Wednesday, June 30, 2021

tahitian honey bee

2 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi 4 Year)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Honey (1/2 oz Honey Syrup)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Wednesdays ago, I selected Trader Vic's 1972 Bartender's Guide Revised and spotted the Tahitian Honey Bee that was demarcated as a Trader Vic original. As I described in Yvonne's egg white riff called the Yvonne's Honey Bee, David Embury's in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks explained that the gin-based Bee's Knees could be made with rum, "the same drink, except for the use of white Cuban rum in place of the gin, is known as the Honeysuckle. The same drink with Jamaican rum is the Honey Bee." Here, this Honey Bee called for light Puerto Rican rum which would be closer to the Honeysuckle moreso than the Honey Bee. In the glass, the Tahitian Honey Bee buzzed to the nose with a lemon, oak-aged rum, and floral bouquet. Next, lemon and honey on the sip landed upon aged rum and tart floral flavors on the swallow. Indeed, the lemon made for a different drink than lime has in the Daiquiri or the Air Mail due to the lack of malic acid that comes through in the swallow in lime-based Sours (see this talk summary for more information).

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

rob ford

3/4 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange (grapefruit) twist.
Two Tuesdays ago, T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar book was still out on the counter, so I flipped through and found the Rob Ford. The recipe was 12 Mile Limit's riff on the Rob Roy created by Danielle Maurin, and she named it after the infamous crack smoking mayor of Toronto. With Scotch and apricot having a pleasant history together such as in the Noble Order and Library Card, I set off to make this drink. Once prepared, it gave forth a grapefruit, apricot, and agave smoke aroma. Next, grape and malt on the sip slid into Scotch, vegetal, apricot, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

Monday, June 28, 2021

no loitering

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
3/4 oz Averna
3/4 oz Campari
2 dash Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with either a lemon or orange twist (lemon twist).

Two Mondays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles' No Loitering that he created in 2014. He described it as a, "Black Manhattan meets a Boulevardier, with bonus political #COMMENTARY via the name"; with the rye and 2:1:1:bitters ratio, it reminded me more of a 1794 than a Boulevardier, but the street-themed reference fits better here. Moreover, the duo of Averna and Campari have worked well in cocktails such as the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, The Departed, and Twelve Gauge, such that I was intrigued at giving this one a go.
The No Loitering proffered a lemon, rye, and caramel bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel with a hint of fruit on the sip lingered until a rye, chocolaty caramel, and bitter orange swallow with a clove and allspice finish chased it away.

Sunday, June 27, 2021

last rites

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Scrappy's)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Sundays ago, I returned to T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and spotted the Last Rites. The recipe was crafted by Anderson Stockdale at New Orleans' 12 Mile Limit in 2011, and the combination reminded me of a Genever version of the East Village Athletic Club (but nothing like the late 1950s Tiki Last Rites). In the glass, the Last Rites donated a lemon oil and malty aroma. Next, lemon, malt, and honey notes on the sip transitioned to malt, orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

Saturday, June 26, 2021

winter is coming

2 oz Rocktown Bourbon (Four Roses)
1/2 oz Campari
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Saturdays, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted in Brian Bartels' The United States of Cocktails called Winter is Coming. This Game of Thrones-inspired drink was crafted by Christian Huisman at the Rocktown Distillery in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Campari-allspice duo reminded me of drinks like the Louanalao, Chester Rapkin, and Berry Wall. This Old Fashioned riff proffered a lemon, Bourbon, and allspice bouquet to the nose. Next, malt with a vague fruit note on the sip ventured into Bourbon, orange, allspice, and light roast coffee flavors on the swallow.

Friday, June 25, 2021

man in black

1 1/2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Old Forester 100°)
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao
1/2 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
4 dash Scrappy's Orange Bitters
2 dash Scrappy's Firewater Tincture (Housemade Hellfire Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with fresh ice, and garnish with an orange (grapefruit) twist.
Two Fridays ago, I ventured back into the 2020 Community Cocktails book and spotted the Man in Black by Casey Estrada at Seattle's Meet the Moon. The combination of Bourbon and mezcal reminded me fondly of the various drinks that paired rye with mezcal such as My Old Piano and the Devil's Soul. In the glass, the Man in Black began with a grapefruit, caramel, and smoke aroma. Next, caramel, roast, and dried fruit notes on the sip turned into Bourbon, smoky agave, root beer, chocolate, and chili spice on the swallow.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

angel of tombstone

1 1/2 oz High West Rendezvous Rye (Sazerac)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.
Two Thursdays ago, I selected Brian Bartels' The United States of Cocktails book and spied a Manhattan variation called the Angel of Tombstone. The recipe was created by Holly Booth of the High West Distillery in Park City, Utah, and the name is most likely a reference to Nellie Cashman who gained fame in the West for her charitable and compassionate acts towards miners and townsfolk in Gold Rush areas. In cocktail form, it showcased a rye, orange, and grape aroma. Next, grape and caramel on the sip dug into rye flavors along with bitter grapefruit and orange ones on the swallow.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

the legend of dungeon rock

1 1/2 oz Pineapple Rum (Plantation)
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the flavors of the Mytoi Gardens and the sherry version that preceded it, the Kuula Hina, which I created at Russell House Tavern back in 2014. I wondered if I could make a stirred version of it akin to the Zombie President which removed the juice elements of the Zombie and merged it with an El Presidente. While the lime juice I simply removed, the pineapple juice element was represented by pineapple rum. For a name, I was kept with the Mytoi Gardens theme of Massachusetts seaside landmarks and named this the Legend of Dungeon Rock. Legend has it that pirates traveled up the Saugus River to Lynn, Massachusetts, to bury treasure in a cave. After the three other pirates were captured by the British, the final pirate, Thomas Veale, hid in the cave with the treasure, and an earthquake in 1658 apparently entombed him there. In 1852, Hiram Marble, a spiritualist, built a house in that area. He claimed to have received a message from Veale, and he proceeded to dig a tunnel underground to uncover that treasure without luck.
The Legend of Dungeon Rock met the nose with a pineapple, vanilla, and allspice aroma. Next, grape with bright fruit notes on the sip led into pineapple, rum, nutty, vanilla, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

pillars of society

2 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Cynar (*)
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand) (*)
2 dash Absinthe (1/2 bsp Kübler)

Build in a rocks glass, give a quick stir, garnish with a lemon twist, and serve room temperature.
(*) Original was 1/2 oz each which was too orange forward; I wanted to do a 2:1 which has worked before but 2/3 to 1/3 oz seemed awkward.

I continued on with my tinkering with the Cynar-curaçao combination, and I began to think about Maks Pazuniak's room temperature drinks such as the Charlatan. I kept that drink's Punt e Mes base, swapped in the two liqueurs, and accented the concept with absinthe. Moreover, the curaçao in a drink such as this reminded me of Kirk Estopinal's Hotel Room Temperature. Like the Prelude to a Broken Arm, I kept with the Dada art theme and named this the Pillars of Society after a 1926 piece by Hugo Ball.
The Pillars of Society greeted the senses with a lemon, orange, caramel, and grape bouquet. Next, grape and orange notes on the sip flowed into bitter orange and funky vegetal flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.

Monday, June 21, 2021

tin city sazerac

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Maraschino (Maraska)
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass pre-rinsed with absinthe (Kübler), and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Mondays ago, I was inspired by all of T. Cole Newton's Sazerac riffs in his Cocktail Dive Bar book such as the Night People and 3, 2, 1 Contact!. Therefore, I began to think of drinks that I could mashup into a Sazerac akin to what I did with a Green Point for the Algiers Point. Instead of that Manhattan variation as a starting point, I selected the Red Hook to merge with a Cognac Sazerac especially with how well Maraschino and absinthe work together in the Improved Cocktail.
I dubbed this one the Tin City Sazerac after the shantytown that was built in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn during the Great Depression that gave shelter to the longshoremen and sailors waiting for the economy to return. In the glass, it began with a lemon and anise aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip transformed into rye, Cognac, rounded bitter, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

Sunday, June 20, 2021

el camino

1 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Rye Whiskey (Redemption)
1/2 oz Benedictine
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters

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

Two Sundays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted the El Camino that was published in a 2015 issue of Imbibe Magazine. The drink was created at the Chestnut Club in Santa Monica, California, and it reminded me of the Don Lockwood that I had mixed up the night before. The combination of a smoky and a non-smoky spirit joined together by Benedictine and Peychaud's reminded me of Death & Co.'s Shruff's End.
The El Camino began with an orange, smoke, anise, and vegetal-herbal aroma. Next, a rich, slightly caramel sip drove into rye, smoke, herbal, and bitter cherry flavors on the swallow with a dry finish.

Saturday, June 19, 2021

don lockwood

1 oz Rainwater Madeira (1 1/2 oz Blandy's 5 Year Verdelho)
1/2 oz Bourbon (3/4 oz Old Grand-Dad 114°)
1/2 oz Benedictine (3/4 oz)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters (2 light dash)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Saturdays ago, I returned to T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and spotted the Don Lockwood which in name and Bourbon component only reminded me of the one created at Dutch Kills. This one was crafted by Cole for the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, and he similarly named it after Gene Kelly's character in Singin' in the Rain. The combination of Madeira and Benedictine was alluring for it worked rather well in the Prospector, and I had success with it in the Provocateur and Undercover Angel.
The Don Lockwood proffered a lemon oil and grape bouquet. Next, grape and a light caramel note on the sip danced into Bourbon, oxidized fruit, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a lightly anise finish.

Friday, June 18, 2021

canongate

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Royal Brakla 12 Year)
1 1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Walnut Liqueur (Rosso Nocino)

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

Two Fridays ago, I removed a book from my computer desk and uncovered a note highlighting the interactions of Aperol, walnut liqueur, and Cynar. The duo of Aperol and walnut has worked great together in the Old Money and Mr. Burgess, and that got me thinking to one of my favorite nutty-Aperol combinations in the Prospect Park with Maraschino as the nutty component. Therefore, I made my riff subbing in walnut liqueur for the Maraschino and swapping the spirit to Scotch to complement the walnut element such as in the Storm King. For a name, I dubbed this one after a historic neighborhood in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Canongate proffered a Scotch and nutty cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, roast, and fruity notes on the sip shot into whisky, walnut, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

the goblins turned to stone

1 1/2 oz Genever (Bols)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)

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

Two Thursdays ago, I was still inspired by the Cynar-curaçao combination after having last tinkered with it in the Prelude to a Broken Arm. I thought about how well Genever works with each such as in the Sherry Duval and Red Light, and I thus selected it as a base spirit. For a fourth component, I opted for Cardamaro which melds well with Genever such as in the Herbivore.
For a name, I selected the Goblins Turned to Stone from a collection of Dutch fairy tales. Here, it showcased orange and malty aromas. Next, grape, caramel, and malt on the sip transformed into malt wine, herbal, orange, and minty notes on the swallow.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

bail out

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Four Roses Yellow)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Allspice Dram (1 bsp Hamilton's)

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and spotted the Bail Out that he created at Coquette in New Orleans in 2008 and named after the economic news headlines that year. The combination made me think of the Honeymoon Cocktail until I remembered that was Benedictine and curaçao instead of honey (honey in the name only). However, I have had that duo of Benedictine and honey before in drinks like the Fecamp 500 and Jitterbug Sour and have utilized in my aperitif French Film at Loyal Nine.
The Bail Out approached with a lemon and honey bouquet. Next, lemon, malt, and honey on the sip led into Bourbon, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Interestingly, the drink came across like a mashup of a Gold Rush and a Frisco Sour which was the opposite of times that needed a bail out.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

fall back

2 oz Bourbon (Angel's Envy)
1/4 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.
Two Tuesdays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Backbar for some drinks and snacks. While I was expecting their "Backbear" bear-themed menu, that was not finished yet, so they offered up a menu of house classics from the last 10 years. While I started with the Model T from the inaugural menu, I selected the Fall Back (made with Angel's Envy Bourbon) as my second round (here spelled with a space as opposed to the Fallback from Sasha Petraske's book). The recipe was crafted by opening bartender Bryn Tattan sometime in the opening year of 2012 (I am guessing in the autumn of that year) as an Old Fashioned riff. In the glass, the Fall Back provided beautiful maple and walnut accents to the Bourbon finished in port casks and made for a delightful tipple.

Monday, June 14, 2021

book of lies

2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Zacapa 23 Rum
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum

Build in a single old fashioned glass, give a quick stir, garnish with orange oil from a twist, and serve room temperature.
Two Mondays ago, I pulled the Jupiter Disco: Preservation zine out of the frequently used book pile and spied the Book of Lies. This drink was crafted by Al Sotack in 2013 at the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. as a reverse (room temperature) Rum Manhattan utilizing the duo of Zacapa for richness and Smith & Cross for funk that I have seen work in the Frau Holle and Desk Job. Once prepared, the Book of Lies opened with an orange and caramel aroma. Next, grape, caramel, and plum notes on the sip offered up funky rum, raisin, and orange flavors on the swallow.

Sunday, June 13, 2021

the frontier

3/4 oz Redemption Rye (Templeton)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Krogstad Aquavit
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
Two Sundays ago, I turned to the Hawthorne bar bible where I spotted the Frontier. This citrus drink featured the pairing of rye whiskey and aquavit that I have enjoyed before in the Carra-Ryed Away, Immigrant Song, and Ask & Embla. In the glass, the Frontier offered up a caraway, lemon, and star anise aroma to the nose. Next, lemon and caramel on the sip traveled to rye, caraway, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

Saturday, June 12, 2021

prelude to a broken arm

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1/2 oz Rhum Agricole Blanc (Clement)
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a sugar-rimmed coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Saturdays ago, my recent writing about the Undertaker reminded me of the curaçao-Cynar combination, and that got me thinking of the Hugo Ball from 2009 that perhaps introduced me to the combination. For a direction, I opted for a Sidecar styling with some rhum agricole to keep things French and a little bit weird. Since Hugo Ball was a member of the Dada art scene, I made this a tribute to a Marcel Duchamp piece that is merely a snow shovel signed and dated by the artist; it was part of his "ready-made" series of manufactured goods that were "elevated to the dignity of a work of art by the mere choice of an artist."
The Prelude to a Broken Arm met the senses with a lemon, orange, Cognac, and caramel bouquet. Next, lemon and caramel on the sip flowed into Cognac, grassy rhum, and funky orange flavors on the swallow.

Friday, June 11, 2021

two orchard thieves

1 1/2 oz Laird's 7 1/2 Year Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Bols Genever
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with grated cardamom.

Two Fridays ago, I happened upon a drink entered into Kindred Cocktails by Misty Kalkofen called the Two Orchard Thieves. She created this split spirit number at Drink in 2010, and it appeared in a 2011 Boston.com article. The apple brandy-Genever combination is one that has worked well in Yvonne's Toronto and A Two-Fold Operation, and I utilized it in my Wooden Shoe, so I definitely was intrigued. My guess is that it was named after a line from Herman Melville's Moby Dick, "The act of paying is perhaps the most uncomfortable infliction that the two orchard thieves entailed upon us. But being paid – what will compare with it?"
The Two Orchard Thieves snuck in with malty, apple, and cardamom aromas. Next, caramel and apple flavors on the sip made off into a bitter and malty apple and nutty swallow.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

night people

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with Herbsaint, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I delved back into T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar book to make another one of his Sazerac variations called the Night People. Cole created this recipe for a local magazine in honor of Allen Toussaint, and he named it after one of the artist's songs. As a play on Toussaint, he utilized two saints -- St. Germain and Herbsaint. Overall, the recipe minus the Sazerac treatment reminded me of the Citizen's Ideal Manhattan.
The Night People entered in with a lemon, black licorice, and floral aroma. Next, grape and apricot notes on the sip wandered into rye, grape, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow with a clove and anise finish.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

five point palm exploding heart technique

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Galliano Ristretto Coffee Liqueur
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Stir with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass; the photo showed a large ice cube and was included in recipes elsewhere, so I added one.
With Punt e Mes in hand, I decided to find another use for it two Wednesdays ago with the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. The recipe was crafted by Erick Castro at Polite Provisions in San Diego and was published in Imbibe Magazine in 2015 (I was reminded of it via Kindred Cocktails). The name is a reference to a finishing move in Kill Bill: Vol 2, and the movie's fan Wikipedia provided the quote, "Quite simply, the deadliest blow in all of martial arts. He hits you with his fingertips at 5 different pressure points on your body, and then lets you walk away. But once you've taken five steps your heart explodes inside your body and you fall to the floor, dead." In the glass, the effect was more delicious and less deadly with a smoke, vegetal, and roast aroma. Next, grape and caramel-roast notes on the sip led to an attack of smoky mezcal and coffee-herbal flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

3, 2, 1 contact!

1 1/4 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad 114°)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Grenadine
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with pastis (Herbsaint), and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Tuesdays ago, I replaced my empty bottle of Punt e Mes so I could make a recipe that I had spotted in T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar called the 3, 2, 1 Contact! The cocktail was created at Twelve Mile Limit as a signature drink for the birthday event held in honor or one of the regulars named Tung. The party's theme was "3, 2, Tung, Contact!", but Cole thought naming the drink that would be too embarrassing to say ("tongue contact") to the bartender which could effect its sales. Grenadine and Punt e Mes was a curious pairing to me, and it only appears three other times on the blog including the Coup d'État and Rome is Burning, but it was the Sazerac treatment was what sold the idea to me.
The 3, 2, 1, Contact! launched an orange oil and anise aroma to the nose. Next, grape, berry, and orange notes on the sip reached a Bourbon, bitter herbal, and pomegranate swallow with a licorice finish.

Monday, June 7, 2021

sound of silence

2 oz Wild Turkey Rye (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Oxford 1970)
2 dash Scrappy's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass (I added a large ice cube), and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Mondays ago, I returned to the Community Cocktails book and spotted Mark Sassi's Sound of Silence that he created at the Smith Tower in Seattle; Mark later commented that he is now bartending at Rob Roy. The combination of Cynar, Pedro Ximenez sherry, and orange bitters reminded me of Chad Austin's I Want to Believe, so I was curious to try it with rye instead of rum (and a pinch of salt). Once prepared, the Sound of Silence began with an orange, caramel, and raisin aroma. Next, grape and caramel on the sip transitioned to rye, raisin, and funky herbal flavors on the swallow.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

golden gate

2 oz Dry Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Sundays ago, I recalled a drink that I had spotted in the 2020 Community Cocktails book called the Golden Gate that seemed like it would make a delightful Martini riff. The recipe was crafted by bartender Brennan Sheppard while working at Rob Roy in Seattle. Once prepared, the Golden Gate proffered an orange, juniper, and herbal aroma. Next, honey and white grape notes on the sip crossed over into gin and vegetal herbal flavors on the swallow.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

cameo kirby cocktail

50% Dry Gin (1 oz Beefeater)
50% Dry Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat)
2 tsp Raspberry Syrup (1/2 oz)
Juice 1/2 Lime (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Saturdays ago, I opened up the 1933 edition of Jack's Manual and spotted the Cameo Kirby Cocktail named after the 1923 black and white silent film. The recipe reminded me of a Clover Club minus the egg white and with a different citrus and perhaps the Florida minus the bitters and with a different citrus. Once assembled, the Cameo Kirby welcomed the nose with a pine and raspberry bouquet. Next, lime and berry notes on the sip morphed into gin, herbal, and raspberry flavors on the swallow.

Friday, June 4, 2021

variations on a theme

2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
+1/4 oz Campari
1/2 tsp Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
2 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

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

Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Jupiter Disco: Preservation zine and honed in on the Variations on a Theme. This recipe was crafted by Maks Pazuniak at New Orleans' Cure in 2009, and it had the Cherry Heering-Campari duo that he utilized in Arbitrary Nature of Time and the Charlatan. As for the name, Maks described how, "We listened to Om's Variations on a Theme a lot at Cure after work. Or maybe Kirk and I did."
The Variations on a Theme welcomed the senses with an orange and cherry aroma. Next, dark red fruit on the sip transformed into gin, cherry, bitter orange, and nutty flavors on the swallow.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

the undertaker

1 1/2 oz Fighting Cock 103° Bourbon (1 3/4 oz Old Forester 100°) (*)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Most other versions of this recipe call for Eagle Rare. I bumped up the volume slightly to make it a full 3 oz build which would have been the standard at Drink.

Two Thursdays ago, I spied the Undertaker on Kindred Cocktails that was created by Misty Kalkofen then of Drink for the 2009 Grand Marnier & Navan Mixology Summit in Vail, Colorado. The structure reminded me of the Brown Derby, but instead of honey, this had the Cynar-orange liqueur duo that has worked well in drinks like the Educated Lady, Hugo Ball, and Doff Your Hat. In fact, it reminded me of the Bitter End which has gin and grapefruit bitters instead of Bourbon.
I have no evidence that Misty is a wrestling fan, so I assume that it was named in the spirit of the other profession cocktails created at Drink during that time such as the Prosecutor. In the glass, the Undertaker dug up an orange, grapefruit, and Bourbon aroma. Next, grapefruit and orange notes turned over on the sip, and the swallow heaped on Bourbon and funky orange flavors with a grapefruit finish.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

il teatro

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Cynar
1 oz Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a mint leaf.
Two Wednesdays ago, my copy of T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar arrived. I initially was lured in by a Punt e Mes recipe, but alas, my bottle needed to be replaced, so I happened on the Il Teatro as a brash substitute. The pairing of equal parts Fernet Branca and Cynar reminded me a little of the Bottecchia but here it was blanc vermouth instead of Campari as the third player. Technically, it should be bianco vermouth since Cole's concept was three Italian ingredients. Once assembled, the Il Teatro met the nose with a mint and menthol bouquet. Next, caramel, white grape, and green herbal notes on the sip opened up to funky vegetal, bitter gentian, and minty flavors on the swallow.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

cease & desist

2 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 tsp Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the Jupiter Disco: Preservation zine and latched on to the Cease & Desist. The recipe was created by Maks Pazuniak at the Cure in New Orleans in 2009, and the heavy hand with Punt e Mes reminded me of his Charlatan. Once prepared, the Cease & Desist showcased orange, minty, and grape aromas. Next, the Punt e Mes' grape filled the sip, and the swallow rounded things out with rye and bitter herbal flavors with a dry caramel and menthol finish.