mance rayder

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Cointreau
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app, and I spotted the Mance Rayder as "an agave Manhattan with a little Cointreau" crafted by Erick Castro in 2013 at Polite Provisions in San Diego. Erick named the drink after "after one of the coolest characters from Game of Thrones" (via his Bartender at Large site's blog), and he described it as "an unruly drink that still has an underlying sophistication" (via Bon Appétit). In the glass, it conjured up lemon, smoke, and vegetal aromas. Next, grape and orange notes on the sip transformed into smoke, agave, and orange flavors on the swallow with cinnamon, orange, and clove elements on the finish.

pine tavern road

1 1/2 oz Jim Beam Bonded Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Amaro Meletti
1/4 oz Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a glass; the recipe did not specify a serving style, so I served it in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.Two Thursdays ago, I turned to an online flashcard set that included the opening 2015 menu at Seamstress in Manhattan. The recipe I selected was the Pine Tavern Road that had the walnut liqueur-Benedictine combination found in the Storm King and Sentimental Gentleman and the walnut liqueur-oxidized sherry duo utilized in the Juglans Regia and Folly Ruins. Once prepared, the Pine Tavern Road traveled to the nose with nutty sherry and walnut aromas rounded off with caramel-herbal notes. Next, grape and caramel on the sip exchanged for Bourbon, walnut, and herbal flavors on the swallow with an allspice and clove finish.

in bloom

1 1/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Campari
1/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe rinsed with rose water, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online flashcard set for the Paper Plane in Atlanta, and I landed upon the In Bloom from the April 2014 menu. I later learned via Kindred Cocktails that it had been created in 2012 by Paul Calvert at Pura Vida in Atlanta previous to his working at the Paper Plane. Once prepared, the In Bloom gave forth a smoke, orange oil and rose aroma. Next, grape with fruity notes on the sip blossomed into vegetal, smoke, and bitter orange-floral flavors on the swallow.

jupiter cocktail

2/3 Dry Gin (2 oz Beefeater)
1/3 French Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
1 tsp Parfait Amour (1/4 oz Marie Brizard)
1 tsp Orange Juice (1/4 oz)

Shake (stir) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.After I entered the Siege of Havana into the Kindred Cocktails database, the site recommended the Jupiter Cocktail from the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book as a related recipe. I was surprised that I had never made it before, and figured it would be a good reason to dust off our 16 year old bottle of Parfait Amour perhaps last used in 2018 and purchased before crème de violette was available in the United States. I believe that I first became aware of the recipe in Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book, and there he described it as "the finest use of the arcane nineteenth-century liqueur Parfait Amour ever created." He also went on to warn of using too heavy of a pour of the stuff since the "combination of grape jellybeans and marshmallows" can take over a drink. Once prepared, the Jupiter gave forth a pine, vanilla, and floral bouquet to the nose. Next, a semi-crisp sip was upstaged by gin, orange, vanilla, bubblegum, and floral flavors on the swallow.

fernet cocktail

2 liqueur glass Italian Vermouth (2 oz Cocchi Sweet)
1 liqueur glass Fernet Branca (1 oz)
2 dash Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Mondays ago, a guest came into my bar earlier that night, and in conversation she mentioned that she inherited her parents' signed copies of a cocktail book and the associated cooking book published circa 1910. When she described how her parents got them signed at Harvard where a classmate had written them, I figured that the Boston connection and the timeframe could be author Louis Muckensturm. Louis was not a student at Harvard though; however, he moved to Boston from New York City in 1897 to work at the Hotel Marliave and later opened up his own spot Café Louis in 1908. When I showed her a photo of the Louis' Mixed Drinks cover from 1906, she lit up and concluded that was it plus the food one had a similar cover. Louis wrote two food books – Louis' Salads & Chafing Dishes from 1906 and Louis' Every Woman's Cook Book from 1910 – but it appeared that only the latter had a comparable cover to the drink volume not to mention the matching year to her recollection. I was unaware of Louis' food books that he put out akin to Charles H. Baker Jr.'s two food-drink duos.Therefore, when I got home, I pulled out my reprint of Louis' Mixed Drinks and landed upon the Fernet Cocktail that reminded me of the Appetizer à l'Italienne (my thoughts on that drink appeared 6 months ago in Imbibe Magazine). In a way, the aromatized wine, Fernet, and curaçao reminded me of an abstract Don't Give Up the Ship. Once mixed, the Fernet Cocktail showcased a grape, minty, and menthol aroma. Next, grape and caramel with a hint of orange on the sip flowed into grape, bitter herbal, and menthol flavors on the swallow with an orange-gentian finish.

welterweight

1 1/2 oz White Rum (Privateer)
3/4 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Aperol

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Sundays ago, I found my evening's cocktail on the Bartender's Choice app, namely the Welterweight by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin at Lion Lion in 2018. While the drink was described as "loosely reminiscent of an El Presidente," the combination of rum, sherry, and Aperol reminded me of Don Lee's Sargasso at PDT but here with a less funky rum and a drier sherry. Once stirred and strained, the Welterweight hit with an orange aroma darkened by oxidized sherry notes. Next, grape and nectarine on the sip pivoted to rum, nutty, and peach flavors on the swallow with an orange finish.

divine wind

1 oz Linie Aquavit
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the Atlanta's Paper Plane online flashcards and came across the Divine Wind from their February 2014 cocktail menu. It was described as a riff on the Tailspin, and it reminded me of the Norwegian Negroni given the aquavit and Cynar. In the glass, the Divine Wind whispered lemon, caramel, and grape aromas to the nose. Next, the caramel and grape continued on into the sip where it was chased by caraway, nutty cherry, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

formal wednesdays

1 oz Henry McKenna Bonded Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Novo Fogo Aged Cachaça (Salinas Umburana)
1/8 oz Lemon Juice
1/8 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online flashcard set from the Paper Plane in Atlanta, and I landed upon the Formal Wednesdays that sort of reminded me of the Little Giuseppe with the heavy Punt e Mes pour and a barspoon of lemon juice. The pairing of Bourbon and cachaça was one that I had only experienced in the Honor Amongst Thieves, so I was curious to try it here in this Maloney-style Manhattan (minus the apricot liqueur rinse). In the glass, the Formal Wednesdays greeted the senses with a lemon, grape, and floral wood bouquet. Next, grape and berry notes on the sip gave way to Bourbon, fruity, woody spice, herbal, and grape flavors on the swallow.

jubilee street

1 1/2 oz Van Brunt Still House American Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/8+ oz Maple Syrup
1/8 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I was perusing Kindred Cocktails when I came across the Jubilee Street created by Richard Boccato at Dutch Kills in Long Island City, NY, and published in Gary Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails Vol. 4 (the same volume that contains my Chutes and Ladders). Overall, the idea reminded me of The Sherpa also crafted at Dutch Kills that was whiskey, allspice dram, and curaçao with the last element here being Amaro Montenegro and maple syrup. While I did not have the Van Brunt four grain whiskey that the bar used, I figured that Old Overholt would work in a pinch in this drink possibly named after a Nick Cave song.Once prepared, the Jubilee Street proffered a lemon, maple, and hint of clementine to the nose. Next, a slightly citrus-noted sip flowed into whiskey, orange, maple, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

exile on main st

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
1/2 oz El Dorado 3 Year Rum (Privateer Silver)
1/2 oz Scarlet Ibis Rum (Guardians Trinidad)
1 oz Cardamaro
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the Pouring Ribbons flashcard set and selected the Exile on Main St from their Fall 2014 menu. The Cardamaro-Benedictine duo in this Vieux Carré riff reminded me of Joaquin Simo's Midnight Mass at Death & Co. before he went on to open Pouring Ribbons a few years later in September of 2012. The drink named after a Rolling Stones album began with a lemon, caramel, and rum bouquet. Next, grape and caramel on the sip departed to Cognac, rum, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

indecent proposal

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini
1/2 oz Cynar
6-8 leaf Mint

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned with a large ice cube, and garnish with a mint sprig.

Two Tuesdays ago, I uncovered online flashcards for Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan, and I decided to make the Indecent Proposal from their Fall 2014 menu. It came across like a Little Italy with Amaro Nardini and mint, so I was intrigued. I knew that Amaro Nardini has worked well with Cynar in the past in the Blade of Destiny as well as with mint aromas and flavors in the Midnight Mountain and Stigmata. Moreover, Cynar has blossomed with mint in several recipes including the Deep Six and Art of Choke. Therefore, I set to mixing.In the glass, the Indecent Proposal's mint garnish contributed to the nose over caramel notes from the amari. Next, grape and caramel on the sip solicited rye, herbal, bitter, and minty flavors on the swallow.

anchor-faced

2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
3/8 oz Amaro Ciociaro
3/8 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Dale DeGroff's Pimento Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.After writing up the Blue Plate Special, I latched onto the Ciociaro-banana liqueur combination. I took it in a funky rum direction and tried to fit it into the .38 Special's structure, but it was still rather aggressive. I  then utilized some cream sherry to tame it, and I added accents with allspice bitters. For a name, I dubbed this one Anchor-Faced which is a slang term for someone who is extremely enthusiastic to be in the British Royal Navy. Here, the Anchor-Faced proffered orange, caramel, and rum funk aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip enlisted funky rum and tropical banana-orange flavors on the swallow with an allspice and funk finish.

breaking dawn

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
1 oz Punt e Mes

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry. This is a shaken instead of stirred drink to induce a foamy head.Two Mondays ago, I spotted on Kindred Cocktails a recipe published in Imbibe Magazine in 2014 called the Breaking Dawn. The drink was crafted by Sean Thibodeaux at the St. Charles Exchange in Louisville, and the combination with Bourbon reminded me of the smoky Scotch-based Joe Camel that I enjoyed a few weeks ago as well as a Punt e Mes-embittered Revolver. Once prepared, the Breaking Dawn rose to the nose with grape and roast notes. Next, the grape continued on into the sip where it was chased by Bourbon, coffee, roast, and bitter herbal notes.

american gumption

1 oz Bonded Bourbon (Evan Williams)
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I was inspired by Phil Ward's Tequila Gumption, and I decided to cross it with the American Trilogy by replacing the reposado tequila and mezcal duo with bonded Bourbon and apple brandy. Utilizing a Mr. Potato Head swap seemed like a perfect tribute to Phil. The drink I dubbed American Gumption began with an orange and nutty cherry bouquet. Next, a rich sip led into Bourbon, apple, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow with a clove and allspice finish.

end of the road

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Zucca (Sfumato)
3/4 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
2 dash Lemon Bitters (Berg & Hauck)

Build in a rocks glass, add a large ice cube, and stir to mix and chill.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make another recipe that I had spotted in the online collection of flashcards from the Paper Plane in Atlanta. That one was the End of the Road that appeared on their Winter 2013-2014 menu and was distinct from Chris McMillian's End of the Road that appears in Beta Cocktails. Instead, this one reminded me a little more of Maks Pazuniak's Last Mechanical Art with the equal parts mezcal, Cynar, secondary bitter liqueur, and fortified wine components. Once prepared, the End of the Road provided a roast and bitter vegetal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip halted at smoky, herbal, vegetal, and nutty flavors on the swallow.

tijuana lady

1 1/2 oz Tequila (Olmeca Altos)
1 oz Licor 43
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and spied the Tijuana Lady created in 2008 by Michael Madrusan at Little Branch in Manhattan. Since Licor 43 had worked well with tequila in the Camerone and I had a few limes kicking around in the fridge, I set to work. The Tijuana Lady welcomed the senses with vegetal agave, vanilla, and mango aromas. Next, lime and tropical notes on the sip twirled into tequila, orange, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

siege of havana

2 oz London Dry Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/8 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/8 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I was inspired by Ezra Star's Martini-like When the British Came to Spain with hints of two sweeteners and a citrus juice, and I mashed up a Martini with the classic Havana Cocktail of gin, apricot liqueur, Swedish punsch, and lemon in that style. For a name, I kept the names of the two source drinks in mind and dubbed this the Siege of Havana after the events of 1862 that were part of the Seven Years' War. Once prepared, the Siege of Havana attacked the nose with a lemon and apricot aroma. Next, white wine with caramel and orchard fruit notes on the sip sailed into gin, tea tannin, apricot, and orange flavors on the swallow.

blue plate special

1 1/2 oz Haymans Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I made the other drink that caught my eye the night prior from Atlanta's Paper Plane online flashcards called the Blue Plate Special. The drink was on their Winter 2013/14 menu, and its combination of Hayman's Old Tom Gin and Cruzan Black Strap Rum reminded me of Death & Co.'s Night Watch; moreover, the Ciociaro and banana liqueur duo was one I enjoyed in Death & Co.'s Goldilocks. The Blue Plate Special reached the nose with orange, pine, and caramel aromas. Next, the rum and liqueurs' caramel notes filled the sip, and the swallow proffered juniper, dark orange, tropical, and clove flavors on the swallow.

counterfeit rifle

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Lemon Bitters (Berg & Hauck)

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice (coupe glass), and garnish with a lemon wheel (lemon twist).Two Sundays ago, I returned to the online flashcards from the Paper Plane in Atlanta and found a Sour that caught my eye. That one was the Counterfeit Rifle for their April 2014 menu that looked like a Meletti-tinged Frisco Sour. Once shaken and strained, it donated a lemon, rye, and herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip shot forth into rye and herbal flavors on the swallow with a violet floral finish.

black barrel

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I delved into the Bartender's Choice app where I landed upon the Black Barrel created at Nashville's Attaboy in 2018 by bartender Mitchel Taylor. The recipe reminded me of Rhiannon Enlil's Neutral Ground but with Averna instead of Benedictine. Onced built, the Black Barrel gave forth a lemon nose over nutty sherry aromas. Next, a semi-dry caramel and grape sip flowed out into rye, oxidized sherry, and herbal flavors on the swallow with an allspice and clove finish.

permanent collection

1 1/2 oz Martell Cognac (Du Peyrat Selection)
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist-cherry flag.Two Fridays ago, I was perusing the 2014 era flashcard set from the Paper Plane in Atlanta when I came upon the Permanent Collection that reminded me of PDT's Montgomery Smith but with the addition of sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters. Once prepared, the Permanent Collection showcased an orange, Cognac, and grape bouquet. Next, the grape continued on into the sip where it mingled with caramel notes, and the swallow was a medley of Cognac and herbal flavors with a bitter menthol finish.

lost in the supermarket

3/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Campari
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I was writing up the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.'s Lonely Holiday for the blog. I recalled how I taught a co-worker a few days before about Phil Ward's Cornwall Negroni, and a mashup of the two concepts came about for the evening's libation. I kept with the Franklin's song title drink names and dubbed this after the Clash's Lost in the Supermarket. Once prepared, the Lost in the Supermarket gave forth an orange and peat smoke aroma with fruity undertones. Next, grape and honey notes on the sip filed into smoky Scotch and earthy bitter flavors on the swallow.

gingeronto

2 oz Old Overholt Rye Whiskey (86 Proof)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup (*)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
(*) I diced a ginger coin and muddled it in 1/2 oz simple syrup. I also added a double strain step.Two Wednesdays ago, I uncovered a set of flashcards for older Backbar menus. There, I had never had the Gingeronto as a ginger-bomb Toronto created for their Winter 2013 menu. Fernet and ginger are a wonderful combination such as in Deep Ellum's Fernet Buck and Tenzin Samdo's Industry Fav. In the glass, the Gingeronto showcased a mint, ginger, and whiskey nose. Next, caramel on the sip skipped into rye, gentian, ginger, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

emotional tailspin

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I was skimming through the entries on the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Emotional Tailspin by Chicago homebartender Applejack. He was inspired by the Paper Plane and crafted this as part of his March 2020 quarantine creations. With two substitutions, it was distinct from a Paper Plane, and since Zucca and Sfumato Rabarbaros work well with berry flavors like strawberry in the King Vittorio's Cobbler and raspberry in the Hey Baby, Que Paso?, I figured that currant liqueur would be a win. Moreover, a light touch of cassis did prosper in the Dissenter's 50:50 Zucca and sweet vermouth combination. In the glass, the Emotional Tailspin gave forth a berry, roast, and smoke bouquet. Next, red berry, plum, and lemon notes on the sip flew into Bourbon, fruity, bitter, and smoky aromas on the swallow.

godfather

2 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 oz Amaretto (Disaronno)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Mondays ago, I began flipping through Steve the Bartender's Cocktail Guide, came across the Godfather, and realized that I had never written it up for the blog. The drink's genesis is tied to the 1970s perhaps inspired by the 1972 movie, and the earliest source that I can find in my collection is the 1977 Stan Jones' Barguide. Stan Jones' recipe lacks a garnish and also includes Bourbon as an option despite that version appearing in there as The Boss. The God series was popular at Drink back in the day due to a cult fascination with amaretto, and that recipe is 2 1/2 oz to 1/2 oz with no garnish; I utilized Drink's ratio and included the lemon twist from Steve's book. In the glass, the Godfather proffered lemon, apricot, and nutty aromas. Next, malt and orchard fruit on the sip converted into smoky whisky, nutty, and fruity flavors on the swallow. Overall, the concent reminds me of my guilty pleasure of a Rusty Nail as well as the Highlander in the concept of two part drinks of Scotch and a liqueur modifier.

tokyo drift

2 oz Yamazaki 12 Year Whisky (Kavalan Classic)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1 tsp Strega

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I turned to a recipe that I had spotted in Punch Drinks called the Tokyo Drift. The recipe was crafted by Brad Farran at the Bull Durham Beer Co. in Raleigh, NC, in 2011 back when Japanese whiskey such as Yamazaki 12 Year was overlooked and thus affordable. He named it after the third installment of The Fast & The Furious cinematic series, and I did the best I could with my collection to match the whiskey but fell a little short with Kavalan from Taiwan. I was drawn in because the style reminded me of Chris Hannah drinks like the Midnight Tripper. Once prepared, the Tokyo Drift raced to the nose with lemon and grape aromas. Next, the Cardamaro and vermouth's grape on the sip sped into whisky, herbal, and minty pine flavors on the swallow.

zone amarillo

1 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist and a cherry.Two Saturdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and came across the Zone Amarillo by Mike Dolfini at Nashville's Attaboy circa 2019. Overall, it read like an agave Green Point so I figured that it would be a win. Putting the recipe into action, the Zone Amarillo gave forth an orange, vegetal, smoke, and grape bouquet to the nose. Next, grape notes on the sip tranversed into smoky agave and herbal flavors on the swallow with a vegetal finish.

macunaima

1 3/4 oz Balm-Aged Cachaça (Avua Balsamo)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Fernet Branca

Shake with ice and strain into a single old fashioned glass.Two Fridays ago, I decided to make the Macunaíma that had just been published in Punch Drinks. The recipe was crafted by Arnaldo Hirai 2014 at the Boca de Ouro bar in São Paulo, Brazil, and he named this after an indigenous character in a book of that same name by author Mário de Andrade that was notable for shining a light on underrepresented parts of Brazilian culture. The drink itself took off due to its simplicity of ingredients yet complexity of flavor. Arnaldo utilizes a balm-aged cachaça which imparts clove and anise aromas as well as a hint of astringency that balances the cocktail. In the glass, the Macunaíma opened up with grassy, woody, earthy gentian, and menthol hints to the nose. Next, lime and caramel on the sip gave way to grassy, earthy-woody, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

philabuster

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Bonded Rye
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Cynar
1/8 oz Fernet Branca
1 dash Grapefruit Bitters (Bittercube Jamaican #2)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Thursdays ago, I was lured in by the curiously spelled Philabuster on Kindred Cocktails. The recipe was created in 2010 and entered into that site by bartender Ted Kilgore when he was at Taste in St. Louis, and I assume that the alternative spelling of filibuster was due to the Pennsylvania-style rye in the cocktail. Overall, it reminded me of an embittered Vita Brevis, so I was game to give it a go. Once prepared, it stalled on the nose with grapefruit oil over darker notes. Next, caramel and orange elements on the sip passed into rye, menthol, bitter, and orange-grapefruit flavors on the swallow.