little easy

1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse Blended Scotch
1/2 oz Averna
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 cube Sugar (a small Demerara cube)

Muddle the sugar cube with the bitters (I added 1/4 oz water). Add the rest of the ingredients, stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with abinsthe (Kübler), and garnish with orange oils from a twist.Two Mondays ago, I decided to make a Sazerac variation that I had spotted a few days before on Kindred Cocktails. That recipe was the Little Easy attributed to Brian Quinn in his 2012 Food Republic article (no longer online for me to confirm). Scotch and Averna have paired well through various recipes so I was game to give this one a try. Here, it proffered an orange, caramel, and anise aroma that preceded the Averna's caramel notes on the sip. Next, the swallow came through with Scotch, herbal, and cherry-anise flavors.

cut your tape

1 1/2 oz Privateer White Rum
1/2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Rum
1/2 oz Joseph Cartron Dark Crème de Cacao
1/2 oz Briottet Crème de Cassis
1 dash Legendre Herbsaint

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a spritz of regular Herbsaint.Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I attended a performance of Mr. Swindle's Traveling Peculiarium down near the Harpoon Brewery. Our travels afterwards led us to No. 9 Park where we stopped in for a drink. The cocktail that I selected from the menu was the Cut Your Tape, and bartender Brad Weidman set off to make this two rum number. Once prepared, it welcomed the nose with cassis' berry and Herbsaint's anise aromas. Next, a dark berry sip sailed into rum, dark berry, chocolate, and anise flavors on the swallow. While the combination was rather delightful, it did tend towards the sweeter side as the cocktail warmed up.

bitter giuseppe

2 oz Cynar
1 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
6 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned with a large ice cube (4 Kold Draft cubes), and garnish with a lemon twist.

After having made Misty Kalkofen's Little Giuseppe two nights before, I looked into Toby Maloney's The Bartender's Manifesto to find the recipe for the Bitter Giuseppe created at the Violet Hour in Chicago. The book attributed the recipe to the year 2009 despite other sources online listing it as early as 2007 which would confuse the tale of it being created in conjunction with Misty Kalkofen at Drink via a game of telephone (Drink did not open until October 2008). Stephen Cole's provided the narrative, "One night an Italian chef I knew came into the bar for a drink. I thought he'd like a Cynar Manhattan." Given that it was a sweet amaro with a sweet vermouth, he knew that it needed something to counter that, and his interest in the 'Ti Punch with it small lime coins for juice (and oil) came into play here utilizing lemon. Over successive tries, he realized that his combination required a full quarter ounce of lemon juice instead of a few drops.The Bitter Giuseppe like the Little Giuseppe began with a caramel aroma but here accented with lemon oils from the twist garnish not found in the companion drink. Next, a similar grape and caramel medley on the sip flowed into bright vegetal, herbal, and grape flavors on the swallow. Overall, the choice of vermouth (sweet vermouth vs. Punt e Mes) as well as lemon juice proportions greatly effected the end result particularly on the swallow.

andrew square

2 oz Old Overholt Rye Whiskey (86°)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Fridays ago, I was peering into the "Drinks of Drink" notebook at work and spotted the Andrew Square named after a nearby neighborhood just south of the bar's location. Its combination of cherry liqueur and Fernet Branca was one that dated back to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 with the Pinto. With rye whiskey as a stirred drink, the Andrew Square reminded me of the more recent Problem Solver and the combination of the liqueurs have appeared elsewhere on here. The notebook lacked any hint as to its creator or year, but once prepared, it revealed a cherry, clove, and rye aroma. Next caramel and dark fruit notes on the sip flowed into rye, cherry, menthol, and bitter gentian flavors on the swallow.

little giuseppe

2 oz Cynar
2 oz Punt e Mes
6 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 bsp Lemon Juice (1/8 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a pinch of salt.

It occurred to me that I had never written up the Little Giuseppe properly here despite referencing it and listing the recipe in related cocktails. This low ABV vermouth-amaro number was created by Misty Kalkofen at Drink within a few dozen feet of where I made mine pictured below. Legend has it that it was created as a game of telephone in 2009 with Stephen Cole of the Violet Hour in Chicago who crafted his own version, the Bitter Giuseppe that I made for myself two days after this one. What is left out of that story is that Kirk Estinopal, one of Stephen's old coworkers at the Violet Hour, also generated The Search for Delicious at Cure in New Orleans and published it in the 2009 Rogue Cocktails book and later in the 2011 Beta Cocktails book; perhaps he was involved in the initial game or joined in a few weeks afterward (some articles suggest that he was aware of one or other of the Giuseppe creations before adapting his own riff). Misty's and Kirk's recipes share a little more similarity opting for Punt e Mes instead of sweet vermouth as well as the inclusion of a pinch of salt garnish.In the glass, the Little Giuseppe waved to the senses with a caramel and vegetal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow rounded things off with a funky bitter-sweet flavor that mellowed out as the garnish salt dissolved into the cocktail.

orchard

2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup (Grand Maple Farms)
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
(1/8 oz Demerara Syrup added to the recipe for balance and body)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.One of the drinks I had marked in The Bartender's Manifesto by Toby Maloney with Emma Janzen was the Orchard created by Kyle Davidson at Chicago's Violet Hour in 2008. As a Sidecar riff, it seemed similar to many of the autumnal cocktails that I have been churning out for folks lately at Drink such as my Two Roads Diverged. The Bourbon barrel-aged maple was one that we procured earlier this year; despite maple feeling like a fall and winter flavor, it is actually harvested and processed as the trees begin to wake up in the spring. Here, the Orchard wafted to the nose with an apple, lemon, and allspice bouquet. Next, a lemon-driven sip boiled down to an apple, maple, and allspice swallow.

roaring 50s

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube.Two Tuesdays, I ventured into a PDF file I was sent of J.M. Hirsch's Pour Me Another cocktail book and spotted the Roaring 50s. Its combination of Cynar and grenadine lured me in for I learned about the duo in the Giuseppe's Lady and utilized it in my Hope is a Waking Dream and Texas Cakewalk. The drink was crafted by Declan McGuirk at the American Bar in London, and I opted for the original version with sweet vermouth opposed to the Cocchi Americano variation presented by the author. Once assembled, the Roaring 50s showcased a red berry, vegetal, and anise aroma. Next, berry, caramel, and grape notes on the sip danced into vegetal, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

spaghetti western #2

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Strega

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).Two Mondays ago, I decided to make another recipe that I had spotted on Kindred Cocktails called the Spaghetti Western #2. The drink created by Martin Corriveau of Vancouver's La Pentola circa 2013, and the combination of American whiskey, Strega, and Punt e Mes reminded me of Evan Harrison's Nonantum Cocktail but here with a smoky agave flair. In the glass, the Spaghetti Western #2 greeted the senses with orange, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, a rich grape note on the sip galloped into Bourbon, smoky mezcal, herbal, and piny mint flavors on the swallow.

smokin' barrel

1 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 bsp Benedictine (1/8 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass (single old fashioned), and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Sundays ago, I uncovered a Vieux Carré-style recipe on Kindred Cocktails called the Smokin' Barrel. The drink was crafted by Michael Shone at the Balthazar Champagne Bar in Denmark circa 2013 and features the blanco tequila-Scotch duo that I utilized in the Devil's Highway due to a guest's request for such. The only other recipes in this collection that pair tequila with Scotch are via a whisky rinse accent or spritz for garnish and not as a full ingredient in the mix. Therefore, I set to mixing the Smokin' Barrel which donated a smoke and woody spice aroma to the mix. Next, a grape-driven sip lifted into vegetal, wood smoke, herbal, and clove flavors on the swallow.

apotheke

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz White Crème de Menthe (Tempus Fugit)
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Saturdays ago, I got home from work and discovered that Andrea had gotten me takeout from Veggie Galaxy. After eating way too much, I needed something to settle the stomach before I went to bed, so I remembered that there was an interesting Fernet drink from the A Spot at the Bar book. The recipe was the Apotheke that the authors claimed to have sourced from the 1919 Henry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails book and came across like a Corpse Reviver #3 with sweet vermouth instead of brandy; I was not able to find the recipe in the 1923 2nd edition on EUVS though, but it was in my later edition with supplemental material added in 1986 (1996 printing). Once prepared, the Apotheke approached the nose with a minty and menthol aroma. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip shifted toward mint and menthol flavors on the swallow.

strangeways daiquiri

3/4 oz Plantation Xaymaca Rum
3/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 bsp St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (1/8 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Another recipe that I had spotted in the cocktail database at Drink was the Strangeways Daiquiri that was presented without attribution. When I posted it on Instagram, bartender Ben Watts who now works at Chickadee took credit for its creation. He described how it was initially designed for the cocktails to go program in Fall of 2020, and on a practical level, it was due to a large stockpile of Laphroaig that they received right before the Pandemic shutdown. He continued, "Intellectually, it's because I like wrestling with the smoke in Islay Scotch – it's less flexible than mezcal smoke, but it's also why people order it... The solution is usually to pair it with flavors as aggressive as its peat and to try to twist them together, so Jamaican rum made sense to me." This recipe that he crafted in homage to the Boukman Daiquiri was named when "trying to marry something Scottish with something Jamaican, so I thought about Bond novels and films [set] in Jamaica. And John Strangeways is the head of Station J–Jamaica in the book Live and Let Die and whose murder sets the plot of Dr. No."In the glass, the Strangeways Daiquiri proffered cinnamon and peat smoke aromas. Next, a lime-driven sip led into rum, peat smoke, allspice, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

conquest of paradise

1 1/2 oz Tequila or Mezcal (Del Maguey Mezcal Vida)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the cocktail database at Drink when I uncovered the Conquest of Paradise. The recipe was attributed to Ezra Star and the cominbation reminded me of her Daiquiri-styled Elements of the Stars that was published in the Drinking Like Ladies book. The Conquest of Paradise launched with a smoke, vegetal, and cinnamon aroma. Next, lemon and a hint of caramel on the sip sailed into smoke, cinnamon, vegetal, and clementine flavors on the swallow.

ada's shadow

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 bsp Fernet Branca (1/8 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I discovered a copy of Amy Zavatto's The Big Book of Bourbon Cocktails in a neighborhood library box on my way to do inventory at work. I had met Amy when she was a judge at a spirits competition in Louisville that I was working the back of house for in early 2017, so I eagerly took the book. Therefore, that night, I selected the Ada's Shadow that she crafted as a Bourbon riff on Ada Coleman's Hanky Panky that she guided in a Toronto-Manhattan direction. Once prepared, the Ada's Shadow conjured up lemon and menthol aromas. Next, grape and a hint of caramel on the sip transitioned toward Bourbon, cherry, herbal, and minty flavors on the swallow.

caesar cardini

2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Barolo Chinato
1/4 oz White Crème de Cacao

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with freshly grated coffee bean.Two Mondays ago, I had finished up hosting two seminars for USBG Boston's Education Week 2022 at Drink, and I decided to treat myself to a cocktail on the way home. Therefore, I walked from Fort Point to Downtown Crossing to check out the recently opened Wig Shop -- a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge by the folks at JM Curley. The location used to be called the Wig Store, and they kept the wig display in front of the old shop but put black curtains to cut off the view to the interior of the repurposed space. I arrived around open so I got around the seeming need for a reservation. With the set up being tables with seating for up to 4 or perhaps 5 and no bar seating, it would make a great venue for meeting up with friends.For a drink, I selected the Caesar Cardini attributed to Drink founder John Gertsen. I was able to source the recipe and some back history in a 2012 Boston Chefs article that described how John was influenced by the classic North Italian pairing of the quinine-laden Barolo Chinato with chocolate. To that John went with a base of mezcal and accented things with grated coffee beans to complement the crème de cacao and Chinato. The combination reminded me of the Bonal version that I had in Drink in 2010 that was attributed to John Gertsen and Misty Kalkofen. For a name, Gertsen went with a tribute to Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant chef who ended up in Mexico during Prohibition when it was too hard to run a restaurant in America; Cardini is best know for creating the Caesar salad at his Tijuana restaurant in 1924. This liquid tribute began with smoke and roasted coffee aromas on the nose. Next, grape and light cherry notes on the sip turned over into smoky mezcal, bitter-sweet herbal flavors, and light chocolate accents on the swallow.

white light

2 oz Tanqueray Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
2 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I decided upon a Martini variation called White Light, perhaps named after the Velvet Underground song and album title, created by Carlo Caroscio at Volt in Frederick, Maryland, circa 2013. The trio of wine elements reminded me of the Bizarre Love Triangle, and it had been a while since I have had something akin to a Martini. In the glass, the White Light exhaled a lemon, herbal, and pine aroma. Next, white grape with a hint of orchard fruit on the sip flowed into gin and fruity herbal flavors on the swallow.

to the sun

1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel (omit).Two Saturdays ago, I spied an interesting drink on the Haus Alpenz site called the To the Sun. The combination of Smith & Cross, apricot, and lime reminded me of the Final Voyage but with a more of a Test Pilot feel than a Last Word one both by recipe and by name. Despite it being unattributed, I was still tempted by this combination. In the glass, my nose was greeted by caramel and rum funk aromas. Next, caramel and lime on the sip transitioned into funky rum, apricot, and clove flavors on the swallow.

various positions

3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an Herbsaint (or absinthe) rinsed double old fashioned glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, I was inspired to tinker again with Phil Ward's Lipspin with its Cynar-sloe gin combination that previously led to my Perverted by Language. Here, I utilized a split rye-mezcal base and took things in a Sazerac direction. While crafting this number, a song from Leonard Cohen's Various Positions album was playing, and that ended up being the name. The Various Positions welcomed the nose with lemon, anise, smoke, red berry, and caramel aromas. Next, caramel and red fruit notes on the sip progressed into rye, vegetal, herbal, anise, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

sissy gun

2 oz Añejo Tequila (Cimarron Reposado)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
3 dash Mole Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the ShakeStir site's recipe database and found the Sissy Gun by Brian Means circa 2017 at the Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco. With a spirit plus Cynar and a coffee liqueur, it reminded me of the Lake Union and Fair Trade but with an aged tequila. In the glass, the Sissy Gun donated an orange and vegetal bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip entered into tequila, herbal, and coffee flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and vegetal finish.

black scottish cyclops

2 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1 oz Ramazzotti Amaro
4 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with two ice cubes.After buying a replacement bottle of Ramazzotti, I decided to make a Black Manhattan variation in Brad Parson's Bitters book. That recipe was the Black Scottish Cyclops crafted by Rocky Yeh that was named after a character in the video game Team Fortress 2. Here, the Black Scottish Cyclops lept to the nose with peat smoke and caramel aromas. Next, caramel and malt on the sip charged forth into a smoky Scotch, herbal, and root beer flavors on the swallow with a smoke, cinnamon, and char finish.

workers on the track

2 oz Bonded or Stronger Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Workers on the Track that reminded me of Misty Kalkofen's Franklin Bearse. The recipe created by Luke Andrews at The Whistler in Chicago was published in Gaz Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails 2015 book. There, Luke explained the name as, "When riding on the train in Chicago, you will undoubtedly hear 'Your attention please: we are delayed because there are workers on the tracks ahead'." In the glass, the Workers on the Track presented an orange, herbal, and rye aroma. Next, a rich sip with hints of honey and orange flowed into rye, orange, and piny-herbal flavors on the swallow.

jackson ward

2 oz Rittenhouse Bonded Rye
3/4 oz Amaro Nardini
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3 dash Cocktail Kingdom Wormwood Bitters
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I spied a recipe from Amor y Amargo on the Kindred Cocktails database called the Jackson Ward. The recipe created by Chris Elford was published on the 1MoreForTheRoad blog in 2012. There, Sother Teague described it as a Manhattan "with some lovely dark tobacco flavors and a funky bitterness." Chris named the cocktail after the neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia, known as the "Harlem of the South" for its African-American arts scene. Once prepared, the Jackson Ward gave forth a lemon and herbal aroma. Next, a caramel and grape-driven sip led into rye and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a wormwood finish.

absinthe painkiller

1 oz Kübler Absinthe
1 oz Plantation 5 Year Barbados Rum
1 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.I have a few regulars are big absinthe fans, and I am frequently looking up recipes to make or improvising drinks that have an ounce of the stuff. In the post about one of those drinks, the Yellow Parrot, I mentioned one of these on-the-fly riffs, the Absinthe Painkiller where I utilized the Painkiller template from Eastern Standard. I decided to make one for myself two Saturdays ago since I had made one for a guest earlier that evening. Here, the woody spice of the nutmeg joined the aromas of anise and pineapple. Next, a creamy orange and pineapple sip slid into coconut, caramel, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, definitely a great introduction to absinthe-heavy drinks given the rich, sweet, and fruity flavors to soften the absinthe's intensity.

cassingle revival #2

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Drambuie
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Fridays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database after work, and I uncovered the Cassingle Revival #2 created by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2013. The name suggested a Corpse Reviver #2 riff, and here Bourbon and Drambuie were in place of the gin and Lillet Blanc and the dashes of absinthe were left out of the equation. Once prepared, the Cassingle Revival #2 played for the nose a soundtrack of orange, honey, and whiskey aromas. Next, a lemon, orange, and honey sip rewound into Bourbon, honey, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a tart lemon finish.

the royal navy dram

3 oz Zacapa Rum (2 oz Zaya)
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Benedictine (1/2 oz)
1 Whole Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a pinch of black lava salt or Kosher salt (sea salt).Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted on the ShakeStir website called the Royal Navy Dram. This Flip was crafted by Chris Fields at the Matchbox in Chicago circa 2013 and features the Amaro Montenegro-Benedictine combination that worked well in the Alternative Ulster and Lindsey's Whimsy. Once assembled, the Royal Navy Dram proffered a caramel aroma that preceded a creamy caramel sip. Finally, rum, clementine, and herbal flavors were the final salute on the swallow.

two roads diverged

1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays ago, I got a request for a "Fall in a glass" cocktail from a guest at Drink. I took an apple brandy bolstered by maple syrup and spiced with Benedictine, cinnamon syrup, and Angostura bitters route. Things tasted a bit thin so I added a barspoon of Demerara syrup to fatten it up. Given the success of that creation with said guest, I served it later that night for a similar style of request and then for myself as a nightcap. For mine, it offered up apple, maple, and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel and lemon notes on the sip flowed into apple, maple, herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow. For a name, I dubbed this one Two Roads Diverged after a line from Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" poem akin to my naming convention in my Miles to Go Before I Sleep.

the clyde

2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and (optional) garnish with a crack/pinch of black pepper.Two Tuesdays ago, I delved into the Kindred Cocktails database and spotted the Clyde by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles circa 2013. The pairing of mezcal with Amaro Abano called out to me for it worked well in the Speaking in Tongues. Once prepared, the Clyde generated a caramel, smoke, vegetal, and black pepper aroma. Next, the caramel from the two amari filled the sip, and the swallow followed through with smoky agave, vegetal, and black pepper flavors.

johnny appleseed

1 oz Laird's Applejack
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz Aperol
1 dash (~1/8+ oz) Allspice Dram

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I had dinner at Trina's Starlite Lounge. For a drink, Andrea requested the Negroni Week cocktail that the bar had posted on their social media. Called Johnny Appleseed, the combination reminded me of an apple version of Charlotte Voisey's Unusual Negroni (equal parts Hendrick's Gin, Lillet, Aperol) with an accent of allspice dram. Here, the Johnny Appleseed came through with an orange, apple, and allspice bouquet. Next, orange and orchard fruit on the sip wandered into apple, orange, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

best fronds

1 1/2 oz Pineapple Rum (Plantation)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lime twist (express and discard).During Negroni Week two weeks prior, I had spotted a post about a pineapple rum drink called the Best Fronds on my Instagram feed. I tracked down the recipe to the Educated Barfly site where it was attributed to Chris Day at Oakland's Kon-Tiki. While read like a pineapple rum Right Hand, the named seemd to make a pun on the whiskey-dry vermouth Boulevardier riff, the Old Pal. Since the combination reminded me of the Dashboard Hula Girl, I was all set to give it a whirl. In the glass, it donated a lime, pineapple, and dark rum aroma to the nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip erupted into pineapple, rum, caramel-bitter orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

leaf fall

1 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato (Zucca will work)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (10 drop Kübler)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oils from a twist.After wrapping up hosting a cocktail party at Drink and doing the books two Saturdays ago, I needed a nightcap. I recalled how well Benedictine toned down Fernet Branca in the Campo Viejo, and I wondered what it would do for Amaro Sfumato. With Autumn on its way, the Sfumato and Benedictine led me to the combination of smoky Scotch and apple brandy, and I dubbed it the Leaf Fall. Once prepared, it gave forth an orange, smoke, and apple aroma. Next, a caramel sip fluttered down into an apple, smoke, earth, and herbal swallow.