death & taxes

1 1/2 oz Death's Door Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Elder)
1 tsp Amer Picon (Torani Amer)
2 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).Two Mondays ago, Andrea finished up and sent in our taxes, so when I spotted a drink called Death & Taxes on Kindred Cocktails, I figured that it was rather perfect timing. The recipe was crafted by Seattle bartender Scott Diaz circa 2011 with the Income Tax and Brooklyn as inspirations. Once prepared, the Death & Taxes layered bright orange oils over bitter orange, pine, and floral aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip led into juniper and a bitter wave with floral and orange notes on the swallow.

:: to save cocktails to-go in massachusetts ::

Cocktails for Commonwealth -- the group fighting to keep Massachusetts' restaurants ability to keep to-go cocktails past June 15th -- set up a Resist Bot. I texted the code, it asked me for the form info, and wrote two state officials for me (Gov. Baker and Sen. Jehlen). Total time: 2 minutes. Time left before it goes away: about two weeks. It asked me my name and address. I also provided my email address (optional) so the politicians could write me back. Simple.

Text SIGN PZLNXE to 50409 to get it done!
Go to @cocktailsforcommonwealth on Instagram for more information.


One of the delicious cocktails to-go I bought at Backbar.

luxuria

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Fee's Old Fashioned Bitters (Fee's Barrel-Aged)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I spotted the Luxuria in the 2020 Community Cocktails book. The recipe was crafted by Benjamin Perri at 7 Seas Brewing in Tacoma, Washington, and perhaps it was named after the late 80s-early 90s band featuring Howard Devoto of the Buzzcocks. With Benedictine partnered with Fernet Branca, it reminded me of the Oldfield and Montgomery Smith, but here with the addition of Punt e Mes and bitters. Once prepared, the Luxuria offered orange, caramel, and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel and grape on the sip spun into rye, herbal, and menthol flavors on the swallow with a cinnamon and minty finish.

don't forget the struggle, don't forget the streets

1 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1 oz Amaro Nardini

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Saturdays ago, I ventured into the Jupiter Disco: Preservation zine and spotted an original by Al Sotack at Death & Co. in 2015. The drink was called Don't Forget the Struggle, Don't Forget the Streets which was named after a song and album by New York City punk band Warzone circa 1988. Al commented, "Getting a drink with this name on the Death & Co. menu was one of my greatest accomplishments as a bartender. Which, of course, isn't saying much." Overall, the structure reminded me of John Mayer's Uncosmopolitan and somewhat Alex Day's La Viña, so I was definitely keen on giving it a go.
The cocktail began with a smoke, caramel, and herbal aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes combined on the sip, and the swallow rose up with smoky agave, nutty, savoy, and minty-herbal flavors.

new jersey transit

2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz Zucca Rabarbaro (Sfumato)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a recipe that bartender Timothy Miner of the Long Island Bar posted on his Instagram account two days prior. His drink, the New Jersey Transit, was a riff on Phil Ward's Old Pal-like Manhattan Transfer. Here, Tim swapped the Ramazzotti for Zucca and switched the rye for New Jersey's native spirit, Laird's Apple Brandy. Once prepared, the New Jersey Transit proffered an apple, char, herbal, and smoky bouquet to the nose. Next, apple, roast, and orange notes on the sip crossed into apple, smoke, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

the professional

1 1/2 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
1/2 oz Zacapa 23 Rum
1 oz Campari

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Two Thursdays ago, my brand work with Angel's Envy led me to visit Offsuit located in the back space of Troquet on South in Boston's Leather District. The theme is modern Speakeasy with an entrance in the parking alley behind and a phone number to call in. I played it smart by coming at open for the small space filled up quickly. For a first drink, I ordered Angel's Envy Bourbon neat, but for my second, I asked my server for the bartender's whim using said spirit. Instead of one of his own creations, he opted for the Professional created by Benjamin Schwartz at Little Branch in 2010. The original was made with Old Grand-Dad 114° and overproof Jamaican rum, but here it was with an 86.6° Bourbon finished in port casks and a dark rum; the Campari and grapefruit twist though were kept intact.The Professional aimed at the nose with grapefruit and caramel aromas. Next, the caramel from the dark rum mingled with citrussy notes from the Campari on the sip, and the swallow closed the show with Bourbon, rum, and bitter orange flavors. With the caramel and sweet balance of Zacapa, it functioned like a sweet vermouth pushing the combination closer to a Boulevardier. I have to imagine that the Little Branch version would be a stiffer, more aggressive, and funkier beast.

sonic sunset

1 1/2 oz El Dorado 3 Year White Rum (Privateer Silver)
1/4 oz JM Rhum Agricole Blanc (Clement Premiere Canne)
1/4 oz Blume Marillen Apricot Eau de Vie (Shalakh)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a mint leaf.Two Wednesdays ago, my copy of Jupiter Disco: Preservation zine that I purchased in 2020 to help the bar out during the shutdown finally arrived. For an inaugural drink, I opted for the Sonic Sunset by Maks Pazuniak at Brooklyn's Jupiter Disco in 2017 for a Daiquiri riff seemed like it would be perfect aid for my constitution. In the glass, the Sonic Sunset opened up with mint, apricot, nutty Maraschino, floral, and lime aromas. Next, lime with a vague fruitiness on the sip progressed into grassy rum, apricot, cherry, and anise flavor on the swallow.

keep your dreams a burnin'

2 1/2 oz Manzanilla Sherry (La Gitana)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Orgeat
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 Lemon Peels

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass or Julep cup, and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with 3 half lemon wheels and a cinnamon stick, dust with powdered sugar (omit), and add straws.Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make the drink that motivated me to whip up another batch of orgeat called the Keep Your Dreams a Burnin'. The recipe was crafted by Kirk Estopinal at New Orleans' Bellocq in the earlier half of their 2011-2016 run, and I found it via Kindred Cocktails which had a link to the Punch Drinks article. Bellocq was known for their Cobblers such as the Dolin Blanc Cobbler I had there in 2015, and this one seemed intriguing with Manzanilla sherry as the base with accents from high ester Jamaican rum. Once prepared, it showcased a cinnamon, lemon, and nutty aroma. Next, a crisp wine was balanced by the orgeat's creaminess on the sip, and the swallow followed through with savory, rum funk, earthy, allspice, and clove flavors with a lemon peel finish.

bon vivant

1 1/3 oz Jamaican Rum (Plantation Xaymaca)
2/3 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Becherovka
1 dash Fee's Black Walnut Bitters (2 dash Strongwater)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass; I added a lemon twist to the recipe.

Two Mondays ago, Jason Clapham, the Cocktail Member of the St. Edward's MCR in Oxford, send me a message on Instagram that I read as I was walking home from my bar shift. He wanted to share with me his Bon Vivant that he was proud of, and he described it as "inspired by Jerry Thomas of course." Since the combination reminded me of Chuck Taggart's Swell Season with a different spirit base, I was intrigued. He mentioned that he utilized Plantation Xaymaca as the rum, so I went with that since it is in my collection.The Bon Vivant unfurled a lemon, fruity funk, and ginger aroma to the nose. Next, caramel and grape swirled on the sip, and the swallow bowed with funky rum, Cognac, rounded bitter, clove, and cinnamon flavors.

1790

3/4 oz Aged Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Orgeat
2 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Two Sundays ago, I spied my new batch of orgeat, and the Manhattan-like Martinique and Filene from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 came to mind. I decided to take the idea and include in elements from the 1919 and Japanese Cocktails. With a split base of Cognac from the Japanese and rum from the 1919, I opted for Jamaican rum to provide some funk and dryness to the mix. For a name, I dubbed this one the 1790 -- the year that the tropical almond tree was introduced to Jamaica.The 1790 launched off with a lemon, nutty, and floral bouquet. Next, a creamy and grape sip grew into funky rum, Cognac, nutty, earthy, bitter, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Depending on your orgeat, reducing the volume to 1/4 oz might work well, but I was happy with the balance at 1/2 oz using mine.

brooklyn's finest

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, Difford's Guide send out an email newsletter that contained a link for an article on their favorite falernum recipes. The one that caught my eye was the Brookyln's Finest crafted by Seth Brammer at Filament in Dallas as his riff on the Brooklyn although it reminded me a bit more of a Corn'n'Oil. Difford's Guide had the falernum as their own syrup at 1/3 oz, and I was able to find a 1/2 oz measure using Velvet Falernum on SpiritSeers which aligned with a 3 oz build. Once prepared, the Brooklyn's Finest presented a lemon oil, Cognac, allspice, and cinnamon aroma to the nose. Next, the Cardamaro's grape filled the sip, and the swallow came through with rye, Cognac, herbal, and clove flavors.

eagle's throne

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1/2 oz Laird's Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 pinch Salt

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I turned to the ShakeStir recipe database and spotted the Eagle's Throne. This allusion to the Carlos Fuentes novel was crafted by Jourdan Gomez circa 2013 when he worked at Death & Co. and Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan. Overall, with the pinch of salt to neutralize some of the bitterness, the drink read like a Corpse Reviver #1 from The Savoy Cocktail Book and perhaps a Black Manhattan. In the glass, the Eagle's Throne soared to the nose with Cognac, apple, and caramel aromas. Next, caramel and apple on the sip landed with brandy, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

dead end friends

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Thursdays ago, I selected Jeffrey Donegan's Dead End Friends from the Community Cocktails book. Jeffrey crafted this recipe at The Blue Glass in Seattle, and perhaps it is a reference to a song on Them Crooked Vultures' first album in 2009. Considering that two of the three members of that supergroup, namely Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, are based in Seattle, it seems rather likely. In the glass, the Dead End Friends met the nose with a grapefruit oil aroma. Next, grape, grapefruit, and malt on the sip slid into rye and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and grapefruit finish.

clean slate

1 oz Manzanilla Sherry (1 1/2 oz La Gitana)
1 oz Blanc Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Dolin)
1/4 oz Salers Gentian Liqueur (3/8 oz Suze)
2 dash Scrappy's Orleans or Peychaud's Bitters (Orleans)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an edible flower like a nasturtium (violet).

Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing Brian Bartels' The United States of Cocktails and spotted the Clean Slate. I traced the recipe back to the June 2020 Imbibe Magazine article where it described how it was crafted by Jermaine Whitehead at Deep Dive in Seattle. While the structure reminded me of a Bamboo with blanc vermouth and the addition of gentian liqueur, the combination also made me recall the Albariza at Straight Law that took those ingredients in a citrus direction.The Clean Slate proffered an herbal gentian, floral, and savory bouquet to the nose. Next, crisp acid with semi-sweet white grape on the sip sallied to herbal and floral flavors on the swallow.

zeppelin

1 3/4 oz Bourbon (Four Roses)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the Community Cocktails book and spied the Zeppelin by Benjamin Perri at 7 Seas Brewing in Tacoma, Washington. The structure of an American whiskey, two amari, and Maraschino reminded me a bit of the Down & Brown. Once prepared, the Zeppelin greeted the senses with lemon, orange, and caramel aromas. Next, malt and a melon-peach note on the sip floated towards a Bourbon, minty, bitter orange, and nutty swallow.

dutch angle

1 1/4 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz Meletti Amaro
3/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Oxford 1970)
2 dash Cocktail Kingdom Wormwood Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with flamed orange oil from a twist (unflamed).

Two Mondays ago, it was announced that the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. in Philadelphia had closed its doors, and I decided to find a recipe of theirs to make in tribute. My search landed upon a Colin Shearn recipe on Chowhound called the Dutch Angle that he created at that bar circa 2011. The name is a reference to a camera shot at an angle such that the horizon is not parallel with the edges, and the name made a great match to the Genever spirit that I knew Colin knew how to utilize from his Archipelago Swizzle. When I posted the drink on Instagram, Colin replied, "One of the best drinks I ever created. Pretty sure I made it with Nardini tho? But maybe not. It's been a long time." Unfortunately, I was unable to find a menu that listed this drink to verify either amaro. The Dutch Angle welcomed the senses with an orange, raisin, malty, caramel, and violet bouquet. Next, a caramel and grape sip rotated into a malty and bitter floral swallow with a caramel, coffee, and raisin finish.

night tripper

1 3/4 oz Bourbon (Old Forester 100°)
3/4 oz Averna
1/2 oz Strega (*)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Although the drink was published this way, the creator prefers 1/4 oz. See text.

Two Sundays ago, I came across a Chris Hannah recipe that he created during his days at Arnaud's French 75 and still serves at Jewel of the South called the Night Tripper. With a Bourbon, amaro, Strega, and bitters combination, it reminded me of his Rebennack, and of course his love of Strega made me think of his 'Round Midnight and Accoutrement (and it inspired me to craft the North of Sunset in his style). The drink was his tribute to the late musical legend Dr. John and dubbed after one of the musician's nicknames. Chris assembled this as one of his Mardi Gras flask cocktails, and it was named shortly after Dr. John's float passed by. Strangely, I found three recipes for this all varying by the amount of Strega in them: the James Beard site had 1/4 oz, Imbibe had 1/2 oz, and Punch Drinks had 3/4 oz. I figured that the sweeter one would make a better flask cocktail, and I ended up going with the middle one especially since it added up to a perfect 3 oz build. When I posted it on Instagram, Chris replied, "This looks lovely, it is 1/4 oz and with Strega being scarce nowadays it should stay that way."The Night Tripper started up with orange, caramel, and spice aromas. The sip approached with Averna's caramel notes, and the swallow passed by with Bourbon, herbal, minty-pine, and anise flavors.

zombie president

1 1/2 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi 4 Year) (*)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)
1/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/8 oz Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
6 drop Absinthe (Copper & Kings)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a mint leaf.
(*) To dry out the drink, splitting the volume with Puerto Rican 151 Proof Rum such as Don Q would work well here. See the final sentence below.

Two weeks ago, I was reading my advanced copy of Brian Hoefling's The Cocktail Seminars. I was impressed at how over the course of 5 sections and 30+ drinks per section, Brian was able to tie together interconnections and similarities between the earliest of cocktails to the most modern day ones. In the fourth section, he tackled tropical and Tiki drinks and explained why they work by linking them to more traditional mixed drinks. This inspired me to take the 1934 Zombie in a Rum Martini direction. I based my template off of the dry vermouth El Presidente instead of the blanc or sweet vermouth ones to help to balance the sugar content of the syrups and liqueurs. While I was able to replaced the grapefruit juice with a grapefruit liqueur, I skipped the lime aspect entirely. I also kept the rums to one (see the note about splitting it with a higher proof rum) to mimic the Presidente, and the Jamaican and Demerara rums of the Zombie were put on hold.I dubbed this one the Zombie President, and it began with a rum, fruity, and mint bouquet. Next, the sip showcased a rich mouth feel and a vague fruitiness, and the swallow set off with rum, cinnamon, grapefruit, berry, clove, and anise flavors. Overall, with the 80 proof rum, the balance was a touch on the sweet side, so if I were to make this again, I would replace 1/2 to 3/4 oz with a 151 proof rum like Don Q (to make a 103.7 to 115.5 proof rum blend).

quill

1 oz Gin (Tamworth Garden)
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Absinthe (Kübler)

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

I had spotted a reference to the Negroni variation called the Quill a few days prior, and two Fridays ago I decided to give this one a go after having read about it over the years. I tracked the recipe down to Serious Eats and Difford's Guide. The Quill appeared in the 1996 edition of Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails which contained 40 additional drinks not present in the books Harry MacElhone himself published. The recipe was credited to Frank C. Payne of New York who was a theatrical press agent in the 1920s and 30s. His union published a magazine by that name; this pedigree shares a bit of similarity to the Boulevardier that MacElhone included in Barflies and Cocktails attributed to Erskine Gwynne who printed a magazine in Paris called the Boulevardier during Prohibition.The Quill varies from a Negroni by containing absinthe and being served up, and this addition donated anise aromas over the orange oils from the twist. Next, a grape sip from the vermouth led into gin, bright herbal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with an anise and licorice finish.

pink moon

3/4 oz White Barbados Rum (Privateer Silver)
1/2 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1/4 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Guava Syrup (1/4 oz Guava Jelly melted into 1/2 oz 1:1 Simple Syrup)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 tsp Herbsaint
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.

Two Thursdays ago, I uncovered a recipe by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry that he created at Latitude 29 in the notes of an Imbibe podcast from 2020. The drink was a complex and tropical Daiquiri of sorts that had elements of classic Caribbean punches like the brandy and guava of the Barbadoes Punch from Jerry Thomas and of mid-century tropical drinks like the West Indies Punch that appeared in the 1946 Trader Vic (might be older but I have not uncovered a source).I was also drawn to the name for we had just experienced the Pink Moon which is the full moon in April that fell on the 26th this year. The Almanac described how the moon was not pink, but it was associated with the timing of creeping phlox's pink blooms. Once prepared, the Pink Moon drink presented guava, lime, and bright anise aromas. Next, lime and guava danced on the sip, and the swallow rose with rum, brandy, nutty, and guava flavors and an anise finish.

sweater weather

2 oz Four Roses Bourbon (Four Roses Small Batch)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Zucca Rabarbaro (Sfumato)
1 bsp Herbsaint

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

Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the Community Cocktails book from 2020 and spotted the Sweater Weather by Emily Pavela at the Whitehouse-Crawford Restaurant in Walla Walla, Washington. The recipe appeared like a mashup of a Black Manhattan and the Law of Octaves that I used to make at La Brasa (2 oz rye, 1 oz Zucca, 1 dash aromatic bitters, flamed orange twist) with an accent of Herbsaint perhaps for brightness. Moreover, I had good luck combining Averna and Zucca/Sfumato in the Caustic Negroni for the former soothed out the rougher charred bitterness of the latter.The Sweater Weather proffered an orange oil aroma over bitter and smoky notes. Next, a caramel and roast sip progressed into Bourbon, bitter herbal, caramel, and anise flavors on the swallow.

the royal union

1 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1 oz Averna
1/2 oz Nux Alpina (Russo Nocino)
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass.

Two Tuesdays ago, I spied a reference to the Royal Union on Kindred Cocktails, so I followed the trail to Paul Clarke's The Cocktail Chronicles. Paul was introduced to Carrie Cole through DrinkBoston's Lauren Clark for an article that Paul was writing for Imbibe Magazine on cocktail bitters. Paul did not use Carrie's recipe that she created at Craigie on Main for the magazine, but he later posted the recipe on his blog in 2010. Craigie on Main was where I first met Carrie, and she ascended to bar manager before leaving for Eastern Standard in late 2011. The combination of Averna, walnut liqueur, and chocolate bitters was one that I recently tried in the Oakshade, so I was intrigued by this decade old recipe from Boston's past.The Royal Union teased the nose with caramel, orange, apple, and walnut aromas. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the two amari closed in on an apple and bitter walnut swallow with a caramel-mint finish.

van zandt cocktail

50% Gin (1 1/2 oz Beefeater)
50% Dry Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Noilly Prat)
1 dash Apricot Brandy (1/4 oz Rothman & Winter)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass; I added an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I selected the 1933 edition of Jack's Manual for a recipe. There, I spotted the Van Zandt Cocktail; the drink of course was not a prescient tribute to the musician in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, but it was named after a bar patrol of author Jacob Grohusko who drank enough of them to have the honorarium appear in the 1908 edition of the book. Overall, the combination seemed like a much more subtle Franken Jack, so I was intrigued. In the glass, the Van Zandt welcomed the senses with orange, apricot, pineapple, and floral aromas. Next, white wine and stone fruit notes on the sip slid into gin softened by apricot flavors on the swallow with an orange finish.

fall into italy

3/4 oz Averna
3/4 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
3/4 oz Jamaican Rum (Appleton Signature)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Shake briefly with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an orange wedge (orange twist).Two Sundays ago, I was lured in by the Fall into Italy that I had previously bookmarked in Imbibe Magazine. This 2016 recipe was crafted by New York City bartender Sofia Present, and I was able to fill in the identity of the Jamaican rum via Liquor.com. Once assembled, the Fall into Italy proffered an orange, Cognac, and chocolate-caramel aroma. Next, caramel and lemon on the sip ended with caramel, rum, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

el capitan

1 1/2 oz Plantation Barbados Rum (Plantation Fiji)
1/2 oz Rhum Clement Select Barrel (Clement Premiere Canne)
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/4 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
1 dash Nutmeg-Infused Angostura Orange Bitters (regular Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I spotted an intriguing El Presidente riff on Kindred Cocktails called El Capitan. The recipe was crafted by Carlo Caroscio in 2016 during his first year at Backbar in Somerville where is currently the bar manager. In the glass, El Capitan saluted the nose with lemon, banana, grassy, and orange aromas. Next, a light caramel sip with a bit of body flowed into rum, tropical, banana, and grassy flavors with a peachy-orange finish.

swell season

2 oz Blended Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Becherovka
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon peel.Two Fridays ago, I was in a Manhattan mood and recalled a recipe that I had spotted in Chuck Taggart's Gumbo Pages. The drink was his Swell Season Cocktail that he named after the folk rock duo of an Irish musician and a Czech singer-pianist represented by Irish whiskey and Becherovka, respectively. Once prepared, the Swell Season sang to the nose with a lemon, clove, and ginger bouquet. Next, grape and malt on the sip carried on into whiskey, clove, cinnamon, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

solace

2/3 Scotch (1 1/2 oz Kavalan Whisky)
2 dash French Vermouth (1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry -- next time 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc)
1/2 Blood Orange Juice (3/4 oz)
1 dash Maraschino Liqueur (1/4 oz Maraska)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Thursdays ago, I ventured back into Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Solace in the whisky section. The recipe seemed like a Blood & Sand that had been modified with related ingredients akin to what was done in the Sand & Blood. Once prepared, the Solace offered up a berry, cherry, and whisky aroma. Next, the berry-orange of the specialty citrus filled the sip, and the swallow showcased smoky whisky and cherry flavors with a dry peaty finish. Over all, the balance was a touch dry with my interpretation of French vermouth as dry, so I would recommend making this drink with blanc instead (or bolstering the sweetness with perhaps a 1/4 oz simple).

wall street insider

1 1/2 oz Four Roses Bourbon (Four Roses Small Batch)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).Two Wednesdays ago, I spied an interesting looking recipe called the Wall Street Insider on Kindred Cocktails created at the Hearsay Market Square in Houston. The entry had an user's estimation of the recipe that they enjoyed so much, so I set off to find the true recipe if I could especially since it reminded me of the Last Man Standing and other drinks. I lucked out when I discovered it on one of their bartenders' Quizlets online. In the glass, the Wall Street Insider bid an orange, Bourbon, caramel, and menthol aroma to the senses. Next, caramel on the sip traded into Bourbon, orange, minty, and bitter menthol flavors on the swallow. Overall, the sweetness from the falernum soothed the Fernet Branca and Campari's rough edges in the mix.

moko jumbie

3/4 oz Overproof Jamaican White Rum (Rum Fire)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
3/4 oz Pineapple Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

In continuing on with the experimentation with the tropical notes that I discovered in Cardamaro, I decided to do a Corpse Reviver #2 riff. The pineapple notes that I was able to pull out of Cardamaro when I combined it with lemon juice and gin led me to use pineapple syrup as the other sweetener. Given the low to no proof nature of the rest of the ingredients, I figured that an overproof spirit like a funky white Jamaican rum would be necessary. Lastly, lime juice and a dash of absinthe rounded out this combination. For a name, I went with Moko Jumbie which means "healer" + "spirit/ghost" that often appear during Carnival as a masked being on stilts.The Moko Jumbie proffered a rum funk and pineapple bouquet to the nose. Next, lime, papaya, and grape notes on the sip danced toward rum and pineapple flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.

canal

2/3 Rye Whiskey (2 oz Old Overholt)
1/3 French Vermouth (1 oz Dolin Blanc)
1 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a dash absinthe (8 drop St. George).Two Mondays ago, I selected Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for the evening's libation. Though I have scoured that book for over a decade, I spotted the Canal that I had never made before. This Manhattan with orange bitters and absinthe listed French vermouth as the aromatized wine; since Dry Manhattans have zero appeal for my palate, I opted for the sweeter blanc style. Once prepared, the Canal opened up with an anise, licorice, and minty herbal aroma. Next, a semi-sweet white wine and malt sip flowed into rye, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow that accentuated the rye's inherent spice rather well.

vantage point

1 oz Laird's Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1 oz Arkansas Black Applejack (Morin Calvados)
3/8 oz Amaro Nonino
3/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an absinthe-rinsed (Kübler) old fashioned glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist. The original recipe was 3/4 oz Nonino-cinnamon mix, and I assumed that it was equal parts.

Two Sundays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar book where I spotted the Vantage Point created by Mackenzie Cavanagh. The recipe read like an apple brandy Sazerac with two types of apple spirit and a mix of Amaro Nonino and cinnamon as the sweeteners (they batched this duo); I had a hard time remembering if I ever had an apple brandy Sazerac from a recipe (I am sure that I must have thrown some in previously), but I did recall the Marilou Sazerac that had it as one of the three base spirits. I do not have the hard-to-find and pricy applejack made with Arkansas Black apples, so I bolstered the complexity by adding Calvados to the Laird's spirit.The Vantage Point shined an orange, cinnamon, apple, and anise aroma towards the nose. Next, caramel and a vague fruitiness on the sip led to an apple, cinnamon, herbal, and anise swallow.

oakshade

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Walnut Liqueur (Rosso Nocino)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 dash Miracle Mile Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.When the cocktail hour rolled around on Saturday two weeks prior, I sought out a recipe that I had spotted on Kindred Cocktails called the Oakshade that reminded me of the previous night's San Gennaro. The recipe was invented at Old Field's Liquor Room in Culvert City, California, and published in a 2011 LA Weekly article. Here, the Oakshade launched off with a chocolate, walnut, and rye spice aroma. Next, a caramel and grape sip grew into a rye, bitter herbal, nutty, chocolate, and allspice swallow.