made man

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/8 oz Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Mondays ago, I was peering through the Kindred Cocktails database when I came upon the Made Man by Ali Reynolds at the Hawksmoor in London. The database sourced the drink from a CocktailsDistilled web post which described, "In the same way that a made man is traditionally seen as 'untouchable' by fellow criminals, in the world of cocktails, a Made Man offers a taste you can't refuse." I was able to find references as early as 2013 to this drink on the web, and the rye, cherry, Yellow Chartreuse combination reminded me of the Last Waltz. Once stirred and strained, the Made Man gave forth a rye, cherry, and herbal pine bouquet. Next, dark fruit notes on the sip led into rye, cherry, bitter herbal, piny, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

menage a trois

1 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Aged Rhum JM (Rhum JM 100° Blanc)
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add a large ice cube, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.Another drink that caught my eye from the online recipe flashcard set for Dutch Kills was the Ménage à Trois as a three French spirits in Old Fashioned format (sans bitters) sweetened with Pedro Ximenez sherry akin to ones with bitters like the Second Marriage and Linchpin. I was able to find the drink on the bar's Spring/Summer 2024 menu. Once prepared, the Ménage à Trois proffered an orange, raisin, and grassy aroma. Next, a rich grape and caramel sip followed through with brandy, apple, grassy rum, raisin, and fig flavors on the swallow.

put on stun

1 oz Rittenhouserye Rye
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
2 dash Root Beer Bitters (Bitter Queens Sarsparilla)

Stir with ice, strain into double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a twist (orange twist).
Note: I recommend a tsp simple syrup added here (see text).While I was searching the Kindred Cocktails database two Saturdays ago, I came across the Put on Stun by Otis Florence at PDT in Manhattan circa 2013 that reminded me of Death & Co.'s Bourbon-based Pop Quiz. I had met Otis when he was touring with the master distiller for El Dorado Rum back in 2015, and he made me a Tiki drink after the seminar. Once assembled, the Put on Stun opened up with orange and root beer aromas. Next, a caramel sip gave way to rye, apple, root beer, and herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, it was a bit hot at first, so perhaps a teaspoon of simple syrup like in the Pop Quiz could mellow the alcohol heat out here.

seconds in

1 1/2 oz Yolo Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3/4 oz Salers Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)

Stir with ice, strain into an absinthe-rinsed coupe (Butterfly), and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays, I made another drink from the Dutch Kill's online recipe flashcards called the Seconds In from their Spring/Summer 2024 menu. The combination of gentian and apricot liqueurs has worked well in the past for two cocktails at Canon, namely the Shrouded Roulette and Nymph, so I was curious to try it here with mezcal and blanc vermouth. The name made me think of the call for "seconds out" in boxing and MMA fights where the referee is asking the cornermen and coaches to exit the cage or ring so the next round can begin, but perhaps this is more time related. Once prepared, the Seconds In offered up lemon, licorice, and herbal aromas. Next, white grape notes on the sip expanded into mezcal, gentian, apricot, and anise flavors on the swallow.

velvet revolution

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1/2 oz Becherovka
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.At Daiquiris & Daisies, bar co-owner Joe Cammarata mentioned a drink called the Inner Child that he attributed to Attaboy, and I was able to find it in a collection of recipes for Dutch Kills. Instead of that citrussy number, I was distracted by the Oaxacan Old Fashioned riff accented by chocolate and Czech spiced liqueurs called the Velvet Revolution by Dana Skinner for Dutch Kills' Winter 2019 menu. The bar's Instagram gave the back story that the drink was named after a nonviolent revolution that toppled the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia in December 1989. Once prepared, the Velvet Revolution commenced with a grapefruit, vegetal, chocolate, clove, and smoke aromas. Next, a hint of caramel on the sip flowed into vegetal, smoke, chocolate, cinnamon, and mint flavors on the swallow.

chili southside

1 1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Mint Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays ago, I was near the Financial District in downtown Boston, so I stopped into Daiquiris & Daisies for a drink. From the menu, the Chili Southside caught my eye, so I asked bartender Tommy for one. From the menu description, it seemed to be a chili liqueur for gin version of the South Side, but Tommy mentioned that there was dry vermouth in the mix and that the mint syrup worked as a cooling counter to chili's spicy heat. Once prepared, the Chili Southside welcomed the nose with a mint, lime, and an almost cucumber vegetal bouquet. Next, a lime-driven sip led into roasted vegetable, dried fruit, and chili spice flavors on the swallow ending with a cooling mint wave. On Instagram, a friend commented that it was a lot of Ancho Reyes, and I replied, "I heard a brand ambassador mention that it was 80 proof and low in sugar, so it could sub in as a base spirit or split spirit instead of being just a modifier." Until this ounce and a half measure, the largest that I had tried was a full ounce in the Battle of Puebla and the Subtly Sinister, but most uses have been a half or quarter ounce.

lightning rod

1 1/2 oz Siembra Valles Tequila (Arette)
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Campari
1 tsp Marie Brizard Crème de Cacao
1 tsp Giffard Passion Fruit Liqueur (Passion Fruit Syrup)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I selected Death & Co.'s Welcome Home book from the shelves and found the Lightning Rod by Shannon Tebay. This 2017 drink was created as a tequila Negroni riff, and the tequila Negroni with cacao aspect reminded me of the Darkness Calls and Flaquita, while the tequila, Campari, and passion fruit trio has worked well in the M.N. Roy and Spider of the Evening. With the cacao and passion fruit combined, the Lightning Rod offered up orange and chocolate aromas. Next, grapefruit and passion fruit notes on the sip flowed into tequila, chocolate, bitter orange, and tropical tangerine flavors on the swallow.

two scoops

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Amaro Pasubio
1 oz Cardamaro

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Mondays ago, I visited the Haus Alpenz website and spotted a drink in the recipe section called the Two Scoops that utilized a pair of amaro from their portfolio: Pasubio and Cardamaro. Since the name made me think of the cereal commercial with the slogan "two scoops of raisins", I assume that it is a reference to the fact that both amaro are wine based. This Boulevardier of sorts launched off with lemon, blueberry, and grape aromas. Next, grape and blueberry notes on the sip continued on into bourbon, herbal, and blueberry flavors on the swallow.

last shadow

1 1/2 oz El Dorado 15 Year Rum (Hamilton Demerara River 86°)
1/2 oz Lemonhart 151° Rum
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
1 tsp Demerara Syrup
1/2 tsp Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Sundays ago, I reached for Death & Co.'s Welcome Home book and spotted Tyson Buhler's 2014 Last Shadow which had a similar Old Fashioned sweetened by amaro and cinnamon syrup theme as the Armstrong. I had previously passed over this for I do not have El Dorado 15 Year Rum, but I realized that I probably would never carry it at home (and only have a little El Dorado 12 Year left), so I decided to make it with a younger yet flavorful rum from the same distillery. In the glass, the Last Shadow began with a grapefruit, caramel, cinnamon, and herbal bouquet. Next, caramel and woody notes on the sip were drowned out by rum, molasses, minty, cinnamon, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

armstrong

1 oz Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Aged Rum (3/4 oz Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Zucca (3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato)
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup (1/4 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for Idlewild, a menu-less speakeasy in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, the Armstrong as a split base rye-rum Old Fashioned accented by a smoky rabarbaro and cinnamon syrup caught my eye; while I have not had that pairing, I have had similar cinnamon Old Fashioneds with amari like Montenegro in the Battle Annie, Cardamaro in the Leather Bound Book, and S. Maria al Monte in the Front Street. Here, the Armstrong proffered orange, roast, caramel, and cinnamon aromas. Next, a caramel sip stretched into rye, rum, bitter herbal, smoky, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

last pontoon

1 1/2 oz Remy Martin 1738 Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
1/4 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
1/4 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal (Banhez)
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, top with 3/4 oz IPA (Sierra Nevada Atomic Torpedo), and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Fridays ago, I was perusing the KindredCocktails database when I came across an intriguing beer cocktail called the Last Pontoon. The drink was created by Chaim Dauermann at The Up & Up in Manhattan circa 2015 as his update on the classic Japanese Cocktail and published in Saveur. The Pedro Ximenez sherry accents to the orgeat here reminded me of how well the combination worked in the Kartini and Sherry Mai Tai. Using the West Coast-style IPA from Sierra Nevada that I had on hand, the Last Pontoon welcomed the nose with grapefruit, caramel, and raisin aromas. Next, a creamy, molasses, and dried fruit sip paddled into Cognac, raisin, nutty almond, grapefruit, and pine flavors on the swallow with a hint of smoke.

subtly sinister

1 1/2 oz Planteray Xaymaca Rum
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
2 dash Smeby's Black & White (chocolate/vanilla) Bitters (2 dash Savoy Society Chocolate-Chicory + 2 dash Savoy Society Orange-Vanilla)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with mint (chocolate mint) with drops of Black & White Bitters (3 drops of each of the two bitters above on the mint sprig).Two Thursdays prior, I revisited the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago. There, I spotted the Subtly Sinister from the Fall 2021 menu that I had previously skipped over when I lacked Ancho Reyes on my shelf. While Ancho Reyes has generally been paired with agave spirits in the recipes that I have tried, it did work rather well with funky Jamaican rum in Shameful Tiki's No Woman, No Crime and in the night before's split-base Bootlegger's Barrel. The cacao-chili pairing had been already set in my mind when I first had it in 2015 with the Battle of Puebla, so that was also a plus. In the glass, the Subtly Sinister approached the nose with a rum funk, mint, chocolate, and vanilla bouquet. Next, a caramel sip turned a bit more aggressive with funky rum, chocolate, and chili flavor on the swallow.

bootlegger's barrel

3/4 oz Bulleit Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a barrel mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a lemon wheel and 2 Bird's Eye chilis (1 dried Matchbox pepper).Two Wednesdays ago, I turned to another volume of the City Series with Trevor Felch's San Francisco Cocktails. I continued on with the tropical theme from the night before by selecting the Bootlegger's Barrel from the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. I found the drink posted on the bar's Facebook in early 2020, and I uncovered their menu which described it as "This is what happens when a whiskey man leaves the mountains and heads for warmer climates." The rum, Bourbon, Amaro Nonino, and passion fruit reminded me of Death & Co.'s The Lonesome Crowded West, but here, there was chile liqueur and lemon juice in the mix and not an Old Fashioned in structure. Once prepared, the Bootlegger's Barrel lifted off with a lemon and passion fruit bouquet. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip smuggled in funky rum, Bourbon, passion fruit, and chili pepper spice flavors on the swallow. The Amaro Nonino save for the caramel in the sip was a bit lost here in the balance.

:: engaging with challenging guests ::

Yesterday, USBG Boston hosted all four of its Education Week 2024 events that included a comparative tasting of tequila production techniques with John Mayer Spressert of Burke Distributing, a class on ice carving history and technique with Iruma Shibuya, and a roundtable on cocktail competitions with a trio of veterans. The one that I took the most notes for was a roundtable entitled "Engaging with Challenging Guests" that discussed how to best handle situations that involve drinking, drug use, and entitled behavior especially when it becomes disruptive if not before that point. The panel moderated by USBG Boston president Justin Silmon consisted of Keith Bennett – the head of security at the Middle East restaurant and rock club, Corrie Masison – AGM of MIDA in East Boston, Nestore Polce – GM of Branchline, and Geoffrey Thompson – currently working on the South Shore but spoke a lot of his time managing the Sinclair rock club, Foundry on Elm gastropub, high volume Riverbar, and other venues around town.

For folks working in the service industry, we have all experienced dilemmas of how to deal with guests who have consumed too much, who are acting in inappropriate ways towards staff or other patrons, or who are beginning to get belligerent or threatening. The roundtable speakers considered these issues from their experiences working at rock venues on one end to fine dining on the other as well as all sorts of establishments in between. Keith, after telling a wild story of his younger days as a bouncer, started off sharing what he learned over time. His advice was de-escalation that included not taking the bait as the person in question calls you every name in the book or wants to fight, and not taking it personally for it is only work. With that also came leaving life's problems at home, and he described how a boring night at security is a sign of a job well done. Nestore reiterated the leaving your day's troubles at the door and continued on with a focus on staying calm as the guest tries to make you upset. Nestore explained that our job is to make the business move forward while keeping an eye on the safety and comfort of the other guests. Corrie learned a lot from watching her friends who have become moms and dads, and she extracted gentle parenting techniques on how to guide people in the desired direction. In a later part of the session, she expounded by declaring that course correction is crucial before things become a problem, and this needs to be direct with the boundary setting. Geoffrey had two major points in this round which were that we have to take care of our guests as we "poison" their systems with alcohol. The second part was that this begins with teaching the hosts, bartenders, and servers how to make the night go smoothly; he continued on with the importance of getting to know your local beat cops who can help to de-escalate situations faster than calling 911. Later, the discussion honed into the public perception of the police. Keith best summed it up by saying that regardless of what you think of the police and the issues in the news, this is what police are really good at which is making the problem dissipate before violence erupts.

Keith later added to his previous points by stressing to make sure that you are not alone in any confrontation. His thought process as a bouncer is not how can you hurt someone but how can you diffuse the situation without getting hurt yourself. In fact, if there is violence of any sort, he feels a great sense of failure, and he alluded to the financial risks of lawsuits as well. Geoffrey also spoke of legal issues but more regarding the finances involving liquor licenses that are rather expensive investments in this state. If something happens to a guest, a manager may have to bring in a lawyer to face city officials include councilmen and police and fire chiefs, and this turns into a pricy affair in the defense alone. Geoffrey condensed this topic with the point that you have to make decisions throughout the night to protect your establishment's livelihood. Keith as part of the security team worked at being welcoming, helpful, and invisible. With the first two, the tone can be set at the door. With the last point, he did not want to be the catalyst for problems to happen; however, he and his staff communicated on who to keep eyes on, so invisible was expanded into observe, report, and invisible until it was time to act. Nestore in the restaurant environment took a more direct style of approaching potential issue tables with an introduction and perhaps a question of what they were celebrating or other to make it known that they were being watched and perhaps acting a step away from the usual demeanor. He makes sure his staff is trained to notice if someone is making others uncomfortable and to alert a manager. Moreover, he focuses on checking in with the guests around the issue and communicating that they are seen, heard, and protected. Finally, Geoffrey brought up the point that guests are always watching and will take notice of what the management and other staff allow to happen and thus what directly or indirectly is deemed acceptable. If those guests see you doing nothing, that is only going to hurt your business even more in the long run.

the duke

2 oz Hamilton Pot Still Gold Jamaican Rum (1 1/2 oz Appleton Signature + 1/2 oz Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Don's Spices #2 (1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup + 1/4 oz Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Stir with crushed ice, pour into a Collins glass, and top with crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel, cinnamon stick, and cinnamon powder (freshly grated cinnamon).Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for another book in the City Series, namely Nicole Schaefer's Portland Cocktails. There, I spied The Duke by Lindsey Dixon at Hale Pele that made me realize how I had neglected tropical drinks for much of the summer. While the book surmised that it could be a reference to the Duke's Pearl, I found on Hale Pele's website a description of this 2017 creation which declared, "Duke Kahanamoku popularized surfing in the early 20th century. Join him by riding this strong wave of citrus, spice, apricot, and Jamaican rum. But watch out for the undertow!" I was surprised that the instructions had this as a built and stirred drink which is unusual for the Tiki genre and most citrus recipes in general, but once prepared, The Duke paddled out to the nose with a cinnamon, apricot, and lemon aroma. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip caught the wave into funky rum, allspice, apricot, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

all that jazz

1 1/2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
3 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. No garnish was specified, but all the photos of Manhattans at the Driftwood Room have a cherry garnish, so I followed suit.Two Mondays ago, there was a thread today on Facebook discussing whether the Martini or the Manhattan was a superior drink. One of the Manhattan fans was bartender Jeff Terry who proffered his recipe called All that Jazz from the Driftwood Room in Portland, Oregon, where they have a section of five Manhattan variations on the menu. With Malört in the mix softened by the sweet richness of Averna and vermouth, I was intrigued. Once prepared, the All that Jazz began with a rye, caramel, and grapefruit aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow wrapped things up with rye, herbal, and bitter flavors with an orange finish. When Jeff asked me on Instagram what I thought, and I replied that I enjoyed it and that "The Malört gave a dry, bitter finish and an intriguing grapefruit aroma."

burning in effigy

2 oz Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Strega
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist and grated Abuelita Hot Chocolate (grated baking chocolate).Two Sundays ago, I came across Nico Martini's Texas Cocktails book on my shelf, and there I spied the Burning in Effigy by Benjamin Krick at Juniper Tar in San Antonio. I was lured in for it reminded me of a spiced 21st Century given the tequila, cacao, and lemon elements. Once prepared, the Burning in Effigy opened up with a lemon, chocolate, and tequila bouquet. Next, lemon on the sip flowed into tequila, minty, chocolate, chili spice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

leatherman

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (1 1/2 oz)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur (3/4 oz)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro (3/4 oz)
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (3/8 oz Cocchi)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I found the Leatherman from the Botanist in Portland, Oregon, circa 2019 via a search on the KindredCocktails database. I confirmed it on Yelp and used the mezcal brand listed on the 2019 menu photos. In the glass, the Leatherman opened up with orange, vegetal, smoke, and pepper aromas. Next, caramel and grape on the sip flowed into smoky mezcal, spicy chili pepper, and caramel orange flavors on the swallow.

the bukowski

1 1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1/2 oz Drambuie
3/4 oz Orange Juice (*)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup 1:1 (*)
3-5 leaf Basil

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
(*) Robert Simonson reported having a more recent version of this drink (with the newer and softer Malört) where these two measures were 1/2 oz. See below.

Two Fridays ago, I had just finished Josh Noel's Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit book, and one of the chapters reminded me of the 2009 Chicago Reader article about a Malört challenge across town. From that article, I had previously made Paul McGee's Golden Eel, Toby Maloney's Ukranian Negroni, and Brad Bolt's Hard Sell. The recipe that stood out to make next was Charles Joly's The Bukowski from the Counting Room especially since I still had leaves on my basil plant outside. The article described how "The working name for this drink was the Dirty Old Man named after the column Charles Bukowski wrote for an underground newspaper in Los Angeles. Joly says there's no garnish because the writer would have just thrown it back at the bartender." My brother bought me a copy of Notes of a Dirty Old Man that was a collection of those columns for my birthday years ago, and it was my entry into Bukowski. I was already planning to make this one when Robert Simonson wrote on his Substack that afternoon about trying this drink. Robert got the recipe from Joly at a book launch event except this version had a 1/2 oz each of orange juice and honey syrup instead of 3/4 oz. Perhaps this was due to the new Chicago version of Malört being slightly softer and less bitter; however, I still had an old bottle of Florida-made liqueur, so I went with the 2009 recipe. Once prepared the original way, The Bukowski launched off with basil, honey, and minty-bitter herbal aromas. Next, a honey, lemon, and orange sip caroused with bitter herbal, honey, and basil flavors on the swallow. Overall, the combination reminded me of the midcentury Duke with Drambuie, orange, and lemon but taken in a bitter and herbal direction. One of my Instagram friends inquired, "I think of all things, the orange juice and basil combo was throwing me off the most" to which I responded that "the orange juice sooths rough edges, and the basil adds depth to the single botanical liqueur."

opera comique

1 oz Aquavit (Linie)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I was in the mood to tinker for Negroni Week despite the end result being nothing like a Negroni. I became inspired by the Cynar-Chartreuse combination of the Drink of Laughter & Forgetting and by the structure of the Tailspin. I was considering gin as the spirit, but that put the mix too close in the direction of my Continuum from Our Fathers back in 2018. The Cynar made me think of the Trident and its aquavit, so I made that switch. I dubbed this the Opera Comique (a/k/a Murderer's Corner) after one of the most bawdy concert saloons in old San Francisco run by Happy Jack Harrington in the 1870s as discovered in Herbert Asbury's book The Barbary Coast. The final result proffered orange, herbaceous, and caramel aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow followed through with caraway, vegetal, herbaceous, and orange flavors.

negroni daiquiri

3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.Two Wednesdays ago for Negroni Week, the Campari Academy posted on their Instagram the Negroni Daiquiri by Bobby Heugel and Kristen Nepomuceno. An article I found declared that this mashup of the two classics was at Refuge, their all day coffee-cocktail bar that they opened two years ago next door to their flagship Anvil in Houston; the lower proof of this drink makes sense for a day-drinking program. When a follower asked on Instagram if there was rum in this "Daiquiri", I replied, "I was expecting it too since the White Negroni Daiquiri has rum in it. But alas, it's 4 ingredients from the source I listed." Similarly, another follower questioned the lack of gin in the "Negroni" part and wondered if it were an Americano Daiquiri instead; I commented that when I first read the ingredients, it made me think of a Milano-Torino Daiquiri due to the lack of soda water. Regardless of the nomenclature discussion, the drink was very tasty and straight forward in the glass. It began with a bitter orange, grape, and lime aroma. Next, lime and grape on the sip leapt into a swallow that was all about Campari's bitter orange flavors.

mardi gras

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Templeton)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Angostura Bitters
3 dash Absinthe (18 drop St. George)
1 White Sugar Cube (1/3 oz Simple Syrup)
1 bsp Soda Water (omit)

Add everything but the rye, muddle the sugar cube, and add rye (combine using simple syrup and no muddling). Add ice, stir, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I opened up the A Spot at the Bar book by Michael and Zara Madrusan and found the Mardi Gras in a side note in the Old Fashioned section. Essentially, this New Orleans-themed Old Fashioned had the Peychaud's and Angostura of the Vieux Carré combined with the Peychaud's and absinthe of the Cocktail à la Louisiane and Sazerac as accents. Here, the Mardi Gras marched to the nose with lemon, rye, and anise aromas. Next, a hint of caramel on the sip continued on into rye, cherry, clove, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

first blossom

1 oz Beefeater Gin
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail (coupe) glass.Two Mondays ago, I picked up the second volume of Jill DeGroff's Lush Life: Portraits from the Bar to look at the artwork and read the anecdotes about the bar characters within, and there I spotted an interesting recipe from Dale DeGroff called the First Blossom. The drink reminded me of a Corpse Reviver #2 mashed up with Sam Ross' Sunflower minus the absinthe component in both. Once prepared, the First Blossom bloomed with an orange, pine, floral, and grapefruit bouquet. Next, a lemon and orange sip developed into gin, pear, grapefruit, and floral flavors on the swallow.

exit strategy

1 1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Germain-Robin Brandy (Monnet VSOP Cognac)
1/4 oz Amaro Meletti
6 drop Saline Solution (20%)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays prior, I picked up Death & Co.'s Cocktail Codex book and looked to the index for amaro drinks that I might have missed. There, in the Old Fashioned variation section was Natasha David's 2014 Exit Strategy that I might have passed over for it was on page 11 way before the major recipe section or perhaps I skipped it years ago since it used up a decent amount of Amaro Nonino. Regardless, an Old Fashioned with a base of Amaro Nonino seemed intriguing that night, so I got to mixing. In the glass, the Exit Strategy offered up orange, caramel, and herbal aromas. Next, caramel and citrus notes on the sip flowed into caramel, lavender, brandy, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

vieux pompier

3/4 oz Old Overholt Bonded Rye (1 oz 86°)
3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Palo Cortado Sherry (Lustau Oloroso)
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. The photo in the book showed a large ice cube, so I added one before I realized that the instructions do not mention it.Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make another recipe from A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood by Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix called the Vieux Pompier. That drink was created by Los Angeles' Rhachel Shaw as her take on a Vieux Carré for a Speed Rack bartender's choice round; the combination of American whiskey, Palo Cortado Sherry, banana liqueur, and Peychaud's was one that worked amazingly well in the Zemurray, so I was enthused to try this recipe out. In the glass, the Vieux Pompier donated a lemon, caramel, banana, and anise bouquet to the senses. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip strolled into rye, apple, dried fruit, banana, and anise spice flavors on the swallow.

street of crocodiles

1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Amaro Meletti
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.While writing up the Clever Visual Metaphor, I became inspired to craft a new drink using the spirit-amaro base supplemented by small amounts of Fernet and grenadine structure. Instead of the Bourbon in the Clever Visual Metaphor, I opted for a split of apple brandy and mezcal. And in place of the Ramazzotti, I went first with Averna since it paired well with grenadine in the Sicilian Message, but I was not satisfied. I repeated it with Cynar and Amaro Montenegro with similar results, and it was not until I landed on Meletti, that I was pleased. For what to call it, I went back to a list I copied over from my 2013-15 era Russell House Tavern notebook with possible drink names and chose the Street of Crocodiles; that made the list from reading Bruno Schulz's 1934 short story when I was on a surrealist kick in the late 1990s that was amplified when I watched the Brothers Quay stop-motion animation short years later. With the Meletti, the Street of Crocodiles crawled to the nose with orange, caramel, fruity, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and berry notes on the sip snapped at apple, vegetal, minty-herbal, menthol, and smoky flavors on the swallow.

la pistola

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Banhez)
1/2 oz Palo Cortado Sherry (Lustau Oloroso)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a piece of candied ginger.Two Thursdays ago, I reopened the online recipe flashcard sets for Raines Law Room in Manhattan and landed on La Pistola that seemed like an intriguing Autumnal spiced mezcal drink. I was able to find photos and reviews on Yelp mentioning this drink in the 2021 time frame. Moreover, the combination reminded me of Katie Emmerson's Company Swizzle at the Hawthorne but with falernum and lime instead of the cinnamon and lemon here. In the glass, La Pistola shot forth with dried fruit, vegetal, lemon, cinnamon, and ginger aromas. Next, lemon and grape notes on the sip hit upon smoky mezcal, dried fruit, cinnamon, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

kentucky dandy

1 1/4 oz Bourbon (1 1/2 oz Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz St. Germain (1/2 oz St. Elder)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice (1/2 oz (*))
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a floated mint leaf.
(*) See text of how I would raise my adapted version to 3/4 oz.Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the KindredCocktails database, when I came across the refreshing sounding Kentucky Dandy by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles. I then realized that in all the drinks, I had never tasted apricot paired with elderflower liqueur, and here it was in a Bourbon Corpse Reviver No. 2 format. With my slightly adapted recipe described above, the Kentucky Dandy welcomed the nose with a mint, grapefruit, apricot, and floral bouquet. Next, lemon and orchard fruit notes on the sip transitioned to Bourbon, grapefruit, apricot, floral, and anise flavors on the swallow. Even with trying to dry out the recipe by making it more spirit forward, it was still a touch sweet, so perhaps upping the lemon juice to 3/4 oz in my adaptation would help for my preferred balance.

my name is nobody

3/4 oz Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Aperol

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

Two Tuesdays ago, I found my list of recipes that I wanted to make from Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix's A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood book. There, I selected My Name is Nobody by Beckaly Franks as a Negroni variation that is her "personal modern classic". When I began researching the drink, I found a 2017 Instagram post where Beckaly supplied an alternative recipe:

My Name is Nobody
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Mancino Rosso Sweet Vermouth
1 tsp Fernet Branca
The photo shows the drink served in an up glass with a twist (could be orange or grapefruit).

This version was served during Negroni Week that year that pre-dates the book's gin and Aperol recipe. Next, LifeStyleAsia in 2018 touted a similar gin-free ingredients list to the 2017 version but this time with the Aperol instead of Campari found in the book's version. That site provided the explanation that it was "named for one of Henry Fonda's more obscure 1970s Westerns... The Pontiac's latest chilli-forward take on the classic Negroni strikes true with its punchy flavours and complex aromatic profile. There is plenty of interplay between the spiciness of Ancho Reyes, caramelised notes of vermouth, and cacao-like Fernet Branca." Perhaps the drink progressed to the softer Aperol over time, or perhaps the Campari version was served only during Negroni Week. Moreover, at some point in time, either for the menu or for the book, gin entered the picture and Fernet dropped off.The book's My Name is Nobody began with grapefruit and orange aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip hid behind gin, orange, grape, herbal, and chili spice flavors on the swallow. While I am curious about the Fernet versions, I was still very satisfied by this gin-containing one.

travel buddy

1 oz Knob Creek Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Aperol (3/4 oz)
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc (3/4 oz Cocchi Americano)
1 bsp Fernet Branca (3/16 oz)
1-2 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (2 dash)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora or cocktail coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Mondays, I cycled back to Sean Soole's excellent Great Northern Cocktails book and opted for the Travel Buddy by Chris Howell of Winnipeg. While at first, it reminded me on paper of the Scarecrow as an American whiskey drink with a lightly bitter backbone that was dried out with a touch of Fernet, it turned out to be much closer to the Philabuster which has some extra complexity from Cynar. In the coupe, the Travel Buddy welcomed the senses with a lemon, apricot, and menthol aroma. Next, pear and orange notes on the sip ventured towards rye, gentian, menthol, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

buscabulla

3/4 oz Privateer Navy Yard Rum
3/4 oz Fino Sherry (Tio Pepe)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Ginger-Honey Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel (fresh lime wheel).Two Sundays ago, I opened up the Hawthorne bar bible to see if there were any recipes that I had not made yet. There, I spied the Buscabulla attributed to bartender John Rodriguez that reminded me a little of Cane & Table's Death & Sundries given the Fino sherry, rum, and lime components. The drink was subtitled on the menu "Vamos al mambo, comienza bailando (Let's go mambo, start dancing)" which are lyrics of the song Tártaro from the tropical synthpop band Buscabulla. Once mixed the Buscabulla gave forth a dark grape, lime, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Next, lime and honey notes on the sip cavorted towards rum, bitter herbal grape, savory, and ginger flavors on the swallow. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Rum Manhattan meets Daiquiri number, the Fig Leaf. When asked on Instagram if I would alter anything from the equal parts format, I replied, "I felt that I wanted more rum presence. The Fino sherry was also a subtle note in the background. Punt e Mes, lime, and honey were driving a lot of the flavor balance."

prima donna

3/4 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain in to a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I had replenished my lemon stock and decided to make a recipe that I had spotted a few days prior in A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood written by Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix. That drink was the Prima Donna by Tess Anne Sawyer while at Mother's Ruin in Manhattan that she made at the 2015 Speed Rack competition for the dealer's choice round. She described how "during that time, I had recently discovered the Adonis and Bamboo Cocktails, and I was in love with them", so she mashed them up. I too had tinkered with a split sherry-split vermouth cocktail in the Improved Bamboo but I opted for Fino and blanc vermouth instead of the cream sherry and sweet vermouth. Here, the Prima Donna launched off with lemon, plum, and raisin aromas. Next, a semi-dry grape sip lapsed into complex grape, nutty, clove, and orange flavors on the swallow.

clever visual metaphor

1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Grenadine
1/8 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig)

Stir with ice, strain into a small cocktail or Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I opened up Shawn Soole's Great Northern Cocktails book and landed upon the Clever Visual Metaphor by Winnipeg bartender Nicole Cote. The combination of Amaro Ramazzotti with a lesser amount of Fernet Branca reminded me of the Scare Crow and Solomon Grundy that utilized Amaro Montenegro and Amaro Lucano, respectively, instead of Ramazzotti. Moreover, Fernet plus grenadine was one that has worked well since its inclusion in the Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 in the Noble and last written up here on the blog a year ago in the Cornerstone. Once prepared, the Clever Visual Metaphor began with lemon, peat smoke, caramel, and root beer aromas. Next, caramel and berry notes on the sip transitioned into Bourbon, herbal, bitter menthol, berry, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

the brave

1 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 oz Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Averna
1/4 oz Royal Combier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)

Build in a wine glass, give a quick stir without ice, and garnish with 3 spritzes Angostura Bitters (6 drops along the inside edge of the glass) and a flamed orange twist. Note: this is a room temperature drink.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to remake Bobby Heugel's The Brave from the Anvil in Houston the right way. The first time I tried to make this 2009 era agave-based room temperature drink, I sourced it from a mezcal brand's website back in April 2015 that incorrectly included pineapple juice in the mix. Bobby wrote me on Instagram and pointed out the error, and I alerted the brand to fix their page. I ended up dubbing the pineapple-laden blunder the Soldadera, and I wrote it up on the blog since the mistake was rather tasty for pineapple played well with many of the ingredients. Using the proper recipe that I sourced from Punch, the Brave launched off with a caramel, cinnamon, and orange aroma. Next, caramel and orange notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow proffered smoky agave, herbal, and orange flavors. The duo of Averna and orange liqueur pleasantly reminded me of the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.'s Crooklyn that inspired me to create the Devil's Staircase.

hey mister

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Banhez)
1 oz Laird's Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
scant 1/2 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3 dash Fee's Molasses Bitters (Bittercube Black Strap Bitters)
1 pinch Salt (4 drop 20% Saline)

Shake with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the entries for Ancho Reyes on the Kindred Cocktail database when I spotted the Hey Mister by Ashley Haussermann at Blacktail in Manhattan circa 2017. My sleuthing suggested that the poster got it directly or indirectly from Gaz Regan's email newsletter, with the indirect aspect being a Reddit cocktails forum thread around that time that asserted the Gaz connection not mentioned on the database. Once prepared, the Hey Mister displayed a woody spice, almond, and apple bouquet. Next, a creamy lime sip gave way to vegetal, apple, almond, and chili spice flavors on the swallow.

pete's word

3/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe. While writing up the Laphroaig Project, I commented that "it has the same feel of Death & Co.'s Pete's Word on paper (I need to make this soon) with the lemon juice aspect of the Final Ward", and I decided to finally make the Pete's Word. Therefore, I reached for my copy of Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails to make this Scotch version of the Last Word. It mentioned how Phil Ward was surprised at how well lime worked with the whisky when he invented it at Death & Co. in Manhattan circa 2008. In the glass, the Pete's Word filled the nose with herbaceous, peat smoke, and nutty cherry aromas. Next, a lime and cherry sip opened up into smoky Scotch, herbaceous, and nutty cherry flavors. Overall, the Scotch worked great in the Last Word format, but I found the Laphroaig Project to be the one that I crave more two weeks after the fact.

mosquito

3/4 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with candied ginger.Two Mondays ago, I spotted a reference to the Sand Fly which is a Scotch riff on Sam Ross' mezcal-containing Mosquito. Therefore, I went to the Bartender's Choice app and got the recipe for the original that Sam created at Attaboy in Manhattan circa 2017. The trio of Campari, ginger, and lemon was one that I had tried before in the Pimm's-based River Queen and in my Ferrari-based Body Shop, so I was sold. Once prepared, the Mosquito buzzed to the nose with orange, vegetal, smoke, and ginger aromas. Next, lemon and orange notes on the sip landed upon smoky vegetal, tangerine, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

cutlass

1 oz Clear Creek 8 Year Apple Brandy (Morin Calvados Selection)
1/2 oz Laird's Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Banhez)
1/2 oz Crème de Noyaux (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
3 dash Peach Bitters (Fee Brothers)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Sundays ago, I pulled up the online recipe flashcards for Palomar in Portland, Oregon, and the Cutlass called out to me. I soon found it in the bar's menu archives for a December 2022 launch, and it seemed like an interesting use of my bottle of crème de noyaux (that had been gathering dust) to support an apple brandy and mezcal combination. Furthermore, the drink name made me think of the unrelated Cutlass that I found in the 2018 Lustau Sherry competition collection which took a split-based concept in a banana-coffee direction. In the glass, this Cutlass slashed at the nose with grapefruit, apple, and nutty peach aromas. Next, honey, apple, and orchard fruit notes on the sip parried apple, nutty cherry-peach, vegetal, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

dead man's alley

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/8 oz Maple Syrup

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, I was inspired by a local drink I spotted with rye, Braulio, maple syrup, and walnut bitters to tinker. The Amaro Daiquiri made me think of the Braulio-Sfumato combination, and I split the rye 3:1 with mezcal that has worked in Ted Kilgore's Devil's Soul and in many Death & Co. drinks like the Hunt & Peck and that I have used before in cocktails like Death on the Installment Plan. I named this Black Manhattan with a touch of maple after a sketchy alley in 19th century San Francisco mentioned in Herbert Asbury's The Barbary Coast book. Once assembled, the Dead Man's Alley crept to the nose with an orange, caramel, maple, and roast aroma. Next, caramel and maple notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow ended things with rye, vegetal, herbal, pine, roast, and smoke flavors.

chelsea hook

2 oz Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Orgeat
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays prior, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcards for Polite Provisions in San Diego, and the Chelsea Hook seemed like an interesting Sour. Yelp links the drink to 2021 via both photos and reviews, and the combination of complementary peach liqueur and orgeat elements balanced with citrus has appeared in a trio of drinks: the Henry Trotter, the Cowgirl in the Sand, and most recently for me in the Freydis. Once prepared, the Chelsea Hook opened up with a lemon, almond, floral, and peach aroma. Next, a creamy lemon and orchard fruit sip led into Cognac, almond, peach, and clove flavors on the swallow.

blonde on blonde

1 1/2 oz Dorothy Parker Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Elder)
1/2 oz Fino Sherry (Tio Pepe)
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist perched on the edge of the glass.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for Raines Law Room in Manhattan, and I was lured in by the Blonde on Blonde that was like Phil Ward's Elder Fashioned expanded into a Martini of sorts down to the grapefruit twist. I was able to find menu and drink photos for this drink on Yelp dating to 2019, and it was probably named after the Bob Dylan song just like Scott Holliday's Blonde on Blonde at Rendezvous. In the glass, this Blonde on Blonde approached the nose with a grapefruit, floral, and pine bouquet. Next, semi-sweet white grape and grapefruit notes on the sip flipped into gin, herbal, savory, floral, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

onyx

1 1/4 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Appleton Rum (Appleton Signature)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir with ice and strain into a double old fashioned with a large ice cube.
Note: this leaves out the activated charcoal (see text) that was not on the recipe flashcard but in the menu description.Two Wednesdays ago, I found an online recipe flashcard set for Sundry & Vice in Cincinnati for the opening Indianopolis location in 2021. The recipe that I latched onto was the Onyx, and I was able to utilize GoogleMaps to uncover photos of both the menu and the drink in June 2018 at the original Cincinnati spot. The menu photo had activated charcoal as an ingredient which was not mentioned in the recipe flashcard, and the drink photo suggested a decent dose of the stuff due to the dark hue. I left out that ingredient for activated charcoal does not add to the flavor (and I do not have any at home); moreover, activated charcoal is generally frowned upon in food and drinks for it can absorb medications including birth control in the stomach. Once prepared, my brownish Onyx began with smoke, vegetal, and nutty cherry aromas. Next, a caramel sip with a hint of cherry transitioned into rum, vegetal, herbal, nutty cherry, and smoke flavors on the swallow. Overall, the balance was a little sweet, and perhaps dry vermouth in place of the blanc would have nudged things closer to my preferred profile.

the cane & the clove

1 oz Aged Rum (Planteray Fiji)
1 oz Mezcal Vago Elote (Banhez Espadin-Barril)
3/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).Two Tuesdays ago, I was perusing the online recipe flashcards for Idlewind, a menuless speakeasy in Charlotte, when I spotted the Cane & the Clove. The recipe was a borrowed one for it was created by Francisco Terrazas at Houston's Pastry War and published in the December 2017 issue of Imbibe Magazine. I then recalled that I did not make the drink back then for I did not have elote-style mezcal (mezcal distilled with corn akin to pechuga); however, this time, I realized that I was probably never going to purchase a bottle for myself and that the large amount of Pedro Ximenez sherry would probably cover those flavor nuances. Therefore, I let my intrigue take over instead of passing up the recipe even with its similarities to the Haitian Divorce. In the glass, the Cane & the Clove donated an orange, raisin, rum, and clove aroma. Next, plum and grape notes on the sip ventured into aged rum, caramel, smoke, vegetal, raisin, and clove flavors on the swallow.

laphroaig project

1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Peach Bitters (Fee Brothers)

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Mondays ago, I was listening to the new episode of the Bartender At Large podcast (or the Patreon bonus episode) where host Erick Castro and Imbibe Magazine editor Paul Clarke discussed the Laphroaig Project, and I realized that I had never made one for myself. I had straw-tasted it years ago when I had a regular at Russell House Tavern circa 2013-14 who was from San Francisco and used to request them off menu from me which was great since we had housemade peach bitters at the time (my bar notebook says that his name was Jonathan and we began talking about cocktails when he ordered a Prince Edward that he had learned down the road at Rendezvous). The closest to a full drink that I had tried was a variation called the Pineapple Project at Ames Street Deli in December 2014. This lesser known neo-classic was created by Owen Westman at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco circa 2009, and its popularity as a bartender's choice drink has probably been effected by the skyrocketing cost of Chartreuses and Laphroaig Scotch as compared to 15 years ago not to mention the availability issues of all those ingredients (when I was doing the ordering at Drink in 2022, I was more crushed by Laphroaig outages than Chartreuse shortages). Overall, it has the same feel of Death & Co.'s Pete's Word on paper (I need to make this soon) with the lemon juice aspect of the Final Ward.In the glass, the Laphroaig Project launched with a lemon, peat smoke, and nutty cherry bouquet. Next, a lemon sip with a hint of fruitiness slid into herbaceous, smoky Scotch, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

infinite jest

1 oz Marie Duffau Armagnac
1 oz Iris Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
2 dash Boker's Bitters (1 dash Bitter Housewife's Cardamon + 1 dash Scrappy's Orange + 1 dash Scrappy's Aromatic)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I returned to Shawn Soole's Great Northern Cocktails book and spotted the Infinite Jest by Robin Kaufman, bar director at Alo in Toronto. Since apricot and oxidized dry sherries like Amontillado have worked well in recipes like the Immigrant Song and Doubleheader, I was definite game to give my bottle of Armagnac some much needed love. Once assembled, the Infinite Jest opened up with orange, apricot, and nutty grape aromas. Next, grape and orchard fruit notes on the sip progressed into Armagnac, nutty, raisin, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

devil's kitchen

1 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray Stiggins Fancy)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass (*), and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
(*) I originally made this in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube as seen in the photo below. While there was a nice progression of flavors over time, it started to die when diluted too much. When I mentioned this on Instagram, folks tried it up and replied that they enjoyed it served that way, so I am going with my hunch.Two Fridays ago, I looked over various recipes for ingredients that worked well with Ancho Reyes and decided to create a cocktail. Of the 10 Ancho Reyes drinks on the blog, 7 contain mezcal, 2 with Cynar, 2 with mole bitters, and 1 with banana liqueur; moreover, I figured that pineapple rum would bolster the tropical notes of the banana despite it not having previously been paired with Ancho Reyes in my tasting history. Finally, I dubbed this the Devil's Kitchen after a neighborhood described in the 1933 book The Barbary Coast as a rough one in San Francisco during the latter half of the 19th century. In the glass, the Devil's Kitchen gave forth a grapefruit and vegetal aroma. Next, a caramel-tinged sip opened up into rum, vegetal, smoke, tropical, and chili pepper flavors on the swallow. When I made this on the rocks, the tropical aspect became more defined as pineapple and banana as the ice melted over time.

another sunken boat

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Banhez)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop Copper & Kings)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make the Another Sunken Boat by Phil Ward at New York City's Long Island Bar circa 2022 as a riff on the Remember the Maine originally published in Charles H. Baker Jr.'s first book. I had spotted this recipe on a friend's Instagram post in early July, and I was able to trace it back to Robert Simonson's Substack. The combination reminded me of the reposado tequila-based Remember the Alamo, so I was definitely interested in trying Phil's spin on things. In the glass, the Another Sunken Boat proffered smoke, vegetal, and licorice aromas to the nose. Next, grape and dark plum notes on the sip nestled into vegetal, smoke, bitter herbal, cherry, and licorice flavors on the swallow that later gained more dark fruit notes as the drink warmed up.

black pearl

1 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Planteray 5 Year Barbados Rum (Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Appleton Signature Rum
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 spritz Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, and stir to mix and chill.Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted a drink on the Reddit cocktails forum for the Black Pearl from Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia that intrigued me. The recipe was posted by user Gordonf23 who was provided the information by a bartender there. The combination of Amaro Montenegro and Fernet Branca was one that worked amazingly well in Backbar's Scarecrow and that I later used in my Songs My Mother Taught Me. Moreover, the combination of rum, Punt e Mes, and Montenegro reminded me of Erick Castro's Blood of My Enemies, so I was excited to try this out with Fernet and absinthe in the mix. In the glass, the Black Pearl opened up with a caramel, rum, and herbal bouquet. Next, grape, caramel, and orange notes on the sip formed into rum, minty, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow that later gained a menthol and clementine aspect as the ice diluted the mix.