full disclosure

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1/2 oz Giffard Rhubarb Liqueur
1 oz Don's Mix (2/3 oz Grapefruit Juice + 1/3 oz Cinnamon Syrup)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a grapefruit twist (omitted here). Recipe sourced from the Welcome Home book.On Thursday night of Portland Cocktail Week, there a Death & Co. pop-up featuring recipes from their Welcome Home book at Deadshot. After perusing their list, I selected the Full Disclosure due to my lack of rhubarb liqueur at home, and it came across like a mezcal-rhubarb Donga Punch riff. This 2019 Matthew Belanger drink began with smoke, vegetal, and fruity aromas. Next, lime, grapefruit, and rhubarb notes on the sip flowed into vegetal, smoky, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

drop the anchor

1 1/2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum
3/4 oz Byrrh Grand Quinquina
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
2 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a big cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Here, served from a chilled flask. On Tuesday night of Portland Cocktail Week, there were four pop-up events across town at the same time, and while I planned on hitting three of them, I reached my limit at two. I started my night at an Amor y Amargo pop-up at the White Owl Social Club. There, Sother Teague served me a variation on The Redemption swapping the Averna for more Jagermeister who was sponsoring the event as well as utilizing a local apple brandy. After that, I headed back to Rum Club where there was a pop-up by Seattle's Navy Strength sponsored by Mount Gay Rum. I asked bartender/bar owner Chris Elford for the Drop the Anchor, and I later inquired if it was a rum-for-Scotch version of his Casualty. Chris replied that it was close for the Amaro Montenegro amount was dropped slightly. After that, I considered the Old Forester Far Flung Friends event at the Spirit of '77 with drinks from the Yacht Club in Denver, but my self-preservation instinct kicked in, and I headed back to the hotel. Strangely, I woke up with a sweatshirt from the Far Flung Friends event in my size in my backpack, and it will have to go down as one of those unsolved mysteries.

piano hands

1 oz Banhez Mezcal
1 oz Hamilton's Navy Strength Rum
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Benedictine
6 dash Absinthe

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a big ice cube, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Some time after my educational events at the Jupiter Next at Portland Cocktail Week two Mondays ago, I ventured over to Rum Club where I found a seat in front of bartender Mike Treffehn who I knew from class earlier in the day as a presenter as well as the creator of the Long Snake Moan at the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. in Philadelphia circa 2011. For a cocktail, I asked Mike for the Piano Hands that he described as his Vieux Carré riff that he crafted with a mezcal-rum pairing. In the glass, the Piano Hands met the nose with a lemon, caramel, and hint of smoke aroma. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip progressed into rum, vegetal, smoke, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

in absentia

1 oz Banhez Mezcal
1 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with flamed orange oil from a twist.After landing in Portland, Oregon, two Sundays ago, I attended the Portland Cocktail Week welcoming night event at Aviation Gin that was followed by an unofficial tour and visit to Aria Gin a few blocks away. On the walk back to the Ace Hotel where I was staying again, I returned to the Teardrop Lounge for the first time in a decade. There, I asked bartender Amy for the In Absentia subtitled "complex and subtly bitter with chocolate hints." I selected that one for the combination of mezcal and Amaro Abano worked great in Mike Ryan's Speaking in Tongues as well as Rafa Garcia Febles' The Clyde. Curiously, I was able to find a 2015 article listing the In Absentia recipe as an aged rhum agricole number (everything else held constant) utilizing JM Vieux, so perhaps this older recipe evolved through the years. Once served to me, the In Absentia welcomed the senses with an orange, smoky, vegetal, and caramel aroma. Next, caramel and fruity notes on the sip disappeared into vegetal, smoky, herbal, and black pepper flavors on the swallow.

end of the road

1 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Campari
1 oz Green Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe (Nick & Nora).One of the recipes in the "Drinks of Drink" notebook that caught my eye despite not being invented in-house was Chris McMillian's End of the Road that appears in Beta Cocktails. I had never made this number despite having had the successor, Start of a New Road, at Backbar. Since two Saturdays was my last shift at Drink, I figured that it was a good cocktail to go out on. I did ponder why this intense combination of Scotch with an almost medicinal peat smoke, bitter orange Campari, and aggressively herbaceuous Chartreuse was called End of the Road; when I went to Portland Cocktail Week the following day, I perhaps got a clue even if it is wrong. I attended a Glenmorangie seminar where they shared a recipe booklet that also had drinks from their sister distillery Ardbeg in it. In those pages, they had The (Real) End of the Road made with Ardbeg Uigeadail with the story provided "Ardbeg is the last distillery – at the end of the Islay road." I could find no evidence that this cocktail had ever been made with Ardbeg by McMillian, so who knows the reason for the finality in the name. Alas, for me, it was the end of a year long adventure from reopening Drink after a 4.5 month repair shutdown to becoming the bar manager while still bartending and finally becoming the general manager while still being the bar manager and bartender (and whatever else needed to be done including being two barbacks at once (and doing the job better) or the door guy). Eventually, they asked for even more -- more than I could give as an individual trying to hold an absurd to the rest of the world semblance of work-life balance, so I gave notice. And my date lined up with the day before Portland Cocktail Week, so it was my own start of a new road a few hours later on Sunday morning.The recipe did not appear in the 2009 Rogue Cocktails or the 2010 'zine and only in the 2011 Beta Cocktails (read about the books' history). Finally getting to this combination 11 years later, it proffered an orange, herbal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, a peachy orange sip terminated with smoky Scotch and herbaceous flavors on the swallow with a bitter quinine finish. Pictured above was the line at open that Saturday night (it extended down the stairs to our door) including three guests in the photo who queued up to say goodbye and mark the end of the road at 348 Congress Street with me.

l'incontro

1 1/4 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Mezcal)
3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3 dash Hersaint (30 drop Kübler Absinthe)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Fridays ago, I decided to make the L'Incontro from the "Drinks of Drink" binder for it reminded me of Phil Ward's Division Bell with the addition of Herbsaint, the swapping of lemon for lime, and a tweaking of the proportions. I later discovered that the recipe was attributed to Ezra Star in the Claridge's: The Cocktail Book. L'Incontro meaning "the meeting" once prepared called to order with a smoke, nutty, vegetal, and cherry aroma. Next, lemon and cherry notes on the sip concluded with vegetal, orange, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow with a cherry and smoke finish.

no glory in the west

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (1 1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Barolo Chinato (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Aperol
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Continuing on in the "Drinks of Drink" notebook, I spied the No Glory in the West that reminded me a little of the Caesar Cardini that had also been created at Drink. The recipe was probably named after the Orville Peck song which makes its invention sometime after the song was released in 2020. Once stirred and strained, it proffered an orange, vegetal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and orange notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow wrapped things up with smoky, vegetal, grape, and quinine flavors on the swallow with a smoke and clove finish.

fat bottomed girl

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Orgeat (Giffard)
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 Whole Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a glass (old fashioned), and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Wednesdays ago, I delved back into the "Drinks of Drink" notebook and found the Queen tribute recipe named Fat Bottomed Girl. This Flip dubbed after the 1978 song was served at and presumably created for the charity drag brunch held at Drink in November 2020 and sponsored by Rittenhouse Rye. I have only had Amaro Montenegro and orgeat paired together in two drinks before – namely Backbar's Magical Mezcal Mystery Cure and Cure's Little Boots, so I was curious to try this in a Flip instead of a Sour. Here, the Fat Bottomed Girl began with a woody and nutty aroma. Next, a creamy and citrussy sip twerked into a rye, almond, citrus, and allspice swallow.

some weird sin

3/4 oz Old Grand-Dad 114° Bourbon
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Zacapa 23 Rum (Zaya 12)
1/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/4 oz Lustau Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Oxford)
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bitter End Moroccan Bitters (Bitter Cube Trinity)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I turned to Death & Co.'s third book, Welcome Home, and landed upon the Some Weird Sin. Besides being drawn in by the Iggy Pop song title, I was excited to try another recipe from Al Sotack. His 2017 creation was Bourbon-rum Old Fashioned of sorts began with an orange, raisin, and root beer nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip danced into funky rum, cinnamon, raisin, and root beer flavors on the swallow.

dune buggy

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
10 drop Bitter Queen's Chinese 5 Spice Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a spritz of Chinese 5 Spice Bitters (3 drops).For a cocktail selection Sunday night, I delved into Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix'Em and selected the Dune Buggy. The recipe was crafted at Cure by bartender Colin Bugbee, and it came about when he found the combination of Bonal and Smith & Cross to generate apple notes which led to the cinnamon syrup. In the glass, the Dune Buggy drove to the senses with a caramel, lime, and spice aroma. Next, lime, caramel, and grape notes on the sip cruised into funky rum and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

benson flip

1 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum
3/4 oz Dark Crème de Cacao (Giffard White)
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1/4 oz Heavy Cream
Coffee Beans (3 Espresso Roast)
1 Whole Egg

Muddle the coffee beans. Add the rest of the ingredients, shake once without ice and once with ice, double strain into a rocks glass or cocktail coupe, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Fridays ago, I opted for the Benson Flip that had caught my eye a few times in the "Drinks of Drink" binder. Once prepared, this Flip welcomed the senses with a woody spice and coffee aroma. Next, creamy caramel and roast notes on the sip framed dark rum, bitter coffee, nutty, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

rusty bene

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Drambuie
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube (4 Kold Draft cubes), and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the "Drinks of Drink" collection and landed upon the Rusty Nail riff called the Rusty Bene. I have often listed the Rusty Nail as one of my guilty pleasure drinks during interviews; however, I have not had a classic one in years. I have enjoyed variations over that time though including recently creating a mashup with the Modernista called the New Nails. The Rusty Bene read like a B&B (Brandy and Benedictine) for Scotch variation, and that seemed intriguing. Once prepared, the Rusty Bene broadcasted an orange and rich aroma to the nose. Next, honey and caramel notes on the sip latched on to Cognac, honey, herbal, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow. A priori, I expected this combination to be a bit cloying, but it ended up more rich than sweet.

the flower room

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1 bsp Lemon Juice (1/8 oz)

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 2 oz soda water, and fill with ice cubes.Two Wednesdays ago, after doing the books at work, I reached for the "Drinks of Drink" binder and selected the Flower Room. This embittered Highball had no other information besides the recipe such as hints to the date, creator, and rationale for the name, but a Gin-Ferrari Highball sounded like a solid way to wrap up the evening. Once prepared, the Flower Room wafted to the nose with bitter orange and pine aromas. Next, a carbonated orange sip bloomed into gin, menthol, and minty flavors on the swallow. Overall, it delivered as expected and there were no great surprises here flavor-wise.

banana clipper

1 1/2 oz Barbancourt 8 Year Rum
1/2 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
2/3 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters (2 dash Angostura Cocoa)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I searched through the Kindred Cocktails database to find the evening's nightcap. There, I spied the Banana Clipper that was a different recipe from the one published in the Hawthorne bar bible; instead, it was created by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2015. In the glass, the Banana Clipper delivered a lemon and caramel scented package to the nose. Next, caramel and tropical notes on the sip anchored into rum, pineapple, herbal, and banana flavors on the swallow. Overall, this fell a touch on the sweeter side of things for me, and it could have been partially due to my utilizing a different brand of crème de banane.

antique lemon drop

2 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1 oz Lemon Juice (3/4 oz)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist and absinthe mist (4 drop St. George).Two Mondays ago, I recalled that there were recipes calling for Genever in Dave Stolte's Home Bar Basics (And No-So-Basics) that I could now make given my recent restocking of the spirit. The one that I found first was the Antique Lemon Drop. This version crafted by Jason Schiffer at 320 Main in Seal Beach during the 2010s gussied up the fern bar classic by (besides swapping Genever for the vodka) adding Maraschino and absinthe to the mix. Once prepared, the Antique Lemon Drop gave forth a lemon, anise, floral, and nutty cherry aroma. Next, lemon and malt notes on the sip launched into Genever, herbal, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

chink in the armor

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 2:1 (1:1)
14 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon pig-tailed twist.For my second recipe from the Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix'Em, I latched onto the Chink in the Armor for it would put my recent restocking of Genever to good use (it has been hard to find in Boston for many months -- my last use on the blog was a drink I made back in April). The recipe was created by Cure bartender and co-owner Kirk Estinopal as a flavor "nod to Malt Balls" candy. Once mixed, it shared a lemon and malt aroma. Next, the malt continued into the sip where it was joined by orchard fruit and peach notes, and the swallow rounded things off with honey, malt, wormwood bitter, and chocolate flavors.

noche verde

2 oz Del Maguey Minero Mezcal (Vida)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Perhaps serving this on the rocks (as was done at Backbar in a 2013 post on Twitter) would work well too.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the "Drinks of Drink" notebook and became intrigued by the Noche Verde. If it is a house original, it probably dates to sometime from October 2008 when the bar first opened and 2010 when the more affordable Del Maguey Mezcal Vida became available and the house mixing standard. Overall, the combination of agave spirit, Green Chartreuse, and Cynar reminded me of the Toto with tequila and the Up Jumped the Devil with mezcal (plus Rhum Agricole and mole bitters). Once prepared, the Noche Verde welcomed the senses with a vegetal and herbaceous bouquet. Next, a caramel sip from the Cynar bloomed into smoky, caramel, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

dark in the corner

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
1 1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/8 oz Marie Brizard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/8 oz Fernet Branca
7 drop Fee's Old Fashioned Bitters (Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, I received my copy of Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix'Em by Neal Bodenheimer and Emily Timberlake. For a first go at the book, I selected Dark in the Corner by Turk Dietrich at Cure. The text describes how Turk is a brooding guy, and a couple of his regulars who shared his dark sense of humor as well as usually sat in the corner of the bar wanted a Manhattan-like nightcap. The end result here began with orange and Cognac notes on the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip flowed into brandy flavors with apricot, gentian-bitter, and cinnamon accents on the swallow.

corpse reviver #3

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Crème de Menthe (Marie Brizard White)

Stir with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora glass.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was looking through the pages of the "Drinks of Drink" cocktail bible and became curious about the Corpse Reviver #3 subtitled the "Savoy Corpse." I have never seen the Corpse Reviver #3 in the Savoy Cocktail Book so I was definitely curious. I had previously skipped over this recipe in our database until I recently made the Apotheke which was essentially a sweet vermouth for Cognac version of this one. My curiosity led me down internet rabbit holes until I uncovered that it was crafted at the Savoy's American Bar around 20 years after the publication of the book which contained the more famous versions one and two. Wikipedia declared that, "Salvatore Calabrese states in his book Classic Cocktails that it was created by Johnny Johnson of the Savoy circa 1948, and lists it as a Corpse Reviver #3. Others believe it was invented later in 1954 by Joe Gilmore, also of the Savoy."With the mystery solved, it was time to experience the Savoy's wonder. Here, it began with a minty aroma that led into a caramel-tinged sip from the Fernet Branca and perhaps the Cognac as well. Finally, the swallow wrapped things up with Cognac, minty, and menthol flavors. Overall, I would probably find myself drinking this more frequently after a big meal than first thing in the morning after a raging evening.

vanishing act

2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
1 bsp Crème de Violette (1/8 oz Rothman & Winter)
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a mist of Angostura Bitters (3 drops).Two Mondays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Vanishing Act crafted at the Anvil in Houston circa 2010. Since it read like an egg white and honey variation on the Aviation, I was game to give it a try. Once prepared, it donated a floral, allspice, and clove bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy lemon sip sailed into a gin, honey, and violet swallow.

lifetime ban

1 oz Navy Strength Gin (1 1/4 oz Beefeater)
1 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Fino Sherry (Tio Pepe)
1 sprig Mint

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Sundays ago, I was in a gin mood and uncovered the Lifetime Ban from Dan Greenbaum at The Beagle in New York on Kindred Cocktails. It referenced a Punch Drink article that described how this was a variation on the inverse Martini; moreover, it called for a "royal stir" with a mint sprig akin to the Cooperstown. Here, the Lifetime Ban proffered a pine and mint bouquet to the nose. Next, a semi-sweet white grape sip entered into gin, savory, mint, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

temporary memory loss

1 1/4 oz Del Maguey Minero Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz White Crème de Cacao (Giffard)
1/4 oz Averna

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, I continued on with my discoveries in the "Drinks of Drink" notebook with the Temporary Memory Loss. Since it called for Minero, it probably dated to sometime after Drink opened in 2008 but before Del Maguey launched the more price effective Vida in 2010. Once prepared, the Temporary Memory Loss donated an orange, smoke, and Green Chartreuse herbaceous aroma. Next, orchard fruit with a hint of caramel on the sip flowed into smoky vegetal, herbaceous, and chocolate flavors on the swallow. Overall, it came across like a darker, more vegetal, and more smoky Bijou.

rosa forteleza

1 1/4 oz Cachaça (Novo Fogo Bar Strength)
1/2 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Thursdays, I decided to make another recipe from the "Drinks of Drink" notebook called the Rosa Forteleza. The recipe was crafted by Misty Kalkofen at Drink and published in a 2011 Boston.com article along with the Two Orchard Thieves, Zocalo, and Sel de la Mer. The recipe surprised me since I had never had any cachaça creations of hers through the years. After a shake and a strain, the Rosa Forteleza sallied up with a grassy, funky, and grapefruit bouquet. Next, grapefruit, orange, and pear notes on the sip twirled into funky rum, grassy, and citrus flavors on the swallow.

menage

1 1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 1/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice (rocks glass no ice).After my bartending shift two Wednesdays ago, I delved into the "Drinks of Drink" notebook once the finances were done for the night. There, I came across the Menage that I had noted was crafted sometime before 2011. I assume that the name is a reference to the French term ménage à trois since there are three herbal elements playing around here. In the glass, the Menage welcomed the senses with a caramel, Green Chartreuse herbal, and menthol aroma. Next, the Fernet and Cynar's caramel notes filled the sip, and the swallow consummated things with vegetal, herbaceous, minty, and menthol flavors. Surprisingly, the Chartreuse took the forefront on the aroma and swallow despite being a more minor component volume-wise.

blacksmith

1 1/2 oz Great King Street Scotch (2 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1 oz Peat Monster Scotch (1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Amaro Abano
1 bsp Honey Syrup (1:1)
5 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an absinthe-rinsed (Kübler) double old fashioned glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I went back to the files on my hard drive and found the recipes that I had amassed from Russell House Tavern to see if there were any recipes worth revisiting for the blog. There, I landed upon Les Kostinas' Scotch Sazerac riff, the Blacksmith, from around 2013. The format with the Scotch and amaro reminded me of the Little Easy from the day before, and the name conjured up thoughts about Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop bar on the less touristy stretch of Bourbon Street. After assembling this drink that I had not made since 2014 or so, it proffered a lemon and anise aroma. Next, caramel, malt, honey, and orange peel notes on the sip hammered into smoky Scotch, herbal, black pepper, and anise flavors on the swallow.