banana cognac

2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I got back from my bartending shift, and I was exhausted and looking for a simple nightcap to make. On the BartendersChoice app, I latched on to the Banana Cognac by Zachary Gelnaw-Ruben at Lion Lion circa 2017 that was as simple of a build as the Monkey Wrench with spirit, banana liqueur, and bitters (here, molé instead of a scant amount of Fernet). In the glass, the Banana Cognac showboated an orange, caramel, and chocolate bouquet. Next, a caramel sip with a hint of tropical flowed into Cognac, cooked banana, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

the dead rabbit

1 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Tequila (Arette)
3/4 oz Raspberry Syrup
1/4 oz Cynar
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two weeks ago, Imbibe Magazine reposted a recipe from October 2023 called the Dead Rabbit. The drink created by Mario Vidal at Arbella in Chicago for their Halloween menu (made darker for the holiday with Celestial Raspberry Tea bags added to raspberry syrup recipe's hot steep step). It is unclear whether the name is a tribute to the old New York City gang or the Manhattan bar, but my guess is a reference to them using 400 Conejos (Four Hundred Rabbits) brand mezcal. The raspberry-Cynar aspect reminded me of the Sargasso Sea that Matt Schrage was tinkering with at Brick & Mortar years ago, but I had not seen or tried it since. In the glass, the Dead Rabbit conferred a smoke, vegetal, and raspberry aroma to the nose. Next, a creamy lime and raspberry sip hopped into smoke, vegetal agave, and herbal flavors on the swallow.