boston lady

1 1/2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 Egg White

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

During a recent USBG Boston Classic Cocktail Happy Hour, the topic of drinks created in or named after Boston came up. When the Boston Cocktail was mentioned, I commented that it was Mr. Boston's renaming the Bermudian or Bermuda Rose in 1935 to fit a theme instead of creating a cocktail anew. This flavor profile was influenced style-wise by the classic Boxcar that I had just made to take the Boston Cocktail in a White Lady direction to craft the Boston Lady.The Boston Lady welcomed the nose with an apricot, berry, and pine bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip with a vague plum-like fruity note danced into a gin, pomegranate, and apricot swallow.

ada lovecraft

1 1/2 oz Malört (Jeppson's)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 dash Fernet Branca (1/8 oz)

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

After making the Hocus Pocus that was a riff on the Hanky Panky, I began to contemplate other things that began with H & P. My mind soon drifted to the initials of the New England cosmic horror author H.P. Lovecraft, and that led me to Malört as the base spirit to represent the supernatural horror aspect. I dubbed this one the Ada Lovecraft as a nod to Ada Coleman who created the Hanky Panky at the Savoy Hotel bar.The Ada Lovecraft bubbled out of the glass with an orange, grape, and herbal aroma. Next, grape and orange notes lurched from the sip, and the swallow exalted the senses with bitter herbal grape flavors akin to Cardamaro with a grapefruit and menthol finish. The sugar in the sweet vermouth did a lot to mollify the rougher edges of Jeppson's Malört, so this was rather enjoyable to drink. "Pleasure to me is wonder – the unexplored, the unexpected, the thing that is hidden and the changeless thing that lurks behind superficial mutability." – H.P. Lovecraft.

mayor rock

1 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1 tsp Agave Nectar
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters

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

Two Mondays ago, I returned to Emma Janzen's Mezcal book where I was lured in by the Mayor Rock. This recipe was crafted by Ricky Gomez at the Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon; it never made the menu there, but it did at Riffle across town, and he later had it on the menu on Compère Lapin when he relocated to New Orleans. The idea of Pechuga mezcal traditionally being made with apples in the still made him think of this combination, and I have enjoyed mezcal and apple brandy before in recipes like the Sailor's Delight, Grand Bargain, and Moment in the Sun. Moreover, the simplicity of the drink reminded me of the Oaxacan Old Fashioned.The Mayor Rock presented orange, smoke, and apple aromas to the nose. Next, a rich sip led into smoky vegetal, apple, and clove flavors on the swallow.

golden eel

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
3/4 oz Carpano Antica (1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth)
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört

Build in an ice-filled old fashioned glass, stir, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I had an idea for a Malört cocktail, but instead of making it then, I uncovered in my research the 2009 article with recipes in The Chicago Reader that I had made drinks from before. The novel one that I selected this time was the Golden Eel crafted by Paul McGee at the Whistler; he described how he created it for bar regulars "Howard" and "Biff", and "now every time they come in, that's pretty much all they drink." With the Negroni and Bijou having a similar format, I was curious to try the Golden Eel (that name reminded me of the Nude Eel which has some overlap in flavors). In the glass, the Golden Eel donated an orange, herbal, and cherry nose. Next, grape and cherry notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow showcased gin and bitter red fruit flavors.

tobacco road

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 1/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Fino Sherry (La Gitana Manzanilla)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist and a pinch of sea salt.Two Saturdays ago, I saw a reference to the Tobacco Road cocktail created by Nick Caruana, and I was able to track down the recipe in a 2014 article in Serious Eats. The combination of Fino sherry and Cynar reminded me of the Remember the Alimony, and with the mezcal, I recalled my own riff with citrus called the Texas Cakewalk. In the glass, the Tobacco Road conjured up grapefruit, caramel, and smoke aromas. Next, caramel wafted into the sip, and the swallow exhaled smoky vegetal and briny flavors with an anise and smoke finish.

fair & warmer

2/3 Bacardi (1 1/2 oz Flor de Caña Añejo Oro + 1/2 oz Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Cocchi)
2 dash Curaçao (1/8 oz Pierre Ferrand)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.After I posted the All's Fair from Beta Cocktails, a reader commented that this part of the drink trilogy was probably named after the Fair & Warmer from the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. I was able to trace back the recipe to Hugo Ensslin's 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks and decided to give it a go. Once prepared, the Fair & Warmer provided the nose with an orange and grassy bouquet. Next, a grape and dark orange sip sailed into rum with a hint of grassiness, orange, and plum flavors on the swallow.

oakland

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Sfumato
1/4 oz St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur (Galliano Ristretto)
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with both lemon and orange twists.Two Thursdays, I went to compare what I had read in the Alcademics' book club selection How the Gringos Stole Tequila with what had been written in Emma Janzen's Mezcal book. For a drink that evening, I flipped to Mezcal's recipe section and landed on the Oakland crafted by Caitlin Lamon of Dirty Precious in Brooklyn and formerly of Trick Dog in San Francisco. Once assembled, the Oakland wafted to the nose with lemon, orange, and smoky vegetal aromas with darker notes from the Sfumato and coffee liqueurs. Next, caramel and roast flavors on the sip flowed into mezcal and smoky herbal elements on the swallow with a coffee and allspice finish.

hocus pocus

1 3/4 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Combier Triple Sec (Cointreau)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca

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

Two Wendesdays ago, I was scanning recipes on Kindred Cocktails when I spotted the curiously named Hocus Pocus. The site attributed it to Misty Kalkofen then of Drink in Boston for the menu at the Fourty-Four Bar in New York City. The combination reminded me of the Don't Give Up the Ship with the name suggesting the Hanky Panky. A quick search turned up a 2010 blog post by Robert Simonson who explained, "This is a variation of Ada Coleman's infamous Hanky Panky cocktail... The 6-person 'Cocktail Collective' [was] put together by the Royalton Hotel to created a cocktail program for the lobby bar called Fourty-Four."The Hocus Pocus conjured up an orange oil over Cointreau and pine aromas with hints of caramel and mint. Next, a grape and orange sip transformed into gin and orange-mint flavors on the swallow.

the revenant

1 1/4 oz High Proof Cognac (1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1/2 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
1/2 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/2 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I found a reference to the Revenant published in Punch that seemed like an intriguing Cognac drink. The recipe was attributed to Shae Minnillo at Brooklyn's Maison Premiere, and the call for "high proof Cognac" suggested that it originally used Louis Royer which put out a 53% ABV label. When I searched for the name plus the brand, I found that this cocktail was a competitor in the 2014 "Show Me the Proof" competition that Royer hosted. Once prepared (albeit with a less proofier brandy), the Revenant revived the nose with an orange oil and Cognac aroma. Next, the amaro and black strap rum's caramel notes filled the sip, and the swallow showcased Cognac, root beer, and grapefruit flavors with a dark roast or licorice finish.

boxcar

1 1/2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, and strain into a sugar-rimmed coupe.

Two Mondays ago, I was perusing the Drink bar bible when I spotted the Boxcar that I was unfamiliar with. It appeared like a White Lady with hints of a Pink Lady and the sugared rim and orange liqueur of a Sidecar. Unlike all three of those drinks, this one utilized lime as the citrus instead of lemon. With a little bit of sleuthing, I was able to track the drink down to Alexander Lawton Mackall who wrote for Esquire in the 1930s and 40s and proffered it as a modification of Harry MacElhone's White Lady.The Boxcar rolled in with an orange and pine aroma. Next, lime and orange on the sip progressed into gin, berry, and tangerine flavors on the swallow.

loose noose

2 oz Bourbon (Larceny)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Fino Sherry (La Gitana Manzanilla)
1/2 tsp Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I spotted a reference to an interesting sounding Manhattan-variation called the Loose Goose. The Bittermens website attributed the recipe to Frank Cisneros at Dram as published in Jill DeGroff's 2nd edition of Lush Life: Portraits from the Bar in 2011. Once prepared, the Loose Noose wrapped around the nose with orange, Bourbon, and allspice aromas. Next, malt and grape on the sip tightened into Bourbon, savory, chocolate, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

national velvet

2 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to Eric Alperin's Unvarnished book and spied the National Velvet. The recipe crafted by Max Seaman at the Varnish was akin to a Revolver with two substitutions: Scotch and mole bitters instead of Bourbon and orange, and the name might be a reference to the 1935 novel or the 1944 movie that was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In the glass, the National Velvet greeted the senses with an orange, coffee, and smoke bouquet. Next, a malt and roast sip galloped into a Scotch and coffee swallow with a chocolate and smoke finish.

cargo thief

1 1/2 oz Bulleit Rye (Rittenhouse)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
4 dash Absinthe (1 scant bsp Kübler)
4 dash Orinoco Bitters (2 dash Angostura + 2 dash Bitter Housewife Cardamom) (*)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.
(*) I found the recipe provided by Jillian Vose online calling for 4 dash Angostura Bitters.

In researching the Manhattan for USBG Boston's (Virtual) Classic Cocktail Happy Hour, I found my copy of Philip Greene's The Manhattan Book. After noting a few passages to quote for the upcoming session, I turned to the recipe section for the evening's cocktail. There, I was intrigued by the Cargo Thief by Jack McGarry and Jillian Vose at the Dead Rabbit for it reminded me of Harry Johnson's Manhattan Cocktail from his 1900 New and Improved Bartenders' Manual using both the curaçao and the absinthe (Johnson had it as an or, not an and).The Cargo Thief's nose stole an orange oil, anise, and curaçao aroma. Next, grape and orange notes conspired on the sip, and the swallow made off with rye, herbal, and orange flavors with an anise, clove, and cardamom finish.

professor's row

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Fino Sherry (La Gitana Manzanilla)
1 dash Walnut Bitters (Strongwater)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two Thursdays ago, I spied the Professor's Row on Kindred Cocktails that was created at Park in Harvard Square. Technically, it was one customer's approximation of the recipe; they loved the drink when it was on the menu there, but as time passed since it was last offered, they attempted a recreation at home and posted the results on Reddit. The combination of Averna and apricot has always been intriguing since I first tasted it in the Averna Jimjam to the most recent time in the Bells & Whistles. And when I saw that it had been paired with mezcal and Fino as I enjoyed in the Smoke in Mirrors and utilized in the Texas Cakewalk, I was sold.This approximation of the Professor's Row donated a smoke and caramel aroma before continuing into an orchard fruit and caramel sip. Finally, smoky mezcal, savory sherry, and bitter plum flavors rounded out the swallow.

f. scott fitzgerald

2 oz Beefeater Gin
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Pierre Ferrand Curaçao)
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a flamed lemon twist (unflamed).

Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and spotted the F. Scott Fitzgerald that had been created at neighboring Eastern Standard. The recipe was created for and named after a regular, Scott Fitzgerald, and it has no relation to the classic Fitzgerald (a Gin Sour with bitters). I was lured in for this combination reminded me of Chuck Taggart's Hoskins Cocktail that was on the menu when we made our first visit to Eastern Standard in 2007 as well as Matt Schrage's Hugo Ball. The F. Scott Fitzgerald opened up to the nose with a lemon, orange, and pine bouquet. Next, caramel, dark orange, and cherry notes on the sip slid into gin, herbal, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow with an orange finish.

light in the attic

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Barbancourt 8 Year)
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

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

Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted on the Kindred Cocktail database called the Light in the Attic that was most likely named after the 1981 Shel Silverstein book. The recipe ended up there after it had been posted on the Instagram of Chicago's Sportsman's Club in 2018, and the combination of Amontillado and Cynar had been a winner before in drinks like the Teenage Riot and Montresor & Fortunado. Here, aged rum and chocolate bitters rounded out the combination.The Light in the Attic welcomed the nose with orange, nutty, and caramel aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes enriched the sip, and the swallow presented rum, nutty grape, chocolate, and herbal flavors with a chocolate-minty finish.

ingenue

2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Mondays ago, I began flipping through the Death & Co. Cocktail Book to find any glossed-over gems. In the Manhattan riffs section, Brian Miller's 2009 Ingénue seemed like a simple yet elegant brandy drink. Brian explained, "The name came to me first, then the drink followed: a Cognac-based Manhattan variation with a nod to Tiki." In the glass, the Ingénue delivered a rich grape and Cognac bouquet. Next, the grape notes continued on into the sip which was pursued by a Cognac, wine, and cinnamon swallow.

the banana clipper

2 oz Plantation Xaymaca Rum
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with both a grapefruit twist and an orange one.Two Sundays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne's bar bible where I honed in on the Banana Clipper that appeared like an opulent tropical Old Fashioned. The recipe was crafted by Rob Ficks in early 2020, and it was subtitled on the menu as "move with the elegance of an African elephant" which seemed to suggest that it was named after a song by Run the Jewels. The Banana Clipper sailed to the senses with orange, grapefruit, caramel, and banana aromas. Next, a caramel-driven sip anchored into a funky rum, banana, chocolate, and allspice swallow.

bizarre love triangle

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Manzanilla Sherry (Hidalgo La Gitana)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

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

Two weeks ago, Chuck Taggart posted on Instagram a Martini riff that his husband Wesley Moore had crafted. The combination with a three-way fortified wine backbone lacked a name, and I suggested the Adonis Martini for it appeared like a mashup of an Adonis (or a Bamboo Cocktail) with a Perfect Martini. Alternate names were suggested like the Fitty-Fitty Perfect Trifecta Martini and An Italian, a Frenchman, and a Spaniard Walk into a Gin Bar. I held off on making the recipe until I heard the winning name: the Bizarre Love Triangle which was most likely a reference to the 1986 New Order song.The Bizarre Love Triangle wafted to the nose with lemon and grape notes. Next, a semi-dry grape sip twisted into gin, grape, and savory flavors on the swallow.

burnished brass

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Dale DeGroff's Pimento Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon wheel (lemon twist).Friday two weeks ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted an intriguing recipe from user Applejack dating back to 2016. To a Cognac and sherry base, I was lured in by the duo of pineapple syrup and Benedictine that I had previously tasted in the Rainmaker. Once prepared, the Burnished Brass greeted the senses with a lemon, Cognac, and pineapple aroma. Next, lemon, grape, and pineapple mingled on the sip, and the swallow came through with Cognac, nutty, and tropical flavors with an allspice finish.

six weeks since punxsutawney

1 1/2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon (Old Forester 100°)
1 oz Averna
1 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
1/4 oz Combier Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Thursdays ago, I spotted an interesting recipe on ShakeStir from Timothy Miner of the Long Island Bar called the Six Weeks Since Punxsutawney. This 2014 recipe must have been for a Spring-themed competition for the name refers to the month and a half wait if the infamous Pennsylvania groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd. Once prepared, the Six Weeks Since Punxsutawney greeted the senses with a floral and grapefruit bouquet. Next, a caramel sip launched into Bourbon, grapefruit, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

hotel room temperature

1 1/2 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum
1/4 oz Marie Brizard Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
8 drop Salt Tincture (1 pinch Salt)

Build in a rocks glass without ice, give a quick stir, and garnish with an orange twist. Serve room temperature.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to embark on the last recipe in Kirk Estopinal's trilogy, the Halfway to a Three Ways to Lose Your Lover, in Beta Cocktails. With the same set of ingredients of vermouth, dark rum, curaçao, mole bitters, and salt, there was the stirred and chilled All's Fair and the whole egg Flip Out. Here, it was the sans dilution and chilling Hotel Room Temperature, and it began with an orange and caramel aroma. Next, grape, caramel, and a hint of orange on the nose checked in to dark rum, orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

the redemption

3/4 oz Jagermeister
3/4 oz Averna
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
6 drop Bittermens Burlesque Bitters
12 drop Bittermens Orange Cream Citrate (Doc Elliot's Orange Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with two ice cubes, garnish with 2-3 drop more orange citrate, and add a splash of soda water (omit).

Two Tuesdays ago, I made a drink from the Bittermens website that I had spotted mentioned elsewhere earlier in the week called the Redemption. Avery Glasser described how shortly after he helped to open Amor y Amargo in Manhattan, Jagermeister brand ambassador at the time Todd Richman stopped in with a bottle, and Avery created this to serve to him. I assume that the drink name was a reference of how the spirit was redeemed from being a frat boy shooter into something that could stand toe-to-toe in cocktails alongside Italian bitter liqueurs, and the recipe was featured in the Wall Street Journal soon after in 2011.The Redemption began with a bright orange oil aroma over caramel and licorice notes. Next, the caramel continued into the sip where it swirled with the vermouth's grape, and the swallow donated apple, cinnamon, and root beer flavors to round out the drink.

vita brevis

2 oz Old Overholt Rye
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Aperol

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a spritz of absinthe (Kübler as a rinse).I reached for the Northstar Cocktails book two Mondays ago, and I spotted the Vita Brevis by bartender Jesse Held. The name is a reference to the Latin translation of the Greek aphorism meaning art is long, life is short; this has been interpreted as meaning either that learning a craft takes so long that one's lifetime might not be enough to master it or that creations can outlive the artists themselves. In the glass, the Vita Brevis displayed an anise and orange aroma. Next, peach and malt notes on the sip faded into rye, orange, and berry flavors on the swallow with a hint of anise on the finish.

folly ruins

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Two Sundays ago, I contemplated the Quarter Deck riff called the Full Deck a few weeks ago and how the drink family had rum and sherry as the only two common ingredients. A nutty sherry made me think of walnut liqueur such as in the Bittersweet Serenade, and that liqueur made me consider the pairing with Cynar that I had most recently in the Bitter Branch. For a rum, I selected the highly aromatic Jamaican rum Smith & Cross to round out the combination. To name this one, I dubbed this one the Folly Ruins after a mansion built in Port Antonio, Jamaica, that used sea water in the cement, and this construction blunder caused the structures to crumble over time.The Folly Ruins met the nose with bright lemon oil, rum funk, and darker undertones of nutty-caramel elements. Next, grape and caramel mingled on the sip, and the swallow showcased funky rum, walnut, and bitter-funky vegetal flavors with a clove finish.

jungle bird negroni

1 1/2 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Hamilton Jamaica Black Rum (Coruba)
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Pineapple Syrup

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a lime twist.Two Saturdays ago, my fresh batch of pineapple syrup was ready, so I was excited to use it in a recipe that I had spotted in the Hawthorne bar bible. That drink was the Jungle Bird Negroni created by Jared Sadoian circa 2018, and like my Zombie riff The Count Rides Again, it mashed up a classic Tiki drink with the Negroni. After an easy build, the Jungle Bird Negroni donated a lime and bright pineapple bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel from the rums and grape from the vermouth filled the sip, and the swallow proffered rum, pineapple, and bitter orange flavors to round out the drink.

flip out

1 1/2 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum
~1/4 oz Marie Brizard Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
8 drop Salt Tincture (1 pinch Salt)
1 Whole Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, I decided to continue on with a second drink from Kirk Estopinal's trilogy in Beta Cocktails, the Halfway to a Three Ways to Lose Your Lover. Here, the Flip Out was the whole egg version with flipped around rum-vermouth proportions of the All's Fair. Once assembled, the Flip Out showcased the rum's caramel aroma along with orange notes from the twist oils and liqueur. The caramel and orange continued on into the sip, and they were followed by rum, chocolate, and cola flavors on the swallow.

jeckyll & hyde

1 1/2 oz Eagle Rare Bourbon (Old Forester 100°)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
1 tsp Demerara Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dah Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist and an orange one.Two Thursdays ago, I continued on with the Old Fashioned theme with one from the Death & Co. Cocktail Book called the Jeckyll & Hyde. After preparing this recipe created by Thomas Waugh in 2009, it proffered orange, lemon, Bourbon, and cinnamon aromas. Next, apple notes on the sip transformed into Bourbon, apple, cinnamon, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

freehand old fashioned

2 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 bsp Galliano Ristretto Coffee Liqueur
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays, I was in an Old Fashioned sort of mood, and I recalled spotting an interesting recipe in the Hawthorne's bar bible. That drink was the Freehand Old Fashioned that bartender Jason Kilgore crafted circa 2017 in honor of the Freehand Hotel in Miami which is the home of the award-winning Broken Shaker bar. Moreover, the recipe was featured in a 2018 Liquor.com article about the rise of the Rum Old Fashioned. Once prepared, the Freehand Old Fashioned met the nose with an orange and pineapple bouquet. Next, a roast-filled sip summoned a pineapple, coffee, allspice, and clove swallow.

bending blades

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Manzanilla Sherry (Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana)
1/2 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)
1/2 oz Salers Gentian Liqueur (Suze)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Tuesdays ago, I was browsing the ShakeStir database and spotted the Bending Blades by Los Angeles bartender Chris Day. Chris' recipe had the brief description of, "An aperitif that finds 3 lovers rolling through fresh cut grass. Without the stains." which must have been apropos of the competition that he submitted it for in 2015. Those three "lovers" were sherry, grapefruit, and tequila, and he continued on with, "So good together, I decided to make an aromatic drink out of them. The Salers is just the bitter, herbaceous twine that binds them all together."The Bending Blades awakened the senses with a limoncello-like aroma. Next, a citrussy sip tumbled into tequila, vegetal, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

spanish ruby

1 1/2 oz Plantation 3 Star Rum (Privateer Tres Aromatique)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.Two Monday ago, I began sifting through my volumes of Food & Wine: Cocktails and found the Spanish Ruby in the final 2016 edition. The recipe was created by Natasha David at Nitecap in Manhattan, and the Spanish Ruby it refers to could be the World War I-era semiautomatic handgun that the French had made for them first by the Spanish firm of Gabilondo y Urresti-Eibar (over 50 companies manufactured these into the 1950s). Here, in liquid form, it proffered a rum, cinnamon, and grapefruit aroma. Next, lime and grape mingled on the sip, and the swallow shot forth with rum, nutty, cinnamon, and grapefruit flavors.