the negroni that wasn't

1 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Cynar
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass or rocks glass with ice (the latter), and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed twist).
Two Fridays ago, I turned to ShakeStir for drink ideas for a nightcap. There, I was lured in by Scott Diaz's 2013 The Negroni that Wasn't. This riff utilized Aperol and Cynar that worked well together in the Juan Bautista, Scottish Play, and A Few of My Favorite Things instead of Campari. Once prepared, The Negroni that Wasn't proffered an orange oil aroma over orange notes from the Aperol and juniper ones from the gin. Next, the orange continued into the sip to accent the Cynar's caramel, and the swallow showcased gin and earthy vegetal flavors with a bitter orange finish.

cocoanut grove cooler

1 1/2 oz Bank Note Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Batavia Arrack (Van Oosten)
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/4 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Grenadine

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a parrot Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple fronds, orchid, orange floret, and parasol (orange twist and paper umbrella).

Two Thursdays ago, I was reading an article in the Daily Beast on Scotch Tiki drinks, and I came across Paul McGee's circa 2015 take on the classic Cocoanut Grove Cooler. Like his other recipes at Lost Lake in Chicago such as his Fog Cutter and Penang Afrididi, Paul removed the orange juice from the original and replaced it with curaçao. He also supplemented the Scotch with Batavia Arrack to mirror the smoky undertones; moreover, he also kept the other flavors intact save for their amounts and serving style (namely passion fruit syrup instead of nectar).
Paul's Cocoanut Grove Cooler welcomed the senses with orange oil, passion fruit, and pineapple aromas. Next, a medley of lemon, passion fruit, and pineapple on the sip slid into Scotch, funky rum, and orange-passion fruit flavors on the swallow with a nutty finish.

laughing soup

1/2 jigger Gin (1 1/2oz Beefeater)
1/4 jigger French Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat)
2 spoon Sweet & Sour (1/2 oz Lemon Juice + 1/2 oz Simple Syrup)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass; I added a lemon twist.
For a drink two Wednesday nights ago, I turned to Bill Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them and spotted the Laughing Soup. While I was intrigued by the concept of dry (or perhaps blanc) vermouth in a Gin Sour, the name lured me in for it reminded me of giggle water -- another late 1920s euphemism for an illicit cocktail. Here, the Laughing Soup toyed the nose with lemon and herbal aromas. Next, lemon and dry white wine on the sip chuckled into gin and herbal flavors on the swallow with a lemon finish.

schrage muzik

1 oz Rhum Agricole Blanc (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (*)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Campari (*)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a rocks glass without ice. Stir to mix, garnish with an orange twist, and serve at room temperature. Perfect of flask filling as well.
(*) This was originally created with 3/4 oz Swedish Punsch and 1/4 oz Campari which was tasty but I felt that the Campari needed to come forward more.

My Facebook memories reminded me that in 2013 I created a room temperature drink called the Madame Mustache for the Whiskey Amari series night I did with Katie Emmerson. The event organizer, bartender Matt Schrage, requested a Scaffa (a room temperature drink with bitters but no dilution) for his birthday which fell on our date. Since Matt was a fan of rhum agricole, I ended up utilizing that as a base. Now seven years later, I decided to pay tribute to Matt again on his birthday with a variation on that concept although sans opportunity to serve him one. For a name, I figured that this one might hit you like a WWII armament, and I dubbed it the Schrage Muzik.
The Schrage Muzik began with orange oil, grassy funk, and hints of smoke on the nose. Next, a rich caramel sip shot into a grassy, herbaceous, and orange-apricot swallow with smoke, tea tannin, and spice elements on the finish.

music that stay on for extra days

3/4 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Jagermeister
3/4 oz Cinnamon Falernum (3/8 oz each cinnamon syrup and Velvet Falernum)
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Absinthe (20 drops St. George)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint bouquet, cinnamon stick, grapefruit twist, and an orchid (grapefruit twist and a cinnamon stick).
Two Mondays ago, I turned to a Tiki drink that I had spotted in Punch Drinks called the Music that Stays on For Extra Days. The recipe was created by Paul McGee of Lost Lake in Chicago as a lower proof Zombie riff using various amaro and herbal liqueurs in place of the rums. The ingredients minus the cordials reminded me of a Jet Pilot before reading that it was inspired by the Zombie though (perhaps it was the lack of grenadine). Once prepared, the Music that Stays on For Extra Days played into grapefruit and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel, grapefruit, and lime mingled on the sip, and the swallow continued with earthy gentian, ginger, and bitter orange flavors with a cinnamon and anise finish.

the war on christmas

1/4 oz JM Creole Shrubb (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/2 oz Rainwater Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year Verdelho)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
1 1/4 oz Brennivin Aquavit (Aalborg)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist and sage leaf (omit the sage).
Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a recipe that Paul MacDonald posted on his Instagram called The War on Christmas. The recipe is part of his Fibonacci series (each measure is the sum of the previous two) that he has delved into at Philadelphia's Friday Saturday Sunday restaurant over the last few years, and this one has a bit of a Martinez feel to it. The War on Christmas met the nose with an orange, caraway, savory, and grape bouquet. Next, grape, caramel, and orange notes on the sip added up to herbal cola and orange flavors on the swallow with a caraway finish.

gun metal blue

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Blue Curaçao (1/2 oz Cointreau + 1 drop Blue Food Coloring)
1/4 oz Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Bitter Cinnamon Syrup (*) (1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup + 1/8 oz Suze)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and float an orange coin twist skin-side down. Gently fill the coin with a few drops of overproof rum (Don Q 151) and ignite.
(*) Supercall provided the recipe of 4 cinnamon sticks, 2 oz gentian root, 4 cups sugar, and 2 cups water. Break up cinnamon sticks and heat in a pot until they become aromatic. Add the rest of the ingredients, heat until the sugar has dissolved at a low simmer, and let cool.

Two Saturdays ago, I was perusing Amanda Schuster's New York Cocktails and I spotted the Gun Metal Blue. According to Difford's Guide, the drink was created in 2015 by Mike Shain and Nicholas Bennett at Porchlight in New York City, and Supercall attributed their inspiration to a trip to New Orleans where the bright green Hand Grenade that is drank up and down Bourbon Street caught their attention. Since the actual Hand Grenade recipe is proprietary (and probably rather artificial these days like Pat O'Brien's Hurricane), they delved into the flavors and picked out peach and citrus notes. The rest morphed into a Mezcal Margarita of sorts.
The Gun Metal Blue met the nose with peach and orange notes along with a hint of smoke. Next, lime, orange, and orchard fruit on the sip spread into smoky mezcal and peach flavors on the swallow with a cinnamon finish.

mayan mountain mystic

1 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Fino Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Byrrh Quinquina
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Fridays ago, I had been thinking about Paul McGee's Rum River Mystic, and I decided to riff on that for the evening's libation. Instead of rum and rye, I utilized the mezcal and Fino sherry pairing that worked well in the Smoke in Mirrors and Texas Cakewalk. Trying to keep the alliteration and location themes going, I dubbed this one the Mayan Mountain Mystic. Once prepared, it conjured up an orange oil, smoke, and red fruit aroma. Next, white grape and cherry notes on the sip led into smoky, vegetal, cherry, chocolate, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

far east cocktail

1 1/2 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (2 oz Coruba)
1 tsp Curaçao (3/8 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry)
3 dash Grenadine (1/8 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters (2 dash)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry (orange twist).

For a nightcap two Thursdays ago, I turned to Trader Vic's 1974 Rum Cookery & Drinkery for ideas. The Far East Cocktail intrigued me for the name reminded me of the East India Cocktail as well as the Chinese Cocktail in both name and form. Here, the drink was a rum Old Fashioned served up with the grenadine-curaçao combination that Vic utilized frequently such as in his PB2Y2, Pondo Punch, and later Zombie recipes.
The Far East Cocktail met the nose with an orange, caramel, and molasses bouquet. Next, the caramel and orange notes continued into the sip, and the swallow offered funky rum, berry, and clove flavors.

boothby's special martini

2/3 jigger Gin (2 1/4 oz Alchemy)
1/6 jigger Italian Vermouth (3/4 oz Martini Grand Lusso)
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)
1 spoon Orange Blossom Water (3 drop)
2 drop Bitters (1 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter)

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

Two Wednesdays ago, I picked up Bill Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them and came across the section with eleven Martini recipes. One that stood out was the Special Martini that opted for Italian vermouth instead of French and accented by absinthe, orange blossom water, and a hint of bitters. When I dubbed it Boothby's Special Martini, I thought about The Boothby -- the name given to Boothby's special Manhattan where he upsold a Champagne float if he thought he could part a few extra coins from the guest.
The Special Martini greeted the senses with a complex lemon oil, pine, grape, floral, anise, and spice nose. Next, a grape sip transformed into an elegant juniper, chocolate, clove, cinnamon, and anise swallow.

earl grey angel

2 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Averna
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash 18.21 Earl Grey Bitters (*)

Build in double old fashioned glass, add ice, and stir. Garnish with a spritz of 18.21 Earl Grey Bitters.
(*) Perhaps a strong two hour Earl Grey tea infusion in Angostura (or other aromatic) Bitters would work in a pinch. Or a short infusion into vodka or grain neutral spirits and later blending it 50:50 with Angostura Bitters. The 2 hour time point was taken from Audrey Saunder's Earl Grey MarTEAni recipe.
Two Tuesdays ago, I headed down to Backbar in Somerville and was lured in by their drink of the week, the Earl Grey Angel, that sounded like a delightful Black Manhattan riff. The name reflected the key aromatic accent that also entered into the swallow: 18.21 Earl Grey Bitters. If these are unavailable in your market, a short but strong infusion of said tea leaves into Angostura Bitters would work in a pinch to get those great bergamot citrus notes along with the tea black accents. In the glass, the Earl Grey Angel proffered bergamot aromas along with dark and nutty notes to the nose. Next, a grape and caramel sip descended into Bourbon, nutty, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a pleasing cinnamon and tea tannin finish.

berry dangerous fix

1 1/2 oz Krogstad Aquavit
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Cane Syrup 2:1 (1 oz 1:1)
1/4 oz Campari
4 drop Orange Blossom Water
1 Strawberry

Muddle the strawberry, add the rest of the ingredients, and shake with ice. Strain into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Two Mondays ago, Andrea had bought a carton of strawberries and requested a cocktail to use them. I remembered spotting a recipe or two fitting that bill in The NoMad Cocktail Book, and I selected the Berry Dangerous Fix from that tome. That Fix was created by Jane Danger, and it utilized the strawberry-Campari duo that worked great in the Louanalao, Royale Cup #4, and other drinks. Once prepared, the Berry Dangerous Fix welcomed the senses with strawberry, caraway, and star anise aromas. Next, a lemon and berry sip slipped into a caraway, star anise, and bitter strawberry swallow.

bali hai bastard

1 1/2 oz Pineapple Rum (Plantation)
3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1/4 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Puree (3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup)
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup (omit -- combined with the puree)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass (Tiki mug), and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with 2 pineapple leaves and a pineapple wedge (pink elephant swizzle).
Two Sundays ago, I was in a tropical mood, so I reached for Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith's Minimalist Tiki book and found the Bali Hai Bastard. That recipe was crafted by Marie King who manages the two Tonga Hut bars in California. Once prepared, the Bali Hai Bastard donated pineapple and passion fruit aromas to make a rather exotic bouquet. Next, the lime and pineapple notes on the sip led into rum, rye spice and dryness, pineapple, and passion fruit flavors on the swallow with hints of smoke on the finish from the mezcal.

the kid with the replaceable head

1 3/4 oz Genever (Bols)
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
2 dash Absinthe (1/2 bsp (1/16th oz) Butterfly)

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

Two Saturdays ago, I spotted the bottle of Cardamaro on the shelf at home, and I was inspired to create this Genever Manhattan riff based off of what would work well with that amaro. I went with Genever after having good success pairing it with Cardamaro in the Wooden Shoe; I was first exposed to that combination in 2012 at Portland Cocktail Week with the Deck Hand and the Walking Spanish. Cardamaro worked well with Punt e Mes in Father's Advice and other drinks, and the Maraschino and absinthe might have derived from my love of the Improved Gin Cocktail. For a name, I dubbed this one after a Richard Hell and the Voidoids song after thinking about how I was swapping around ingredients.
The Kid with the Replaceable Head proffered a lemon, malt, and anise bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and malt mingled on the sip, and the swallow changed gears with Genever notes melding into nutty cherry on the swallow with an anise-spice finish.

dear jane

1 oz Gin (Damrak)
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini Grand Lusso)
1/4 oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Elder)

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Fridays ago, I had spotted a drink on Instagram called the Dear Jane created by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin in 2015 at Attaboy in New York City. That led me to find the recipe on The Educated Barfly blog which provided little information on how they came about the cocktail spec or on the back story of the drink. The drink could be named after the 2014 song by the Madden Brothers which begins with the line "I met you down on the Lower East Side" which is the neighborhood that Attaboy resides. Regardless, Campari and elderflower liqueur have paired well in drinks like the Sweet Valley High and the Cell #34 so I was game to give this Negroni riff a try.
The Dear Jane welcomed the senses with lemon oil, floral, and bitter orange aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip gave way to gin's juniper and other botanicals along with Campari softened by elderflower flavors on the swallow with a grapefruit finish.

pina koala

1 1/2 oz Bacardi Añejo Cuartro Rum
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Coconut Cream (*)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a pineapple leaf.
(*) The Backbar house recipe is two parts Coco Lopez coconut cream to one part coconut milk and based off of Martin Cate's recipe at Smuggler's Cove.
Two weeks ago, Moe Isaza wrote to inform me that Bacardi was setting up a charity drink called the Piña Koala to raise money for the Australian Red Cross in the wake of the fires there. When I learned that Backbar already had the drink on the menu, I set off to give it a try and utilize the hashtag #pinakoala on Instagram. While Backbar did their own spin on it to match their house Piña Colada recipe, the original was crafted by Barney Toy at the Clipper Bar. That recipe is as follows:

Piña Koala
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Carta Blanca or Añejo Cuatro Rum
• 1 oz Pineapple Cordial (**)
• 1/2 oz Coconut Syrup (***)
Build in a Highball glass, fill with ice, top with soda, and garnish with a pineapple wedge. Pineapple juice and coconut soda will work here as well.
(**) Pineapple cordial is 500 mL strained pineapple juice, 100 g white sugar, 5 g citric acid, and 2.5 g malic acid.
(***) Coconut syrup is 3 parts coconut water, 1 part white sugar.

Once prepared the Backbar way, the Piña Koala climbed to the nose with coconut and pineapple aromas. Next, citrus and pineapple on the sip led into rum, coconut, pineapple, and spice flavors on the swallow.

sparkling boulevardier

1 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth

Build in a rocks glass, add ice, and stir. Top with 1 oz Cava and garnish with an orange twist.
Two weeks ago, I traveled down to Louisville as part of my Angel's Envy Whiskey Guardian training. After spending the day at the distillery, we headed over to the Logan Street Market for a class on photography. As a welcome drink, bartender and Whiskey Guardian Ryan Day from Indiana served us Sparkling Boulevardiers that coincided with the Bourbon & Bubbles campaign. While I have had Negronis lightened by soda water (read about the addition of soda water to amaro and vermouth drinks in my notes on the Americano talk given by Eric Seed and David Wondrich), I have not had any Boulevardiers that took that route much less a sparkling wine one. The end result was rather delightful to drink assuming that you're a fan of whiskey and bitter orange notes.

pink puff

1/2 Whisky (2 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 Apricotine (1/2 oz Combier Apricot)
3 tsp Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.

As a way to reward myself for packing for my trip to Kentucky, I treated myself to an egg white Sour from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. That recipe was the Pink Puff with whisky and apricot notes; I knew that my version was not going to be pink, but perhaps with the Apricotine  (the brand name for the Garnier apricot liqueur) that was called for might generate something other than beige-orange I expected with mine. Vintage bottles of Apricotine look rather garnet red but that could be from decades of oxidation or it could be the answer to the drink's name. Regardless, apricot and Scotch are a delightful pairing, so I was game to give it a go.
The Pink Puff despite appearing like an Orange Puff was an attractive drink that proffered apricot melding into peat smoke and malt aromas. Next, creamy lemon and orchard fruit on the sip flowed into Scotch and apricot flavors on the swallow.

the lighter side

2 oz Bourbon (Four Roses)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
4 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
For the cocktail hour two Saturdays ago, I selected the Canon Cocktail Book to see if there was a passed-over recipe to make. The one that called out to me was the Lighter Side by Dustin Harstaad as a Bourbon Old Fashioned riff that reminded me a little of the Fancy Free. Once prepared, the Lighter Side met the senses with a lemon, orange, and peach nose. Next, malt and orchard fruit notes on the sip floated into Bourbon, peach, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

birdman

2 oz Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig (paper umbrella).
Two Fridays ago, I spotted a drink on Bartender at Large's Instagram for Erick Castro's Birdman as a riff on Don the Beachcomber's Q.B. Cooler. With Irish whiskey as the base spirit, it made for a great hat trick of Irish Tiki for January's Tiki the Snow Away along with the Death in the North Atlantic and the Irish Magic. The Birdman began with a citrus, honey, and clove aroma since I lacked a mint sprig as garnish. Next, lime, grapefruit, and honey mingled on the sip, and the swallow flew in with whiskey, honey, ginger, and clove flavors.

irish magic

2 oz Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. I garnished with freshly grated nutmeg and coffee bean.

The other recipe that I had spotted in my wrap-up post for Mixology Monday's Irish Wake was the Irish Magic. Like the Death in the North Atlantic, this was another Irish whiskey Tiki drink; here, it was a riff on the Mai-Kai's Black Magic that created by Mike Basista on his DrinksBurgh site.
The Irish Magic conjured up coffee, woody spice, and allspice aromas to the nose. Next, lime, grapefruit, and coffee roast on the sip transformed into Irish whiskey, allspice, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

north garden

1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/4 oz Peated Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 tsp 2:1 Demerara Syrup (1/4 oz 1:1)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice.
Two Wednesdays ago, I delved into Amanda Schuster's New York Cocktails and spotted the North Garden created at Death & Co. in 2011. The recipe followed Death & Co.'s tendency to make three spirit Old Fashioned riffs like the Highwayman and Four in Hand, and I was definitely seeking a drink of that nature. Other sources such as Tasting Table specifically attribute the drink to bartender Jason Littrell circa 2009 at that bar. Once prepared, the North Garden donated a peat smoke and apple bouquet to the nose. Next, a rich pear-like sip led into apple, Bourbon, peat smoke, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

bittersweet symphony

1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Aperol

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for Gary Regan's The Negroni after having success finding unmade interesting recipes with the Negroni Futurista a few weeks prior. There, I was lured in by Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Bittersweet Symphony that he created at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon. The combination of gin, Punt e Mes, and Aperol reminded me of a hybrid of the two riffs on the No. 9 Park Flight of Heraldry -- namely the Contessa with its Aperol and the Patrician with its Punt e Mes. Once stirred and strained, the Bittersweet Symphony greeted the senses with a lemon and orange aroma. Next, grape and orange notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow gave forth pine, bitter herbal, and citrus peel flavors.

run through the jungle

1 1/2 oz Appleton Estate Signature Rum
3/4 oz Averna
1/4 oz Aperol
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a double old fashioned with a large ice cube (single old fashioned with two ice cubes).
Two weeks ago, I returned to the article on Jungle Bird riffs in the current issue of Imbibe Magazine after having made the Second Surfin' Bird. There, I opted for the Run Through the Jungle created by Jeff Baumann at the Great Northern in Burlington, Vermont; with its Averna component, the recipe reminded me of the Paul of the Jungle on the inaugural menu at Latitude 29. Here, the Run through the Jungle crafted a nose of rum, lime, and darker notes from perhaps the Averna. Next, lime and caramel on the sip slid into rum, pineapple, and orange-herbal flavors on the swallow.

mayor joe

1 1/2 oz Pig's Nose Scotch
1/2 oz Zucca Amaro
1/2 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass, fill with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.
As part of menu development at La Brasa, I was inspired by the honey-rabarbaro combination that worked so well in the Shipwrecked. Our bar's blended Scotch sadly gets neglected save for except at weddings, and I thus recalled how well rabarbaros like Zucca pair with Scotch such as in the Caustic Negroni. The rest fell into place as I used lemon juice to cut the sweetness, and Angostura and Peychaud's Bitters to donate darker and brighter levels of bitter herbal complexity and spice, respectively. For a name, I dubbed it after Somerville's mayor, Joe Curtatone, although Joe is more of an Averna guy from the times that I have served him elsewhere in town. Once prepared, the final iteration (*) of the Mayor Joe funded the nose with lemon, honey, and smoky aromas. Next, lemon, honey, and malt collaborated on the sip, and the swallow was an elegant presentation of Scotch and dark herbal flavors.

(*) One direction that I took was with cinnamon syrup instead of honey with the Zucca, but I found the original's honey to be more delightful with the Scotch.

old etonian

1/2 London Gin (1 1/2 oz Beefeater)
1/2 Kina Lillet (1 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano)
2 dash Crème de Noyau (1/4 oz Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

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

In 2010, I became obsessed with the lost ingredient of crème de noyau and went as far as making my own (along with the cyanide risk of doing so). There were a few artificially-flavored bottom shelf examples out there, but nothing worth spending the money on. Drinks from Louis Fouquet's 1896 Bariana such as Louis' Saratoga Cocktail led me on a quest that year to ask around at Tales of the Cocktail. That search guided me to a Cognac blending seminar where I spoke to the producer of Noyau de Poissy. While I did get to attend a great talk for free, I was disappointed when I learned that their crème de noyau was not exported to our area. It was not until 2015 that I was able to get my hands on a bottle of Tempus Fugit's craft take on the liqueur.
Two weeks ago, I was flipping through the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book where I spotted the Old Etonian Cocktail. It had been easier to skip over recipes in the Savoy for there were so many that I could make that it was not such a let down by the ones I could not make given their lost or difficult to source ingredients like Caperitif and Hercules; however, Bariana called for a few ingredients in many of their drinks, and that book served as a greater motivator. Therefore, I felt it was time to give this Martini abstraction a go (although the lesser known Fairbank with its dry vermouth would fall closer to a Martini). In the glass, the Old Etonian proffered orange and nutty aromas to the nose. Next, a peach-like orchard fruit sip led into gin, nutty, and herbal flavors on the swallow.