surfer rosa

1 1/2 oz Berkshire Mountain Distiller's Greylock Gin
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass containing 2 oz of soda water. Top with ice, garnish with a grapefruit twist, and add a straw.
The final drink I created for the inaugural Loyal Nine Brunch which launches tomorrow was a Highball idea. I knew that I wanted to do something with bubbles for brunch but I was stumbling around for ideas. Last night, I thought about the syrup duo of passion fruit and honey that appears in Don's Special Daiquiri. Since I already had a pair of rum drinks, I figured that gin was the way to go, and from there, I thought about the carbonated Bee's Knees that I batched for a large event:

Carbonated Bee's Knees
• 2 oz Greylock Gin
• 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice (fine strained but not clarified)
• 3/4 oz Water
• 1/4 oz Simple Syrup
Batch for one or larger (we were doing 1.8 liters or so in each 2 liter bottle), chill on ice, and carbonate to 40-45 psi. Pour into a 4 oz glass and garnish with lemon oil.

The carbonated Bee's Knees were a hit not only for the bartender working the large book launch in the coffee shop but for the guests as well. Here, adding in passion fruit flavors and making it à la minute, and all it needed was a name. I wanted to keep it tropical sounding, and the Pixies provided an album name for a song title; their prior EP would have been appropriate too with Come On Pilgrim...

rum fizz tropical

1 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum
1 oz Coconut Cream
1 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 1/2 oz Heavy Cream
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a Collins glass with 2 oz soda water. Garnish with an orchid and freshly grated nutmeg.

For a first drink at the Baldwin Room at Sichuan Garden II, I asked bartender Vannaluck Hongthong for the Rum Fizz Tropical. Van described how this was Ran's Ramos Gin Fizz crossed with a Painkiller. I was drawn to it for it reminded me of Charles H. Baker's Gin Fizz Tropical which Baker described as "an affair based on the New Orleans Fizz background but using pineapple syrup... instead of sugar, and juice from... green limes instead of lemon." Here, the Ramos theme included pineapple juice not syrup, and the syrup's sweetness was derived from coconut cream instead.
The Rum Fizz Tropical started with a nutmeg spice and floral bouquet. Next, a carbonated creamy coconut and lime sip transitioned into pineapple and dark rum on the swallow.

palace of the dead

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur
1/2 oz Brovo 14 Amaro
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I headed over to the Baldwin Room at Sichuan Garden II where bartenders Vannaluck Hongthong and Raul Zelaya were at the stick. For a first drink, Andrea asked Van for the Palace of the Dead, and Van described how this was Ran Duan's recipe. In the glass, the garnish added lime notes to the mezcal's smoke aroma. Next, grape and caramel on the sip led into agave, pepper spice, and herbal notes on the swallow.

kanaloa

2 oz Privateer Silver Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/2 oz Chamomile Tea Syrup (*)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash St. George Absinthe

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Fill with crushed ice, garnish with a lime wheel, and add straws.
(*) 1 cup boiling water, 1 cup sugar, 4 tsp dried chamomile flowers (or 4 chamomile tea bags). Steep 20 minutes. Via Charles Joly in Imbibe.
Another one of my brunch ideas for the inaugural cocktail menu on November 1st was a Tiki drink. Instead of taking the more dark and brooding route with Tiki, I wanted to go something brighter with the feel of a Corpse Reviver #2. About a week before, I had made up a chamomile tea syrup on a whim, and this breakfast Tiki project seemed like the perfect use. I shopped around with a few ingredients to balance its brightness, but falernum and Benedictine did not seem to do the job; however, Swedish Punsch seemed to provide the right herbal notes and was slightly darker and deeper to balance the chamomile.

millers river milk punch

4 oz High Lawn Farms Jersey Cow Whole Milk
1 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Top with ice cubes and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
For Loyal Nine's upcoming brunch, I was tasked to develop some brunch drinks. While I wanted to do a Ramos Gin Fizz variation, I know how busy brunch can get and how long those drinks take to make (besides clean up afterwards). Instead, I began to hone in on the dairy aspect and considered the milk punch. No, not the Mary Rocket clarified ones, but the 1862 Jerry Thomas ones that more resemble White Russians and have a long history of New Orleans brunch drinks especially at Brennan's Restaurant. For a name, I turned to a nearby Colonial era river that provided transport between commercial sites and made up the boundary of Cambridge and Somerville before it was mostly filled in with landfill. Perhaps it is also a tribute to our neighbors across the street in the Millers River Apartments who provide local color to our windows' view.

dead reckoning

1 1/2 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a pineapple skull (lime wheel with mint).
After my Sunday night shift two weekends ago, I turned to Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar for some relief. There, I spotted the Dead Reckoning which appeared like a pineapple juice-laden Green Ghost from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. Once in the glass, it offered a mint and herbal aroma that gave way to lime and pineapple notes on the sip. Finally, the swallow shared gin's juniper and Green Chartreuse's herbal flavors with pineapple's smoothness on the swallow.

white lion

1 jigger Bacardi Rum (1 1/4 oz DonQ Gold, 1/4 oz Wray & Nephew, 1/4 oz Vale d'Paul Agricole)
3 dash Maraschino Liqueur (3/8 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Apricot Liqueur (3/8 oz Rothman & Winter)
2 dash Gum Syrup (omitted)
Juice 1 Lime (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Fridays ago, I reached for Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for the evening's nightcap. The recipe that called out to me was the White Lion in the rum section; I had previously skipped over that drink for it has the same name and a bit of similarity to Jerry Thomas' White Lion (which is rather similar to his Knickerbocker). Then again, Max Toste put his own spin on the White Lion at Deep Ellum, so perhaps riffing on the classic while maintaining the name has always been the norm. Instead of passing it over this time, I opted to make this Daiquiri variation of sorts.
In the glass, this White Lion shared funky and grassy rum aromas along with lime notes. The lime continued on into the sip where it mingled with hints of cherry and orchard fruit. And finally, the swallow shared funky rum, apricot, and nutty cherry flavors. Overall, it was closer to a Periodista than a classic Daiquiri.

tropical itch

1 oz Bourbon (Four Roses)
1 oz Jamaican Rum (Coruba)
1/2 oz Demerara 151 Proof Rum (Lemon Hart)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Curaçao (Van der Hum)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass (Tiki mug). Top with ice and garnish with a pineapple fruit leaf and a lemon wheel (crushed ice, mint).

Two Thursdays ago, I turned to a drink recipe that I had spotted in Imbibe Magazine for the Tropical Itch. The recipe was San Diego's Fairweather's reformulation of the classic Tiki drink. The ModernTiki blog credits Harry Yee at the Hilton Hawaiian Gardens resort in Waikiki in the late 1950s who was also the creator of the Blue Hawaii. Moreover, the KaiserPenguin and others assign credit that Yee was the first person to garnish a cocktail, namely the Tropical Itch, with a paper umbrella. However, Beachbum Berry attributes the drink to Joe Scialom of Suffering Bastard fame at the Caribe Hotel in the late 1950s, and it was not a paper parasol but a bamboo back scratcher as a garnish.
Well, after narrowing down the origins of the drink to two different Tiki legends, it was time to make the drink. The Tropical Itch as I garnished it smelled pleasantly of mint. Lemon, orange, and passion fruit on the sip gave way to funky rum, pineapple, and passion fruit on the swallow.

declaration

2 oz Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Rare Wine Co. Boston Bual Madeira
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

The last drink I had at No. 9 Park was the Declaration concocted by No. 9 alumni Sam Olivari. When I mentioned that the drink structure reminded me of Brick & Mortar's Two Caravels which featured rum and sherry instead of gin and Madeira, bartender Ryan Lotz declared that they had that drink made for them with Madeira which influenced this creation. The comment also came about as I listed the places besides Loyal Nine that utilize Madeira in their menus, and Brick & Mortar featured a Malmsey Madeira recipe with their Red Duster Swizzle.
The Declaration began with a clove aroma from the bitters that preceded the dry lemon and grape sip. The swallow contained much of the complexity with juniper, citrus, apricot, and clove notes.

sherry painkiller

1 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Lemon Hart 151 Proof Rum
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Coconut Cream

Shake with ice and strain into a snifter glass. Fill with crushed ice, float 1/4 oz Hamilton's Black Strap Rum, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Add a paper parasol and a straw.

The second drink that Andrea had at No. 9 Park was a Sherry Painkiller. I do not recall whether it was on a menu or whether bartender Ryan Lotz suggested it to her after describing to me the process by which the bar makes their coconut cream. Since sherry has worked well in Mai Tais and Jungle Birds, it had to be rather tasty in a Painkiller. True, Pusser's Rum's lawyers would declare that this is no Painkiller, but the original recipe pre-dates their rum brand usurping the name and changing the rum identities in the recipe.
The Sherry Painkiller's nutmeg added a pleasant woody spice note over the funky black strap rum aroma. Next, the sip was creamy with a hint of orange and pineapple, and the swallow was an enticing medley of nutty sherry and dark rum.

'i'iwi bird

2 oz Privateer Tiki Gin
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
The drink that I began with at No. 9 Park was the 'I'iwi Bird which bartender Ryan Lotz described as Jenna Rycroft's tribute to one of the more recognizable birds in Hawaii, the brightly colored honeycreeper. The ingredients list and name reminded me somewhat of a Jungle Bird and variations thereof, so I was definitely intrigued. In the glass, the 'I'iwi Bird shared passion fruit aromas colored by the Aperol notes. Next, a fruit punchy and lime sip transitioned into gin, passion fruit, and a slightly bitter tinge from the Aperol on the swallow. Without the pineapple, the 'I'iwi Bird definitely had a different feel from the Jungle Bird family and reminded me more of a passion fruit Of Shoes and Ships.

kafka does jalisco

1 oz Pueble Viejo Blanco Tequila
1 oz Becherovka
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Two Wednesdays ago, Andrea and I ventured over to No. 9 Park for cocktails after getting dinner in Chinatown. For a first drink, Andrea requested from bartender Ryan Lotz the Kafka Does Jalisco. This drink seemed like an agave take on Eastern Standard's Metamorphosis with the citrus switched from lemon to lime; moreover, Ryan attributed himself and bartender Jenna Rycroft as the creators. The Kafka Does Jalisco gave forth a mineral agave and cinnamon and clove spice bouquet to the nose. A honey and lime sip then transitioned into a tequila, clove, and cinnamon swallow.

feliz flip

1 1/2 oz El Buho Mezcal
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Angostura Bitters
1 barspoon Allspice Dram
1 Whole Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with 3 drops of Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters.
For a final drink at Backbar, I asked bartender Kobie Ali for the Feliz Flip described on the menu as, "This mezcal Flip with egg, honey, and lots of Angostura Bitters will make you happy!" Kobie mentioned that this was his creation and that he had been dying to do a mezcal Flip for quite a while. In the glass, it offered a smoky agave aroma. Next, a creamy honey and lemon sip gave way to an agave and cherry wood spice swallow. Finally, as the drink warmed up a bit, it gained additional honey, allspice, and clove flavors.

the jerk

1 oz Old Monk Rum
1/2 oz Coconut Milk
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Root Liqueur
1/2 oz Pernod Pastis

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass with 2 oz soda water. Garnish with an orange twist and add a straw.
For a first drink at Backbar, Andrea asked bartender Kobie Ali for The Jerk described as, "childish and delicious; tastes like a root beer float from a dapper soda jerk." Kobi mentioned that the menu item had been created by bartender Melinda Johnson-Maddox. Once prepared, it offered an orange oil and anise aroma. A carbonated, creamy coconut-laden sip preceded the root beer flavors tempered by the pastis' anise on the swallow.

ward 2

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with lemon oil.
Tuesday last week, Andrea and I stopped into Backbar for drinks. I started with the Ward 2 off of their Tradesman section of the menu, and it was described as "It's where we live; cheers to Union Square with this perfect blend of strong, bitter, and smooth." The drink was created and served to me by bartender Kobie Ali, and instead of being a riff on a Ward 8, it was citrus-free and closer to a Toronto in feel. In the glass, the aroma offered lemon oil brightening that of dark herbal notes. Next, citrus, caramel, and malt on the sip led into rye and Braulio's alpine herbal elements on the swallow.

paraiso

1 oz Bacardi Gold (3/4 oz Caliche, 1/4 oz Vale d'Paul Agricole)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Grenadine
1 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
After returning home from the Boston Bacardi Legacy competition and the stop at State Park, I decided to make one of the two winning recipes from the event. Fairsted Kitchen's Will Isaza's drink Paraiso called out to me because I had all of the ingredients at home and because it reminded me of the restaurant's Giuseppe's Lady that I greatly enjoyed. Once prepared, this version of "Paradise" began with grassy, herbal, and fruity aromas. Next, lime, pomegranate, and caramel on the sip led into funky rum paired with funky herbal on the swallow and lime on the finish.

monument valley

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1/2 oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
1 1/4 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur
1/2 oz St. Germain
1/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

After the Boston Bacardi Legacy event two Mondays ago, I traveled a stop up the Red Line to visit State Park. For a first drink, I asked bartender Peter Nelson Jr. for the Monument Valley; since it was his creation, he was well equipped to tell me more about the drink. He described how he named it after a state park in the Four Corners region with vast red sandstone buttes; moreover, he utilized mezcal to donate some smokiness and gentian liqueur to offer dustiness in order to capture the feel of the place. In addition, it did not hurt that the park shared a namesake with one of his favorite puzzle video games.
The Monument Valley gave forth a smoky aroma with earthy rootiness that preceded the caramel and light pear on the sip. Next, the swallow presented smoky agave and Cynar's funky herbalness tempered by the gentian, and it finished with St. Germain's floral notes. The gentian liqueur worked rather well with the mezcal as it has in the Terrible Love and other drinks.

mahukona

1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Banks 5 Island)
1/2 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 slice Pineapple (3/4 oz Pineapple Juice)
1 dash Rock Candy Syrup (1/4 oz Simple)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Blend with 1/2 scoop of ice, pour into a 10 oz Pilsner glass, and top with shaved ice (shake with ice and strain over crushed ice). Garnish with mint sprigs and a fruit stick.
Two Sundays ago, I was still mourning the seasonal passing of Yacht Rock Sundays so I turned to Trader Vic's 1974 Rum Cookery & Drinkery for some easy drinking boat Tiki. The Mahukona seemed like a decent option as it came across like a Rum Sidecar with pineapple and bitters in the mix. Once built, it offered mint aromas over fruity undertones. Next, the lemon notes dominated the sip, and the swallow shared rum, orange, pineapple, allspice, and clove flavors.

coffee negroni

1 oz Demerara Rum (Denizen's Merchant Reserve)
1 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Camarpi
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Galliano Ristretto)

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

As a nightcap two Saturdays ago, I turned to the most recent issue of Imbibe Magazine and picked out the Coffee Negroni. The recipe was created by Jimmy Marino of the Lexington House in Los Gatos, California, and it takes the Negroni in a rum direction along with extra bitter notes from Punt e Mes instead of the typical sweet vermouth. For the Demerara rum, I did not want to use the last of my Lemon Hart 80 (and did not want to use the 151 here either), and El Dorado 3 Year White Rum did not seem appropriate (nor did their 151) to match the richness. I punted and reached for Denizen's Merchant Reserve; in retrospect, I forgot that I had El Dorado 12 Year at the back of the shelf that would have worked amazingly well.
The Coffee Negroni shared orange oil notes that brightened the rich caramel, dark orange, and grape aroma. The grape continued on into the sip, and it was joined with rum flavors as well as Punt e Mes' and Campari's bitter notes on the swallow. Finally, the finish offered coffee and char accents to round out the drink.

honor amongst thieves

1 oz Aged Cachaça (Seleta)
1 oz 100 Proof Bourbon (Fighting Cock 103)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/4 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
1/4 oz Simple Syrup (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with 3 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters (I continued on with the Tiki theme with my glassware and garnish).
Two Fridays ago after my shift, I turned to Food & Wine: Cocktails 2015 for recipe inspiration. The one that caught my eye both for the name and ingredients was the Honor Amongst Thieves by Chicago bartender Alex Renshaw. Once in the Tiki mug, the drink offered mint and anise aromas. Next, malt, pineapple, and lime on the sip fell aside to funky grassy cachaça crossed with angry whiskey flavors on the swallow. Finally, the Honor Amongst Thieves ended with a clove, vanilla, coconut, and pineapple finish.

island of lost souls

The theme for this month's Mixology Monday (MxMo CII) was picked by JFL of the RatedRCocktails blog. The theme he chose was "Spooky Sips," and he elaborated on the theme with his description of, "October means Halloween. Halloween means kitschy parties and my favorite classic horror movies on the television. Here on the blog we've done tributes to Karloff, Dracula, and of course Vincent Price just to name a few. Tiki is rich with adventurous drinks that call to the terrifying. The Sidewinder's Fang, the Shrunken Skull, the Shark's Tooth, and of course the venerable Zombie. However, I am sure there are creepy classics as well. Your challenge for my MxMo of Horrors is to create a terrifying tipple. It could be a drink that just screeches Halloween. Maybe it's a recipe to honor your favorite horror movie or star. It could be a spooky garnish or petrifying punch. Heck if you wanna make eyeball jello shots, who am I to tell you no. Let your creativity shine, I want to hear the blood curdling screams of your readers as they sip your creepy creations."
After having difficulty in searching for an interesting horror name in the literature of a drink that I have not made yet, I decided to go the creative route. Given JFL's penchant for Tiki drinks and their great naming conventions, I chose to stick with the genre. Moreover, after considering the success of converting classic Tiki recipes into sherry libations such as the Sherry Mai Tai, perhaps similar could be done with Madeira? Madeira is one of the three spirits that Loyal Nine, the restaurant I work at, cherishes along with rum and brandy to keep with the Colonial theme. Last night at work, I opted to take one of my ideas into action. What if the classic 1934 Zombie took a trip to the Portuguese island of Madeira? Sticking with the island theme, horror concept, and the general time frame of the Zombie, the 1932 movie Island of Lost Souls seemed most appropriate. In addition, the evil doctor in the movie tinkered with plants and animals before moving on with his transforming technology to "bio-anthropological research." Having Bela Lugosi in the cast did not hurt my decision either...

Island of Lost Souls
• 1 1/2 oz Malmsey Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year)
• 1 1/2 oz Sercial Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year)
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
• 1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
• 1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 1 barspoon Grenadine
• 2 dash Absinthe (St. George)
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a Zombie glass. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig and freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg. A grapefruit twist, lemon peel, and/or paper parasol wouldn't hurt either. Add a straw.

I split the Madeira with the sweetest and the driest (see my notes on Madeira), but perhaps a full 3 ounces of either of the intermediate two, namely Verdelho and Bual, could come close (perhaps the semi-sweet Rainwater Madeiras might work well too). I also thought about bolstering the ABV with a bit of brandy but I wanted this to not be over the top proof-wise. Once prepared, the Island of Lost Souls greeted the nose with cinnamon and nutmeg aromas with hints of mint and citrus oil as well. The citrus dominated the sip with lemon and grapefruit notes with a bit of the Madeira's grape peaking through. Finally, the swallow offered the Madeira with its solid acid backbone that finished with cinnamon and clove accents.

So thank you to JFL for picking the theme to challenge us to look at the spookier side of drinking; while I did not create a horror mocktail, a half-strength one will have to suffice... And thanks to the rest of the Mixology Monday participants for keeping the jiggers jigging and the undead spirit of the event alive!

tapestry of stone

1 oz Hamilton's Demerara 151 Proof Rum
1 oz Cloudy Cider (not fermented)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
For Eater's Cocktail Week this week, I was asked to submit a recipe utilizing this year's chosen ingredient -- apple cider (see the complete list here). For a starting place, I thought about the Stone Fences that I used to drink a bunch of at Green Street; their version was rye whiskey, cloudy apple cider, and Angostura Bitters. The drink is perfectly Colonial and the Green Mountain Boys drank them for courage in attacking Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. Their version was more likely rum with fermented cider though according the David Wondrich. Rum and apple cider? I can work with that concept; however, I did not want a tall drink or even one served in an Old Fashioned glass with ice. Therefore, I utilized our double strength Demerara rum to the fullest to maximize the flavors while keeping the build to 3 ounces. Originally, I wanted the sweetener to be Benedictine, but it was a bit subtle in the mix and it added extra ABV to an already bold drink. Instead, cinnamon syrup worked better. For a name, I worked with the stone fence or stone wall thought and uncovered this gem from under-appreciated New England poet Helen Keller. In her 1910 poem "The Song of the Stone Wall," she contains the drink name-worthy "tapestry of stone":

Come walk with me, and I will tell
What I have read in this scroll of stone;
I will spell out this writing on hill and meadow.
It is a chronicle wrought by praying workmen,
The forefathers of our nation--
Leagues upon leagues of sealed history awaiting an interpreter.
This is New England's tapestry of stone
Alive with memories that throb and quiver
At the core of the ages
As the prophecies of old at the heart of God's Word.

In the glass, the Tapestry of Stone offered apple and nutmeg aromas. Next, caramel, apple, and lemon on the sip transitioned into rum, apple, vanilla, and cinnamon on the swallow. Over time, the nutmeg spice also incorporated into the flavor profile.

banana boulevardier

1 oz Bourbon (Bulleit)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass or a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Wednesdays ago for a nightcap, I turned to a drink I had spotted on Punch about a Boulevardier riff created at Anvil in Houston. One night, Anvil's general manager Terry Williams grabbed the last of a bottle of banana liqueur and decided to do the ritual of mixing an almost empty bottle 50:50 with another ingredient in order to get a possible interesting flavor combination as well as a fresh bottle on the rail or shelf. Here, he mixed it equal parts with Campari, and he liked it so much that he took it in a whiskey Negroni route. Since I enjoyed the Banana Manhattan about two weeks before, I decided to give this one a shot too.
The Banana Boulevardier welcomed the senses with an orange and bitter herbal aroma with hints of whiskey notes. Next, grape and malt on the sip transitioned into whiskey on the swallow with bitter orange-peach flavors when cold and more banana notes as it warmed up.

little montana

1 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Pacharán (Axta Patxaran)
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

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

After the Luau Scorpion, I was in the mood for a nightcap so I turned to Food & Wine: Cocktails 2015. From my flagged list of drinks, I decided upon the Little Montana from Nick Detrich of Cane and Table in New Orleans. Perhaps this drink was influenced by the mid-19th century Montana with Cognac and port being substituted for gin and Patxaran. Patxaran is a spirit that I was first introduced to by Avery Glasser years ago in a cocktail that I recreated by his specs. And Avery was first introduced to this spirit back when he was living in Spain in 2007; the liqueur is the Basque region's sloe gin -- well, minus the gin part but including coffee, cinnamon, and anise in the mix.
The Little Montana gave forth a lemon oil aroma that brightened darker fruit notes. For taste, a caramel and berry sip led into juniper, raisin, coffee, anise, and orange flavors on the swallow.

luau scorpion

2 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum (Caliche)
2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Brandy or Cognac (Foret VSOP)
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz Orgeat
8 oz Ice

Blend for 5 seconds and pour into a Tiki bowl (shake with crack ice, pour into a Tiki bowl, and top with crushed ice). Garnish with a gardenia (orange twists, flower, and spent inverted half lime shell filled with Don Q 151 and ignited).
Two Tuesdays ago, it was time for some arts and crafts to use the mini-Scorpion bowl that we found at the Cambridge Antique Market. For a recipe, I turned to Jeff Berry's Remixed and opted for the Luau Scorpion for its inaugural fill (in our hands). Over the summer, I had made the Kelbo's Scorpion variation of the Trader Vic's classic. This one though was created at the Luau in Beverly Hills around 1958, and it is closer to Trader Vic's 1946 recipe than many of the recipes that Trader Vic was publishing for the drink around that time. Once prepared and the flame extinguished, the Luau Scorpion proffered a nutty citrus aroma. The flavor followed in that path as the sip was filled with orange and lime notes and the swallow was juniper and nutty.

[butterfly skeletons]

3/4 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers Greylock Gin
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

After the Espolón Cocktail Fights event two Monday nights ago, I walked over to Estragon to meet up with Andrea at the tail end of her dinner. Andrea had already texted me that there was a Cynar drink in bartender Sahil Mehta's notebook that I would probably enjoy. Sahil later explained that he had created that recipe when he knew that Jen from Berkshire Mountain Distillers was stopping by the bar a week or two before. Moreover, he prefers this combination over the Last Word for the herbal notes in the Cynar and Avèze really bolster the botanical elements in the gin.
For a name, I was swayed by Estragon's Spanish connection to think about Federico García Lorca; the name Butterfly Skeletons stemmed from a line in the 1920 Hour of Stars poem, "A thousand butterfly skeletons sleep within my walls." Since butterflies are often a tad bitter to deter predation, it seemed to work. In the glass, it offered funky and earthy herbal aromas spiced with juniper notes to the nose. On the palate, caramel and lime on the sip gave way to gin and earthy bitter on the swallow.

seventy first

2/3 Rye (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
1 dash Cassis (1/4 oz Massenez)
1 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters (2 dash)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Sundays ago after my bar shift, I came home and opened up Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Seventy First in the whiskey section which appeared like an interesting Brooklyn sort of drink. The drink name conjured up a military unit name; however, the 71st Infantry Division was not formed until mid-way into World War II and thus more than a decade late for this book. Regardless, a Manhattan variation seemed like a perfect way to end the evening. In the glass, the Seventy First shared a rye aroma with dark undercurrents from the cassis. Next, grape and dark cherry notes filled the sip, and the swallow offered whiskey, black currant, and nutty maraschino flavors with a dry and clean finish from the Peychaud's Bitters.

molokai mule

2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Orgeat (BG Reynolds)
1 oz Cognac (Foret VSOP)
1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Don Q Cristal)
1 oz Demerara Rum (El Dorado 3 Year)

Shake with ice and strain into an Old Fashioned glass or Molokai Mule mug. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple stick, mint sprig, and orchid.
Two Saturdays ago, Tiki seemed like a great way to celebrate the end of a tough shift at work. Therefore, I flipped through Beachbum Berry's Remixed and selected the Molokai Mule that Steve Crane created at the Kon-Tiki at the Sheraton Waikiki Resort in the 1960s. Overall, the combination was somewhat reminiscent of a Fog Cutter. In the mug, the drink offered floral and minty aromas. Next, a lime and orange sip transferred into a rum, brandy, and nutty swallow with a tart citrus finish.

manhattan transfer

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 oz Ramazzotti Amaro
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

For my post-work drink two Fridays ago, I turned to the stirred whiskey section of the Death & Co. Cocktail Book and found Phil Wards 2008 creation, the Manhattan Transfer. The proportions reminded me of the 3:2:2 Boulevardier in Harry McElhone's 1927 Barflies and Cocktails with Ramazzotti instead of Campari as well as changes in the whiskey and vermouth identities. Moreover, it seemed perfect for my down-and-brown (wait, it's up-and-brown here) drink mood.
The Manhattan Transfer presented a whiskey and dark orange bouquet to the nose. Dry malts and caramel on the sip gave way to a rye swallow laden with cola-orange notes.

stag special punch

1 quart Bourbon (1 1/2 oz Four Roses)
1 quart Strong Green Tea (1 1/2 oz)
1/2 pint Jamaican Rum (1/2 oz Wray & Nephew)
1/2 pint Maraschino Liqueur (1/2 oz Maraska)
1/2 pint Pineapple Juice (1/2 oz)
Juice 6 Lemons (1/2 oz)

Mix in a punch bowl with a large block of ice (shake with ice and strain). Garnish with fresh mint and serve in punch cups.
Two Thursdays ago after my bar shift, I turned to Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide for a libation. There, I spotted a pleasing looking punch, but I did not have a large party to serve it to. Luckily, I was able to scale back the Stag Special Punch from 20 or so servings to one by reducing the whiskey and tea by 20- and the rest by 16-fold. in the cup, the punch offered a mint aroma over that of tropical notes from the pineapple, Maraschino, and funky Jamaican rum. Next, a lemon and grassy sip led into a pineapple and nutty Maraschino swallow with a tea tannin finish.

the smartest man alive

3/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse 100)
3/4 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur (Salers)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz 2:1 Honey Syrup (3/4 oz 1:1 Honey Syrup)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
Two Wednesdays ago, I turned to Food & Wine: Cocktails 2015 for nightcap ideas. There, I found The Smartest Man Alive which appeared like an earthier Goldrush; it was created by Seattle's Chris Elford who I had the pleasure of meeting at Camp Runamok last month. Once prepared, it offered a floral and earthy gentian aroma. Next, honey balanced by lemon on the sip led into rye and a honey-gentian combination on the swallow.

louis' saratoga cocktail

20 mL Scotch (1 oz Buchanan's 12 Year)
20 mL Curlier Cognac (1 oz Moyet)
20 mL Vermouth (1 oz Dolin Sweet)
2 dash Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Noyaux (1/4 oz Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Tuesday last week I wanted to utilize my new purchase of Tempus Fugit's Crème de Noyaux; therefore, I reached for my reprint of Louis Fouquet's 1896 Bariana -- the book that started my noyaux quest back in 2010. One drink that called out to me was a Saratoga Cocktail. There are two competing Saratoga Cocktail camps in the literature supporting that this health spa resort and horse racing town was quite the tippling Mecca back in the day. The lesser known Saratoga is a brandy Old Fashioned of sorts sweetened by pineapple syrup and Maraschino liqueur; while the better known Saratoga is a Jerry Thomas-published split spirits Manhattan that is more frequently had as a gussied up version with Benedictine and Peychaud's Bitters -- namely, the Vieux Carré. The Bariana Saratoga varies from Thomas' by adding smoke to the whiskey element as well as orange and nutty liqueurs; since many of the drinks in the book are named "Louis' (cocktail)," I decided to tack that on to differentiate it from the better known version.
Louis' Saratoga offered a lemon, almondy, and grape bouquet. The grape continued on into the sweet sip, and the swallow shared brandy and smoky whisky flavors with an orange and almond finish.

yvonne's toronto

1 1/4 oz Calvados
1 oz Old Simon Genever
1/2 oz S. Maria al Monte Amaro
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

After having a drink at Yvonne's main bar, I made my way off to the part of the restaurant that I passed by on the way to the dining room -- namely, the library. The library has a shorter bar with a lot of lounge seating scattered amongst the bookshelf walls with amusing paintings of celebrities and politicians; surprisingly it has a completely different menu that the main bar. The backbar of the library bar also had a similar dark wood aesthetic for it came from another part of the old Locke-Ober and moved to that wall during the renovation.
The Toronto I ordered from a menu of reconfigured classics began with a nutmeg and apple nose with hints of malt creeping in. Next, a rich caramel and apple sip was followed by a Genever and menthol-herbal swallow.

bairdley legal

1 oz Mezcal
1 oz Cynar
1 oz Passion Fruit Nectar (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a tall glass. Add 2 oz grapefruit soda and top with ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and add a straw.
(*) I had originally written passion fruit syrup, but in retrospect, it would have been too sweet.

Two Mondays ago, I decided to visit Yvonne's on their opening night. Normally, I would give a bar program a few weeks to find themselves, but I had faith in Will Thompson, Sean Sullivan, Sean Frederick, and the rest of the crew to have things in order by the time the curtains opened. Yvonne's had some big shoes to fill in taking over the home of the Ward Eight, namely the old Locke-Ober space. And history was just one of the things for the space is rather immense. To combat that second aspect, the restaurant is broken up into two rooms each with a unique bar and distinct drink menu. My first stop was the "supper club bar," a long classic-feeling bar with lots of dark wood that runs the length of the dining room; my second stop was the library bar with a shorter bar and lots of lounge seating. The former bar has taller, more refreshing offerings including their take on a Ward Eight, and the latter has reinterpreted cocktail classics.
I started my evening out on the supper club bar in front of bartender Sean Sullivan and requested the Bairdley Legal. The name pays tribute to one of Will Thompson's Bon Vivants collaborators, namely Scott Baird of San Francisco's Trick Dog. Originally, the drink name started as a different cocktail that was rather "west coasty"; however, that concept did not work out as well as intended and instead they started over to create this tropical number. Once prepared, the Bairdley Legal offered mint and tropical fruit notes on the nose. A carbonated passion fruit and grapefruit-laden sip transitioned into a passion fruit and Cynar herbal swallow with a light smoke finish.

sooner or later

1 1/2 oz Four Roses Bourbon
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass with 2 oz soda water. Fill with ice, add a straw, and garnish with a lemon twist.
In considering drinks for the last Yacht Rock Sunday at Loyal Nine, I was still thinking about the A Moment of Silence from Beta Cocktails. It was the great combination of Averna and apricot liqueur that made the drink shine as well as being the crux of Eastern Standard's Averna Jimjam. Merging aspects of those two drinks and converting it into a Highball generated this Grass Roots song tribute libation Sooner or Later.

undercover angel

2 oz Blandy's 5 Year Sercial Madeira
3/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash St. George Absinthe

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

For the final Yacht Rock Sunday at Loyal Nine a week and a half ago, I wondered if I could riff on the classic Chrysanthemum by replacing the dry vermouth with a dry Madeira. In wanting to add another touch to complement the switch, I considered Maraschino liqueur which works rather well with Madeira; moreover, it would work well with the absinthe to bring about a Jerry Thomas-era Improved Cocktail feel. Instead of taking a flower naming convention with a Chrysanthemum riff like the Calla Lily, I went to the Yacht Rock Sunday playlist and chose the Undercover Angel.
The Undercover Angel greeted the nose with lemon, Maraschino, and light absinthe aromas. Next, grape on the sip gave way to orange (from the Madeira), nutty cherry, and herbal notes. Since people were rather pleased with the flavor combinations here, I opted to swap the Madeira Bamboo's place on the regular menu's low octane section with this one.

tarzan boy

1 oz JM Rhum Agricole Blanc
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (*)
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (*)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Fill with ice, garnish with an orange twist, and add a straw.
(*)Recipe works well without blanc vermouth if the dry vermouth is upped to 1 oz and 1/4 oz simple syrup is added. Also 1/2 oz sweet vermouth works well in place of the blanc vermouth but the drink loses its tropical color.
For the final Yacht Rock Sunday of the season at Loyal Nine a week and a half ago, I put on three new drinks. The first was a tropical Negroni riff that got dubbed after the playlist song Tarzan Boy. The idea started with how passion fruit modulates Campari into something tropical and not incredibly bitter -- an idea I was first introduced to in the Novara. While I have had a few Campari and passion fruit combinations, they all contained citrus; instead of going that route, I wondered if a stirred option could work and immediately targeted the Negroni as a testing ground. Rhum agricole seemed like it would bolster the tropical aspects (cachaça might have been my go-to if we had it on the bar), and it turned out to be a decent choice. Originally, the vermouth pick was an ounce of dry vermouth but the balance was a bit bitter; I was able to rescue this on the first pass with a 1/4 oz dash of simple syrup before I opted to split the dry vermouth with a half part of blanc vermouth. Sweet vermouth did work flavor-wise but the drink lost that guava-like color. For the new menu that launched a few days ago, the Tarzan Boy helped to replace the rhum agricole 'Ti Punch (see the Homere Punch) variation and the passion fruit syrup Hopping Through the Frothy Waves; both of course are still available if requested.

cedar

1/2 Swedish Punsch (1 1/4 oz Kronan)
2 dash Apricot Brandy (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur)
2 dash Dry Vermouth (1 1/4 oz Noilly Prat)
2 dash Gum Syrup (omitted)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist.
For a nightcap on Saturday night a week and a half ago, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Cedar. The recipe had caught my attention for I had been thinking about the Havana Cocktail that contains both apricot liqueur and Swedish Punsch, and I had adapted the combination with mezcal in the Tainted Love for Yacht Rock Sunday and then with tequila in the Monopoly Money for the newest menu change at Loyal Nine that went live a few days ago. Here, instead of citrus, the drying effect was achieved with French-style vermouth. In the glass, the Cedar presented an orange oil aroma that mingled with and complemented the apricot liqueur notes. Next orchard fruit flavors on the sip gave way to funky Batavia Arrack blending into apricot similar to the Havana, and it all ended with drying tea tannins and spice.

island hop

1 oz Dark Rum (Denizen Merchant's Reserve)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Brasil
1/2 oz Solera Sherry (Lustau East India)
1/4 oz Orgeat (BG Reynolds)
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Fill with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs.

Two Fridays ago after my shift at Loyal Nine, I turned to a recipe that Josh Suchan of Hollywood's Los Balcones and Chavela posted on Instagram called the Island Hop. He had posted a photo of the drink over the summer, and I was intrigued so I requested the recipe. He replied that he would once it came off the menu, and he was true to his word.
The Island Hop as I garnished it contributed mint and floral aromas. A dry lime sip shared darker caramel and grape notes, and the swallow presented the funky rums blending into banana flavors with a bitter finish.

blood of the kapu tiki

10 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum (Privateer Amber) (*)
3 oz Lime Juice
3 oz Grapefruit Juice
3 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Grenadine (Jack Rudy)
3 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 tsp Absinthe (3 dash St. George)
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a punch bowl, add ice, mix, and garnish with Tiki intent (original garnished with orange and lime wheels). We favor floating citrus peel flowers and lime wheels impaled with mint sprigs. Moreover, an inverted spent lime shell half filled with Hamilton 151 Demerara Rum and ignited never hurts. Well, assuming you're drinking responsibly. Please drink responsibly.
(*) Originally Ron del Barrilito 3 Star Rum
Two Thursdays ago, we decided to pool our shift drinks at Loyal Nine and make the large format Tiki drink on the menu, the Blood of the Kapu Tiki. Unlike the Caribbean Queen that I created for Yacht Rock Sundays, this one was crafted by Tiki mug designer Bosko Hrnjak and resides on our regular menu. Once ladled into punch cups, the Blood of the Kapu Tiki shared a hint of anise spice over an otherwise fruity aroma. Next, citrus and pomegranate flavors on the sip led into a rich rum swallow punctuated by a touch of spice.

copper swizzle

1 1/2 oz Pelotón de la Muerte Mezcal
3/4 oz Manzanilla Sherry
1/2 oz Lavender Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Falernum
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 oz San Pellegrino Pompelmo (Grapefruit) Soda

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and add 3-4 dash Angostura Bitters to the top. Swizzle to mix and chill while not completely mixing in the bitters. Garnish with a cucumber slice and add a straw.
For my second drink at the Highball Lounge, I asked bartender Matt Schrage for the Copper Swizzle. In the glass, the Swizzle offered a cucumber and clove aroma. Next, a carbonated grapefruit sip led into a mezcal, tropical, and clove swallow.

barnyard punch

2 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1/2 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
1/2 oz Falernum
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Celery Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass full of ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and mint sprigs, and add straws.
After Backbar, I made my way over to the Central Square T stop to take things inbound to downtown. My agenda was to support Matt Schrage at his first official shift at the Highball Lounge. For a first drink, I asked Matt for the Barnyard Punch. Later bartender Shaher Misif came by and explained that he originally created this recipe as a large format punch, but he later adapted it as a single serving cocktail for the menu. In the glass, the Barnyard Punch was anything but barnyardy for it offered mint and lemon aromas. The lemon countered the richness on the sip, and the swallow proffered Bourbon, gentian and other herbal notes, and clove spice. Even as a single serving, it was definitely easy drinking like a punch but still was packed with interesting flavors.

let's go crazy

1 oz El Bujo Mezcal
1 oz Reposado Tequila
1/2 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao
1/4 oz Amontillado Sherry

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist (discarded here).
For my next drink, I narrowed down their Instagrammed drinks of the day from the past two weeks and asked bartender Luc Thiers which of the three that I should have. Luc picked out Kobie Ali's Let's Go Crazy from my short list; Kobie making a Prince-inspired drink name is not all that surprising since he has been the lead singer of the Prince tribute band Lovesexy for quite a few years now. Once prepared, the Let's Go Crazy shared orange oil and chocolate aromas. Grape on the sip from the Bonal and sherry led into smoky agave and bitter chocolate on the swallow.

genie in a bottle

1 oz El Bujo Mezcal
1 oz El Dorado 3 Year Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Housemade Blue Curaçao
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with cracked ice and pour into a flower vase. Add a straw.

Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured over to Backbar and found a seat in front of bartender Luc Thiers. Earlier in the week, I had spotted a drink of his on the OnTheBar app and I made a comment that it looked interesting. Luc remembered this and asked if I wanted the Genie in a Bottle -- a drink he was inspired to create while thinking about the classic Blue Hawaiian. It caught my attention for mezcal (as well as tequila) pairs rather well with Drambuie such as in Eastern Standard's Proclaimer, and pineapple works rather well with all of the above in the Gory Guerrero. Plus, any chance to have another drink in a flower vase, such as was done in the Sherry Colada, is worth it.
The Genie in the Bottle greeted me with a blue vision and a pineapple and smoke aroma. On the sip, honey, tropical, and orange flavors mingled and led into an agave and pineapple swallow with a smoky finish.

banana manhattan

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Coruba)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Banana Liqueur (Giffard Banane du Brasil)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
For a nightcap after my adventures two Mondays ago, I turned to Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar and found the Banana Manhattan. Its overall structure reminded me of the Coney Island with aged rum and banana liqueur in the place of rye and crème de cacao but with Punt e Mes and bitters in place to maintain some dignity. With the nasturium garnish, the Banana Manhattan gave forth floral notes that helped to accent the dark caramel aromas from the rum. Dark fruity grape from the Punt e Mes and rum on the sip led into funky rums and Punt e Mes' bitter complexity on the swallow. Finally, the drink ended with banana and spice on the finish.

6th street swizzle

1 1/2 oz Rhum Clément Première Canne
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Build in a Collins glass and fill with crushed ice. Add 4 dash Angostura Bitters to the top, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice, garnish with mint sprigs, and add a straw.
Two Mondays ago, I stopped into Brick & Mortar and asked bartender Patrick Gaggiano for the 6th Street Swizzle from the menu. Patrick mentioned that they had fallen in love with the bittered Daiquiri simplicity of this Swizzle from the Death & Co. Cocktail Book. The original was crafted by Phil Ward in 2008 and utilized La Favorite as the rhum agricole. Once prepared, it gave forth a minty aroma with hints of spice. At first, the sip shared lime flavors countered by the demerara syrup's richness, and the swallow proffered grassy and funky rhum notes. Later, as the bitters entered into the equation, the sip became drier and there were a bounty of clove and other spice elements on the swallow.