fortress of solid dudes

1 oz Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/4 oz Rich Simple Syrup (1/4+ oz 1:1)
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters
4 dash Absinthe (32 drop St. George)
1 drop Orange Flower Water

Whip shake, pour into a Highball glass (ceramic mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a lime wedge, cherry, and pineapple leaf (mint sprigs only). Two Wednesdays prior, I searched my computer for recipes that called for Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Liqueur, and it pulled up the Fortress of Solid Dudes by Chris Elford at Navy Strength in Seattle from the 2020 Community Cocktails book. This pun on the Superman fortress of solitude was described on the menu as, "Apricot, coconut, and green chile just met at a house party and bonded over their love for everything from comics to Campari. Life is weird!" I was able to find photos of the drink on Yelp in 2018 served in a label-less tin can and garnished with mint and on their Instagram earlier this year in a Pearl Diver glass with mint. On paper, it reminded me of the Tradewinds as well as my Campari-laden riff the Sidewinds; moreover, the Ancho Reyes for spirit swap was something that I experienced in the Chili Southside. Once garnished, the Fortress of Solid Dudes gave forth a mint over green chili and coconut aroma. Next, a creamy lemon sip with hints of orchard fruit flowed into chili pepper, coconut, and bitter orange-red fruit flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.

oaxaca negroni

1 oz Xicaru 102° Mezcal (1 1/4 oz Convite 80°)
1 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Agave Syrup (omit)
4 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters (1 dash)

The recipe lacked instructions, so I stirred with ice, strained into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I uncovered the Oaxaca Negroni from Alma Cocina in Atlanta circa early 2020 through online recipe flashcards. Aperol and Cynar appear in the Negroni that Wasn't, Juan Bautista, Scottish Play, and other drinks, so having it with mezcal, vermouth, and mole bitters sounded intriguing. Once prepared, the Oaxaca Negroni showcased a grapefruit, smoke, and vegetal aroma. Next, grape and orange notes on the sip opened up into smoky agave, vegetal, plum, orange, and clove flavors on the swallow.

the mixologist

1 1/2 oz Aged Dark Rum (Hamilton Demerara River 86°)
1 oz Amaro Averna
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Mondays prior, I grasped my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion from the book shelf and found The Mixologist by Elijah Harriss at The Everleigh in Melbourne circa 2024. The concept came across like a split base Black Manhattan with dark rum and mezcal instead of Bourbon. One of my Instagram followers asked what would be in The Bartender, and I replied, "Serve this pre-chilled from the freezer into a shotglass next to a Miller High Life?" Once prepared, The Mixologist crafted an orange and caramel aroma. Next, a caramel-driven sip opened up into woody rum and vegetal caramel-herbal flavors on the swallow with a smoky and clove finish.

trap door

1 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
3/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
3/4 oz Campari

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I fired up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and came across the Trap Door by Zack-Gelnaw-Rubin at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2025. Since it was the last night of Negroni Week 2026, it seemed perfect. Furthermore, I have not had an Irish whiskey Boulevardier before; indeed, Irish whiskey has been rarely paired with Campari save for a few drinks like the Psycho Killer and Broadway Junction. In the glass, the Trap Door opened up with lemon and orange aromas. Next, white wine, malt, and tangerine notes on the sip descended into soft whiskey and bitter tangerine flavors on the swallow.

among the ferns

1 oz Sweet Gwendolin Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Cinzano Bianco Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz Aveze Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Convite)
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Liqueur

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a ships leaf (omit). Ships leaf is an alternative name for shiso. Another drink that I had picked out when I was sent a promotional bottle of Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Liqueur was the Among the Ferns from Point Seven in New York City that I uncovered through online recipe flashcards. This riff on a White Negroni was mentioned in September 2023 in two web-based reviews of the new bar program. The closest drink that I have tasted was the split gin-mezcal White Mezcal Negroni from Gracias Madre in Los Angeles that lacked the chili pepper aspect. The name though makes me think of the comedy talkshow Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, but web searches align more with a variety of nature or gardening podcasts and groups. Once mixed, the Among the Ferns gave forth a pine, spicy green pepper, and gentian herbal aroma. Next, white grape and green vegetal notes on the sip unfurled into gin, smoky vegetal, earthy bitter, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

pastiche martini

2 oz Gin (Fords)
1/3 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/3 oz Green Chartreuse
1/3 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and decided upon the Pastiche Martini by Jason Williams in 2019. Given the Australian book authors, the drink creator in question was probably the Jason Williams who won Australian Bartender of the Year in 2010 and now runs the beverage programs for a restaurant group in Sydney after returning from an eight year gig in Singapore. As I mentioned in the Liquid Swords a month ago, Green Chartreuse and curaçao always make me think of the Knight from David Embury's book but here with gin and dry vermouth instead of brandy and lemon juice. Moreover, the concept reminded me of the Oxford Comma with Maraschino and celery bitters instead of curaçao. In the glass, the Pastiche Martini issued an orange, pine, and herbaceous aroma. Next, white wine and grape notes on the sip developed into pine, herbaceous, and orange flavors on the swallow.

fits the bill

1 1/2 oz Evan Williams Bourbon (Bonded)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice (*)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
6 dash Nocino (1/4 oz Russo)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Perhaps lower this to 1/2 oz lemon juice or add a 1/4 oz simple syrup to the mix. Two Thursdays prior, I was skimming through the online recipe flashcards for Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco when I opted for the Fits the Bill from a 2017 collection. A Yelp menu photo in Spring 2025 attributed it to alumni Darren Crawford with the description, "Sometimes you need a drink that is straight to the point. The balance of Bourbon and baking spices are a perfect fit.", and the drink was mentioned as early as 2014 in Yelp reviews. Ginger syrup and walnut liqueur have been paired here twice before, namely in the Pajazo Mental and the Tell Me More, so I was curious to try it here. Once shaken and strained, the Fits the Bill gave forth an orange, Bourbon, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Next, a lemon-driven sip connected with Bourbon, ginger, and walnut flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish. The only change I would make would be to reduce the lemon juice by a 1/4 oz or add a 1/4 oz of simple syrup to take the edge off of the drink.

mcmillian

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
4 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a mint leaf. Two Wednesdays ago, I was chatting on the phone with Geoffrey Wilson who I met at the USBG 2025 meeting in Atlanta and later that year at Portland Cocktail Week, and he mentioned that his recipes appeared in two of Gary Regan's books. That night, I landed on the McMillian that he created at Loa in New Orleans in honor of his mentor, and it appeared in Gaz's 101 Best New Cocktails 2013 book alongside my Milord Gower. The book explained, "Made on Chris McMillian's birthday using all ingredients that he has used in his cocktails." Chris is a legendary Crescent City bartender who has been captured here in the End of the Road drink. Overall, the McMillian cocktail was very similar on paper to a Rye Tai (the closest one on here being a split base with Bourbon in the Bluegrass Mai Tai) with a touch of Benedictine, Angostura, and mint. Once prepared, the McMillian proffered mint, rye, and almond aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and orange sip transformed into rye, nutty, orange, herbal, and clove flavors on the swallow.

el borracho

1 1/2 oz Scotch (1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse + 1/8 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with two dash Angostura Bitters. Two Tuesdays ago, I was looking through my list of drinks that I had collected via online recipe flashcards when the El Borracho from the 2017 menu at Dutch Kills called out to me. The name translates to "the drunkard," and it was the title of one of my favorite lotería cards that I never gave out as garnish (we used the small cards on our Nitro Espresso Martini at the C-Side Bar even after the recipe veered away from a Mexican theme). The drink was their adaptation of The Frozen Scotch El Borracho at the El Borracho in New York City via Ted Saucier's 1951 Bottoms Up Book. The original recipe was as follows:

The Frozen Scotch El Borracho
• 1 jigger Scotch
• Juice 1/2 Lemon
• 1 thin slice Pineapple
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1 dash Cointreau
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
Use an electric mixer with shaved ice, pour into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a thin slice of pineapple.

Once prepared, El Borracho overshared a pineapple and clove aroma. Next, a lemon, pineapple, and orange sip caroused with Scotch, peat smoke, and orange-pineapple flavors on the swallow that later gained a clove finish.