mahogany hall gimlet

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Triple Syrup (*)
2 dash DeGroff's Pimento Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wheel (omit).
(*) Triple syrup is 4 parts simple syrup, 2 parts agave syrup, 1 part honey syrup. I did a speed version with 1/2 tsp agave nectar (not syrup), 1/2 tsp honey syrup, and filled to 1/2 oz with simple syrup.Two Sundays ago, Dale DeGroff's The New Craft of the Cocktail caught my eye in the book pile. There, I found the Mahogany Hall Gimlet that he crafted for the Gallery Bars aboard the Holland America cruise ships. In the glass, this Gimlet riff donated a pine, grapefruit, and allspice bouquet to the nose. Next, lime, grapefruit, and a hint of honey on the sip led into gin, grapefruit, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

compass rose

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Du Peysat Organic Selection)
3/4 oz Campari
1/4 oz Maraschino
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters

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

Two Saturdays ago, I wanted to make use of my new Cognac bottle and looked to Kindred Cocktails for an answer. There, I uncovered the Compass Rose created by Jimmy Patrick at Lions & Compass in Sunnyvale, California, and published in Imbibe Magazine in 2009. The combination of Campari and Maraschino to make a softer almost Aperol-like result was something that I learned in 2009 via two drinks, the Carnivale at Eastern Standard and the Scobeyville at the Laird's room at Tales of the Cocktail.The Compass Rose began with a lemon oil over Cognac and cinnamon bouquet. Next, orange notes on the sip pointed towards Cognac and an Aperol-like bitter orange on the swallow with cinnamon on the finish.

ballentine

1/2 Scotch (2 oz Famous Grouse)
2 dash Sherry (1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera)
2 dash Italian Vermouth (1/2 oz Noilly Prat Sweet)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass; I added a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I reached for my copy of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Ballentine amongst the Scotch cocktails. That recipe reminded me of the Manhattan Harbor Co. that I had at Backbar almost two weeks prior, so I became curious. In the glass, the Ballentine donated a lemon, plum, nutty, and raisin bouquet to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip skipped to Scotch, nutty, and dried fruit like apricot flavors on the swallow.

captains' mile

3/4 oz Rhum Agricole Blanc (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
3/4 oz Funky Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Thursdays ago, I returned from an evening of visiting a bunch of accounts for my brand work, and I was in the mood for a Daiquiri instead of another whiskey drink. I had recently replaced my empty bottle of Cardamaro, and I then paired it with Swedish Punsch after recalling how well they worked together in the Mortimer Stump, Deck Hand, and Hearing Trumpet. For the rums, I went with a split of grassy rhum agricole and funky Jamaican rum, and for a name, I dubbed this one the Captains' Mile after a historic stretch of homes in Cape Cod.The Captains' Mile proffered a grassy, pineapple, and orange aroma to the nose. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip sailed into funky, grassy, pineapple, tea, and orange peel flavors on the swallow.

y control

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (PF Ambre)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup
1 tsp Yellow Chartreuse
1 tsp Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays, I returned to Kindred Cocktails to make another recipe that I had bookmarked called the Y Control. It was created by bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in New York City in 2014 as an "elaborated Brandy Daisy." The idea reminded me of No. 9 Park's take on Harry Johnson's Brandy Fix but that was with Green instead of Yellow Chartreuse. Here, the Y Control proffered a Cognac, lime, and pineapple bouquet. Next, lime with pineapple's brightness on the sip jumped into Cognac, cherry, pineapple, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

the minton

1 1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth (Lacuesta)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Aperol
3 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).Two Tuesdays prior, I was scanning the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Minton crafted by Kaleb Cribb at Farm 255 in George sometime at or before 2013. This Negroni-style drink utilized the Cynar-Aperol combination that has blossomed in the Mad Max, The Negroni that Wasn't, and other recipes, so I was curious to give it a try. In the glass, the Minton shared an orange, plum, caramel, and herbal aroma. Next, cherry, plum, and caramel notes on the sip slid into gin, orange, and dark herbal flavors on the swallow.

norma jean

2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
6 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.Two Mondays ago, I spotted the what seemed to be Marilyn Monroe tribute drink, the Norma Jean, on Kindred Cocktails. The recipe crafted by Vincenzo Marianella circa 2009 at Copa d'Oro in Santa Monica read like it was a cross between the South Side and the Deep Six. Once prepared, the Norma Jean began with a mint aroma that preceded a lemon and caramel sip. Next, a gin, minty, and herbal swallow came across with bitter grapefruit undertones.

rachel wall

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Strega

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

Two Sundays ago, I was inspired by the thought of Campari paired with Strega that worked well in the Count's Swizzle and I decided to riff on it. I ended up taking a Kingston Negroni angle with it but utilized Amontillado sherry to dry out the extra sugar brought to the table by the Strega liqueur. For a name, a harkened back to one of the curious rabbit holes that I went down while researching my "Toast the Historic Trees of Boston: A Walking Tour" for Angel's Envy's Toast the Trees month and went with Rachel Wall. Wall was New England's only woman pirate and the last woman to be hanged in Boston; however, she was not arrested on piracy charges. She and her husband turned to the pirating trade in 1781; they stole a ship, made it look like it was damaged by a recent storm, and Rachel would call out for assistance. When the rescuing ship would arrive, the pirates would board the ship and rob it, and their career totals were believed to be a dozen ships, $12,000 in plunder, and 24 sailors murdered. After her husband and other members of the crew drowned, she took to petty theft and highway robbery. Her downfall was stealing a bonnet, and during her trial, she requested to be tried as pirate despite that the sentence would be death. Her pride in her trade-lifestyle led to her being hung at the Great Elm on the Boston Common with a crowd of thousands looking on. The Great Elm itself was there when the city bought the Common as a cow pasture in the 1630s, and it lasted until a winter storm toppled it in 1875. All that remains is a plaque.The Rachel Wall as a drink proffered an orange aroma from the twist and the Campari. Next, a grape-driven sip led into funky rum, nutty grape, caramel, bitter orange, and herbal-spice flavors on the swallow.

bella luna

2 oz Plymouth Gin (Bombay Dry)
3/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
1/2 oz Crème Yvette
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Simple Syrup (omit)

Shake with ice and strain into a port glass (cocktail coupe).Two Fridays ago, I reached for the Death & Co. Cocktail Book and landed on the Bella Luna that I had never made before. The recipe was crafted by Brian Miller in 2009 and reminded a little of an Aviation. Once prepared, the Bella Luna shared a pine, grapefruit, floral, and berry bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and berry notes on the sip gave way to gin, dark berry, and floral flavors on the swallow.

mockingbird, wish me luck

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Aquavit (Aalborg)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

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

Two Thursdays ago, I got back from a night out doing brand work and was in no mood to search for a drink of the night. Instead, I was inspired by the rye-aquavit combination from the Long Way Home and Carra-Ryed Away and decided to mash it up with the Cynar, Chartreuse, and mole bitters trio from my Up Jumped the Devil (which I believe was inspired by The Drink of Laughter and Forgetting). For a name, I dubbed this one Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck after the title of Charles Bukowski's 1972 book of poetry.The Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck donated an orange, caraway, and herbal aroma. Next, caramel and malt on the sip led into rye, caraway, funky herbal, and Green Chartreuse flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish. While the other two combinations were what inspired this drink, it was the Chartreuse-aquavit pairing that had a beautiful synergy here.

nitty-gritty

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Espadin Especial Mezcal (Mezcal Union)
1 1/2 oz La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry (La Gitana)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 tsp Rothman & Winter Pear Liqueur
1/2 tsp Agave Nectar
1 dash Barcode Baked Apple Bitters (Dashfire Spiced Apple)
1 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I selected the Death & Co. Cocktail Book to uncover a recipe that I had previously skipped over. There, I was lured in by Joaquin Simo's 2011 Nitty-Gritty that was his riff on Audrey Saunders' Fitty-Fitty Martini. Besides switching the gin and dry vermouth to mezcal and Manzanilla sherry, he utilized agave nectar and liqueurs to add texture and sweetness. The Nitty-Gritty showcased a lemon oil and mezcal aroma along with hints of fruit. Next, a semi-dry white wine sip with notes of caramel led into smoky agave and briny herbal flavors with a pear-clove finish.

as one does

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 tsp Fernet Branca
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
5 leaf Mint

Build in a glass (I muddled the mint), fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Garnish with a mint sprig.Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted the As One Does by Joaquin Simo on Kindred Cocktails. This Pouring Ribbons 2013 creation made me think of the Cynar Julep but with tequila, Fernet, and chocolate bitters accents. Once prepared, the As One Does greeted the nose with mint aromas over caramel and herbal notes. Next, the caramel continued on into the sip where it was chased by minty, herbal, and menthol flavors.

van lee cocktail

50% Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Bombay Dry)
40% Dubonnet (1 1/4 oz)
10% Scotch (1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Mondays ago, I began leafing through my 1933 reprint of Jack's Manual when I came across the Van Lee Cocktail. The combination made me think of Audrey Saunders' Dreamy Dorini Smoking Martini that I was reminded about in a recent article, except this was the smoky version of a Zaza. The Van Lee once prepared showcased a smoke and plum bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and plum notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow proffered gin, peat smoke, and herbal-fruity flavors.

a study in pink

1 1/2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
3/4 oz Campari (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

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

Two Sundays ago, I was perusing Kindred Cocktails when I spotted A Study in Pink that reminded me of a Jasmine with apricot instead of orange liqueur. The recipe was crafted by Christopher Bevins and named after the Arthur Conan Doyle story "A Study in Scarlet" as part of the Sherlock series. The Campari, apricot, and citrus reminded me of the Juniper #3 and the St. Botolph's Club, so I was eager to give this one a try.The A Study in Pink began with bright orange oil, apricot, bitter orange, and pine aromas. Next, lime and stone fruit on the sip uncovered a gin and bitter apricot swallow.

sirloin

50% Rye (1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Bonded)
50% Regular Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Noilly Prat Sweet)
1 sprig Mint

Shake with ice (lightly muddle and then stir with ice), and strain into a cocktail glass; I added a mint tip as a garnish.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to my 1933 reprint of Jack's Manual and spotted the curiously named Sirloin that appeared like a Manhattan crossed with elements of a Mint Julep. The structure reminded me of the sherry-based Greenbriar Cocktail, and the Manhattan-Julep idea made me recall both the Saratoga Julep and the Dubonnet Mint Julep. Once prepared, the Sirloin gave forth a plum and mint bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and plum notes on the sip twisted into rye, mint, and herbal grape flavors on the swallow.

manhattan harbor co.

1 1/2 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
2 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.For my second drink at Backbar, I requested a Manhattan variation with Angel's Envy, and bartender Carlo Caroscio opted for a drink called the Manhattan Harbor Co. that he created for a competition a few years back. The structure reminded me of the Chancellor, and Carlo replied that he had just had that drink at 11 Madison Park a few weeks ago. In the glass, the Manhattan Harbor Co. greeted the senses with a raisin aroma from the sherry. Next, grape and hint a pear on the sip gave way to Bourbon, nutty, raisin, and orchard fruit flavors on the swallow.

mount hood

1 1/2 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
1/2 oz Clear Creek Pear Liqueur
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Fridays ago, I stopped by Backbar as part of my brand work. For my first cocktail, I asked bartender Carlo Caroscio for something with Angel's Envy Bourbon. He delved into his memory banks and offered up the Mount Hood that he originally made with Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon, but he found that it worked better with a fruitier Bourbon such as Angel's Envy. The new-to-me ingredient in the mix was Clear Creek's pear liqueur, and it was partnered with Benedictine which reminded me of Canon's Corrascal and Death & Co.'s Little Miss Annabelle.The Mount Hood donated a lemon, Bourbon, and orchard fruit aroma to the nose. Next, caramel mingled with fruit notes on the sip, and the swallow wrapped up the show with Bourbon, pear, herbal, chocolate, and clove flavors.

slaughterhouse five

1 oz Cachaça (3/4 oz Salinas Umburana)
1 oz Lime Juice (3/4 oz)
1 oz Pineapple Syrup (3/4 oz)
1 scant oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao (scant 3/4 oz)
3 dash Absinthe (1/2 bsp Kübler)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Thursdays prior, I spotted a Kurt Vonnegut tribute drink called the Slaughterhouse Five on the Kindred Cocktails database, and it seemed like it would keep the Harrison Bergeron company here on the blog. The recipe was created by Bill Cleary at Heritage in San Francisco in 2018, and the Corpse Reviver #2 format with pineapple syrup reminded me of the Corpse Reviver #5 and the Moko Jumbie. In the glass, the Slaughterhouse Five offered the nose a pineapple, orange, grassy funk, and anise bouquet. Next, lime and orange notes on the sip transitioned to grassy, orange, and pineapple flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.

randolph

50% Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Bombay Dry)
40% Dry Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat)
10% Regular Vermouth (1/4 oz Noilly Prat Sweet)
1 Tbsp Pineapple Syrup (1/4 oz)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Wednesdays ago, I selected my 1933 reprint of Jack's Manual for an overlooked gem. There, I uncovered the Randolph as a Martini variation with pineapple syrup that reminded me of the Madame Lou and Louise. The first of those two drinks inspired my 2017 Tales of the Cocktail submission to their Martini competition with the Diamond Queen. In the glass, the Randolph shared a pine and pineapple aroma. Next, tropical and red fruit (in a plum sort of way) on the sip led to gin, pineapple, and berry flavors on the swallow.

man of la mancha

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Oxford 1970)
1/2 oz Nocino (Russo)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the 2020 Community Cocktails book and spotted the Man of La Mancha crafted by Nathan Layman at the Sitting Room in Seattle. While I have had several drinks that use the nutty, oxidized sherries such as Amontillado with walnut liqueur, this recipe called for Pedro Ximenez with its raisin notes to match the nocino. In the glass, the Man of La Mancha donated an orange, vegetal, and raisin aroma. Next, a rich grape sip charged at a tequila, walnut, raisin, clove, and allspice swallow.

language is a virus

1/2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Benedictine

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

Two Mondays ago, I got home from my bar shift after having thought about the Campari-Benedictine combination. That duo reminded me of my William S. Burrough's tribute The Ticket that Exploded that I had created two years ago, and I decided to riff on it using the gin-apple brandy of the Pink Lady as well as dry vermouth as a balance. For a name, I dubbed this one Language is a Virus after a concept in Burrough's novel The Ticket that Exploded.Language is a Virus began with an orange, peach, and bitter orange aroma. Next, orange notes on the sip integrated into gin, apple, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

queen's court

1 1/2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Rum
1 1/2 oz Mango Cordial (*)
1/4 oz Cynar
1 dash Ardbeg 10 Year Scotch

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, add lemon oil from a twist, and garnish with lemon and lime twists.
(*) 2 parts clarified mango juice to 1 part white sugar. Jen said that this would probably work with unclarified mango juice mixed with sugar, but she would not have served it over a clear ice cube.Two Sundays ago, I ventured over to Brookline to have dinner at Blossom Bar. For a first drink, I asked bartender Jen LaForge for the Queen's Court which was one of her creations. Jen originally created this with a Plantation Rum single barrel offering that had leather and mango notes; however, after they ran through their stock of that, they switched to Santa Teresa Rum. The intriguing ingredient here was the house mango cordial which was made from clarifying mango juice (I did not inquire as to the technique) and white cane sugar. In the glass, the Queen's Court proffered a lemon oil bouquet to the nose. Next, mango and caramel notes on the sip presided over rum, mango, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

mexican radio

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. The original recipe called for the drink to be strained and the bitters dashed in afterwards.Two Saturdays ago, I was lured in by a recipe on Kindred Cocktails called Mexican Radio that reminded me of the 1982 song by Wall of Voodoo that I recall from the early years of MTV. The recipe was crafted in 2008 and posted in 2015 by Christopher Platt, a cocktail enthusiast in New Jersey who went by the user handle Plattetude on eGullet, and the combination of Cynar and apricot intrigued me as it had previously in One One Thousand and other drinks. Here, the Mexican Radio began with a vegetal and apricot aroma that led into a caramel and stone fruit sip; there would have been more chocolate notes on the nose had I added the bitters as a garnish. Finally, tequila, bitter herbal-fruity, and chocolate flavors rounded out the swallow.

bootlegger

2 oz Templeton Rye
1 bsp Luxardo Cherry Syrup (1/8 oz)
1 bsp Vanilla Gomme Syrup (1/8 oz Vanilla Syrup)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I was perusing the Hawthorne bar bible for a nightcap. There, I came upon the Bootlegger created by Nicole Lebedevitch perhaps sometime between the bar's open in 2011 and her departure to Lincoln and then Yvonne's in 2015 (although there is a chance that she created it at Eastern Standard before that time period). This Old Fashioned was dubbed "American gangster" on the menu which was a nod to Templeton Rye's marketing claims about its past, and it seemed to make good use of the syrup left over after dolling out Luxardo cherries for garnishes as she did with the Fino Swizzle. Here, the Bootlegger snuck a cherry, vanilla, and caramel aroma to the nose. Next, dark fruit and caramel notes on the sip hid behind Bourbon, cherry, vanilla, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

nymph

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Salers Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Thursday ago, I uncovered Canon's version of the Nymph that first appeared in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book via Kindred Cocktails. That entry had been sourced from a Reddit posting describing the variation on the classic of equal parts Canadian whisky, apricot liqueur, and Lillet with a dash of Angostura. Here, the balance was made drier as well as more bitter with gentian liqueur taking the place of Lillet and Angostura. In the glass, the Nymph proffered gentian and rye aromas. Next, a semi-sweet lemon-grape on the sip summoned a rye, earthy herbal, and apricot swallow.

the final (destination) zombie

1 oz Plantation OFTD Rum
1 oz Don Q Gold or Añejo Rum (Bacardi 4 Year)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Mezcal Union)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz White Grapefruit Juice (Pink)
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2-3 dash Angostura Bitters
2-3 drop Pernod (Copper & King Absinthe)

Blend with 1 1/2 cup crushed ice (whip shake) and pour into a Zombie glass (Tiki mug). Fill with crushed ice and garnish with mint and a swizzle stick (mint sprigs and nasturtium flower).Two Wednesdays ago, I was lured in by a recipe that I had spotted on The Atomic Grog blog called the Final (Destination) Zombie. The drink was created by Hurricane Hayward for the 2021 Hukilau event's after party, the Final Destination. The trio of citrus juices reminded me of Trader Vic's Tortuga, but I would not be deterred by the extra effort in preparation. In the Tiki mug, this Zombie riff lurched to the nose with mint and peppery floral aromas over cinnamon and dark rum notes. Next, a caramel and citrus sip grabbed on to rum, smoke, cinnamon, and clove flavors on the swallow.

oaxacan dream

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Mezcal Union)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

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

After riffing on the Poet's Dream with the Not Even the Rain, I wondered if I could mash it up with the Oaxacan Old Fashioned. After posting it on Instagram, a follower mentioned that it shared some similarity to the Dead Poet, although the mole bitters here, Yellow Chartreuse and orange bitters there, and different proportions and garnishes make them somewhat unique.The end result was dubbed the Oaxacan Dream, and it met the nose with a grapefruit oil over smoky vegetal aromas. Next, a semi-rich sip slid into agave, smoke, herbal, and chocolate notes on the swallow.

iron pier swizzle

1 1/2 oz Bully Boy White Rum (Privateer Tres Aromatique)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 bsp Grenadine (1/8 oz)
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Build in a Highball glass, fill with crushed ice, swizzle to mix and chill, and float 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 (Ambre) Cognac.Two Mondays ago, I ventured back into the Hawthorne bar bible and spotted the Iron Pier Swizzle. The recipe was crafted by by Katie Emmerson (now Orkane), and she picked up a great appreciation for the style from her time at Death & Co. in New York City as demonstrated by her tribute Company Swizzle. The rum, grapefruit, cinnamon, grenadine, and bitters reminded me of the 1934 Zombie as well as the Zombie Essence (minus the grenadine part). Here, the Iron Pier Sizzle presented a fruity and Cognac aroma to the nose. Next, grapefruit and light berry notes on the sip led to rum and cinnamon flavors on the swallow. As the Cognac float entered the sip, it became a touch fruitier overall.

guatemalan square

1 oz Zacapa 23 Rum
1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I reached for Sother Teague's I'm Just Here for the Drinks book and spotted the Vieux Carre riff called the Guatemalan Square. The riff featured Zacapa Rum made in Guatamala and took and orange liqueur instead of Benedictine direction. Once prepared, the Guatemalan Square proffered an orange, rye, and herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, peach, and orange notes on the sip traversed into dark rum, orange, rye, clove, and anise flavors on the swallow.

gypsy rose

1 1/2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Raspberry Syrup
1-2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. Originally, I made this with 1 dash Peychaud's but an Instagram follower tried it and recommended 2 dashes.

Two Fridays ago, I spied the raspberry syrup bottle in the fridge and was reminded of the mashup of Negroni and a Clover Club from a few nights before. The bottle was next to the dry vermouth which got me thinking of a Martini, and then I split the gin with apple brandy akin to the Pink Lady. The raspberry syrup also made me think of the Florodora which put me on a Zigfeld Follies naming theme; I dubbed this one the Gypsy Rose after Rose Louise Hovick's stage name when she was a burlesque entertainer and Zigfeld Follies girl in the 1930s.This mashup of the Clover Club, Pink Lady, and Martini began with a lemon, berry, apple, and pine bouquet. Next, red fruit on the sip frolicked into gin, orchard fruit, pectin richness, and anise on the swallow.