rocky mountain revolver

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Creme de Peche (Mathilde)
3 dash Allspice (30 drop Hamilton's Allspice Dram)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for the Baldwin Bar in Woburn and spotted the Rocky Mountain Revolver. Despite the name, it had less to do with the neoclassic Revolver and more in common with Joy Richard's Bourbon Belle. Perhaps the name is in reference to the Rocky Mountain Firearms company that makes beautiful historic recreations of old guns like 6-shot revolvers. The drink was served at the upstairs Baldwin & Sons Trading Company for their opening or very early menu in 2016. A menu photo on Yelp that year mentioned that it was made with a peach-infused Bourbon, but it seems that they make it now as Bourbon plus peach liqueur. In the glass, the Rocky Mountain Revolver offered up Bourbon, peach, and allspice aromas. Next, grape and orchard fruit on the sip took aim at Bourbon, bitter peach, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

mina loy

1 1/2 oz Lunazul Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Fidencio Mezcal (Banhez)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays prior, I spotted the Mina Loy created at Park in Cambridge for the Spring 2013 menu via online recipe flashcards. Park was one of the sister restaurants to Russell House Tavern where I worked from 2013-2015, and we occasionally got requests for the Delgado off of that same menu. Mina was a British-born artist, poet, playright, and bohemian who penned the Feminist Manifesto back in 1914, briefly was married to the poet-boxer-Dadaist Arthur Cravan, and designed lamps amongst many other accomplishments. Once stirred and strained, the Mina Loy communicated orange, smoke, and vegetal aromas to the senses. Next, grape and caramel on the sip fled to smoky agave, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

six figure

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 1/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed on the Six Figure by Dan Greenbaum at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2016 as a possible answer to my nightcap dilemma. The combination reminded me of Sother Teague's Disco Ball minus the Green Chartreuse aspect and Alex Day's Alto California with tequila and a touch of cinnamon instead of the mezcal. In the glass, the Six Figure presented a lemon, vegetal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, white grape and a hint of honey on the sip set up smoky agave, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

big country

3/4 oz Rey Campero Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Arette Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set from Death & Co. Denver's Summer 2024 menu, and I landed on the Big Country that reminded me of the Inside Job with tequila, sweet vermouth, and Braulio as common ingredients. Once prepared, the Big Country gave forth an orange, smoke, vegetal, caramel, and pine bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip transitioned into smoky agave, bitter herbal, and pine-lavender flavors on the swallow.

papa was a rodeo

1 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.After writing up the Water Line, I got inspired to riff on the Cynar-orange liqueur combination. I merged the idea with the mezcal-Cognac duo from the 1910 Cocktail and included its choice of Peychaud's Bitters. For a name, I dubbed this one Papa Was a Rodeo that was had played on the Magnetic Fields Spotify that night (which I was listening to since a few songs from their "69 Love Songs" album are on one of the playlists at work). Once mixed, the Papa Was a Rodeo opened up with orange, caramel, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, the caramel orange notes continued on into the sip before Cognac, smoky agave, orange, herbal, and anise flavors took over on the swallow.

island time

1 oz Dark Rum (3/4 oz Coruba + 1/4 oz Planteray OFTD)
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large cube, and garnish with a lime twist (orange twist).Two Sundays ago, I decided to make the Island Time by Courtney McKamey at Weather Up in New York City that I found in a September 2023 Imbibe Magazine article. Overall, it came across like a rum version of the Banana Boulevardier so I was game, and it was different from the other Island Time on the blog which is Sother Teague's cigar-inspired Daiquiri. Once prepared, this Island Time showcased orange and caramel aromas. Next, grape and caramelized fruit notes on the sip relaxed into funky dark rum and bitter banana and orange flavors on the swallow.

the man who was marked for death

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Two Saturdays ago, I was inspired by the previous night's Ninth Wonder with Ancho Reyes and crème de cacao to craft a new drink, and I took it in the direction of a stirred cocktail with Death & Co.'s True Romance that pairs Ancho Reyes with Punt e Mes in mind. For a name, I dubbed this one The Man Who Was Marked For Death named after a chapter and character in Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast book. The end result began with a cinnamon, chili, and dark fruit bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip flowed into vegetal, chili spice, chocolate, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

ninth wonder

3/4 oz Tequila (Arette Blanco)
3/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.Two Fridays ago, I sought out a recipe to make on the BartendersChoice app and landed on the Ninth Wonder by Erick Castro at Polite Provisions in San Diego circa 2014. The Ancho Reyes-cacao combination here made me think of the first time I tried it in the Battle of Puebla in 2015 and last in the Paseo Bravo. Moreover, the tequila, cacao, and citrus combination and the number name also reminded me of Twentieth Century riffs like the 21st Century. Once prepared, the Ninth Wonder gave forth a lime, dried fruit, and chocolate bouquet. Next, lime and caramelized roast notes on the sip jumped to vegetal, chocolate, and chili spice flavors on the swallow.

coin toss

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye, Laird's Bonded, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Hine H Cognac, or Famous Grouse Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe.I recently saw a mention of the Coin Toss from Death & Co., and I realized that I had not made one yet. It appears in the Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book attributed to Phil Ward in 2008. This was the original multiple choice cocktail in a section of the bar's menu that put the Mr. Potato Head method into practice by allowing the guest or bartender to pick the spirit. The Coin Toss was based on the template 2 oz spirit, 3/4 oz vermouth, and 1/2 oz liqueur(s) that Phil frequently used such as the simple Cynartown or the split spirit-split liqueur Airbag. With my choice of Scotch combined with Yellow Chartreuse, Benedictine, and Peychaud's, the recipe reminded me of the Blues from a Gun that I crafted on the fly at Drink with the 1895 combination of Yellow Chartreuse-Benedictine in mind from the Widow's Kiss. In the glass, the Coin Toss began with a grape and herbal bouquet. Next, the vermouth's grape filled the sip which was followed by Scotch, pine, dried fruit, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

confiant

2 oz Pusser's Rum (1 oz Hamilton's Demerara 86° + 1 oz Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Bigallet China-China (Amer Picon)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays prior, I made the other recipe that I had bookmarked on the KindredCocktails database when I found the Water Line a few nights before called the Confiant. The drink was crafted by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2015 as perhaps a rum Creole Cocktail of sorts. I had done similarly with a rhum agricole and dry vermouth in the Patois, but here Rafa utilized a British Navy-style rum and bitter-sweet Punt e Mes. Once prepared, the Confiant sailed in with a lemon and caramel bouquet. Next, caramel and grape notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow dropped anchor with rum, caramel, herbal, dark orange, woody, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

pin(head)s and needles

1 1/4 oz Ilegal Reposado Mezcal
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Zirbenz Liqueur
1/4 oz Amaro Braulio
1/4 oz Cherry Heering

Torch a plank of cedar and overturn a coupe to be smoked. Stir with ice, turn over the coupe, strain into that coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I ran an errand in Union Square, Somerville, so I stopped into Backbar for a drink. There, I became enraptured by the Pin(head)s & Needles from their special Halloween cocktail menu. Bartender Liz Pittari was inspired by the 1987 film Hellraiser, and the menu item was subtitled "Pine & smoke, pleasure & pain beyond your imagination." The mezcal, Punt e mes, and Cherry Heering combination reminded me of the Another Sunken Boat but here with bitter pine notes from the Braulio and Zirbenz. Once mixed, the Pin(head)s & Needles stalked the nose with dark cherry, smoke, and vegetal aromas. Next, grape and dark fruit on the sip siezed on to smoky, vegetal, bitter, and pine flavors on the swallow.

monkey business

2 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Vanilla Gomme Syrup (Vanilla Syrup)
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Mondays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and spotted the Monkey Business which was bar director Jackson Cannon's creation. Unlike the two other Monkey Businesses on the blog, this one was a Flip with vanilla and amaro accents. There are mentions of this drink as early as 2015 on UrbanDaddy, and MarketWatchMag in 2017 quoted Jackson as saying that it is a "more refined eggnog". Once prepared, the Monkey Business provided a delightful woody spice, vanilla, and apricot bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy caramel and orange sip set up Scotch, vanilla, orange, herbal, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

water line

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Linie Aquavit
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Cointreau
(1/8 oz Demerara Syrup as my addition for balance)
2 dash Fee's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (2 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixir)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass (coupe), and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays previous, I began searching the KindredCocktails database for drink ideas. There, I landed on the Water Line by Sara Rosales, a Seattle bartender and co-owner of Lady Jaye, circa 2013. The spirits balanced merely by Cynar and an orange liqueur had worked so well in the Devil in a Boot and Hugo Ball, that I was keen on trying this one. Moreover, rye-aquavit combination has been great in cocktails like The Staggerly and in my creations like the Day Old Bread that I was ready to stir this one up. Once done, the Water Line showcased an orange, caramel, rye, and caraway aroma. Next, a caramel orange sip rose to rye, caraway, and herbal orange swallow.

hell haggerty

1 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Saturdays ago, I became inspired by the Armstrong from Idlewild with the Sfumato-cinnamon syrup combination. From there, I swapped the rye-rum base for the duo of Scotch and apple brandy that paired well with Sfumato in the Leaf Fall. Perhaps it was the Montenegro-cinnamon containing Battle Annie that got me on the gang naming convention, for this one I dubbed Hell Haggerty who I learned about in Herbert Asbury's book The Barbary Coast. Haggerty was part of the Sydney Ducks gang of British criminals from Australia who made their way to San Francisco's red light zone during the Gold Rush, and he owned two notorious establishments, the Goat & Compass and the Golden Rule. The Hell Haggerty enticed the senses with orange, peat smoke, roast, and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip launched into smoky whisky, apple, bitter herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

goat rodeo

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1 dash Demerara Syrup (1/8 oz)
2 dash Spiced Cherry Bitters (King Floyd's Cherry-Cacao)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I made a recipe that I had recently spotted on Reddit cocktails forum called the Goat Rodeo. The drink appears on the current menu of the Black Rabbit in Nashville and user SolomonGorillaJr was cited as the source. A goat rodeo is a slang term for when something disasterous and unbelievable is occurring and one holds back and watches the train wreck occur; it is also the name of a bluegrass-classical fusion album featuring Yo-Yo Ma. In the glass, the Goat Rodeo corralled a cherry and grape bouquet for the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip stampeded towards rye, herbal, orange, and chocolate-cherry flavors on the swallow.

cafe lunaire

2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/8 oz Galliano Ristretto (Mr. Black)
3/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and decided upon the Cafe Lunaire by Colleen Edwards circa 2018. It was subtitled "the freaks come out at night" which could perhaps be a 1984-era Whodini reference. With coffee, cinnamon, and chili flavors, I was intrigued, but I was surprised that this was not an agave-based drink but a Cognac one. In the glass, the Cafe Lunaire brought a lemon, cinnamon, and coffee bouquet to the nose. Next, a roast-driven sip progressed into Cognac, coffee, chili pepper, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

towser the mouser

1 1/2 oz Power's Gold Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Method Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Balvenie 14 Year Scotch (Glen Grant 16 Year)
1/4 oz Drambuie
1 tsp Nocino (Russo)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe), and garnish with orange oil from a twist (include the peel).Two Wednesdays ago, I looked to my to-make list and decided on the Towser the Mouser by Ally Marone as a Bobby Burns riff at Grand Army Bar in Brooklyn circa 2021. I sourced the recipe from Robert Simonson's Substack, and the bar's Facebook mentioned that it was named after the long-lived tortoise shell cat at the Glenturret Distillery that is believed to have killed close to 29,000 mice in her 24 year lifespan or approximately 3 per day. Once stirred and strained, the drink gave forth an orange, whiskey, and nutty aroma. Next, honey and grape on the sip led to whiskey, chocolate, walnut, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

gravesend

1 3/4 oz Whistlepig 10 Year Rye (Templeton)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Amaro Lucano
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard set for the Dutch Kills' Fall 2024 menu, and I had to make the Gravesend that was attributed to Boston expat Jason Kilgore and owner Richard Boccato. Overall, it reminded me of a Liberal with Lucano and Ciociaro filling in for the Amer Picon and Angostura and chocolate for the orange bitters. With three Italian ingredients, perhaps the drink was named after the 2020 television series about Italian-American crime families. In the glass, the Gravesend proffered up cherry, rye, caramel, and orange aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip expanded into rye, caramel orange, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

autumn old fashioned

1/2 oz George Dickel Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Tariquet VSOP Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Bank Note Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with lemon and orange twists.Two Mondays prior, I reached for Death & Co.'s Cocktail Codex book and landed on the Autumn Old Fashioned that Devon Tarby created in 2013 as a take on Brian Miller's 2007 four spirit Old Fashioned, the Conference. Once assembled, the Autumn Old Fashioned offered up lemon, orange, and maple aromas. Next, caramel and maple on the sip traipsed into brandy, Scotch, and caramel flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and allspice finish.

squid missile

1 1/2 oz Coruba Rum
1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1/4 oz Jagermeister
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Shake with ice and strain into a Collins (Tiki mug) with ice.Two Saturdays ago, I had a grapefruit that had been shed of all its garnish peels and was ready for juicing. From my collection of to-make drinks, I selected the Squid Missile at Gilly's House of Cocktails in San Diego from their opening Fall 2023 menu that I sourced via online recipe flashcards. The maple-grapefruit duo was one I discovered in Don the Beachcomber's Volcano Bowl, and the Jägermeister Tiki aspect made me think of the Rough Seas, Escape Hatch, and Lost U-Boat. Later I realized that the whole combination reminded me of my Volcano Bowl riff with Jägermeister in the mix that had different spirit and lacked falernum that I dubbed the Vagalume Bowl. Once in the glass, the Squid Missile launched to the nose with caramel-maple and funky rum aromas. Next, maple, grapefruit, and lime on the sip guided towards rum, maple, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

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.