campbell town rock

2 oz Privateer Silver Rum
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Gran Classico
1 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Garnish with mint and a lemon-cherry flag.

For a second drink, I asked Vannaluck Hongthong for the Campbell Town Rock. Van described how this was his recipe that he created in honor of Privateer's distiller Maggie Campbell. I was drawn to the recipe by the fact that the ingredients list reminded me of a Hurricane and how well Gran Classico, like Campari, pairs with tropical flavors such as in the Mother of Turin.
The Campbell Town Rock presented a lemon and mint bouquet. Next, lemon and something vaguely tropical on the sip transitioned into rum and the great bitter-tropical combination of passion fruit and Gran Classico on the swallow.

cynar buck

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Top with 3 oz ginger beer, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and freshly grated nutmeg.
Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I ventured up to the Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden II where Vannaluck Hongthong and Raul Zelaya were at the stick. For a first drink, I asked Van for the Cynar Buck on the menu that reminded me in concept of Deep Ellum's Fernet Buck, and he mentioned was created by bartender Patrick Andrew. The Buck began with a mint and nutmeg aroma that preceded a caramel and lime sip. Next, the swallow was where the magic happened with a funky bitter paired with ginger spice that finished with clove and additional ginger notes.

baltasar & blimunda

2 oz Beefeater Gin
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Tawny Port (Taylor Fladgate Ruby)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a flamed orange twist (omitted flame).

After my Sunday night shift, I opted for the Death & Co. Cocktail Book as the source of my evening's nightcap. There in the Negroni variation section was Phil Ward's Baltasar and Blimunda. The name is a reference to a Nobel Prize-winning book of that name by Portuguese author José Saramago, and the tie in is that Phil included Portuguese fortified wine in the mix. Similar to how Phil split the vermouth element in the Cornwall Negroni, here he utilized Punt e Mes paired with port to balance the gin and Campari.
The Baltasar and Blimunda's twist garnish brought fresh orange oil notes over the Campari's bitter orange ones. Next, the port with assistance from the Punt e Mes shared a rich grape on the sip, and the swallow gave forth gin botanicals and Punt e Mes bitterness with a grapefruit-y finish from the Campari.

democrat

2 oz Bourbon (Four Roses Yellow)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Peach Liqueur (Edmond Briottet Crème de Peche de Vigne)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup

Stir in a Collins glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a mint sprig (in article photo, not written recipe).

Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make good use of my new mint crop that returned for another season and make the Democrat that I spotted in an Eater article. The Prizefighter's Jon Santer created the Democrat while at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco midway through reading a Harry Truman biography. Truman was a big fan of Bourbon cocktails, and Santer kept the Southern theme with peaches and lemonade.
The Democrat began with a lemon and mint aroma. The lemon continued on into the sip where it mingle with the honey notes, and the swallow offered Bourbon, floral, peach, and vanilla flavors.

bravo zulu

1 1/2 oz Bacardi Superior (El Dorado 5 Year)
1/2 oz Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into an Old Fashioned glass (Tiki mug) filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Two Fridays ago, I strained off my new batch of cinnamon syrup to make a recipe that I spotted in the current issue of Chilled Magazine. The magazine featured some of the recipes from this year's Bacardi Legacy competition, and Vincent Toscano's Bravo Zulu seemed like a delight. With sweet vermouth in the mix, it reminded me of other tropical numbers like the Floridita and the Tortuga. When I made Vincent's drink that he created at San Francisco's Rye, it presented a mint bouquet to the nose. Next, lime, caramel, and a vague fruitiness from the pineapple on the sip gave way to rum, grape, and pineapple flavors on the swallow with a cinnamon finish.

chingon

2 oz Siete Leguas Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I turned to the Death & Co. Cocktail Book for my evening's post-work shift nightcap. In the shaken agave section was a Brian Miller recipe from 2009 dedicated to his hardworking bar backs, and he named it the Chingon after the Mexican slang for "bad ass." Overall, the recipe reminded me of the Chasing Fireflies with Benedictine in place of the Green Chartreuse, and also the tequila, orgeat, and lime combination made me think of the Trader Vic classic, the Pinky Gonzalez.
The Chingon presented orange and agave notes to the nose. Next, a creamy orange and lime sip transitioned into tequila accented by Benedictine's herbalness and complemented by orgeat's earthiness on the swallow.

anchor of light

2 oz La Caravedo Pisco
1/2+ oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Falernum

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured down to Stoddard's where bartender Keith Corbett was at the stick. For a drink, I asked for his "Anchor If Light" from the menu, and I was curious about the nautical meaning especially with the sailor's ties to pisco. Keith explained that the name was "Anchor Of Light" after the video game, and the difference was due to autocorrect when submitting his drinks for the menu. Regardless, the idea of an herbal and spiced Pisco Punch sounded delightful.
The Anchor Of Light presented a pisco and pineapple aroma with hints of herbal notes. Next, lime and a vague fruitiness on the sip led into pisco, pineapple, clove, and herbal notes on the swallow.

[bruce's heart]

2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1/2 oz King's Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Tuesdays ago, I returned home from my work shift and received a recipe that Andrea had gotten from bartender Sahil Mehta at Estragon as his drink of the day earlier that evening. With nutty sherry and orgeat meeting up with Scotch and ginger in the roster, I was definitely intrigued. For a name, I dubbed it "Bruce's Heart" after Robert the Bruce's dying wish in 1329 to have his heart taken into battle against the Moors in Spain.
The drink began with a smoky aroma with almond notes poking through the peat. Next, a creamy lemon and grape sip transitioned into smoky Scotch and nutty grape and orgeat swallow with a ginger-spice finish.

genever daisy

1 3/4 oz Genever (Bols)
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

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

Two Mondays ago, I decided to make the Genever Daisy recipe presented by White Chapel in San Francisco that appeared in the most recent issue of Imbibe Magazine. At first, I thought that it was one of their own creations that utilized the nutty pairing of orgeat and Maraschino that worked so well in drinks like the Gold Cup and Marlin. Later, I realized that it was based off of Jerry Thomas' 1876 recipe for the Gin Daisy that called for Holland Gin.
The Genever Daisy shared a lemon oil aroma over malty and nutty cherry notes. Next, a creamy lemon sip transitioned into an elegant pairing of Genever and Maraschino on the swallow. Indeed, Thomas was in on this delightful Maraschino-orgeat pairing 80+ years before Tiki legends latched onto it.

van wyck

The theme for this month's Mixology Monday (MxMo CIX) was picked by Nick of the Booze Baron blog. The theme he chose was "Dry Cocktails," and he elaborated on the choice with his description of, "...There's an entire section of the human sensory experience that enjoys things like dry wines, dry sherries, dry cider, crisp pilsners, dry lambics, gin with soda not tonic and neat spirits. Aperitifs are supposed to avoid sugar so as to not fatigue the taste buds but swanky restaurants seem to think an Old Fashioned or a Hurricane is good enough... maybe we as mixing maestros don't actually consider the whole palate in our industry. Try to name a famous dry cocktail other than the Martini... We don't make enough of them, nor write about them. With a world that's slowly waking up to the fact that excess sugar is probably one of the worst things we put in our diet it's something we all should probably take a look at. Your mission is to create an awesome dry cocktail that excites, entices, and above all refreshes." Nick went on to elaborate on his definition of dry as no more than 10% being sweetener or juice with an additional 10% allotment for sweet fortified wines and vermouths.
For inspiration, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 two nights ago for many of their drinks have dashes of sweetener that can be interpreted by your palate. In fact, making drinks from that book is a great experiment in figuring how to achieve your preferred balance. With that, I could easily fit the dashes of sweeteners to 10% (or about 1/4 oz for every 2 1/2 oz). In perusing the whiskey section, I spotted the Van Wyck which appeared like a Dry Manhattan that was made more complex and sweeter by two elements: crème de vanilla and Amer Picon.

Van Wyck
• 3/4 Rye (2 oz Michter's Straight Rye)
• 1/4 French Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
• 1/2 tsp Crème de Vanilla (1/8 oz Navan --> later 1/4 oz)
• 1 dash Picon or Angostura Bitters (1/8 oz Amer Picon --> later 1/4 oz)
Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I opted for the Amer Picon instead of the much drier Angostura Bitters for the recipe reminded me of a Brooklyn with vanilla liqueur instead of Maraschino. For the vanilla, I opted for the Navan on my shelf which the Grand Marnier company decided to later discontinue; I have heard that Licor 43 will work in a pinch if there is no crème de vanilla proper available, and vanilla syrup would not be out of place either. Once prepared, the Van Wyck gave off a vanilla-accented rye aroma. Next, dry malt on the sip gave way to a whiskey swallow with a bitter orange-vanilla finish. I could not help but think that the drink could be improved by using an older whiskey where the barrel would impart a greater range of complementary vanilla notes; since most ryes are young, perhaps an older Bourbon would work. The second was that the modifiers needed to be boosted for flavor purposes, so I ended up adding another barspoon each of Navan and Amer Picon to approach my preferred Brooklyn structure. The result was much more distinctive although out of the boundaries for this event's rules. While I do enjoy dry gin, sherry, Madeira, and rum drinks, for some reason, it is not as enjoyable to drink dry whiskey drinks. Also, I could have utilized the Angostura Bitters and made the 10% of the drink the crème de vanilla, but I thought that the Amer Picon would give a bit more depth.

So thank you to Nick for hosting Mixology Monday for teaching us to cleanse our palates and (re)learn to appreciate the drier side of things. And thanks to the sugar-free/light participants this month who keep Mixology Monday stirring and shaking away every few weeks!

cyclone

1/2 Bacardi (1 oz Caliche Silver Rum + 1/2 oz Seleta Gold Cachaça)
1/3 Peach Brandy (1/2 oz Edmond Briottet Crème de Peche de Vigne)
1 dash Cointreau (1/4 oz)
2 dash Grapefruit Juice (3/4 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added a grapefruit twist.
For my post-work nightcap, I decided upon the Cyclone from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933. Once prepared, it offered a grapefruit oil aroma from the twist that led into a grapefruit sip that also shared a vague fruitiness from the other ingredients. Finally, the swallow gave forth grassy rum flavors with the sugar cane funk melding well with the peach-orange notes from the liqueurs.

the winchester

1 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
1 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1 oz Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength Gin
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Tiki mug. I added a mint garnish like in the classic.

Two Saturdays ago, I reached for the new addition to my library, David Montgomery's Zombie Horde, a collection of Zombie recipes and variations throughout the decades. Instead of a standard 3 rum Zombie, I was lured in by a 3 gin one, the Winchester. Brian Miller of Death & Co. in Manhattan crafted this tribute to gin advocate Angus Winchester circa 2009, and he swapped the classic's falernum, cinnamon syrup, and absinthe for St. Germain and ginger syrup in the ingredients list.
With the return of my mint patch, the Winchester proudly greeted the nose with fresh mint aromas. Next, a fruity sip with lime, grapefruit, and pomegranate led into a complex swallow with juniper, sage, pear, and ginger flavors.

pahoehoe

2 oz Light Rum (Hampden Estate's Rum Fire)
2 oz Passion Fruit Juice (Goya)
1 oz Grenadine
1 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and pour into a Double Old Fashioned glass or a small Tiki bowl. Float a spent half lemon shell, add a sugar cube, douse with 151 proof rum (El Dorado 151), and ignite.

Two Fridays ago, I ventured into Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari for the evening's nightcap. I was drawn into the Pahoehoe as the idea of drinking out of a Tiki bowl appealed to me; the original recipe was crafted at the Batik Bar of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel circa 1970. Pahoehoe turns out to be the Hawaiian term for lava with a smooth, shiny, or swirled surface, so the red color from the grenadine and the flaming volcano in the middle were quite apropos.
The Pahoehoe offered funky rum and a vaguely fruity aroma underneath the charring citrus garnish notes. Next, lemon and grenadine on the sip led into funky rum on the swallow with passion fruit on the finish.

last rites

3 oz Aged Martinique Rum (2 oz Depaz Rhum Agricole)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)

Blend with 6 oz crushed ice for 5 seconds (shake with cracked ice and pour into a tall glass). Fill with crushed ice, and I added a long lime twist.
After my shift two Thursdays ago, I turned to Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari and decided upon the Last Rites created by Marciano Licudine at the Mai-Kai circa 1959. Overall, it reminded me of the South Pacific Punch with a different rum style and no orange juice element. Once prepared, it offered a lime aroma from the twist I added that preceded the lime and passion fruit-driven tropical sip. Next, the swallow was a combination of grassy rum, passion fruit, and clove.

all jacked up

1 oz Mezcal (Montelobos)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
3/4 oz 100 Proof Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with an apple fan (omit).
Two Wednesdays ago, it was after midnight so it was technically Cinco de Mayo. To get a head start on the holiday, I decided upon another recipe from the current issue of Imbibe Magazine called All Jacked Up from Jordan Brower of Mayahuel in Manhattan. Overall, it seemed like a smoky agave version of the Newark. Once built, it presented a smoky aroma with hints of Maraschino on the nose. Next, grape on the sip transitioned to mezcal, apple, and hints of nutty cherry with an herbal menthol finish.
Postnote: I remade the drink in the Fall and included the apple fan to great aromatic and visual effect.

dengue fever

2 oz Pineapple-Infused El Dorado 8 Year Rum (*)
3/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orange Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and pour into a tall glass. Float ~1/2 oz DonQ 151 Proof Rum and garnish with an orange-cherry flag.
(*) Plantation Stiggins' Pineapple Rum will work well here. Perhaps regular amber rum with a 1/4 oz pineapple syrup would work too.
Two weeks ago, my Tuesday shift closed in time to catch a nightcap at Trina's Starlite Lounge up the street. There, I asked bartender Crystal Kelley for the Dengue Fever that reminded me of their Bath Salts in name. Once built, the Dengue Fever shared an orange aroma accented by overproof rum. On the sip, the rum's caramel paired with the orange and lime notes, and the swallow combined rum, herbal, and spice flavors with a hint of pineapple on the finish.  
Update 1/26/17: this drink was created by Tony Iamunno.

all in

1 1/2 oz 100+ Proof Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Tempus Fugit)

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

A few Sundays ago, I was lured in by Erick Castro's chocolate cocktail article in the May/June 2016 issue of Imbibe Magazine. The article's recipe that grabbed me was Natasha David's All In that she created at Nite Cap in Manhattan. As a chocolate Old Pal akin to Naren Young's Chocolate Negroni, it seemed rather tempting. Moreover, the combination with dry vermouth also reminded me of my pisco-based Stagecoach Mary.
The All In offered up a lemon oil nose over a chocolate-orange bouquet. Next, the sip provided a richness from the liqueurs that supplemented the malt from the whiskey, and the swallow countered and complemented the barrel notes of the rye with a bitter chocolate-orange combination.

destiny street

1 1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oil (here it was a lemon twist).
A few Sundays ago at work, I made the Destiny Street again to take a photo. The drink was my Richard Hell and the Voidoids-inspired recipe that got me into the semi-finals for the Copper & Kings' MixTape national competition. The idea was perhaps inspired by a Champs-Élysées crossed with the Van Dieman from the Café Royal Cocktail Book. Initially, the original version of the drink contained a dash of Angostura Bitters like the Champs-Élysées, but that took the profile into something too darkly spiced.

cuban crusta

1 jigger Bacardi (1 1/2 oz Seleta Gold Cachaça)
Juice 1 Lime (3/4 oz)
1 tsp Grenadine (1/2 oz)
1 dash Curaçao (1/2 oz Senior)
White of 1 Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice, and strain into a glass crusted with sugar. I added a long lime peel around the top interior diameter; as an afterthought, freshly grated nutmeg or a few droplets of aromatic bitters would not be out of place here on the egg white froth.

A few Saturdays ago, I was perusing Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 when I spotted another curious Crusta recipe that included egg white like the Niagara Crusta from that same tome. And like a few other Crusta recipes in that book, this one also left out the bitters that seemed to be a hallmark feature of classic Crusta recipes. Regardless, it seemed worthy of a try even if it was an outlier for a few reasons.
The Cuban Crusta shared a lime and grassy nose. Next, a creamy pomegranate and lime sip led into grassy rum and orange flavors. While looking at the drink photographs, I realized that freshly grated nutmeg or perhaps a few droplets of Angostura Bitters on the egg white froth surface would not be out of place here. Plus, the bitters garnish would add back an element that I found missing from the classic formula.

nui nui

2 oz Amber Virgin Island Rum (Plantation Dark)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Donn's Spices #2 (1/8 oz each vanilla syrup and allspice dram)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Blend 5 seconds with 4 oz crushed ice (shake with ice and strain over crushed ice). Garnish with a long orange twist.

After realizing while drinking the Vendetta that I had not written about a Nui Nui, I decided to remedy that the next night. The Nui Nui had influenced me to create the Kuula Hina at Russell House Tavern two years ago and that later morphed into the Mytoi Gardens menu item a few months later. Namely, it was the Donn's Spices #2, an elegant combination of vanilla and allspice, and here in the Nui Nui, it was also supplemented by cinnamon. According to Beachbum Berry, the Nui Nui was Don the Beachcomber's creation back in the mid-1930s in Hollywood as the Pupule; later, it took on the identity of the Nui Nui at the Mandalay Bar of the Colonel's Plantation Beef Steak House circa 1953.
The Nui Nui gave forth an orange aroma from the twist garnish, and the orange notes continued on into the sip along with lime and the rum's caramel. Finally, the swallow offered rum accented by cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla.

vendetta

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Espolon)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Orange Juice
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
1/4 oz Pimento Dram (St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram)
1/4 oz Simple Syrup (not in original recipe, my addition)
1 dash Aromatic Bitters (Angostura)
8 drop Herbsaint (Pernod Absinthe)

Blend with 6 oz crushed ice (shake with ice and strain over crushed ice). Garnish with a lime wheel and I added freshly grated nutmeg to this.

A few Thursdays ago, Craig Herman a/k/a Colonel Tiki posted about a drink that he created at a Mixoloseum's Thursday Drink Night back in 2010. The theme was rum-less Tiki, and Craig mentioned that his Vendetta from 6 years ago was a tequila version of Three Dots & A Dash. I replied that I was going to make it later that evening but that it reminded me of a cinnamon-less Nui Nui. This also cued me into the fact that I had never written about a Nui Nui, and I took care of that the following evening.
The Vendetta gave forth a nutmeg and lime nose. Next, the sip was rather citrussy with lime and orange notes, and the swallow was tequila spiced with vanilla, allspice, and anise. Overall, it was a tequila drink that would not be out of place on either a Tiki menu or at a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

santiago squall

2 oz House Aged Rum Blend (*)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
6 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass, and add 1 oz Gosling's Ginger Beer. Top with crushed ice, add a straw, and garnish with 2 dash Angostura Bitters and a mint sprig.
(*) A solera mix that was mostly El Dorado 5 Year, Clement Rhum 3 Year, and Bacardi 8 Year.
The drink that Andrea asked bartender Sam Cronin for at Ames Street Deli was the Santiago Squall. Sam described how it was the house cross of an Old Cuban with a Dark & Stormy. Once prepared, it shared a mint aroma accented by Angostura Bitters' spice that gave way to a lightly carbonated caramel and lime sip. Next, rum, mint, and ginger pleasantly filled the swallow.

charles roy

1 1/2 oz Great King Street Scotch
1/2 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a spritz of Laphroaig.

Two Wednesdays ago, Andrea and I ventured over to Ames Street Deli after dinner for a nightcap. For a drink, I asked bartender Sam Cronin for his Charles Roy that two of my out-of-town guests had mentioned that had enjoyed several weeks ago. Sam replied that it had just left the menu, but he could definitely make it. He also described that the concept came by way of a request for a smoky Manhattan, and he took a Rob Roy base and merged it with a Red Hook and a Green Point. While bandying about name ideas, one of the other bartenders, Neil Quigley, suggested the Charles Roy to capture the bar's proximity to the Charles River.
The Charles Roy shared a peat-filled aroma that led into a malt and grape sip. The swallow though showed most of the complexity with smoky Scotch flavors mingling with light herbal and nutty notes.

[kamayura]

2 oz Leblon Cachaça
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Muddle mint in a shaker tin with the orgeat, add rest of the ingredients and ice, shake, and strain into a glass. Fill with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

After my shift two Tuesdays ago, I returned home where I was greeted by Andrea who had just come from Estragon. Estragon bartender Sahil Mehta had written down a recipe for his drink of the day that seemed rather delightful with Campari, orgeat, and citrus in the mix like in the Pinwheel Swizzle and Chestnut Club. With the cachaça as the base, I dubbed this one the Kamayurá after an indigenous tribe in the Amazon basin in Brazil.
For glassware, I took the Tiki mug route instead of a rocks or Collins glass. Once prepared, the mint garnish added wonderful notes to the bouquet. Next, a creamy lime sip transitioned into a grassy, bitter, nutty, and minty swallow.

gothenberg

1 1/4 oz Blanco Tequila (Piedra Azul)
3/4 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Mondays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted in the Imbibe Magazine web recipes from 2014 called the Gothenberg; it was created by Meagan Schmoll's Gothenberg at The Rose in Jackson Wyoming. Tequila and cinnamon syrup are a delightful combination in drinks like the Gilda and the Broken Flower, and I was curious to see if tequila and Swedish punsch continued its excellent interactions as they do in the Metexa and Chutes & Ladders.
The Gothenberg greeted the nose with lemon oil and agave aromas. Next, lemon on the sip led into a tasty tequila, tea, and cinnamon swallow.

sirius

2/3 Plymouth Gin (1 1/2 oz Bluecoat)
3 dash Dry Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat)
2 dash St. Croix Rum (1/2 oz Owney's Rum)
1 dash Orange Bitters (1 dash Regan's Orange)

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

After my shift two Sundays ago, I flipped through Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for something to end the evening. In the gin section was a Martini riff that included rum in the mix; that combination reminded me of the Astoria, Oregon that I had at Tales of the Cocktail last summer. That modern drink took the classic Astoria from the Savoy Cocktail Book, added rum, and swapped the dry vermouth and orange bitters to Lillet. The Sirius from a century before straddles the line between the Astoria, Oregon and the original Astoria with some similarity to the B.V.D. from that 1930 tome.
The Sirius gave forth an orange and herbal aroma with hints of rum. Next, a dry white wine sip led into juniper, fruity rum esters, and orange notes on the swallow.

dunmore cobbler

2 oz Amontillado Shery (Lustau)
1 oz Pineapple Syrup
1/2 oz Blended Scotch (Buchanan 12 Year)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with 3 dash Angostura Bitters and a pineapple wedge (omit).
Two Saturdays ago, I turned to the new issue of Imbibe Magazine (May/June 2016) and decided upon a Cobbler as the evening's libation. The Dunmore Cobbler created by Ryan Fitzgerald and Todd Smith of ABV in San Francisco took the classic Sherry Cobbler and switched the sweetener to pineapple syrup and accented things with a bit of Scotch whisky. Once assembled, the Dunmore Cobbler gave forth an allspice and clove bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, malt, and lemon on the sip transitioned into pineapple and nutty flavors on the swallow. And once the floated bitters garnish entered into the equation, the drink became spiced and drier.

tortuga

1 oz 123 Proof Havana Club Rum (Havana Club 7 Year)
1 oz Lemon Hart 151 Proof Rum
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
2 dash Curaçao (3/8 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Crème de Cacao (3/8 oz Tempus Fugit)
1 dash Grenadine (1/4 oz)
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and pour over cracked ice in a 14 oz chimney glass.

After the Trigger, I was in the mood for another cocktail and I suggested the Tortuga from Trader Vic's 1946 Book of Food & Drink to Andrea. I had held off on the recipe for it calls for 3 types of fresh juice which is not a problem at work where it is all prepped in bulk ahead of time, but seemed slightly excessive at home. The Tortuga reminded me of an extra citrussy Floridita with orange and lemon juice and curaçao added to the mix. Moreover, the drink name could be referring to the Spanish word for turtle or to the Caribbean island off of Haiti; for garnish, I opted for the latter and made good use of the citrus shells and peels to make a Tiki tortoise.
The Tortuga greeted the nose with fresh lime oils from the garnish. Next, the sip presented rich caramel notes from the aged rums along with a mixed citrus flavor, and the swallow gave forth rum paired with a chocolate orange combination.

tigger

1/2 Coate's Plymouth Gin (1 1/4 oz Bluecoat)
1/2 Kina Lillet (1 1/4 oz Cocchi Americano)
3 dash Swedish Punsch (1/2 oz Kronan)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass; I added an orange twist.
Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink from the 1934 1700 Cocktails for the Man Behind the Bar called the Tigger. With the trio of spirit, Lillet, and Swedish punsch, the Tigger reminded me of the tequila-containing Metexa from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. Here, the Tigger began with orange and pine notes on the nose. On the palate, peachy-citrussy wine with floral accents filled the sip, and the swallow broadcast gin botanicals melding well with the punsch's tea tannins.

girl from ipanema

1 oz Avua Cachaça
1 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 Egg White

Shake once without and once with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist and three drops of Angostura Bitters.
The libation that Andrea had at the Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. upstairs at Sichuan Garden II was the Girl from Ipanema. Overall, the drink name and ingredients came across like a tropical drink with mint and egg white smoothness modulating a cachaça Hurricane. In the glass, it gave forth a lemon and passion fruit nose. Next, a creamy lemon sip gave way to a grassy, passion fruit, and mint swallow with the mint pleasantly lingering on the finish. Indeed, I was impressed at how well the crème de menthe complemented the cachaça's grassiness.

contrarian collins

3/4 oz Privateer Gin
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Apricot Liqueur (~1/8 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass, fill with ice, top with 2 oz soda water, and garnish with a cherry and lemon peel flag.
Two Thursdays ago, I played musical chairs with the other bartenders at work and finally had a night off when the Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. upstairs at Sichuan Garden II was open. For a drink, I asked for the Contrarian Collins as the combination of Cynar, apricot, and lemon worked rather well in the One One Thousand. Once prepared, the Contrarian Collins shared a lemon aroma with darker notes from either the cherry garnish or the Cynar. Next, a carbonated lemon and caramel sip also contained vague fruit notes, and the swallow gave forth gin and bitter apricot flavors.

black mammy

1/2 Santa Cruz Rum (1 oz Tommy Bahama Golden Sun + 1/2 oz Vale d'Paul Agricole-style Rum)
1/8 Brandy (1/2 oz Camus VS Cognac)
Juice 1/4 Grapefruit (1/2 oz)
Juice 1/4 Lemon (1/2 oz)
1 dash Clove (1/2 oz Velvet Falerum + 1 Clove)
1 dash Syrup (1/2 oz Florida Crystals Syrup)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve with a thin strip of orange and lemon peels.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing 1934's 1700 Cocktails for the Man Behind the Bar and spotted an interesting Caribbean-feeling drink that intrigued me despite its racist name. The Black Mammy paired up rum and brandy like in a good punch and paired up citrus like in Tiki drinks. I took the liberty of interpreting the clove element to be falernum to drive it a bit more Caribbean akin to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
The Black Mammy gave forth a grapefruit juice aroma that was brightened by citrus oils from the two twists. Next, the citrus continued into the sip with a smooth grapefruit and lemon flavor, and the swallow brought together the funky rum and brandy combination with a clove-driven finish.

babbit

2/3 St. Croix Rum (2 oz Plantation 5 Year Barbados)
2 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Crème de Vanilla (1/4 oz Navan)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

I prepared this recipe like an Old Fashioned. Build in a rocks glass, add a large cube, and stir to chill and mix.
For a nightcap two Wednesdays ago, I selected Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for inspiration. The Babbit stood out as an interesting Old Fashioned-liked drink and the idea of a rum Old Fashioned with vanilla syrup or liqueur like in the Dusty Trail sold me on it. In the glass, the vanilla mingled pleasantly with the rum's caramel on the nose. The aged rum richness continued on into the sip, and the rest of the rum notes along with nutty, vanilla, and clove-laden spice filled the swallow. As the ice melted, the Maraschino's cherry notes became more prominent in the balance.

singapore express

1 oz Navy Strength Gin (Hayman's Royal Dock)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/4 oz Cherry Heering
1/4 oz Cointreau
1 tsp Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a tall glass, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Garnish with a small pineapple top (omit).

One of the drinks from the Mixology Monday Swizzle wrap-up was a riff on the Singapore Sling. The drink was created and presented by the Kitchen Shamanism blog out of Sweden, and I understood the love-hate relationship with the classic. Here, the Singapore Express removed the soda water, scaled down certain of the dominant flavors like the Cherry Heering, and of course converted it into a Swizzle for the event.
Once prepared, the Singapore Express gave forth a pineapple and juniper aroma. Next, lime and a vague fruitiness on the sip led into gin and a pineapple note that blended into a medicinal cherry flavor on the swallow.