the fountain

1 1/2 oz Old-Grand Dad 114° Bourbon
3/4 oz Zucca (Sfumato)
1/4 oz Cherry Heering
1 dash Dram Black Bitters or other Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Tuesdays two weeks ago, I was perusing the KindredCocktails database when I came across the Fountain by Chad Heuge. Chad created the drink at Longman & Eagle in Chicago, and the recipe was published by Vanity Fair in a 2015 article on Father's Day drinks. Intriguingly, he described his Father's Day-inspired Manhattan riff as "an homage to history, progression, and regression." I had previously had Cherry Heering and Zucca in Sahil Mehta's Estocada with mezcal and lime juice, so I was curious to see how it would do in a Bourbon Old Fashioned or Black Manhattan format. In the glass, the Fountain cascaded to the nose with lemon, roast, and cherry aromas. Next, a dark cherry- and roast-driven sip flowed into Bourbon, bitter herbal, and red fruit flavors on the swallow.

hero's death

3/4 oz Highland Park 12 Year Scotch (1/2 oz Highland Park Cask Strength + 1/4 oz Water)
3/4 oz Russell's Reserve 10 Year Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/4 oz Tempus Fugit Banana Liqueur
1 tsp Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Syrup

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Mondays prior, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcards for Death & Co. Denver and landed on the Scotch-Bourbon stirred drink called the Hero's Death from their Summer 2024 menu. The structure reminded me of Al Sotack's Some Weird Sin at the New York City branch of Death & Co. with the split base plus Pedro Ximenez and cinnamon syrup accents. In the glass, the Hero's Death welcomed the nose with orange, dark fruit, hint of smoke, and cinnamon aromas. Next, a fruity grape sip ascended to Scotch, raisin, caramelized banana, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

third time's the charm

1 oz Blackwell Rum (Coruba)
1/2 oz Planteray Dark Rum
1/2 oz Clement Creole Shrubb (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe.Two Sundays ago, I returned to the same online recipe flashcard sets from the Old Pal in Athens, Georgia, that I found the Monkey Wrench. The drink that I became curious about was the Third Time's The Charm from their Fall 2023 menu. Overall, it seemed like an interesting riff, but of what? A spicy Cable Car or perhaps the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club? One of my Instagram friends even suggested a chili variation on the Periodista. Once prepared, the Third Time's the Charm offered up caramel, orange, and roast pepper aromas. Next, lemon, orange, and caramel notes on the sip gave way to dark funky rum, orange, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.