good cork

1 oz Redbreast Pot Still Irish Whiskey (Redbreast Lustau)
1 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with an apple slice (orange twist).Two Fridays ago was St. Patrick's Day, and I wanted to make an Irish whiskey-based recipe that evening to celebrate. My search led me to Phil Ward's Good Cork that he created at Mayahuel circa 2011 via articles in Liquor.com and SeriousEats. The concept reminded me of the Shruff's End that Phil created at Death & Co. in 2008 that bound two spirits, smoky Scotch and apple brandy, by way of Benedictine and Peychaud's, and his 2009 adaptation at Mayahuel, Jacko's End, which swapped the whisky out of Shruff's End for mezcal. Here, the Good Cork was akin to Jacko's End but with a hearty Irish whiskey in place of the apple brandy, and he garnished with an apple slice instead of a pear slice (Shruff's End has no garnish though). Once prepared, the Good Cork donated an orange and smoke aroma (orange since I had no apples on hand at the time). Next, a light caramel sip flowed into whiskey, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow with an anise and smoke finish.

smoke show

2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.Two Thursdays ago, I spotted an intriguing recipe on Liquor.com called the Smoke Show. The recipe was crafted by Liz Martinez at the Purple Pig in Chicago; its Green Chartreuse, Cynar, and egg white components reminded me of Two from L.A. except that this was more of a Mezcal Sour than a liqueur-driven number. Once prepared, the Smoke Show summoned a cinnamon, smoke, and vegetal aroma. Next, a creamy lemon sip wafted into smoky mezcal and herbal flavors on the swallow.

mordor coffee

1 1/2 oz Teeling Small Batch Whiskey
1/2 oz Caffé Borghetti
1/2 oz Cynar 70
1/4 oz Gran Classico
1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a spritz of Angustura (stenciled design).Two Wednedays ago, I stopped into Backbar during their Lord of the Rings Week(s) (it ended up being two weeks), and requested the Mordor Coffee from bartender Latavia Hall. It was described as "It's a bitter evil version of an Irish Coffee Flip" that sort of made me think about how one would expect a Coffee Cocktail to taste if they did not know the ingredients. The end result greeted the senses with a clove and allspice aroma from the bitters Eye of Sauron stencil. Next, a creamy, roast, and caramel sip was ruled by coffee, bitter herbal, and char flavors on the swallow with a bubblegum finish from the Gran Classico.

switchblade

2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols White)
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a light dusting of cayenne chili powder.Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a recipe that reminded me of the Red Grasshopper on the Bartender's Choice app called the Switchblade. The Switchblade was created by Riley Perrin at Nashville's Attaboy in 2018, and it fell in line with that bar lineage's fascination with the lesser known classic, the Holland Razor Blade. Since the Red Grasshopper was delicious, I was curious to see how the crème de cacao in place of the honey would fair in this build. Here, the nose was full of vegetal, lime, and chocolate aromas. Next, a lime-driven sip opened up into tequila and chocolate flavors on the swallow that got spicier over time.

flashbang

2 oz Overproof Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
1/2 oz Branca Menta
1/2 oz Benedictine

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe. I surmise that it is shaken as a nod to the Stinger. Two Mondays ago, I delved into my Food & Wine: Cocktails book collection and came across the Flashbang in the 2016 edition. The recipe was created by Donny Clutterbuck at Cure in Rochester, and I assumed that it was a riff on the Stinger since it was brandy-based, contained an ingredient that was minty, and was shaken even though it lacked citrus or dairy. Therefore, I decided to mix up this one and make a note to whip up a proper Stinger for the blog in the near future. Once prepared, it exploded on the nose with Cognac, herbal, and mint aromas. Next, a caramel sip crashed into Cognac, menthol, and gentian flavors on the swallow with a mint finish.

sin cyn

1 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice (coupe), and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I had recently seen an online reference to the Sin Cyn, and I thought that I had made it. Turns out that back in 2007, I made the gin variation of it called the Cin-Cyn (where the Cin part stands for the Cinzano sweet vermouth in the original version). I found the Sin Cyn recipe in Kara Newman's Shake Stir Sip book, and she credited Paul Dellevigne at the Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia. Once prepared, the Sin Cyn greeted the senses with smoke, caramel, and orange aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip gave way to Scotch and herbal flavors on the swallow with a smoke-tinged finish.

painted lady

1 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Aged Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Cynar
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an absinthe-rinsed (Kübler) rocks glass.Two Saturdays ago, I became inspired by Maks Pazuniak's 100 Year Old Cigar and took the rum-Scotch combination in a gin-applejack direction by way of the Pink Lady. It seemed that Peychaud's Bitters would round out the combination better than Angostura, and I dubbed this one the Painted Lady as perhaps a nod to the Women of the Wild West night I did back with Katie Emmerson at the Blue Room a decade ago last month. The Painted Lady led off with an anise aroma from the absinthe rinse. Next, apple and caramel notes on the sip danced into pine, apple, herbal, and caramel flavors on the swallow with an anise finish. A few folks made it after I posted it on Instagram, and one declared "A fantastic beverage. Made it this evening. The makings of a modern classic."

diamonds & toads

1 1/2 oz Louis Royer Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
3/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
3/4 oz Suze
5 dash Absinthe (1/2 tsp Kübler)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I logged into ShakeStir to peruse their recipe database. There, I was lured in by Diamonds & Toads created by Nick Bennett circa 2013 while he was at Booker & Dax in Manhattan. He named his Cognac riff on a White Negroni after a French fairytale, and the combination of Cognac, Suze, and absinthe reminded me of Gary Regan's La Tour Eiffel. After mixing up this drink, it donated a lemon and herbal aroma to the nose. Next, white wine notes on the sip hopped into Cognac, gentian, and anise spice flavors on the swallow.

pocket square

1 1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Tanqueray Gin (Beefeater)
1/4 oz Campari
1/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Thursdays ago, I was scanning the Kindred Cocktails database and came upon a good follow-up to the amaro-heavy Copper Dagger from the night before called the Pocket Square. The recipe was created by Toby Maloney at the Violet Hour in Chicago and published in a 2011 Complex article. Its structure reminded me of an Amaro Ciociaro for Campari version of Toby's Eeyore's Requiem in Sour format. In the glass, the Pocket Square presented a grapefruit aroma from the twist. Next, caramel, orange, and lemon notes on the sip tucked into a bitter orange swallow with hints of grapefruit and pine. Overall, the combination reminded me of a reverse Jasmine of sorts.

copper dagger

1 3/4 oz Averna
1/4 oz Plantation OFTD Overproof Rum
1/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 drop Bittercube Blackstrap Bitters
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with 7 drop Bittercube Blackstrap Bitters.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Manifesto by Toby Maloney and Emma Janzen and came across the amaro-laden Copper Dagger as a curious egg white Sour. The recipe was crafted by Ira Koplowitz in 2008, and the combination reminded him of all the great flavors in Coca Cola like lavender and citrus. The healthy slug of Averna here reminded me of the Averna Diamond Fizz that I did at Loyal Nine, so I was definitely curious about giving it a try. Once prepared, the Copper Dagger donated a cinnamon and molasses bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy lemon and caramel sip flowed into caramel, cola, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

sure fire

1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Amaro Nardini

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago for the cocktail hour, I pulled up the Bartender's Choice app and came upon the Sure Fire by Michael McCollum at Attaboy in Nashville. Its combination of sherry and Amaro Nardini made me recall the Blade of Destiny and the Andorra, so I was game to give this a go. In the glass, the Sure Fire conjured up orange, caramel, and herbal aromas. Next, grape and caramel on the sip gave way to nutty, bitter, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

too weird to live, too rare to die

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Branca Menta
3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Mondays ago, I returned to Seattle Cocktails by Neil Ratliff to make a strange Branca Menta recipe. That drink was the Too Weird to Live, To Rare to Die by Dave Flatman and Kraig Rovensky at The Old Sage that they created due to their shared love of Branca Menta as a riff on the Last Word. The combination first reminded me of the Accidental Hipster with the Fernet ingredient and Maraschino in an equal parts number, and later it made me recall the Alligator Monday with the mezcal and Branca Menta. Here, the cocktail began with mint, smoke, and roasted vegetable aromas. Next, lime, caramel, and a hint of cherry on the sip flowed into smoky agave, mint, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

closing argument

2 oz Bourbon (Wild Turkey 101°) (*)
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) This would prosper with a softer Bourbon or a barspoon of Demerara syrup.Two Sundays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and came upon the Closing Argument that reminded me of a Monte Carlo with Amaro Nardini and chocolate bitters instead of Benedictine and Angostura. This Old Fashioned variation was created by Matty Clark in 2017 at Attaboy in Manhattan. Once built, it came through to the nose with an orange, caramel, and herbal gentian aroma. Next, caramel on the sip gave way to Bourbon, gentian bitterness, herbal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

devil makes work

1 1/2 oz White Rum (Privateer Silver)
1/2 oz Rhum Agricole (Rhum JM Blanc 100°)
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago I became inspired after discussing online how the Don't Give Up the Ship was originally the Napoleon in the Savoy Cocktail Book but Crosby Gaige's renaming of it made the combination successful. I decided to mashup that classic with the Corn'n'Oil akin to my A Six for A Nine that combined the Creole with the Corn'n'Oil. I originally tried aged Barbados rum as the base, but it needed a lighter spirit and some funk. For a name, I opted for a saying common on Barbados of the Devil Makes Work with leaving out the "for idle hands to do" part. Prepared with the agricole, it donated an orange, grassy, and menthol aroma to the nose. Next, a sip with light citrus peel notes sailed into grassy rum, lime, bitter herbal, orange, and spice flavors on the swallow.

kensington

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 bsp Orange Marmalade (Trader Joe's Seville Orange)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, double strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, Al Sotack posted a link to his new Epicurious article which had a recipe that he created at the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. years ago called the Kensington. Al named his Manhattan riff after a Philadelphia neighborhood, and he included marmalade in the mix which I found unique since it was a stirred cocktail. In the glass, the Kensington showcased an orange oil bouquet over Bourbon and more orange aromas. Next, grape with a citrussy accent on the sip flowed into Bourbon, candied orange peel, and anise flavors on the swallow.

kingslayer

2 oz Eagle Rare Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1 bsp Pastis (1/8 oz Pastis d'Autrefois)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays prior, I reached for my copy of Seattle Cocktails by Neil Ratliff and came upon the Kingslayer. The recipe was crafted by Jesse Cyr at the Fairmont Olymic Hotel as a mashup of a Sazerac and a Manhattan. Once stirred and strained, the Kingslayer attacked the senses with a lemon, licorice, caramel, and orange aroma. Next, caramel on the sip from the amaro led into Bourbon, orange, licorice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

the great silence

1 1/2 oz High West Double Rye (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
3 dash Absinthe (1/2 tsp Kübler)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I spotted the Great Silence by Ciaran Wiese at 47 Salt in Tucson, Arizona. The recipe came by way of the High West brand site, but it did not provide a date; I estimate to be around 2009-11 before Ciaran moved up to Portland, Oregon, in 2012. Since the concept seemed like a Prospect Park mashed up with a Division Bell, I was game to give it a go. In the glass, it proffered lemon, anise, and nutty cherry aromas. Next, orange notes on the sip led to whiskey and cherry flavors on the swallow followed by a lime and anise finish. Overall, I was surprised at first how the rye whiskey worked better than expected with the lime juice, but as the drink warmed up over time, the two clashed a bit on the palate.

crutch cocktail

3/4 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (*)
3/4 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
(*) The book has Picou Spirits Brandy Sainte Louise, but this was changed to mirror the event sponsors.For my second cocktail off of the eight drink menu for the book launch party for Neal Bodenheimer's Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em at Chickadee, I selected the Crutch Cocktail. The book attributed the recipe to Ricky Gomez at Cure and compared it to an absinthe-free Corpse Reviver #2. I could tell from the name and ingredients that it was a modern update of the Crux that replaced St. Germain for Cointreau akin to how Sam Ross' Sunflower did a similar flowery swap for the Lillet in the Corpse Reviver #2. Here, the Crutch met the nose with grape and lemon aromas. Next, lemon and grapefruit notes on the sip hobbled into grape and Cognac flavors on the swallow.

4905

1 oz Berta Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Kina l'Aero d'Or
1/2 oz Gran Classico
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (*)
Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.
(*) the book cites it as Park VSOP but it was changed due to the event's sponsors.At the book launch party with author Neal Bodenheimer for Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em, there was an eight drink menu at the Chickadee bar. The one that I selected first was the 4905 created by Cure bartender Ryan Gannon as his "Negroni ode to Cure." His inverted brandy Boulevardier of sorts was a reference to the address of Cure at 4905 Freret Street, and the name reminded me of the 3185 that Jeff Grdinich created at Drink as a tribute to the Gunshop Fizz and named after a New Orleans police code. On the nose, the 4905 showcased a lemon and pear bouquet. Next, red fruit and orchard fruit notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow came through with Cognac and bitter bubble gum flavors.

gunshop fizz

2 oz Peychaud's Bitters
3 swath Grapefruit Peel
3 swath Orange Peel
2 Strawberries, Hulled
3 slice Cucumber
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup

Muddle the cucumber slices, citrus peels, and strawberries in the Peychaud's Bitters. Let steep for 2 minutes before adding in the lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice, top with Sanbitter soda, and garnish with a fresh cucumber slice.

Two Mondays ago, I attended the book launch party for Neal Bodenheimer's Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em at Chickadee. After checking in, I was greeted with a welcome punch of the Gunshop Fizz. It is a recipe that I have had in my possession since July 2009 when I bought the Rogue Cocktails book, but I never made it for Sanbitter became rather hard to find in Boston and the hefty slug of Peychaud's threatened to kick the 4 ounce bottle of bitters rather quickly. The new book attributed the recipe to Kirl Estopinal and Maks Pazunkiak, and it described how it was the impetus for the Rogue Cocktails concept. It came about when the duo uncovered the Angostura Fizz in Charles H. Baker Jr.'s 1939 Gentleman's Companion, and it led them to riff on the Pimm's Cup with Peychaud's. The 2009 recipe source attributed the name to the current store occupying Antoine Amadee Peychaud's apothecary location in New Orleans, and it declared that this cocktail is "an example of what is possible when you throw out the rule book."This Gunshop Fizz met the nose with cucumber and anise aromas. Next, a carbonated cherry sip flowed into cherry, cucumber, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, it was one of the most surreal Pimm's Cup riffs I have ever tried. A close second is No. 9 Park's Park Street Cup that took a similar bitters-heavy approach.

boulevard des reves

1 1/2 oz George T. Stagg Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad 114°)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 oz Campari

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, float 1/4 oz Smith & Cross rum, and garnish wtih a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I spotted an intriguing mashup on Kindred Cocktails called the Boulevard des Rêves that was sourced from the Looka Blog. The recipe began in 2011 when Chris Day then of Honeycut in Los Angeles and blogger Chuck Taggart were chatting online, and they schemed up a Boulevardier and Kingston Negroni cross that utilized overproof spirits. It ended up being named with the modifier "des Rêves" meaning "of dreams" since this cocktail would surely lead to naptime. Not willing to sacrifice any of my precious Stagg on this recipe, I took the suggestion on Kindred Cocktails of Old Grand-Dad 114°. Here, the drink greeted the senses with a lemon, caramel, and rum funk aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip was followed by Bourbon and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with hints of rum funk on the finish.

archbishop

1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Build in a rocks glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice app and spotted the Archbishop. This "big, bold, and bitter" drink was crafted by Brandon Bramhall at Nashville's Attaboy in 2017, but it did not share the rum-wine Daiquiri combination of the classic Bishop recipe as the name first made me think about. Instead, the ingredients reminded me of a funky rum End of the Road, so I was intrigued to give it a try. In the glass, the Archbishop blessed the nose with an orange, caramel, and rum funk bouquet. Next, caramel and orange notes on the sip transitioned to funky rum, bitter orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a quinine and green herbal finish.

without borders

3/4 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Saline Solution (1 pinch Salt)

Shake with ice, strain into a sugar-rimmed coupe glass (omit rim), and garnish with a lemon twist.For a cocktail two Thursdays ago, I turned to a recipe that I had bookmarked from the January 2020 issue of Imbibe Magazine called Without Borders. The drink was created by Caleb James at Covina in Manhattan, and its spirit and citrus modified by Maraschino and Benedictine structure reminded me of Ted Kilgore's Revival. Once prepared, the Without Borders crossed over to the nose with lemon, apple, and nutty cherry aromas. Next, lime and apple notes on the sip gave way to apple, cherry, and herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, the combination was delightful, but I am glad that I omitted the sugar rim for the balance was a touch sweet as expected.

duke of suffolk

1 1/4 oz Ford's Gin
6 oz Hot Sweetened Black Tea Blend (*)

Build in a preheated 8 oz mug and float 3/4 oz whipped cream on top. Recipe for the sweetened tea aspect is from Thrillist; Daiquiris & Daisies uses a cold process black tea base for a syrup.
(*) 3 parts of a 50:50 mix of English Breakfast & Earl Grey Teas to 1 part simple syrup.After helping to host a Westward Whiskey-USBG Boston event in the Financial District, I made my way over to Daiquiris & Daisies. There, bartender and co-owner Daren Swisher pointed out the special "Let It Snow" menu with a few bonus offerings. The Duke of Suffolk caught my eye for I was reminded of it recently as I had just listened to a Cocktail College podcast where host Tim McKirdy was talking to Erick Castro. Towards the end of the show, the topic came upon hot drinks, and Erick mentioned that he really loved the Duke of Suffolk that was created by Giuseppe Gonzalez at Suffolk Arms. Erick described how, "It's essentially the same build more or less as Irish whiskey except Earl Grey instead of coffee. Then gin instead of Irish Whiskey, but everything else was essentially the same. It's just an absolutely lovely drink... and I wish it was more popular." Given the weather outside, I was excited about the idea of a warm beverage. Here, the cream layer seemed to stifle aromas from escaping, but that layer added a glorious richness to the sip that was punctuated by piny juniper notes. Next, the swallow was all about the orange-y bergamot and black tea flavors.

the guadalajara

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Agave Syrup 1:1
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist. I did locate another source (James Teitelbaum's Destination Cocktails) that called for a grapefruit twist, but I opted for the garnish in Liquor.com.Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted a Misty Kalkofen recipe on Kindred Cocktails that I had not tried before called the Guadalajara. I was able to read the defunct February 2011 Liquor.com article written by Wayne Curtis via the internet archives, and I decided to make this tequila Toronto of sorts that I estimate was invented circa 2009-10 at Drink. Once prepared, the Guadalajara greeted the nose with an orange, vegetal, and minty bouquet. Next, a caramel sip flowed into agave and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and minty finish. Overall, it came across softer than a classic Toronto perhaps due to the agave nectar.

pirate's alley

1 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
1/2 oz Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1/2 oz Benedictine
3 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 was Mardi Gras, and I was inspired to make up a Sazerac riff to celebrate. I latched onto the walnut liqueur-Cynar duo that I recently had in the Level Up and was first introduced to in the My Triumphs, My Mistakes. However, in a Scotch-Cognac Sazerac format, the pair was not as lovely as I expected. Therefore, I took a page from Damon Boelte's Storm King and swapped out the Cynar for Benedictine (which also fit the New Orleans theme quite nicely). The result was much improved, and for a name, I dubbed this one after a block that intrigued me on my first trip to New Orleans in 2009 called Pirate's Alley. This second version possessed a lemon, anise, and herbal aroma. Next, a light caramel sip plundered into a smoky Scotch, rich Cognac, walnut, and herbal swallow with an anise and smoke finish.

blue collar

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Michter's)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro or Amer Picon (Ciociaro)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

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

After making the White Collar, I was driven to make the companion piece that inspired it, namely the Blue Collar. For that one, Michael Madrusan accidentally mixed up the recipes for a Brooklyn and a Liberal at Milk & Honey back in 2008, and he liked the result. Madrusan in his A Spot at the Bar book lists the Blue Collar as Amer Picon, and the Bartender's Choice app calls for the similar in flavor Amaro Ciociaro. Overall, the combination is very similar to the original recipe for the Brooklyn (before it morphed into the dry vermouth recipe in a later books like the 1927 Barflies & Cocktails) in the 1908 Jack's Manual of 50% rye whiskey, 50% regular (sweet) vermouth, 1 dash Maraschino, and 1 dash Amer Picon.The Blue Collar greeted the nose with a lemon, grape, and cherry bouquet. Next, grape and caramel on the sip gave way to rye with bitter orange melding into nutty cherry flavors on the swallow with a clove and cherry finish. Overall, I rather enjoyed this version, and found it perhaps better than the classic Brooklyn akin to why I love the Creole Cocktail so much.

lost & found

1 oz Wild Turkey 101° Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Averna
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Sundays ago, I landed upon an intriguing recipe from the Dandelion Cocktail Bar in Florianópolis, Brazil, called the Lost & Found via Kindred Cocktails. The recipe came across like a riff on the Paper Plane, and the combination of Averna and Campari reminded me of the Twelve Gauge that utilized orange instead of lemon juice. Moreover, the Cutter with Ciociaro and Campari was still fresh in my head. I was able to track down a post about the drink on the bar's Instagram, and translated from Portuguese, they described, "Inspired by the human saga of re-signifying the past, in dusty museums, in articles and artifacts. In thrift stores, antique shops, and the countless times we need to get lost in order to find ourselves."The Lost & Found uncovered a caramel and bitter orange aroma. Next, lemon, caramel, and orange notes on the sip welcomed in Bourbon and a rounded bitter herbal flavor on the swallow.

something bitter this way comes

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters (Bitter Truth)
1 pinch Salt

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a drink sourced from Chuck Taggart's Looka blog on Kindred Cocktails called Something Bitter This Way Comes. Chuck was inspired by a drink at The Varnish where the guest bartender utilized two amari akin to Tiki bartenders using more than one rum. Chuck tinkered a few days later, and he named this 2011 creation after one of his friend's suggestions that was a variation on a Ray Bradbury book title. Here, the combination of Amaro Ciociaro and a hint of Fernet reminded me of Backbar's Scarecrow that called for Amaro Montenegro embittered by Fernet. Once prepared, the Something Bitter This Way Comes presented orange, caramel, and menthol aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip slid into rye, bitter orange, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

little italy

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.While typing up the In Cold Blood, I made a note that I ought to finally write up the Little Italy here on the blog. The recipe appears here most notably in a post where the bartenders at Drink in 2009 had hollow Kold Draft ice cubes that they filled with Cynar and entrapped it by freezing it in with water on top, and I suggested a Manhattan that turned into a Little Italy with the ice melting over time. I had my first Little Italy prior to my blogging here when Kevin Martin poured us a round of Little Italys at Eastern Standard in 2007 (as documented in a note on this post), and it was time to enter it into the records. Therefore, I reached for Robert Simonson's Modern Classic Cocktails for the recipe. Robert cites 2005 as the year that Audrey Saunders created this neo-classic at the Pegu Club, and he included a bit of history with Audrey's quote of, "We were drinking Manhattans right then [over dinner at Raoul's in NYC], and I wondered what one would be like if I substituted Cynar for the Angostura Bitters. Rittenhouse tied it together." I was unaware that Rittenhouse was the specific call for the Little Italy, and I frequently made them in the past with Old Overholt to highlight the Cynar more. While I did not have Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth on hand, I came as close as I could to Audrey's specifications with Cocchi. Here, it came across with a rye and vegetal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip transitioned into rye and caramel-herbal flavors on the swallow.

Postnote 6/28/23: I asked Audrey on Twitter why many recipes for the Little Italy (such as in Imbibe and Food & Wine call for the garnish to be two cherries. "Was this symbolic of the mob lore of what it means when the barkeep hands you a drink with an even number of garnish? Or was it aesthetic or other?" She replied that she "always found the whole business of odd number garnish rubbish – instead prefer to go on drink by drink basis. Do we really need 3(!) sugar soaked cherries regardless of how delicious? I think not. Yet one would not suffice. So one for the 1st 1/2 of the drink & one more for the 2nd."

freudian flip

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
1 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 tsp Absinthe (Kübler)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a glass (single old fashioned), and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Thursdays ago, I was scanning the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across an egg drink that sounded like a lovely way to end the evening. The name Freudian Flip reminded me of my All of Freud's Beautiful Women, but this one was created at the Cave in Naples, Florida. Urban Dictionary defines the term as "Like a Freudian slip, but instead flipping someone off. When your hand just happens to have the middle finger up" (such as scratching your shoulder with your middle finger in response to a disrespectful comment). Once prepared, the Freudian Flip showcased nutmeg, apple, and anise aromas to the nose. Next, a creamy and caramel sip gave way to apple, Cognac, and minty-anise herbal flavors on the swallow.

midnight marauder no. 2

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (Galliano Ristretto)
1/4 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 bsp Curaçao (1/8 oz Pierre Ferrand)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I received the March/April issue of Imbibe Magazine, and I opened it up to find the evening's libation. There, I was lured in by the Midnight Marauder No. 2 by Kaley Brodeur at the Starling in Wilmington, North Carolina. The name reminded me of Joaquin Simo's Midnight Marauder but the only overlap was mezcal and something vermouth-like. Regardless, in the glass, it snuck in with lemon, roast, and vegetal aromas. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip led into rye, coffee, and orange flavors on the swallow with a vegetal, smoke, and orange finish.