national

2/3 Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt)
1 dash Pineapple Juice (1/2 oz)
1/4 Sweet Vermouth (1/2 oz Cocchi)
1 dash Bacardi (1/2 oz Depaz)
1 dash Abbott's Bitters (Homemade, Deragon recipe)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Wednesdays ago, I began flipping through the well-worn pages of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and came across the National. The name reminded me of the Hotel Nacional, but the only overlap here was the rum and pineapple ingredients. Mostly, the National was a Manhattan with something Caribbean added akin to the Martinique from the same book more than a rum drink per se.
In the glass, the National shared clovey spices, grassy, and pineapple aromas to the nose. Next, pineapple with hints of grape and malt filled the sip, and the swallow gave forth rye, grassy, clove, and other spice flavors. Overall, it lived up to the dry tropical-tinged Manhattan I was expecting.

young american

1 1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Aperol
1 dash Absinthe
1 oz Soda Water

Build in a cold Double Old Fashioned glass, fill with ice, and garnish with an orange slice (grapefruit twist).
Two Tuesdays ago, I was in the mood for something light and opted for the Young American from A Spot at the Bar's section of Americano riffs. With my grapefruit twist instead of an orange slice, the Young American offered up grapefruit oil to the nose. Next, a carbonated orange-tinged grape sip led into bitter orange on the swallow with an anise-like finish; overall, the drink ended much more gently than the regular Campari Americano (although read the link above to see David Wondrich's history of the variety of amari that have been utilized in Americanos such as Fernet) due to it being split with Aperol.

aphrodisiac dinner jacket

1 oz Dos Maderas 5+3 Rum
1 oz Great King Street Scotch
1/2 oz Galliano l'Autentico
1/2 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a snifter glass.

For my final drink at Estragon, I selected a split spirits Scotch and rum shaken drink that got dubbed the Aphrodisiac Dinner Jacket after another one of Salvador Dali's works. I was drawn in for the combination of Benedictine and Galliano was one that worked rather well in Josey Packard's Winifred Banks. Sahil Mehta described his cocktail as rather perfumy which is why he opted for a snifter glass.
The Aphrodisiac Dinner Jacket gave forth a vanilla and herbal bouquet from the two liqueurs. Next, the sip was rather citrussy from the lemon, and the swallow provided lightly peated Scotch, rum, vanilla, and herbal-spice flavors.

partial hallucination

1 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
The drink that Andrea started with at Estragon was bartender Sahil Mehta's drink of the day. The recipe was called the Partial Hallucination since the chocolate element here seemed strangely subdued at times, and it was thus named after a 1931 Salvador Dali painting. Once mixed, the Partial Hallucination shared an agave and vegetal pepper spice on the nose. Next, a lime and roast-noted sip led into tequila, chocolate, and pepper on the swallow with cinnamon and a hint of spice on the finish.

xenia

1 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Giffard's Orgeat
1/2 oz Pineapple Shrub
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I ventured over to Estragon for dinner. For a first drink, I asked bartender Sahil Mehta for one of his recent drinks of the day called the Xenia. Sahil named his drink this due to the pineapple shrub element in the drink; since pineapple is the international symbol of hospitality, Sahil thought of Xenia -- the Ancient Greek concept of hospitality. Once prepared, the Xenia brought forth a tequila and nutty almond nose with hints of pineapple vinegar notes. Next, a creamy lime and pineapple sip led into tequila, hints of pineapple, and nutty melding into herbal flavors on the swallow.

cocoa republic

1 1/2 oz White Rum (Owney's)
3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth (La Quintinye)
1 tsp Orange Liqueur (Cointreau)
1 tsp Crème de Cacao (Tempus Fugit)
1 tsp Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted in Dave Broom's Rum: The Manual for my nightcap. The recipe was the Cocoa Republic crafted by Robin Honhold of London's White Lyan as perhaps a riff on the El Presidente; moreover, the rum with three modifiers structure (save for the dry vermouth aspect) reminded me of the Chinese Cocktail. Once mixed, the Cocoa Republic gave forth a chocolate orange aroma. Next, a clean orange and berry sip led into rum, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

glasgow

1/2 Scotch (1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
3 dash Port (1/2 oz Sandeman Tawny)
3 dash Dry Vermouth (1/2 oz La Quintinye)
1 dash Picon Bitters (1/4 oz Torani Amer)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

For a post-work nightcap two Saturdays ago, I reached for Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for inspiration. There in the Scotch and Irish Whisk(e)y section, I spotted the Glasgow that was different than the Glasgow that David Wondrich wrote about with a Crispin Glover allusion. Here, the recipe was closer to a Chancellor with Amer Picon in place of the nonpotable bitters. Scotch and Amer Picon frequently are paired together in the Pioneers book with great success such as in the Sunshine, so I was game to give this recipe a try.
The Glasgow presented peat over the port's grape aroma. Next, malt joined a semi-dry grape flavor on the sip, and the swallow gave forth smoky Scotch, apricot, and dark orange notes.

apricole swizzle

2 oz Rhum Agricole Blanc (Vale d'Paul Aguardente Nova agricole-style rum)
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Add a straw and (optional) garnish with Angostura Bitters (3-4 dash as well as adding mint sprigs).

Two Fridays ago, I started a new batch of orgeat in the morning to make a recipe that night that Matt Pietrek posted on his Instagram (and that he later posted on his CocktailWonk blog). After my bar shift, I returned home to finish processing the orgeat syrup and set to work to make this Swizzle that paired agricole with orgeat and apricot. Indeed, rhum agricole and apricot are a combination that work rather well together such as in Martin Cate's Abricot Vieux and my Mount Pelee. Moreover, apricot and orgeat are a classic pairing dating back to the 1930s such as in the Yellow Mist and later in Tiki drinks like the Beachbum, and finally the duo of rhum agricole to orgeat is one well understood.
Once mixed and garnished, the Apricole Swizzle offered a mint, clove, and allspice bouquet. Next, creamy lemon on the sip transitioned into grassy, funky, and nutty notes on the swallow with an earthy apricot finish.

flopsy & mopsy

1 1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Chamomile Tea Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a few dried chamomile flowers.

Two Thursdays ago, I went with one of my coworkers after work to Backbar to catch Josh Cross' last shift in Boston before he returned to Baltimore. For the night, Josh assembled a list of his favorite drinks from his tenure at Backbar, and the one I selected was the Flopsy & Mopsy from the Spring 2016 menu. The cocktail's subtitle was from Beatrix Potter's 1902 The Tale of Peter Rabbit with "His mother put him to bed and made some chamomile tea," and the recipe structure reminded me a bit of a Pink Lady.
The Flopsy & Mopsy greeted the nose with pine and floral aromas that led into a creamy honey, malt, and lemon-filled sip. Next, the gin's pine returned on the swallow along with the Drambuie's honey flavor, and finally the finish shared muted allspice and clove notes.

monaco friar

2 oz Scotch (1 3/4 oz Pig's Nose + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Benedictine
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a rocks glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was in the mood for a nightcap so I ventured into Food & Wine: Cocktails 2012 and spotted the Monaco Friar in the riffs on the Old Fashioned section. The recipe was created by Anthony Schmidt at the Noble Experiment in San Diego, and I was drawn into the drink for I had similar utilized Benedictine as a sweetener in a round of 'Ti Punch for my guests that week. Moreover, it reminded me of the middle ground between a Rusty Nail and a Bobby Burns. The recipe also bears a resemblance to the Highlander (2 oz Johnnie Walker Red, 1/4-1/2 oz Benedictine, 2 dash Angostura Bitters served up with a lemon twist) created by Paul Harrington and published in his 1998 Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century book. Anthony explained his recipe as "I love how the honey and herbal qualities of the Benedictine pair with a fine Scotch... It's a perfect drink during the colder months."
The Monaco Friar greeted me with a lemon and peat bouquet. Next, a honey and malt sip gave way to smoky Scotch and chocolate-herbal flavors on the swallow with an allspice finish.

fagatogo

2 oz Plantation Original Dark Rum
1 1/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 oz Torani (or Amer) Picon

Shake with ice, strain into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, garnish with mint, and add a straw.

Recently, I was asked about how to create Tiki drinks, and I replied that one of the easiest ways to create a novel drink is by changing two elements in a classic with a well-defined structure. This is how I crafted the Final Countdown from the Jet Pilot and the Mytoi Gardens from the Pago Pago. In another thought train while writing up the Oriente, I was reminded how Trader Vic enjoyed mixing with Amer Picon (often when paired with grenadine -- a pairing that dates back to the Picon Punch) such as in the Philippine Punch and Kahala Cooler. Putting the two concepts together, I wondered how the Pago Pago would work with Amer Picon especially since Picon and pineapple juice are a natural match; for a second liqueur, I went with Maraschino in thinking about one of my favorite Manhattan variations, the Brooklyn.
In keeping with how the Pago Pago is named after a the capital of American Samoa, I opted for the Fagatogo which is a village on the islands. Once prepared, the Fagatogo proffered a minty aroma that led into caramel from the rum and Picon that complemented the pineapple and lime notes on the sip. Next, the swallow offered the medley of rum, dark orange, and nutty cherry.

fenton's phantom

1 oz Pimm's No. 1
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, garnish with a lemon twist, and add a straw.
One of the drinks that recently hit the Loyal Nine menu is the Fenton's Phantom for the low-proof section. In trying to come up with a Cobbler, I focused on Swedish punsch that was being freed up by another drink, Monopoly Money (the tequila version of Tainted Love), coming off of the list. In assembling my Swedish punsch cheat sheet, I was reminded of a few combinations that worked well. The two that I honed in on were its interaction with Pimm's with the Pimmeron strongly in mind and with Lillet via the Metexa. In fact, both of those drinks were low proof and aperitif-y as well. To round off the drink, I added in some lemon juice and orange bitters and put it all over crushed ice. To play on the Cobbler as a cobbled ice drink and a shoe maker duality, I paid tribute to one of the lost factories of Cambridge, the Fenton Shoe Factory, that used to employ hundreds of workers in town. The Phantom aspect not only gave an air of mystery and somewhat suggested a lighter drink, it also acknowledges the leftover safety concerns of an old factory site (one of my previous drinks, the Miller's River Milk Punch, also pays tribute to an important industrial aspect of our city that was mucked up by misuse).

velveteen

2 oz Russell's Rye (Old Overholt)
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cordial glass, and garnish with 4 drops Peychaud's Bitters.
After the Bar Institute event, I was in the mood for a nightcap when I got home. In my recent acquisitions pile, I turned to Clair McLafferty's The Classic & Craft Cocktail Recipe Book. There, I honed in on the Velveteen by Gregory Fellows of Annisa in New York City. In the glass, the Velveteen's bitters garnish offered up an anise bouquet that was joined by hints of Chartreuse's herbal aromas poking through. Next, malt and lemon on the sip transitioned into rye, herbal, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow. Overall, it felt like a rye Swizzle akin to the Telenovela in spirit sans the crushed ice of course.

signals, calls, & marches

1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Licor 43
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Two Mondays ago, I attended the Bar Institute's Boston event held at Brass Union. After 6 solid talks, there was a charity bar night featuring three Boston bartenders serving 6 drinks named after songs written by Massachusetts artists. The one I was drawn to was the Signals, Calls, & Marches named after a Mission of Burma song, and Craigie on Main bartender Rob Ficks who mixed the drink told me that the Lush Life crew created that. When I asked Lush Life founder Lindsey Johnson about the drink, I was pointed to Lindsey Scheer who described how she and Dave Kwon created this drink along with some of the others on the list. The recipe reminded me of a Martinez with the citrus and vanilla-driven Licor 43 added in the mix.
Signals, Calls, & Marches gave forth an orange oil aroma over grape and vanilla notes. Next, the grape continued on into the sip where it mingled with the Maraschino's cherry, and the swallow shared gin, nutty, vanilla, and clove flavors.

historic core cocktail

1 oz Bonded Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
In searching for a nightcap two Saturday nights ago, I ventured into my Food & Wine: Cocktails section of the drink book library and selected the 2011 edition. There, I was drawn to John Coltharp's Historic Core Cocktail that also appeared in Left Coast Libations in 2010. The Food & Wine book provided the history that John created this recipe for a 2008 contest for drinks named after downtown Los Angeles sub-districts, and the Historic Core was the one that he lived in at the time. The Left Coast Libations recipe varies somewhat from the above for it is:

Historic Core Cocktail (Left Coast Libations)
• 1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse or Thomas Handy Rye
• 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
• 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
• 1 generous dash Angostura Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Overall, the recipe reminded me a bit of PDT's Harvest Moon with Lillet and Abbott's Bitters in place of the sweet vermouth and Angostura, and perhaps the Swafford with Maraschino instead of vermouth. Once in the glass, the Historic Core proffered a lemon and apple bouquet. Malt and grape on the sip led into rye, apple, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a clove and apple finish.

kingston

2 oz 12 Year Old Jamaican Rum (Appleton Reserve)
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (La Quintinye)
1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 bsp Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
After work two Fridays ago, I sought out my nightcap in A Spot at the Bar and happened upon the Kingston crafted by Everleigh bar manager Felix Allsop. This was not the Daisy-like Kingston that appeared in Stan Jones' Barguide but a straight spirits one featuring orange liqueur and an amaro. Once prepared, the Kingston imparted an orange oil over aged rum aroma. Next, sweet caramel balanced by dry white wine made up the sip, and the swallow gave forth rum, orange, and tangerine notes.

oriente

1 1/2 oz White Rum (Angostura White Oak)
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
Juice 1/2 Lime (1/2 oz)
1/2 tsp Sugar (1/2 oz Simple Syrup)
2 dash Amer Picon (1/4 oz Torani Amer)

Mix in a blender with shaved ice and serve in a champagne glass (shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe).
Two Thursdays ago, I desired something tropical after my bar shift, so I turned to Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide (1948 edition of the 1947 book) for inspiration. There, I was curious about the Oriente that was a pineapple juice-laden Daiquiri embittered by Amer Picon especially since Picon and pineapple pair so well together such as in the Kahala Cooler. In the glass, the Oriente offered pineapple and floral lime aromas to the nose. Next, lime and pineapple on the sip gave way to rum and pineapple flavors merging into dark orange notes on the finish.

by way of the dodo

1 oz Green Chartreuse (3/4 oz)
1 oz Lime Juice (3/4 oz)
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup (3/4 oz)
1 oz Privateer Navy Yard Rum (3/4 oz)

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins (rocks) glass, fill with crushed ice, garnish with a cherry and Angostura Bitters (3 dashes), and add a straw.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was searching for one of my drinks via the OnTheBar app when I pulled up one of Matthew Rose's recipes that he created at the Watson and the Shark Tiki bar upstairs at Short & Main in Gloucester. The recipe was the By Way of the Dodo that he described as his "Tiki version of The Last Word." Since my work week overlaps with that bar's schedule of Thursday-Sunday, I decided to make it at home instead of waiting for a random day off. Since Green Chartreuse and passion fruit have worked well in some of Sahil Mehta's drinks like the Fangataufa and Chachalaca, I was ready to give this one a whirl.
The By Way of the Dodo presented a clove and allspice aroma from the Angostura Bitters garnish that led into a lime and passion fruit sip. Next, the overproof rum and Green Chartreuse herbal notes mingled on the swallow that finished smoothly from perhaps the passion fruit syrup.

rancho la vista

1 jigger Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1 jigger Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
1/2 jigger Falernum (1/2 oz)
2 tsp Honey (1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1)
1/2 jigger Light Bacardi Rum (1/2 oz Caliche)
1/2 jigger Dark Lemon Hart Rum (1/2 oz El Dorado 5 Year)
1/2 jigger Havana Club Rum (1/2 oz Havana Club 7 Year)

Mix and pour over ice in a 14 oz Collins glass (shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass, and fill with crushed ice). Float 1/2 jigger Myers Rum (1/2 oz Coruba), garnish with an orange twist, and add a straw.

Two Tuesdays ago, I began perusing Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up for the evening's libation. There, I came across the Rancho La Vista from Reese L. Milner of Beverly Hills whose description accompanying the drink read, "One reclines in a large easy chair and, after a time, drifts into a peaceful state of oblivion. Amen." My later investigations turned up that the Milner family owned Rancho La Vista in Ojai, California, for 100 years or so. I was drawn in by the rum, citrus, falernum, and honey combination that worked so well in drinks like Three Dots and a Dash, Chappaquiddick, and the Island of Martinique. Moreover, I ended up altering the recipe and bringing it closer to how I make a Jet Pilot to reduce the amount of citrus used as well as the rate that the drink would send one to oblivion.
The Rancho La Vista presented orange oils from the twist along with dark funky rum notes from the Coruba rum float to the nose. Next, the rums' caramel joined the lemon and lime on the sip, and the swallow gave forth rum, honey, and clove spice flavors.

american negroni

1 1/4 oz Bourbon (Fighting Cock 103)
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
3/8 oz Aperol
3/8 oz Campari
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a rocks glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a lemon twist.

After the Shark's Tooth #2, I reached for Michael Madrusan & Zara Young's A Seat at the Bar and found the American Negroni in the "Aperitif Hour" section. Essentially a Boulevardier with bitters and with the Campari split with another amaro like in the Left Hand of Darkness. That amaro was Aperol and a similar split was seen in the Jungle Bird riff Jets to Brazil.
In the glass, the American Negroni wafted a floral lemon bouquet to the nose that colored the grape and malt sip. Next, Bourbon flavors were joined with bitter orange on the swallow with a clove and allspice finish from the Angostura Bitters. Overall, the American Negroni was drier and less bitter than a Boulevardier but not all that different in the end.

shark's tooth #2

1 1/2 oz Puerto Rican Rum (2 1/2 oz Plantation 3 Star)
1/4 oz Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1/4 oz Dry Vermouth (1/2 oz La Quintinye)
1/4 oz Sloe Gin (1/2 oz Atxa Patxaran)
1 dash Passion Fruit (1/4 oz PF Syrup)

Stir with ice, strain into a 10 oz glass, and fill with seltzer water (shake with ice, strain into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, and skip the soda).
Two Monday nights ago, I began the cocktail hour with a tropical number from our 1948 edition of the 1947 Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide called the Shark's Tooth #2. I adapted the recipe to my tastes including taking a Sling and converting it more into a Tiki drink. Once built, the Shark's Tooth #2 offered mint and lemon notes to the nose thanks to the garnishes I added. Next, tropical fruit flavors from the passion fruit and lemon filled the sip, and the swallow shared rum and sloe berry. Overall, the sloe berry seemed to dominate here and perhaps doubling the passion fruit amount would help balance the flavor profile more.

mercy, mercy

2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my new purchase of Clair McLafferty's The Classic & Craft Cocktail Recipe Book after my evening's work shift. There, I was lured in by the Mercy, Mercy crafted by Joseph Schwartz while at Little Branch in Manhattan that reminded me of Charlotte Voisey's Unusual Negroni but more spirit forward and with the addition of aromatic bitters.
The Mercy, Mercy began with an orange aroma that was joined by peach and pine notes. Next, a lightly citrus-driven sip led into gin and a Christmas spice-tinged bitterness on the swallow.

i love lamp

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Lunazul)
1 oz Demerara Rum (El Dorado 5 Year)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
1/4 oz Agave Nectar
4 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a double Old Fashioned glass, fill with ice, and garnish with a pineapple fruit leaf (omit).
Two Fridays ago, I was excited to flip through my new issue of Imbibe Magazine where I stopped at the article on banana liqueur. Of the three recipes, I was lured in by the Anchor Man-themed I Love Lamp created by Jordan Browers of Mayahuel. Once mixed, the I Love Lamp gave forth a clove bouquet with hints of agave to the nose. Next, the lime and pineapple colored the sip, and the swallow shared tequila, rum, and banana flavors with an allspice and clove finish.

revenge of the lawn

1 1/2 oz Berkshire Ethereal Gin
1/2 oz Green Tea Syrup
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime "lawn" twist.
For our Spring-themed drink of the day week at Loyal Nine, I thought about my grass coming back in from its Winter slumber as well as figuring out how to fill in bare patches and do in the weeds that were also cropping up. So two Thursdays ago, I went with the grassiness of green tea syrup and the earthiness of Punt e Mes and paired those with gin botanicals to capture the green blades and the fertile dirt. For a name, I paid tribute to author Richard Brautigan and his 1971 collection of short stories entitled "Revenge of the Lawn." Perhaps Brautigan was on my mind (despite not having read any of his books in years) since I had been proofreading my new book's recipes and remembered Scott Holliday's Brautigan. The lawn theme was solidified with a lime twist that looked like either a mustache guard or a lawn as it was attached to the side of the coupe glass.

hemingway daiquiri

2 oz Banks 5 Island Rum (Plantation 3 Star)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.
After making the Dovetail a few nights before, it dawned on me that I had never written about the Hemingway Daiquiri despite having had and made plenty at both home and work and riffed on the general recipe such as in the Maneater. The recipe that I sourced two Wednesdays ago was from the PDT Cocktail Book for it was the closest to the recipe I make at work (1 1/2 oz Privateer Silver, 1/2 oz each grapefruit juice, lime juice, and Maraschino) since many recipes have less grapefruit in the mix. Author Jim Meehan described the drink as the "Cuban Bar La Florida's Daiquiri #3 served without the sugar for diabetic author and barfly Ernest Hemingway." Looking at my copy of La Florida Cocktail Book, their Daiquiri #3 was listed as follows:

Daiquiri Num. 3
• 2 oz Bacardi Rum
• 1 spoon Sugar
• 1 tsp Grapefruit Juice
• 1 tsp Maraschino
• Juice 1/2 lime
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Serve frappe.

Despite the sugar or simple syrup being removed in the PDT and many other recipes for the Hemingway Daiquiri, the citrus' tartness is balanced by a higher proportion of Maraschino liqueur (other recipes, split the Maraschino with simple syrup to tone down the overall nuttiness or specifically call for a less nutty Maraschino liqueur brand such as Stock or Maraska). The reason I prefer a bit more grapefruit in the mix is that it helps to differentiate the #3 and the Hemingway Daiquiris from the Daiquiri #4 (rum, sugar, Maraschino, lime juice). Once prepared, the Hemingway Daiquiri shared a lime and nutty cherry aroma. Next, the citrusy sip of lime and grapefruit had hints of cherry, and the swallow gave forth rum and cherry flavors with a tart grapefruit finish.

elvis in swim trunks

1 1/2 oz Ron Abuelo 7 Year Rum (Barbancourt 8 Year)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Absinthe (1 bsp Pernod)

Shake with ice, strain into a double Old Fashioned glass with a large ice cube (Tiki mug with crushed ice), and garnish with a mint sprig.

Two Mondays ago, I replenished my pineapple juice supply so I was ready to make a drink that I had spotted on the ShakeStir site by Dean Pryor of The Gorbals in Los Angeles. The recipe was called the Elvis in Swim Trunks, and the name was partially explained with "Rum did for the Gimlet [Daiquiri?] what Elvis did for the PB & J." Overall, the combination reminded me of the Hotel Nacional Special from Charles H. Baker Jr. with a touch of absinthe in the mix.
The recipe also let me utilize the my garden's mint that has resurfaced early after a short and not too cold winter, and that garnish pleasantly greeted the nose. On the sip, the lime and pineapple juices took center stage, and the swallow was a combination of the rum, apricot, and pineapple with the absinthe flavors appearing on the finish.

tre amari fizz

3/4 oz Averna
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 oz Heavy Cream
1 Egg White
4 drop Orange Blossom Water

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 2 oz ginger beer, garnish with an orange twist, and add a straw.
Two Saturday nights ago, one of the blog readers from San Francisco was back in Boston and visiting Loyal Nine. One of his tablemates approached the bar and asked for a drink to end out the West Coast visitor's evening. Instead of a Flip, I decided to go in the style of a New Orleans (a/k/a Ramos) Fizz using three different amari akin to my single amaro Fizz, the Fratelli Fizz. For the trio, I selected Fernet, Averna, and Cynar and instead of soda water, I opted for ginger beer akin to the Fernet Buck and Cynar Buck. The end result was so good, that the original requester of the drink got envious and asked if he could have one as well (and that second one is the the one in the photo above).

dovetail

1 1/2 oz Tequila (Lunazul Reposado)
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wedge (wheel).
For my post-shift drink at home two Friday nights ago, I began flipping through A Spot at the Bar: Welcome to Everleigh. There, I came upon the Dovetail that was Andy Chu's 2015 riff on the Hemingway Daiquiri that he created at Everleigh, although the "dove" part me think of a Paloma thanks in part to the Dove & Daisy drink. Once prepared, the Dovetail filled the nose with agave, lime, and nutty Maraschino notes. Next, grapefruit and lime on the sip transitioned into tequila and dry cherry on the swallow with a nutty and anise finish.

born on the bayou

1 oz Privateer Amber Rum
1/2 oz Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum
3/4 oz Dolin Rouge Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with "smoky Herbsaint (2 parts Herbsaint to 1 part Laphroaig Scotch)". Garnish with lemon oil from a twist.
Two Thursdays ago, I was able to get out of work early enough to catch last call at Backbar. For a nightcap drink, I asked Carlo Caroscio for the Born on the Bayou. Carlo described how it was created by Josh Cross as his rum riff on the Cocktail à la Louisiane. Moreover, the recipe utilized a more spirit forward recipe seen in the PDT Cocktail Book opposed to the original's equal parts structure. Once served, the Born on the Bayou generated a lemon, smoke, and anise aroma. Next, caramel and grape on the sip transitioned into rum, herbal, allspice, clove, and cinnamon on the swallow. While a somewhat different flavor profile than the classic, the smooth complexity and general feel of the original was still present.

thistle & vine

1 1/2 oz Lunazul Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Wednesdays ago, Andrea and I visited Eastern Standard for dinner. For a first drink, I asked bartender Sebastian Tlls for the Thistle & Vine. I was a little confused since Cardamaro was not listed as an ingredient, and the combination of tequila, cinnamon, orgeat, and lemon reminded me a bit of an agave Cuban Anole. However, with the Cardamaro in the mix, not only did the name make sense since it is a wine-based amaro made with blessed thistle, but the drink took a different direction than a Mai Tai riff.
The Thistle & Vine began with a tequila and cinnamon bouquet that led into a creamy lemon sip. Next, the swallow provided tequila, nutty, herbal, and cinnamon flavors that rounded out this cocktail that surprisingly turned out to be more elegant than tropical given the menu's listed ingredients.

100 year old cigar

1 3/4 oz Zacapa 23 Rum (Plantation Dark)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an absinthe-rinsed (Pernod) coupe glass.
Two Mondays ago, I turned to a recipe that I had spotted in a SeriousEats article that had recipes from the Brookyln Bartender book. The one that called out to me was Maks Pazuniak's 100 Year Old Cigar that he created at Jupiter Disco. Once prepared, it offered an anise aroma from the absinthe rinse that later gave way to smoke and Cynar's herbal notes. Next, the sip was rather caramel from the Cynar and aged rum, and the swallow shared rum, peaty smoke, and funky herbal flavors.

black magic

1 oz Hine H Cognac (Camus VS)
1 oz Angostura 5 Year Rum (7 Year)
1/2 oz Marie Brizard White Crème de Menthe (Tempus Fugit)
1 tsp Fernet Branca
1 tsp Simple Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe pre-rinsed with Pontarlier Absinthe (Butterfly).

For a nightcap two Mondays ago, I selected the Death & Co. Cocktail Book from the drink book shelf and stumbled upon the Black Magic that I had somehow overlooked before. The recipe was Thomas Waugh's 2009 creation that utilized small amounts of absinthe and Fernet to color a classic Stinger (with rum). Indeed, the combination of rum, brandy, and crème de menthe reminded me of the Tangier Nights from 1937s Café Royal Cocktail Book where the rum component was Swedish punsch.
The Black Magic greeted the nose with a complex but not overpowering combination of anise, minty, and menthol aromas. Next, a lightly caramel sip shared a decent amount of sweetness, and the swallow was a pleasant blend of brandy, rum, and mint flavors. With Tempus Fugit's crème de menthe, the drink was rather elegant as opposed to Stingers that I have tried with cheaper mint liqueurs.