass (coupe), and garnish with lime peel shavings. Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago and found the Late for Lunch as a dealer's choice option. The recipe reminded me of the Dead Man's Handle with egg white and different proportions, presentation, and garnish; since that one was delicious, I gave this one a go. In the glass, the Late for Lunch gave forth a lime, orange, and vegetal aroma. Next, a creamy lime and orange sip blossomed into tequila, almond, and orange flavors on the swallow.

trust falls

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/4 oz Licor 43
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
2 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 Thursdays ago, I uncovered the Trust Falls from a collection of recipes from Too Soon in Portland, Oregon. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Sherpa except with the Bourbon split with Cognac and citrus-driven Licor 43 replacing the curaçao. Moveover, the name made me think of the recurrent bit in office comedy series The Chit Show. Once prepared, the Trust Falls launched off with an orange, vanilla, and allspice aroma. Next, a slightly citrussy sip opened up into whiskey, brandy, allspice, and orange flavors on the swallow.