alice

1 oz Douglas XO Blended Scotch
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Kümmel

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Twist an orange peel over the top.

Two Mondays ago before the Appleton Remixology competition, I stopped into Drink for the hour preceding the event. There, I found a seat in front of Josey Packard at the ice bar as she was prepping the evening's batch of large ice chunks for Old Fashioneds. For a cocktail, Josey said that she was really into kümmel these days and recommended the Alice that she found in Stan Jones' Complete Barguide. Jones' Alice did seem like an adaptation of the Alice, Mine from the Savoy Cocktail Book but with a heavier hand on the Scotch. Josie had tinkered with the recipe and swapped in Punt e Mes for the recipe's call for sweet vermouth and also added an orange twist.
The Alice greeted me with a waft of smoke, caraway, and orange oils. The Punt e Mes' grape paired well with the Scotch's malt on the sip, and the swallow showcased the Scotch's smoke, the Punt e Mes' bitter notes, and the kümmel's spice.

[the son of chico dusty]

2 oz Old Overholt Rye
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Grenadine
3/4 oz Angostura Bitters
2 dash Chalula Hot Sauce

Build in a water goblet, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix. Garnish with a wide lime twist and add a straw.

After the Juan's Flying Burito, Ted asked if I wanted to try the rye whiskey version of the drink he was competing with at the Appleton Remixology competition the next day. His rum version was called Organized Noize after the hiphop production company who produced the song he was performing to, namely TLC's "Waterfalls." While the rye version lacked a name, I dubbed this the Son of Chico Dusty after OutKast-member Big Boi's solo debut album entitled "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty" on which Organized Noize also worked. Perhaps just Chico Dusty or the Left Foot would work just as well for a name.
The drink's lime twist joined the fruity notes of the grenadine on the nose. The rye's malt mingled with the citrus and pomegranate flavors on the sip, and the swallow brought the rye's barrel notes which paired with the lime's tartness, the Angostura's spice, and the Chalula's pepper heat. The rye accentuated the spicier and tarter aspects of the drink more so than the smooth Appleton Rum did the next day.

juan's flying burrito

1 1/4 oz La Puritita Verda Mezcal Joven
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Combier Triple Sec

Shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Top with ~2 1/2 oz Crémant de Bourgogne Brut and float 3 dash Peychaud's Bitters.

Two Sundays ago, I paid a visit to bartender Ted Kilpatrick at No. 9 Park. Before we even got down to talking about drinks, he let me taste a few of the new spirits at the bar. One of the ones he was most excited about was a mezcal from La Puritita that was made from espadin agave from San Juan del Rio. Apparently, the price point will be in the Del Maguey Mezcal Vida range. Overall, it had a soft smoke aroma and the spirit had a duality of a smooth glycerol-like nature balanced by an agave and smoke roughness. After tasting it, I definitely wanted to try something with it. The drink Ted suggested was a sparkler which I believe was created by Tyler Wang, but it lacked a name; Ted told me that he was tormenting Tyler by calling it Juan's Flying Burrito after the small chain of Mexican restaurants in New Orleans. A week or so later, I learned that the name stuck.

The Juan's Flying Burrito greeted the senses with a yeasty carbonated wine aroma that was coupled with the Peychaud's anise; as the float of Peychaud's Bitters was drained away, the mezcal began to take a bigger role on the nose. The sip offered a dry, carbonated citrus-wine flavor that led into the wine's funk on the swallow. The swallow ended with the smoke and Peychaud's at first and later with the smokey agave and lime once the bitters float was sipped away. Indeed, Ted's description of the drink being "a fun aperitif that will leave the palate ready for anything" was pretty accurate.

poker face

1/2 jigger Sherry (1 1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera)
1/4 Brandy (3/4 oz La Forêt)
2 dash Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1 dash Green Chartreuse (1/4 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

For an aperitif two Saturdays ago, I searched in the wine section of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the curiously named Poker Face (I am already expecting a Lady Gaga reference in the comments). For a sherry, I opted for Lustau's East India Solera Sherry for I felt that it split the difference between our dry ones like the Lustau Oloroso and Amontillado and our sweet Pedro Ximénez and that it would work best here.
The Poker Face showcased the sherry's grape along with the Green Chartreuse's herbal aromas. The grape continued on into the sip where it paired with the lemon. Finally, the sherry's nutty notes began the swallow that ended with brandy flavors and Chartreuse and Angostura's herbal complexity. Overall, the balance ended up a touch on the tart side which did assist its aperitif purpose.

white rose cocktail

1 jigger El Bart Gin (1 1/2 oz Farmer's)
Juice 1/4 Orange (1/2 oz)
Juice 1 Lime (1/2 oz)
1/2 jigger Maraschino (1/2 oz Marasca)
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a wine glass (I used a cocktail glass).

Two Fridays ago, I was flipping through Hugo Ensslin's 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks and spotted the White Rose. I was curious for the orange, lime, and egg white combination worked rather well in the Milord Gower, and balancing the tart gin base with Maraschino worked well in Ensslin's Aviation. I modified the recipe to be a little less Maraschino driven and also used Marasca which is lighter than Luxardo's liqueur.
The White Rose's bouquet displayed an orange aroma and surprisingly a rose-like one; I attributed the latter to be from the Maraschino liqueur combining with the other ingredients. While the sip was a creamy orange-lime flavor, the swallow offered gin and Maraschino notes. Finally, the drink ended with a floral finish perhaps from the elderflower in the Farmer's Gin's botanicals.

superior

1/2 Rum (1 1/2 oz Old Ipswich Tavern Style)
1/6 Apricot Liqueur (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter)
1/6 Sweet Vermouth (1/2 oz Cocchi)
1/6 Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
After the Barefoot in the Dark, I decided to make the Superior from William Boothby's 1934 The World's Drinks and How To Mix Them. The drink reminded me of a less citrussy and more grape Periodista so I was definitely intrigued. For a rum, I reached for my new purchase of a local rum made up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, namely Turkey Shore Distilleries' Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum (they also make a white rum as well). The rum had garnered a lot of praise from reviewers as well as local picky spirits mavens like Deep Ellum's Max Toste, so I gave the rum a chance without having tasted it. Here are my tasting notes:

Old Ipswich Tavern Style Rum
• Aroma: caramel, toffee, butterscotch
• Sip: sweet and rich
• Swallow: some heat, butterscotch, and spice notes that included something almost clove-like

Once mixed, the Superior presented the rum's butterscotch aroma along with the apricot and a hint of citrus. The rum's caramel came through on the sip where it played well with the lemon and the vermouth's grape. Finally, the rum showcased its toffee flavors beside the liqueur's apricot. Overall, I really like this rum, but it was a bit too rich and overwhelming for this recipe; I can definitely see why Max uses this rum in an Old Fashioned along with dashes of Pierre Ferrand Curaçao and bitters at Deep Ellum.

barefoot in the dark

1 oz Famous Grouse Scotch
1/2 oz Laphroaig Scotch
3/4+ oz Campari
3/4+ oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Thursdays ago, we began the cocktail hour with a drink I spotted on Maksym Pazuniak's twitter feed for his weekly Something Like This event. The Barefoot in the Dark description reminded me a lot of his Last Mechanical Art from Beta Cocktails with a change of smokey spirits. What really drew me in was his use of Swedish Punsch which I thought would help smooth over the concept more than the original's Punt e Mes. Therefore, I wrote Maks and requested the recipe. Maks explained that it was indeed a riff on the Last Mechanical Art as well as on the Boulevardier.
The orange twist contributed to the drink's aroma of the Scotches' smoke along with a hint of Campari. Next, the sip was a bright almost citrus flavor that mingled with the whisky's malt notes. Finally, the swallow began with a smoothed out Scotch and herbal Cynar and ended with Campari's sharper notes. Overall, the Barefoot in the Park felt more balanced as the Swedish Punsch contributed more sweetness instead of Punt e Mes' extra dose of bitterness to the mix.

rome with a view

1 oz Campari
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass with fresh ice. Top with soda water (2-3 oz) and garnish with an orange slice. I added a straw.

Two Wednesdays ago, Andrea was in the mood for something light and refreshing. The drink that came to mind was the Rome with a View from Michael McIlroy from Manhattan's Milk & Honey. The recipe was in my thoughts for Tyler Wang left a comment on the post about the Triumph of Pompei drink that he served me a few weeks back that McIlroy's drink was his inspiration. Overall, the drink looked like a delightful Americano crossed with a Sour that would fit the mood quite well.
The orange slice's aroma contributed greatly to the Rome with a View's bouquet. The sip was crisp with citrus, white wine, and carbonation notes, and the swallow proffered the Campari that came across with a grapefruit flavor. Perhaps Tyler also experienced that grapefruit note and was thus inspired to switch the citrus to grapefruit in his riff.

girlfriend's dilemma

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

After Clio, I walked over the bridge up Mass Ave to Brick and Mortar for a nightcap. At the stick was bartender Kenny Belanger, and I asked him if he had any off-menu items to showcase. The drink he made for me was from Evan Harrison called the Girlfriend's Dilemma. It was not Evan's girlfriend in question, and that would have been a little awkward considering that she was sitting to my left. Two seats down was Evan himself who explained that the girlfriend of one of the bar's investors was unsure of what she wanted other than something vermouthy and low in alcohol. The Girlfriend's Dilemma was the result.
The cocktail's nose offered the Cognac as well as the Cynar notes. The citrussy sip presented the lemon juice and Cocchi flavors, and the swallow began with the Cognac that was broadened by the Cynar's herbal notes on the finish.

the day 3ish

2 oz Frapin VS Cognac
1/2 oz Gran Classico
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Tuesday last week, I paid a visit to bartender Todd Maul at Clio. One of the drinks I picked off the menu was entitled Day 3ish, and with a name like that, I needed to inquire about its origins. When Todd was working at Rialto, he was in the midst of a 14 day rally during restaurant week; one night, a patron asked how he was feeling, and he simply replied "day 3ish."
The Day 3ish's aroma offered the Cognac with hints of the Gran Classico; later, the bouquet came off a bit floral. Next, the sip showcased the lemon juice and the fruit note from the brandy, and the brandy continued on into the swallow where it was followed by a softened Gran Classico flavor with a tart lemon finish.

the last mechanical art

3/4 oz Chichicapa Mezcal (Sombra)
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Campari

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Two Mondays ago, we decided to venture into Beta Cocktails to find our evening's libation. There, I spotted an interesting quad from Maksym Pazuniak called the Last Mechanical Art. The drink started with an orange oil aroma that brightened up the mezcal's smokiness. While the sip was a gentle grape and caramel, the swallow began with Punt e Mes and Cynar's bitterness and ended with Campari and mezcal flavors. After a few sips, the Campari notes begin to linger on the finish; indeed, the Campari seemed to be better balanced in Maks' next iteration of this theme, Dancing in the Dark, which I will write about next week.

proclaimer

3/4 oz Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
3/4 oz Drambuie 15 Year
3/4 oz Honey Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top.

For my next drink at Eastern Standard, I asked Naomi Levy for the Proclaimer. Naomi mentioned that the recipe was crafted by Bobby McCoy and is one of the few mezcal-Drambuie drinks that she knows of. I replied that there were plenty of tequila-Drambuie drinks especially with Misty Kalkofen enjoying the pairing, but the only mezcal-Drambuie one I could think of was the Crush on a Bartender. Regardless, she declared that it seems like a natural combination and should be used more frequently.
The syrup and liqueur's honey aroma mingled with the smokiness of the mezcal and Drambuie 15 on the nose. The honey continued on into the sip where it was balanced by the crisp lime and complemented by the Drambuie's malt. The swallow was all about the smokey spirits though with the Scotch and mezcal notes stealing the show. Overall, the Proclaimer reminded me of a smokey Bee's Knees.

avalon

1/2 oz Old Port Rum
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Top with 2-3 oz of dry sparkling wine.

Two Sundays ago, I ventured down to Eastern Standard for dinner. For a first drink, I asked bartender John Drew for the Avalon which was a sparkler subtitled, "Arthurian Legend, Ferry Classic." I later spoke to bartender Naomi Levi and asked her about the drink. I inquired if it were a Carrie Cole recipe for the style mimicked a few of her other drinks including the Nouvelle Fleur except that it was lacking the requisite pinch of salt. Naomi nodded that it was indeed Carrie's, but the give away for her was the lime and grapefruit which is one of Carrie's signature pairings.
The Avalon began with a grapefruit and cinnamon aroma that led into a sparkling wine sip that presented the crisp grapefruit and lime notes. The swallow then showcased the dark rum and savory Yellow Chartreuse flavors with a growing cinnamon note on the finish.

prieure de sion

40 mL Armagnac (2 oz Larressingle VSOP)
15 mL St. Germain (3/4 oz)
5 mL Suze (1/4 oz Salers)
8 dash Peychaud's Bitters (12 dash)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Note that the drink was scaled up from 2 oz (using the original metric measurements) to 3 oz.

Two Saturdays ago for the cocktail hour, I decided upon the Prieuré de Sion from Gary Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails of 2012. The recipe was crafted by Isak Cornelis von Werther of the Nobis Hotel's Gold Bar in Stockholm, Sweden. Isak was inspired by the DaVinci Code, and the drink name translates to "priority of Zion."
The lemon twist brightened up the Peychaud's Bitters aroma hovering over the Prieuré de Sion. The sip was rather fruity from the Armagnac pairing with the St. Germain. The Armagnac continued into the swallow where it was followed by the St. Germain's floral and Saler's gentian notes. Finally, the Peychaud's dominated the finish; surprisingly, the drink was not as bitter as I first feared from the strong hand with the Peychaud's combining with the gentian liqueur. Indeed, the bitters and St. Germain did battle in the glass and the score ended up tied with a decent balance in the end.

palaver

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

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

For our next round at the Citizen Public House, bartender Nick Korn wanted to showcase some of his new recipes. The drink he made for me was the Palaver; a palaver is idle talk, misleading speech, or a long discussion between people of different levels of sophistication. Nick described how the drink starts with Fernet, but in the end the drinker is not left with it.
The orange oil dominated the cocktail's aroma at first before the Fernet Branca herbal notes began to peep through. Next, a caramel and grape flavor was tinged with orange notes on the sip. And the swallow began with Punt e Mes' bitter elements and finished with Fernet's menthol and the gin's juniper notes.

Elena
• 1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
• 1 oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 oz Lustau Dry Amontillado Sherry
Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Another of the drinks Nick made us was the Elena which was his aperitif creation. Its sip was full of the sweet vermouth and sherry's grape, and the swallow presented a pleasant nutty and herbal combination.

1788 buck

1 3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Five Spice Syrup (recipe)
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into an ice filled Collins glass. Top with 2-3 oz ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge and add a straw.
The drink that bartender John Nugent made for Andrea was the 1788 Buck. The recipe was crafted by Citizen's Chad Arnholt who named the drink after the year the Smith & Cross distillery's lineage can be traced back to in Jamaica. The Buck began with a fresh lime aroma that was balanced by the rum's funk. Next, the lime, ginger notes, and carbonation offered up a crisp sip; the swallow got rather interesting with the Smith & Cross funky rum flavors mixing with more ginger and the five spice notes especially the star anise.

ideal manhattan

1 1/2 oz Maker's Mark Bourbon
3/4 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist (although it has been served with a cherry garnish as well).

Two Thursdays ago, Andrea was having a bad day so we headed over to Tasty Burger for some comfort food. Afterwards, we crossed the street to the Citizen Public House for drinks. For a starter, I asked bartender John Nugent for the Ideal Manhattan, a fruit and floral-tinged Manhattan crafted by bar manager Joy Richard.
The Ideal Manhattan offered up a fresh grapefruit oil aroma which led into a malt and grape sip that contained St. Germain's fruit note. Next, the swallow first showcased the Bourbon, St. Germain's floral, and the bitters' grapefruit flavors, and later, the Angostura's spice began to appear and linger on the finish. Overall, I was quite surprised and pleased that the Ideal Manhattan was not as sweet as I first expected it to be.

governor

3/4 Brandy (2 oz Courvoisier VS Cognac)
2 dash Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat)
1 dash Benedictine (1/4 oz)
1 dash Orange Blossom Water (8 drop)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Depending on the strength of your orange blossom water, adjust the dash size accordingly.
Two Wednesdays ago, I began flipping through Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and found the Governor. Once mixed, the drink offered a savory grape aroma. The dry vermouth's wine notes filled the sip along with a richness from the brandy and the liqueur. On the swallow, the Cognac flavor was spiced by the Benedictine and Angostura Bitters, and it ended with a lingering floral note from the orange blossom water. Andrea commented that with the Governor's dryness and bitter notes, it would probably be less of a crowd pleaser and more of an advance placement drink; perhaps switching to a bianco vermouth might make the Governor more universally appealing though.

bath salts

2 oz House Three Rum Blend (*)
1 oz Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Pernod
3 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and pour into a pint glass. Top with Barritts Ginger Beer, garnish with an orange slice and a brandied cherry, and add a straw.
(*) Rum blend contains 2 parts Old Monk, 1 part Neisson Rhum Agricole Blanc, 2 part Coconut Rum

Two Tuesdays ago, I sat at the bar at Trina's Starlite Lounge for dinner. For a first drink, I asked bartender Emma Hollander for the Bath Salts. Emma described how it was their Zombie riff that paid tribute to the Zombie-inducing street drug that has been in the news lately. With the apricot liqueur in the mix, it reminded me of the first Zombie I had at a Halloween party in college, and that ingredient appears in the 1941 recipe from W.C. Whitfield's Here's How. However, the pastis in the drink still kept part of it reminiscent of the classic 1934 Zombie.
The Bath Salt's aroma was the brandied cherry garnish that was spiced by the Pernod's anise and other herbal notes. Next, the sip contained citrus flavors with light carbonation, and the swallow began with dark rum and apricot notes and finished with ginger and anise. As the ice melted, the apricot and ginger flavors began to play a larger role in the drink's balance.

:: a boston cocktail book ::

The proof for the book just arrived yesterday so it should be on the market in a few weeks! It is a collection of over 500 drinks created here in Boston over the last 5 years or so with attribution to the bar and often bartender.  More about the book when it gets released in September!

what you talkin' 'bout willis?

1 1/2 oz Bully Boy White Whiskey
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
3/4 oz Aperol

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

So while Scott Marshall was in no shape for me to say my proper goodbyes on Sunday before he left for Savannah, Georgia, he invited people in advance to meet up at Silvertone the next day. When I got to Silvertone, I approached the bar and spoke to Josh Childs about the new drinks on his menu. The one that called out to me was one he wrote on Boston.com in his article about visiting the Bully Boy Distillery here in Boston. When I inquired about the name, he explained that the distillery was founded by a pair of brothers, Dave and Will Willis, and he wondered why there had not been a drink named "What You Talkin' 'Bout Willis?" after the famous line from the Diff'rent Strokes television series. Therefore, he created this tribute to the brothers using their white whiskey. While I am not generally a big fan of white whiskey genre, I do have to say that I was impressed with their spirit's grain complexity from the wheat that they use and the smoothness from the distillation; apparently their aged spirits are coming along and should be on the market in the next year or two.
On the nose, the orange twist complemented the Aperol's aroma, and these two fruitier elements surrounded the whiskey's maltiness. On the tongue, the citrussy sip led into a bitter rhubarb swallow that had been dried out by the whiskey.

rusty shakleford

1 3/4 oz Ron Matusalem Platino Rum (*)
1 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz White Crème de Cacao
3/4 oz Cream of Coconut

Blend with ~5 oz ice for 10 seconds and pour into a 10 oz water goblet. Garnish with cocktail monkeys and add a straw.
(*) My notes only say "rum platino," so it could be Atlantico or another. But Matusalem is a good bet here in Boston.

So perhaps my pit stop into Craigie on Main on my way to the Hawthorne for Scott Marshall's last night was not a wise decision. By the time I got there, Scott was finished. Shirt off, tattoos flying finished -- in a way that I had not seen him since Bourbon Street the year he went down with the Drink crew for the Barroom Brawl at Tales of the Cocktail. I am guessing that his menu that had "VEP Chartreuse" as the only options on one side must have done him in with style. Therefore, I asked bartender Ryan Lotz if Scotty's drinks were still being served even if his shift had come to an end. Luckily, Nicole Lebedevitch had stepped in to keep the blenders and swizzle sticks going.
The drink I was interested in was one that the Dudekickers had tweeted about earlier in the evening called the Rusty Shakleford. While I was not so big into the Miami Vices and Frozen Daiquiri idea (although I did try and enjoy Scott's Braveheart off the blender at the Franklin's Drambuie event two weeks before), a blender drink with Green Chartreuse sounded exquisite. Moreover, the combination of rum, Chartreuse, and cacao was one that worked rather well in the Pago Pago. Apparently, Rusty Shakleford was an alias that Scott Marshall started using after acquiring the name and idea from the King of the Hill series. Once blended, the drink lacked an aroma until it started melting a little and began yielding light chocolate notes. The sip was an interesting chocolate-mint flavor that reminded me slightly of Sam Treadway's Fortress of Solitude (Bols Genever, crème de cacao, crème de menthe with big ice shards). Finally, the drink ended with a more rounded herbal set of notes from the Chartreuse along with more chocolate from the crème de cacao on the swallow. Indeed, the cream of coconut in combination with the freezing temperatures really mellowed out the drink.

roald's traveler

1 oz W.L. Weller Bourbon
1 oz Peach Shrub (*)
1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb
1 barspoon Honey Syrup
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a lime wheel, and add a straw.
(*) Check here and here for how to make a shrub.

Two Sundays ago, I was planning on making it to Scott Marshall's last shift at the Hawthorne before he moves on to Savannah, Georgia. My adventure started in Central Square so I paid a quick visit to Craigie on Main. For a drink, I asked bartender Ann for the Roald's Traveler that was created by Jared Sadoian using a peach shrub that she had crafted. With the peach element, I assumed that the recipe was a homage to Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach.
The garnishes added a slightly tropical feel with lime and nutmeg aromas. The rest of the drink felt more Southern as the sip offered up the peach, orange, and honey notes. Finally, the peach continued on into the swallow along with the Bourbon flavor and the savory aspect of the shrub's vinegar.

kodiak island

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
4 leaf Mint

Shake with ice and double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a short mint sprig.

After Brick and Mortar, I started towards home via Union Square, and there, I made a pit stop at Backbar. I was greeted by bartender Sam Treadway who mentioned some of the new drinks that they had come up with; he said that they had taken an interest in merging pairs of recipes after being inspired by Ted Kilpatrick's Comanche Club. The one that sounded most appealing was a cross between an Alaska and a South Side that Joe Cammarata and Alex Homans developed. They named the creation the Kodiak Island which is an island off the southern side of Alaska.
The Kodiak Island greeted me with a mint aroma that led into a lemon, honey, and vegetal sip. Next, the swallow began with a combination of mint and gin that ended with Yellow Chartreuse's savory notes.

darkness til dawn

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two Thursdays ago, I stopped into Brick and Mortar when Evan Harrison was bartending. For a drink, I asked if he had any recipes from old Spin the Bottle events that he thought I might like. The one he made for me was another one of Misty Kalkofen's that she made for the night when Eastern Standard's Garrett Harker was on the turntables. Like the Attitude Dancing from that event which I had two weeks before, the Darkness til Dawn was also named after a Carly Simon tune.
With Cherry Heering, Fernet Branca, and lemon juice, the Darkness til Dawn reminded me of the Pinto from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933. The one major addition to the flavor profile was the apple brandy which contributed greatly to the drink's aroma along with the cherry and lemon notes; later, as the drink warmed up, the aroma became more apple and menthol driven. The rich lemon sip led into an apple swallow that finished with Fernet's menthol flavors that were modified by the citrus notes. Later, the apple on the swallow was joined by the Heering's cherry flavors.

sky scraper

3/8 Booth's Dry Gin (1 1/8 oz Cascade Mountain)
1/4 Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz)
1/8 Bols Curaçao (3/8 oz Pierre Ferrand)
1/8 Lemon Juice (3/8 oz)
1/8 Grenadine (3/8 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added a lemon twist.

Two weeks ago, I decided to make the Sky Scraper, an original recipe from the Café Royal Cocktail Book. By the time the book was published in 1937, the sky scraper was not a new phenomenon. Between the introduction of Elisha Otis' safety elevator in 1852 and the perfection of steel skeleton constructions in the 1880s that could outdo standard masonry, there were plenty of sky scrapers in the 1930s across the world. At the time of publication, the world's tallest sky scraper was the Empire State Building at 1,454 feet which held the record for 40 years. Perhaps tall buildings with glorious views are plenty of reason to raise a glass and toast the modern world.
The lemon twist I added to the recipe contributed greatly to the drink's aroma and prepared the mouth for the lemon and pomegranate notes on the sip. The curaçao's orange peel notes paired with the gin on the swallow that finished with the Angostura Bitters' spice. Indeed, the Sky Scraper started with a tart sip that ended with a sweeter swallow.

smoky

2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Walnut Orgeat
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Zucca

Roll with ice and pour into a Collins glass. Add a straw.

After dinner at Helmand, Andrea and I wandered over to Hungry Mother for a drink. Even though I knew it was coming, I lamented how Hungry Mother got rid of their numbering system of drinks in favor of descriptors. To sooth that, I asked bartender Ned Greene for the Smoky.
The Smoky lived up to its name by greeting the senses with a smoke aroma that contained herbal notes from the Zucca and perhaps from the housemade orgeat as well. Next, the Zucca's wine note paired well with the bitter walnut on the sip, and the mezcal and Zucca's herbal flavors rounded out the swallow. My notes make no reference to the grapefruit, so it must have worked more in a supportive way to hold the drink together.

sin agua

1 1/2 Milagro Silver Tequila
1 oz La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum

Stir without ice and pour into a rocks glass rinsed with 3 flamed spritzes of Angostura Bitters. Note: this is a room temperature cocktail.

After Tyler Wang at No. 9 Park made me the Triumph of Pompei during my birthday bar crawl, I said that I was in a hurry to leave since I had to meet up with Andrea for dinner. Tyler, however, declared that he was making me a Tequila Scaffa that he had been working on. With memories of how good Scott Holliday's Tequila Scaffa was, I decided to risk being late. In an update, the drink appeared on their menu around April or May of 2013 as the "Sin Agua" although I am not sure if it has undergone any changes.
The Scaffa had a glorious caramelized aroma from the flamed Angostura Bitters spritzes. The sip was a clean grape that later gained caramel notes from the sides of the glass, and the swallow was a combination of the tequila and the falernum's lime-clove flavors. It was definitely a drink worth risking being late, but fortunately, the subways were in my favor and I got to my destination on time.

triumph of pompeii

1 1/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass with ice. Top with 1 1/2 oz soda water. Add a pinch of salt to the top ice cube, garnish with a grapefruit twist, and add a straw.

After Stoddard's, I ventured over to No. 9 Park where Tyler Wang was behind the stick. For a starter, I had the Triumph of Pompeii; Tyler explained that they had riffed off of Milk and Honey's Rome is Burning cocktail. I later failed to find a recipe for this inspirational drink and instead kept coming up with recipes for the one Scott Holliday created with the same name. Feel free to leave a comment with the recipe if you have it.
The grapefruit twist paid dividends in the aroma department. The grapefruit aspect continued on with the juice which paired elegantly with the Cocchi Americano's citrus wine flavors on the sip. Finally, the drink ended with soft Fernet Branca notes on the swallow.

the blood of my enemies

1 oz Clement Rhum Agricole
1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Blood Orange Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Continuing on with my birthday bar crawl after the In Fashion at J.M. Curley, I ventured down Temple Place to Stoddard's. For a drink, I asked bar manager Jamie Walsh for the Blood of My Enemies. Jamie explained that the drink was created by Tony Iamunno. Once made, the rhum agricole's grass note was complemented by a fruit aroma. Next, the orange and pomegranate on the sip led into a smoothed over rhum agricole flavor on the swallow.

marshall island swizzle

2 oz Plantation Barbados Rum
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1 oz Lime Juice

Build in a Collins glass and fill with crushed ice. Swizzle to mix and chill, and garnish with several dashes of Angostura Bitters. Add a straw.

Taking a momentary diversion from my birthday bar crawl tales for I realized that I forgot to write about a drink I had two nights before at the Hawthorne. Since it was Swizzle Sunday there, I decided to look through the list of theme drinks and spotted the Marshall Island Swizzle. Bartender Ryan Lotz confirmed my suspicion that the drink was indeed created by Scott Marshall using his namesake islands in the Pacific. Overall, it seemed like a much less challenging but just as delicious sounding Swizzle as the last of Scott's that I had, namely the St. Bruno Swizzle.
The Marshall Island Swizzle's Angostura Bitters garnish greeted my nose with gentian, allspice, and clove aromas. The lime and honey sip was not overly sweet. And the rum and ginger swallow was quite delighful; as the floated bitters began to integrate into the flavor profile in the end, the swallow got even further spiced and rather dry.

in fashion

2 oz Four Roses Bourbon
3/4 oz Kasteel Rouge Cherry Lambic
3/4 oz Averna
1 Orange Slice
1 Sugar Cube

Muddle the sugar cube with the orange slice. Add the rest of the ingredients and ice, stir, and double strain into a rocks glass.

Two Tuesdays ago was my birthday, and I decided to treat myself to a birthday bar crawl like I did in 2010. I started my adventure by getting off the subway at Park Street and walking over to J.M. Curley. There, bar manager Kevin Mabry seemed pretty excited about his abstraction of an new-fashioned Old Fashioned that just appeared on the menu called the In Fashion. Keeping the whiskey, orange slice, and sugar cube intact, Kevin replaced the bitters with Averna and the muddled cherry with a cherry-flavored beer.
The In Fashion began with a dark cherry and malt aroma. The sip was a combination of the Averna's caramel and the beer's cherry flavors. On the swallow, the Bourbon paired with the Averna's herbal complexity and hints of the orange peel on the finish. Overall, it was the most innovative take of the new Old Fashioned I have experienced since Max Toste's Hot Old Fashioned last year.

:: grandten's wire works gin ::

I was recently given a bottle of GrandTen's Wire Works Gin made here in Boston. Unlike the St. George's gins in the last review, these were less of a straight gift and more of a thank you present for helping guide the distillers with their gin development process. In the late fall, I was contacted by Matt and Spence from GrandTen to attend a private tasting at the Boston Shaker store of some of their gin prototypes. Out of the bunch, I gave my suggestions of which paths were worth following and what I liked and disliked about each. A few months later, I was contacted again for a second tasting at the distillery to try out the later stage prototypes.
Once at the distillery, I, of course, was distracted by their beautiful still as well as the historic space which used to be a 19th century iron foundry where they made weaponry and munitions before transitioning over to wire cable. Once we got down to business, I could tell that the gin had been progressing, and I picked out my favorite two directions. It still was not there; however, they seemed to understand my abstract comments and put it into action on the still for their finished product a short time later turned out to be solid and devoid of the flaws that I had pointed out in that second tasting.
Andrea and I sat down to taste the final version of this gin (along with the St. George gins). On the nose, it was citrussy even though from what I recall there is no citrus peel in the botanicals. The bouquet also presented bay leaf and juniper notes. On the tongue, Wire Works was juniper forward but it was well-balanced with the complex spice flavors; finally, at the end was a lingering mint tingle. Wire Works was surprisingly easy and enjoyable to drink straight which is not something one usually thinks about with gin. Unfortunately, we have not tinkered enough with this gin to determine its full range, but it did work rather well in the Margaret Rose, a gin-Calvados Sidecar of sorts.

:: st. george's gins ::

I was gifted the new gins from St. George Spirits for review. Many people are  familiar their delightfully potent absinthe, and they recently came out with three gins: Botanivore, Terroir, and Dry Rye. A week or two ago, Andrea and I sat down to try out these spirits.

The first one we tasted was the Botanivore. With 20 different botanicals in the mix, the gin was rather complex but no single note was out of balance here. The nose was rather citrussy and juniper; the citrus can be attributed to the lemon, lime, bergamot, and Seville orange peel in addition to Citra hops. On the tongue, we tasted pine, juniper, and coriander flavors with a slightly mint-like finish. Overall, the gin that popped into my head for comparison was Bluecoat due to the citrus elements and balance; likewise, the Botanivore would probably work in most standard gin recipes.
The next one we tried was Terroir. The name reflects the regional sourcing of some of the botanicals in the area around the distillery in Alameda, CA. The botanicals that stand out as most likely locally harvested are the Douglas fir, California bay laurel, and coastal sage. On the nose, the pine tree and sage notes combined to make me think of Christmas; Andrea commented that it was very sprucy. On the tongue, it was more vegetal and sweeter than the Botanivore; sage, juniper, and a sharper bay note were easily discernible. Interestingly, the gin was not as Christmassy on the mouth as it was on the nose; instead of pine flavors, it was more balanced with green herbal notes. While the information we received declared that Terroir would pair well with berries and citrus, the ingredients that popped into our heads to complement the Terroir's flavors would be the sharper Green Chartreuse and the more savory Yellow one such as in a Bijou or an Alaska, respectively.

The last of the trio was the Dry Rye. Given the name, it is not surprising that the alcohol base was derived from pot-stilled rye. Likewise, on the nose, we got a whiskey grain note that was distinct akin to the malt aromas hovering over Genevers. In addition to the rye, there was an earthy-black pepper aroma as well. On the tongue, the gin was light in body with juniper and black pepper on the front. On the finish, the caraway pleasantly gave the gin a sweetness to balance the black pepper spice. The distillery suggests swapping out rye for this gin or using it drinks that have gin and whiskey variations such as the Negroni/1794.

Finally, Josh Childs, bartender at Silvertone and Trina's Starlite Lounge, recently wrote about the spirits for Boston.com. In his article, he includes two recipes to show how bartenders are using these gins around town. One is a Manhattan Martini created by Backbar's Joe Cammarata using the Dry Rye, and the other is the Necromancer by Citizen's Chad Arnholt using the Terroir.

kentucky proper

1 1/2 oz Old Weller Antique Bourbon
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters
Leaves of 2 Mint Sprigs

Shake with ice and double strain into a cocktail glass. Top with 1 oz dry sparkling wine, stir briefly, and garnish with a spanked mint leaf.

Two Mondays ago, we paid a visit to Bergamot for cocktails. The drink I asked bartender Paul Manzelli about was the Kentucky Proper off of the cocktail menu; Paul described the libation as their Bourbon take on the rum-based Old Cuban. Since the original is so delightful, I gave the thumbs up to the idea.
The Kentucky Proper offered up mint and Bourbon notes on the nose. The carbonated wine, lemon, and whiskey malt notes filled the sip and led into Bourbon and mint flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Kentucky Proper was reminiscent of a lighter, crisper Whiskey Smash à la Eastern Standard.

whiskey fix

1 wineglass Whiskey (2 oz Sazerac 6 Year Rye)
1/2 pony Pineapple Syrup (1/2 oz)
2-3 dash Lime or Lemon Juice (1/4 oz Lemon)
1/2 Tbsp Sugar (omitted)

Stir to mix. Fill with shaved ice and ornament tastefully with fruits of the season. Serve with a straw.
Two Saturdays ago, I was in the mood for a Fix so I opened up Harry Johnson's New & Improved Illustrated Bartender's Manual. I reached for this book for it contains the recipe for the Brandy Fix that bartender Ted Kilpatrick made me at No. 9 Park. The Whiskey Fix began with the whiskey's malt notes. The malt continued on into the sip where it complemented the lemon and pineapple elements. Finally, the rest of the rye's flavors came through on the swallow. Overall, the Whiskey Fix was refreshing like a Julep or a Smash without relying on mint flavors in the least.

skipper kent's planter's punch

3/4 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Don Q)
1/2 oz White Crème de Cacao (Marie Brizard)
1 1/2 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with crushed ice and pour unstrained into a Pilsner glass. I garnished with a lemon twist and added a straw.

After the Toto, I decided to switch gears and have something more tropical and refreshing; therefore, I reached for Beach Bum Berry's Remixed. The drink that I had already bookmarked from a previous perusal was a Planter's Punch variation created by Skipper Kent in Oakland. Apparently, the Skipper Kent chain was notorious for locating near Trader Vic's establishments to siphon off their business.
The Punch began with citrus notes that intermingled with a rum funk. A tart orange and lemon sip led into a funky rum swallow. The crème de cacao's chocolate notes also appeared on the swallow but were rather quite subdued relative to the rum and citrus flavors.  Even though Skipper Kent was a bit of a copycat, I at least appreciate his uniqueness in seeming to favor less sweetly balanced Tiki drinks.

toto

3/4 oz Reposado Tequila (Espólon)
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Fridays ago, I opened up Left Coast Libations to see if there were any hidden gems that I had missed in the earlier passes. The one that caught my eye was the Toto from Portland's Kelley Swenson. I had first learned of this drink from the Munat Brothers' Le Mixeur blog back in 2008. Instead of the the Toto, I made the companion gin drink called Broken Flowers. Moreover, in 2010, I wrote about Kelley's Celeriac that is listed next to the Toto in the book.
The Toto began with a lemon oil aroma along with herbal notes from the tequila and Green Chartreuse. The sip then lent a caramel flavor from the Cynar with hints of the Green Chartreuse coming through. Finally, the swallow was an intriguing opposition of the dark bitterness of Cynar against the herbal Green Chartreuse complemented by the tequila. Indeed, it was interesting how the tequila and Cynar modified the Green Chartreuse in herbal and bitter directions, respectively.

ocean cable

1/2 Canadian Club Whisky (1 1/2 oz Alberta Premium)
1/3 Lillet Blanc (1 oz Cocchi Americano)
1/6 Brandy (1/2 oz Pedro Domecq Fundador Solera Reserva)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Thursdays ago, we decided to make one of the original drinks in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book, the Ocean Cable, that called for Canadian whisky. Though we lack Canadian Club, I do have a bottle of Alberta Premium that Marc Smolinski of A Drinker's Peace brought with him from Vancouver and gifted me at Tales of the Cocktail in 2011. Surprisingly the history of ocean cables for communication is much older than the book and pretty much all cocktail books for that matter. The first trans-Atlantic cable was successfully laid down in 1858 and telegraphs were able to be sent for 3 weeks before the cable failed; however, the project was labeled a success for it sped up messages that were otherwise being sent by boat from 10 days to a few hours. Later cable projects came with greater success as engineers improved materials and manufacturing techniques to increase transmission speeds and cable longevity. By 1937, the trans-Atlantic cable would have been old hat but still something very worthwhile to raise a drink over.
The Ocean Cable began with an Angostura spice aroma along with vanilla notes from the whisky. The sip then offered Cocchi's citrus-wine flavors and some of the Spanish brandy's grape. Finally, the whisky, brandy, and Angostura Bitters rounded out the swallow. Overall, the drink was a light oddball of a Manhattan variation. The Canadian whisky I used is a lot lighter than any rye or Bourbon I have tasted; therefore, the Cocchi Americano paired rather well with it (akin to the relative strengths of rye versus sweet vermouth) instead of being overwhelmed. However, the Angostura Bitters took a larger role in the drink than in a Manhattan so perhaps cutting down on the dash size might aid the balance here.

[piazza vecchia]

1 oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
1 oz Nardini Bassano Grappa
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/3 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Scrappy's Celery Bitters
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two weeks ago, I was missing New Orleans since we opted not to go to Tales of the Cocktail this year. So when we were dining at Rendezvous, I asked bartender Scott Holliday to riff off of a classic New Orleans cocktail of his choosing. Moreover, I was motivated to do so since his Vieux Carré variation that I dubbed Central Carré (after Rendevous' Central Square location) was quite good. The direction Scott took was to riff once again off of the Vieux Carré but this time to make it a clear cocktail. In place of the Cognac, he used grappa. Instead of the whiskey, he changed gears and matched his grappa choice with blanco tequila.
The drink's bouquet offered up grappa's funkiness, tequila notes, and hints of chocolate. Next, the sip presented a dry grape paired with a vegetal note. Finally, the swallow contained tequila and grappa flavors along with herbal notes from the Yellow Chartreuse and celery bitters. Overall, I was impressed with Scott's insight of how grappa and tequila would play so well together in the glass. In addition, the dry vermouth and celery bitters pairing was also notable as it was in Drink's Farley Mowat.

espionage

1 1/2 oz Fair Trade Quinoa Vodka
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist a lemon and an orange peel over the top.
The other drink I tried at Eastern Standard was the Espionage which features Fair Trade's vodka. The vodka is made from quinoa which donates a rather pleasant earthiness to the spirit, although that note was a little lost here when mixed with the trio of flavorful bitter liqueurs. The drink, created by Kevin Martin, began with a bounty of citrus oils from the lemon and orange twists. The Cynar and Amaro Montenegro's caramel rich notes filled the sip, and the swallow rounded out with herbal flavors from mainly the Cynar and a mintiness from the Amaro Montenegro. Andrea commented that the Espionage was rather food friendly perhaps from the earthiness of the vodka or the savory notes in the Yellow Chartreuse.

the bon-vivant

1 1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 big Blackberries

Muddle blackberries in a rocks glass. Add rest of ingredients and fill with crushed ice. Stir, garnish with 2 sprigs of mint and a blackberry, and add straws.

Monday after my DJ gig, we stopped into Eastern Standard for dinner. For a drink, I asked bartender Seth Freidus for the Bon-Vivant which was subtitled "in honor of the professor." That professor of course is Jerry Thomas, and this tribute was created by Kit Paschal in the style of a Sherry Cobbler.
The Bon-Vivant offered up a mint aroma that led into a sip containing sherry's grape and the muddle blackberry. Next, the sherry's nutty notes paired well with the rum's molasses flavor at the beginning of the swallow that ended with light cinnamon notes. Overall, the Lustau East India Sherry was a lot nuttier than I remember it being; Andrea surmised that it was the black strap rum that set the sherry in that direction.

attitude dancing

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
1 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Kümmel
1 oz Water

Build in a rocks glass and stir to mix. This is a room temperature cocktail, so no ice.

After the Drambuie event, I made my way over to Brick and Mortar for a nightcap. When discussing what I should have, bartender Kenny Belanger suggested a curious room temperature libation that they served for a Spin the Bottle event where Eastern Standard's proprietor Garrett Harker was on the turntables; while I did not see a set list from the evening, the Carly Simon song title to this drink might provide a few hints. In addition, I did not inquire about the recipe's source, but it appears to have Misty Kalkofen's handwriting all over it.
The Attitude Dancing shared kümmel's caraway and Fernet Branca's menthol on the nose. The Fernet's caramel paired with the Cognac's richness on the sip, and the brandy's heat began the swallow that ended with the Fernet and kümmel's herbal and spice notes. Overall, the drink made for a great nightcap, but it certainly had the feel of a morning Corpse Reviver.  Moreover, the liqueur choices reminded me of recipes I have seen and made from William Schmidt's 1891 The Flowing Bowl.

:: drambuie's totc send off party ::

The Sunday before Tales of the Cocktail, Drambuie hosted a send off party at the Franklin Southie. Besides a punch crafted by Franklin/Citizen's Joy Richard and Chad Arnholt, there were three bartenders from across town presenting Drambuie libations. The first one I tried was from Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar's Bobby McCoy called the Skyeball.
The Skyeball was a delightful Highball with a mint and malt aroma. The carbonated sip offered up lemon and honey notes, and the swallow showcased the mint and the gin.

The Skyeball
• 3/4 oz Bombay Dry Gin
• 1 1/2 oz Drambuie
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 5-6 leaf Mint
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
Shake with ice and pour into a Highball glass. Top with soda water, garnish with mint, and add a straw.

The next one I tried was the Braveheart from Hawthorne's blender master Scott Marshall.
The Braveheart presented a spicy nutmeg aroma that led into a lime and honey sip. Next, the rum and Scotch notes combined with the orgeat's nuttiness and the Angostura's spice on the swallow.

The Braveheart
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi 8 Rum
• 3/4 oz Drambuie
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Orgeat
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters
Blend with a scoop of ice for 10 seconds. Pour into a Collins glass and add a straw. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a cocktail fan.

The final drink was from Brother Cleve who cracked out the acid phosphate and citrus juice for his Speyside Sour.
The Speyside Sour offered up citrus notes along with the Drambuie's Scotch aroma. A tart citrus sip was chased by a dry rum, whisky, and spice swallow. It seemed like the citrus' tartness was more on the sip with the acid phosphate's crispness more on the swallow.

Speyside Sour
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Select
• 1 oz Drambuie
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Orange Juice
• 2 dash Acid Phosphate
• 2 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Add a straw.

imperial blueberry fizz

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Crème Yvette
2 Tbsp Blueberries

Muddle blueberries in the Crème Yvette. Add the rest of the ingredients and ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Top with 2 1/2 oz of Champagne (Gruet Blanc de Blancs). Garnish with an edible orchid if available.

Two Saturdays ago, Andrea had made fruit salad so we had some extra fruit kicking around the kitchen. Remembering that there were some melon and berry recipes in the PDT Cocktail Book, I began flipping through its pages until I found and settled upon the Imperial Blueberry Fizz.
The Fizz began with a blueberry aroma that contained a hint of floral notes. The carbonated dry wine flavor offered up a tart note from the blueberries on the sip. Next, the berry flavors continued into the swallow along with a violet finish. While there was nothing unexpected here, the drink was still a rather solid celebration of seasonal fruit.

moonshake

1 oz Mezcal (Sombra)
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dash Grapefruit Bitters
1 dash Vanilla Extract
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a Highball glass containing 1 oz soda water. Add another 1 oz soda water to the strained-out tin, swirl, and strain again. Garnish with mint sprigs and grapefruit oil from a twist.

While looking up the details about bartender William Elliott for the Pontarlier Julep post, I found another one of his recipes called the Moonshake on FoodRepublic that seemed interesting as a mezcal Silver Fizz. The article described how William named the drink after a song from the late 60s to late 70s krautrock band Can; while I own a some of the Can discography thanks to my college radio DJ days, this song had eluded me until now.
The Moonshake greeted me with smoke, grapefruit oil, and mint aromas. The creamy citrus sip offered up more grapefruit flavors than lime. Next, the swallow showcased the mezcal that was mellowed out by the egg white.