rebellion

1 1/2 oz Banhez Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Campari
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 drop Saline

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays prior, I returned to my list of drinks spotted in online recipe flashcard sets and decided to make the Rebellion created at Miniboss in San Jose, California. The Rebellion was one of their offerings for Negroni Week 2022, and I was able to find that Negroni Week menu on their Instagram page. Overall, the recipe read like a more mezcal forward and less rounded Last Mechanical Art, so I was intrigued. In the glass, the Rebellion launched off with an orange, vegetal, smoke, and herbal bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip was overcome by smoky agave, sharp bitter orange, rounded herbal bitterness, chocolate, and anise flavors on the swallow.

yukon river cocktail

40% Gin (1 1/4 oz Ford's)
40% Dry Vermouth (1 1/4 oz Dolin)
10% Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand)
10% Zara Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Fernet Branca (1/2 tsp)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I opened up my translated copy of the 1000 Misture book from 1936 and spotted the Yukon River Cocktail. Its Maraschino-Fernet accents to a Martini reminded me of the Primrose Hill, and its curaçao-Fernet accents made me think of the Paul's Own and Zumbo. In the glass, the Yukon River opened up with lemon, pine, cherry, and menthol aromas. Next, a semi-dry grape sip with vague fruity notes flowed into gin, bitter orange, cherry, and minty flavors on the swallow.

meridiem

1 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3/4 oz Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka (Bak's)
3/4 oz Tanqueray Old Tom Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
1 dash Bittermens Grapefruit Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and spotted the Meridiem that it attributed to its sister establishment Eastern Standard. I was able to find a Yelp Eastern Standard menu photo that dated this to 2015, and the menu included the subtitle "It's 12 o'clock somewhere". Overall, it read like a 50-50 Martini of sorts with a split base of gin and bison grass vodka that reminded me a little of the Vesper. After stirring and straining, the Meridiem gave forth a lemon, floral, and pine aroma. Next, a semi-sweet white grape sip turned into floral, grape, pine, and green tea flavors on the swallow.

woolworth

1 oz Highland Scotch (Royal Brackla 12 Year)
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays ago, I was on the Bartender's Choice app and spotted a Woolworth that was different from the Woolworth that I sourced from the PDT Cocktail Book. Their version was also attributed to John Deragon at PDT in Manhattan circa 2007 but it varied by Scotch and sherry calls such that it reminded me more of Rhianon Enlil's Neutral Ground than the book's version. Since Amontillado seemed like a better sherry choice than Manzanilla, I gave this variation a go. Once mixed, this version of the Woolworth rose to the senses with a lemon, nutty, and peat smoke bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip gave way to smoky Scotch, nutty sherry, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

king of the hoodlums

3/4 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Demerara Rum (Hamilton 86°)
3/4 oz Batavia Arrack (von Oosten)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the Cognac, Guyana rum, and Batavia Arrack split base in the 1930s Darling Cocktail, and I decided to mash it up with the Ciociaro-cacao combination from Little Branch's African Flower. Part of my thinking was due to how well crème de cacao and Batavia Arrack work in drinks like the 18th Century and Mutiny on the Mili Atoll. For a name, I dubbed this one the King of the Hoodlums after a character described in Herbert Asbury's The Barbary Coast book. James Riley who was better known to the San Francisco Police as that nickname came to San Francisco from New York City in 1868 and soon became one of the principal criminal ornaments. In the glass, the King of the Hoodlums showcased an orange, caramel, chocolate, and rum funk aroma. Next, caramel with a hint of orange peel on the sip parried with Cognac, funky and woody rum, chocolate, and orange flavors on the swallow.

my black and bitter heart

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Templeton)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Campari
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Mr. Black)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I was scanning through the KindredCocktails database when I spotted the My Black and Bitter Heart created by the Boozenerd's for Valentine's Day in 2014 via their blog. The Punt e Mes, Campari, and coffee liqueur trio reminded me of the Demerara rum-based Coffee Negroni but here with a split base of rye and Cognac akin to the Saratoga and Vieux Carré. Once mixed, the My Black and Bitter Heart conjured up Cognac and herbal aromas. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip entered into rye, Cognac, bitter herbal, roast, coffee, and char flavors on the swallow.

first word

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/8 oz Honey Syrup
3/8 oz Velvet Falernum
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Mondays ago, I turned to the Hawthorne's bar bible and spotted the First Word by bartender Ingrid Schneider. While the name suggested a Last Word riff, this one was veered off a bit. With Yellow Chartreuse and falernum, it was closer to the Eulogy save for the falernum being cut with honey syrup which would complement both the apple brandy and the Yellow Chartreuse here. Moreover, the name and the apple component made me think of the biblical first sin in the Garden of Eden in addition to the Detroit pre-Prohibition classic. In the glass, the First Word opened up with apple, honey, and clove aromas. Next, lemon and honey on the sip fell into apple, herbal, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

shadow moses

3/4 oz Knob Creek Rye (1 oz Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Hine Cognac (1 oz Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Turbinado Syrup (Demerara)
2 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (5 dash Strongwater Moutain Elixirs)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcards when I spotted a curious drink called the Shadow Moses that reminded me of the Lineage cocktail called the Red Sea because the bartender's nickname was Moses. This recipe was created at Minibar in San Jose, California, circa 2021, and I was able to find menu and drink photos on both Yelp & GoogleMaps. The structure reminded me of the Liberal variation in Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up but here with a split of rye whiskey and brandy with Demerara syrup instead of Bourbon with maple (and of course, Ciociaro for Picon). In the glass, the Shadow Moses offered up orange and Cognac aromas. Next, caramel and a hint of orange peel on the sip divided the swallow into rye, Cognac, herbal-orange, and walnut flavors.

gogol cocktail

30% Dry Gin (3/4 oz Ford's)
30% Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz Dolin)
20% Cognac (1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
20% Benedictine (1/2 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters (1 dash)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist (Myer lemon).Two Saturdays ago, I ventured back to the 1000 Misture book from 1936 and spied the Gogol Cocktail perhaps named after the Ukrainian author. On paper, it read like a Martini met a B&B and perhaps morphed into a De la Louisiane form. In the glass, the Gogol donated a lemon, caramel, and herbal aroma. Next, the caramel notes continued into the sip where they evolved into Cognac, pine, herbal, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Overall, it came across somewhat close to a Cognac-tinged Poet's Dream or Joan Blondell.

a serious man

25 mL Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (1 oz Peloton de la Muerte)
25 mL Suze (1 oz)
25 mL Lillet Blanc (1 oz Cocchi Americano)
2.5 mL Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal (1/2 tsp)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays prior, I returned to the Instagram account for Satan's Whiskers in London and selected A Serious Man from a 2023 posting. The drink read like a mezcal White Negroni with a dose of herbaceousness, and it seemed like a good use of our Elixir Vegetal that we only used one other time in the Prodigal Son since we acquired it as a gift at the launch party in November 2023. If the Elixir Vegetal were a larger amount of Green Chartreuse, the drink would read like the pineapple rum-based Pirate Radio, so I was game to see it with mezcal. Once prepared, A Serious Man showboated an orange, vegetal, and smoke aroma. Next, a vaguely fruity sip opened up into mezcal and Suze's vegetalness that melded into herbaceousness and smoke notes on the swallow.

portorico cocktail

50% Gin (1 1/4 oz Beefeater)
30% Blanc Vermouth (3/4 oz Dolin)
10% Jamaican Rum (1/4 oz Wray & Nephew)
10% Crème de Banane (1/4 oz Tempus Fugit)
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a thin sice of banana (omit).Two Thursday ago, I opened up my translated copy of the 1936 1000 Misture book and spotted the Portorico Cocktail. The name is the Italian spelling of Puerto Rico which is curious for this tropical gin drink calls for Jamaican rum. Moreover, and the combination reminded me of the rhum agricole-containing Preston-Baker. Once mixed, the Portorico gave forth a banana, pineapple, floral, and pine bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and white grape notes on the sip flowed into tropical, rum funk, and pine flavors on the swallow.

electric mayhem

1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a drink that I uncovered in an online collection of recipe flashcards for Long Island Bar and the Rockwell called the Electric Mayhem. The cocktail was attributed to bartender Tim Miner who currently works at the Long Island Bar, and a Timeout article in 2014 placed it at the Jakewalk which closed back in 2016. Once shaken and strained, the Electric Mayhem gave forth a lemon, orange, and clove bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon, orange, and honey notes on the sip evolved into Bourbon, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Although the recipe reads like a Bourbon Naked & Famous, the Angostura took things in a different direction.

storm king

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I got a copy of Sammi Katz and Olivia McGiff's Cocktails in Color book in the mail and was ready to use it that night for a drink. Their Storm King named after the sculpture park in Beacon, New York, was an autumnal Manhattan that quickly caught my eye. Although it had the same name as Damon Boelte's Storm King, it was closer to Sasha Petraske's Fallback with a different ratio of sweet vermouth to Montenegro and here Angostura instead of Peychaud's. Once stirred and strained, the Storm King opened up with orange and apple aromas. Next, the vermouth's grape filled the sip that transitioned into rye, apple, herbal, clementine, and clove flavors on the swallow.

knife fight

2/3 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/3 Brokers Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Campari

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Mondays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcard sets when I came across a noteworthy Negroni riff at Valkyrie in Tulsa. That drink was the Knife Fight that a Yelp review placed around 2019, and it was curious for it had a split mezcal-gin base with the bitter component being a mix of Aperol, Punt e Mes, and Campari. I last tried the mezcal-gin combination in my Mexico City Blues, and it also was utilized in the White Mezcal Negroni. Once mixed, the Knife Fight lunged to the senses with a grapefruit, bitter citrus, and smoke aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip parried a vegetal, pine, and bitter orange swallow with a smoke, tangerine, and grapefruit finish.

right paw of destiny

1 1/2 oz Santa Teresa Rum (3/4 oz Monymusk Gold + 3/4 oz Hamilton Demerara 86°)
1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 dash 1821 Havana & Hide Bitters (Extinct Chemical Co. Abbott's)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a drink from Backbar in Somerville called the Right Paw of Destiny that they posted on their Instagram a while back. This riff on the Right Hand appeared on their 2023 cat-themed menu and would probably be a great companion to their other riff, the Left Hand of Darkness. The Instagram post describes how, "Its name comes from the question: there is a cat with a top hat and monocle riding a raging fiery unicorn with a cigar in its left paw; what’s in its right paw???" Once prepared, the Right Paw of Destiny conjured up caramel, clementine, and grape aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip switched places with rum, bitter orange, nutty, and spice flavors on the swallow.

odessa cocktail

25% Batavia Arrack (3/4 oz von Oosten)
25% Dry Gin (3/4 oz Tanqueray Malacca)
25% Sweet Vermouth (3/4 oz Giacomo Sperone)
25% Campari (3/4 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to 1000 Mistures from 1936 and spotted the Odessa Cocktail which read like a Negroni meets a funky Right Hand. It also bore some resemblance to my Dutch Hand with Genever and mole bitters instead of the gin and Angostura here. In the glass, the Odessa Cocktail presented a grape, herbal, and pine bouquet to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip opened up into funky rum, pine, sharp bitter orange, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

the chicago underground

3/4 oz Jeppson's Malört
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Fridays ago, I spotted a reference to a two year old post on Reddit's cocktails forum from user Fnordianslips for a drink called The Chicago Underground. They describe it as their Chicago-style take on the Industry Sour. The post described, "This Industry Sour riff is an attempt at a cocktail tasty enough to get me through a bottle of Malört. And by God, it works! Fernet adds the complexity Malört's wormwood needs, and it all plays very nicely with lime and simple." Not one to back down from the challenge of drinking two of the most surly liqueurs in one glass (which I did one time before in the Ada Lovecraft), I mixed this one up. The result proffered minty, menthol, pineapple, and grapefruit aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and lime on the sip shuffled into bitter grapefruit, gentian, minty, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

wicked games

1 1/2 oz Pineau des Charentes
1/2 oz Clairin Vaval
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
4 drop Saline Solution

Shake with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora glass.Two Thursdays ago, I ventured down to Assembly Row in Somerville to visit my old co-worker Lucy Comer at Parla XXI. For my first drink, I requested the Wicked Games by Steve Matin and subtitled "Get lost in the thrill of temptation." When Steve sat at my bar a few weeks ago, he showed off a few of his recipes for the new menu on his phone, and I made the comment that the Wicked Games reminded me of a Pompadour. He confirmed that he based it off of Frank Meier's 1934 recipe; his choice of lime instead of lemon reminded me of my tequila riff that I created called The King's Mistress that I created for Loyal Nine (the only bar that I have worked at where we had Pineau des Charentes other than at Drink which seemed to have everything). After Lucy shook and strained the Wicked Games, it greeted the nose with funky rum, melon, and orange aromas. Next, white grape and melon notes on the sip let go into funky rum, lime, and orange flavors with a hint of cinnamon on the swallow.

darling cocktail

20% Cognac (1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
20% Demerara Rum (1/2 oz Hamilton 86°)
20% Batavia Arrack (1/2 oz von Oosten)
30% Sweet Vermouth (3/4 oz Giacomo Sperone)
10% Zara Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a glass rimmed with grenadine and sugar, and garnish with a cherry.Two Wednesdays ago, I received my copy of 1000 Mistures from 1936 by Elvezio Grassi and recently translated by J.E. Clapham. For a starter, I honed in on the Darling Cocktail since I had not used my bottle of Batavia Arrack that much in the last year (save for the Lethal Weapon and Hitman). The trio of Cognac, rum, and Batavia Arrack screams out classic punches, but the only recipe that I could find that called for all three was Shannon Mustipher's modern Old Rogue punch. Here the three spirits were in a Martinez sort of format, so the straight spirits nature made me curious. In the glass, the Darling Cocktail offered up dark rum and nutty cherry aromas. Next, grape notes with a hint of molasses on the sip shifted into Cognac, funky and woody rum, nutty cherry, and clove flavors on the swallow.

patty o'cann

1 oz Teeling Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Bowmore 12 Year Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Dolin Rouge Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone Sweet)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass (coupe), and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I was looking through online recipe flashcards for Irish whiskey drinks when I came across the Patty O'Cann at the Butcher Chef in Toronto for their August 2021 menu. I soon confirmed the drink, ingredients, and approximate date from a GoogleMaps menu photo. The Cynar, Benedictine, and sweet vermouth trio is one that has prospered in the Tight Five and Halls of Power, so I was curious to try it with a split of whiskies. Once stirred and strained, the Patty O'Cann gave forth a peat smoke, grape, and herbal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes mingled on the sip and were chased by smoky whisky, dark fruit, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

bully pulpit

2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Rabarbaro (Bully Boy) (*)
1/4 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Zucca and Sfumato are other rabarbaros.

For an article on local amari that I am currently writing, I visited a few distilleries to get their stories, and I was tasked with creating a recipe for three of them. For Bully Boy in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, I selected their rabarbaro over their standard amaro (Montenegro-Nonino-like) and their rosso amaro (Campari-ish) to craft a recipe. Rabarbaros are made with the smoky, earthy, roasty, and bitter root of rhubarb which is very different from the fruity stalk above ground. Two famous rabarbaros are Zucca and Sfumato, and Bully Boy's is closer to Zucca with a touch of root beer notes akin to Ramazzotti. For a direction, I latched onto the rabarbaro-orange liqueur combination that I have tried in a pair of drinks, namely the Lush Interlude and Dark Matter. I used the 3:1 ratio that I extracted from Cure's Black & Bluegrass (overlooking the Aperol) that I used in the Devil's Staircase. For a spirit, I chose for mezcal (although I will offer up tequila as an option in the article) and accented it with mole bitters for depth and roundness. For a name, I dubbed this one the Bully Pulpit which is a conspicuous position that allows one to speak and be listened to and was coined by Teddy Roosevelt. In the glass, the Bully Pulpit shouted out orange, roast, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, the curaçao's orange note filled the sip and the swallow gave forth smoky vegetal, roast, and chocolate flavors.

pulitzer

40 mL Bacardi Cuatro Rum (1 1/2 oz Hamilton's White Stache)
10 mL Aperol (1/2 oz)
15 mL Honey Syrup (1/2 oz)
15 mL Lime Juice (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wedge (lime wheel).After uncovering the recipe posts on London's Satan's Whiskers' Instagram with the King's County, I returned and selected the Pulitzer from last year. There is another Pulitzer on this blog, namely Eastern Standard's, but the only similarity is the Aperol and the stemmed glassware. This one is more like a Brooklynite where the dash of Angostura Bitters was substituted for Aperol here. Once prepared, the Pulitzer welcomed the nose with a lime, floral, and orange aroma. Next, lime and honey notes on the sip developed into rum, bitter orange, and floral flavors on the swallow.

stink eye

2 oz Knob Creek Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Cynar
1 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (2 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixirs)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make a recipe called the Stink Eye that a friend posted on Instagram earlier in the week. The drink was created by St. Paul, Minnesota, enthusiast Craig Eliason and posted on KindredCocktails. Overall, it read like Eastern Standard's Fernet Cocktail with a little more Punt e Mes, less Fernet and spice from the whiskey (rye vs. Bourbon), and the addition of Cynar and walnut bitters. In the glass, the Stink Eye showcased a lemon and minty-menthol bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and a hint of caramel on the sip opened up into Bourbon, herbal, and menthol flavors on the swallow. While it was indeed similar to that Fernet Cocktail, the Cynar did have a small modulating effect on the herbal signature to make it a touch more complex.

king's county

40 mL Aberfeldy 12 Year Scotch (1 1/2 oz Royal Brackla 12 Year)
15 mL Compass Box Peat Monster (1/2 oz Ardbeg 10 Year)
10 mL Punt e Mes (2 tsp, 1/3 oz)
10 mL Luxardo Maraschino (2 tsp, 1/3 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays, I spotted an adapted version of the King's County on Difford's Guide and tracked it back to the source – namely, the bar's Instagram. In a 2024 post, Satan's Whiskers in London had posted the recipe of this double Scotch Red Hook of sorts. The combination of Scotch, Punt e Mes, and Maraschino appeared in the Cowboy Killer and the Meat Hook, so I was curious to try their take on it. Once prepared, the Kings' County proffered a nutty cherry and peat smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, cherry, and malt notes on the sip opened up into smoky Scotch and herbal cherry flavors on the swallow.

rockefeller

2 oz Chairman's Legacy Aged Rum (Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Cinnamon Demerara Syrup
Stir with ice and strain into a coupe that had been partially rimmed with cinnamon and had the inside smoked with a torched piece of cinnamon stick.Two Thursdays ago, I uncovered online recipe flashcards for Otto's High Dive in Orlando, and I was drawn in by the Rockefeller for their Christmas 2024 menu. I was able to find both a menu photo and a drink photo via Instagram geotags to confirm the ingredients and the presentation. I was curious to try this one for its Braulio-Benedictine combination was one I utilized in the Mexico City Blues after mashing up two drinks. In the glass, the Rockefeller gave forth cinnamon, pungent smoke, caramel, and pine aromas. Next, a caramel-driven sip flowed into rum, herbal, pine, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

devil's disciple

1 1/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Amaro Zucca or Sfumato (Sfumato)
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.After thinking about the Sfumato-Ancho Reyes combination in two drinks, the Ashes in Our Mouths and Comanche Club, I decided to tinker. I combined that duo with the 3:1 rye to mezcal combination that I learned from recipes like the Devil's Soul plus a touch of mole bitters. For a name, I dubbed this the Devil's Disciple after a possible reference to Alestair Crowley in Ernest Hemingway's posthumous A Moveable Feast book written about Paris in the 1920s. Once prepared, the Devil's Disciple shot forth a grapefruit, vegetal, and roast aroma. Next, a roasted vegetal-fruity sip waylaid rye, vegetal, smoky, dried fruit, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

white elephant

3/4 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1 tsp Luxardo Amaretto
1/2 tsp Nocino (Russo)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry and an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I turned to Imbibe Magazine's archives and found the White Elephant by Isaac Shumway as his take on fruitcake flavors via a 2021 article. Isaac opened the California Gold bar in San Rafael, California, in 2019, so perhaps he created it there. As sort of a Rob Roy meets a French Connection (a Cognac-based Godfather) with a touch of walnut in the mix, I was willing to give this one a shot. Here, the White Elephant approached with a grape and almond bouquet. Next, the vermouth's grape continued on into the sip where it was followed by smoky Scotch, Cognac, and herbal flavors on the swallow with fruity-nutty accents from the amaretto and walnut ones from the nocino.

exploding plastic inevitable

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.After seeing folks make my As I Lay Dying on Instagram, I thought about the Braulio-apricot combination and merged it with the Pendennis Club. In retrospect, I could have left out the Pendennis Club's Peychaud's akin to the Campari acting like the Pegu Club's Angostura in the Jasmine, but Peychaud's has a good track record of improving drinks. I named this weird one after the multimedia events in the 1960s thrown by Andy Warhol and friends called the Exploding Plastic Inevitable that I read about in Ada Calhoun's St. Marks is Dead book. In the glass, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable evolved a smoke, apricot, vegetal, and pine bouquet. Next, lime and orchard fruit on the sip spun into smoke, bitter pine and apricot, and vegetal flavors on the swallow.

on the beltline

1 1/2 oz Old Forester Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/2 oz Planteray Xaymaca Rum
1/4 oz Lustau Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1 tsp Giffard Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1 dash Bitter End Moroccan Bitters (The Bitter Housewife Cardamom)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Note: no instructions were given, so this was my best guess.Two Sundays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcard sets when I came across an interesting recipe from the Forth Club in Atlanta last year. The drink was On the Beltline with a split Bourbon-rum base sweetened by sherry and crème de cacao, and its name seemed to be a boxing reference for a low but legal blow until I learned that the Atlanta Beltline is a 22 mile former railway corridor around Atlanta that has helped to redevelop the city. After I mixed this up like an Old Fashioned, the On the Beltline bloomed with orange, raisin, and chocolate aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip flowed into Bourbon, funky rum, dried fruit, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

polynesian paradise

1 1/2 oz Gold Rum (Planteray Isle of Fiji)
1 tsp Brown Sugar
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/4 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)

Stir brown sugar and lime juice to dissolve. Add the rest of the ingredients, shake with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of Stan Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide and spotted the Polynesian Paradise. The recipe reminded me of a Floridita in style: rum, lime, vermouth, and two sweeteners that I mirrored in the Devil Walking Next to Me and Creolita, and a Daiquiri riff sounded like a perfect way to end the evening. Once shaken and strained, the Polynesian Paradise welcomed the senses with a rum funk, lime, and brown sugar aroma. Next, lime, molasses, and grape notes on the sip sailed away towards rum, brown sugar, orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

five year plan

1 1/4 oz Yellowstone Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/2 oz Delord Napoleon Armagnac (Marie Duffau)
1/4 oz Don Ciccio Nocino (Russo Nocino)
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittertruth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with orange and lemon twists.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Death & Co. marketplace site and landed on the recipe for the Five Year Plan. It was created by bartender Summer Goff at their Denver outpost in 2023, and Summer dubbed the drink after the question "Where do you see yourself in five years?" that sends Summer "reeling into absolute panic, and naming that cocktail after it is the closest thing I've gotten to an answer." With the same walnut liqueur-cinnamon syrup duo from The World is Yours from three days prior, I was game to give this one with Bourbon-Armagnac instead of Japanese whisky-sherry a go. In the glass, the Five Year Plan opened up with orange, lemon, cinnamon, and nutty aromas. Next, caramel-roast notes on the sip finished off with Bourbon, walnut, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

yamabuki

1 1/2 oz Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays prior, I turned to Imbibe Magazine where I found the Yamabuki in an October 2020 article. The recipe was created by Evan Leihy at the Swordfish Cocktail Club in Greenville, South Carolina, and Yamabuki translates to "mountain breath." Since the Montenegro-blanc vermouth combination worked well in the Catnap with Jamaican rum, I was curious to see how it would play out with Japanese whisky. In the glass, the Yamabuki gave forth lemon and clementine aromas to the nose. Next, white grape notes with a hit of orange-apricot came through on the sip and were followed by whisky, clementine, nectarine, and floral flavors on the swallow.

green hornet

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
[1/8 oz Demerara Syrup]

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. The syrup was my addition after mixing and tasting it to give it some needed sweetness to balance the alcohol heat as well as to give it some body.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the KindredCocktails database when I spotted the Green Hornet by Thad Volger at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco circa 2008. It was originally posted on eGullet, and the database entry alluded to the Fernet and Chartreuse with the note, "Sometimes a drink needs two tyrants." In my head, it reminded me of Ted Kilgore's Purgatory of rye, Chartreuse, and Benedictine, and to complete the trio, there was also the Oldfield of rye, Benedictine, and Fernet. Moreover, the Fernet-Chartreuse combination also starred in the Daiquiri-like Industry Sour. In the glass, the Green Hornet opened up with rye, herbaceous, and menthol aromas. Next, caramel notes on the sip transformed into rye, minty-menthol, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.

the world is yours

2 oz Hibiki Harmony Japanese Whisky (Suntory Toki)
1/2 oz La Garrocha Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
1/4 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters (Bitter Cube Trinity)
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist studded with cloves.Two Tuesdays ago, I was searching KindredCocktails for Japanese whisky drinks when I spotted The World is Yours by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles. The combination of walnut and cinnamon worked well in the Man In a Yellow Hat and in my Shadows & Tall Trees, and oloroso sherry seemed like it would tie it all together. My guess is that the drink name is based on the 1994 song by Nas that paid homage to the movie Scarface. In the glass, The World is Yours gave forth a lemon, nutty, and cinnamon aroma. Next, grape and malty notes on the sip led into whisky, walnut, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

key cocktail

1 1/2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Falernum (1/2 oz Velvet)
1/4 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (1/2 oz Coruba)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a pineapple stick (omit garnish).Two Mondays ago, I reached for my copy of the 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide and spotted the Key Cocktail. While the name reminded me of Death & Co.'s Key Party, the four part rum, gin, lime, and sweetener structure reminded me of the 1937 Daiquiri Special but with falernum instead of grenadine. In more complex form, the gin, rum, falernum, and lime aspect was one that I had seen in the Bali Bali and included in the Monkey Pilot. In the glass, the Key Cocktail proffered a caramel, rum funk, lime, and clove bouquet to the nose. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip set up caramel, lime, juniper, and clove flavors on the swallow. While the combination was balanced as made (it seemed a touch tart as written), it definitely needed a little pizzazz like a dash of absinthe, a funkier rum, and/or a softer modern gin (like the Barr Hill that I used in the Daiquiri Special) to give it some intrigue.

zakim

2 oz Evan Williams Bonded Bourbon
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz House Falernum (Velvet)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Sundays ago, I spotted an interesting Manhattan variation on KindredCocktails called the Zakim from Alcove in Boston circa 2022. The database only had a reverse engineered recipe, so I hunted one down on the restaurant's Instagram and update the database accordingly. The drink was named after the stunning bridge visible from their doorway that leads into the Big Dig tunnel, and the combination of Punt e Mes and falernum is one that I have only seen a few times such as in the Flor de Muertos but always with citrus. The tropical Manhattan variation with Punt e Mes reminded me of the orgeat instead of falernum Little Caribbean, so I was intrigued to give this one a try. In the glass, the Zakim showcased lemon, Bourbon, and clove aromas. Next, the Punt e Mes' grape filled the sip that flowed into Bourbon, bitter herbal, clove, ginger, and lime flavors on the swallow.

606

1 1/2 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a reference on KindredCocktails to the 606, and I was able to track it down in my 2010 copy of the Left Coast Libations book. The drink was created by San Francisco bartender Neyah White, and the recipe was on the same page as his Old Bill that I made shortly after purchasing the book at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010. The idea of Genever, Fernet, and vermouth reminded me a little of the Central Carré with Punt e Mes at Rendezvous, but if the Genever was a stand-in for gin, I could visualize this as a riff on the 1920s Hanky Panky. Once stirred and strained, the 606 presented an orange, malty, and bitter herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, malty, grape, and caramel notes on the sip opened up into malty, bitter herbal, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

sasaki garden

1 1/2 oz Nikka Coffey Grain Japanese Whisky (Suntory Toki)
1/2 oz Avua Amburana Cachaça (Salinas Umburana)
2 tsp Caffo Amaretto (Luxardo)
1 tsp Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I looked to my Death & Co. book indices for recipes that utilize Japanese whisky, and I found the Sasaki Garden in their Welcome Home edition. The recipe was crafted by bartender Sam Johnson in 2019, and it was his ode to a park on the N.Y.U. campus that he used to walk through on the way to the bar. While the name reminded me of my Mytoi Gardens that I created at Russell House Tavern, the split spirits-split modifiers structure made me think of my Gallivanting in Golden Gai with orgeat and Maraschino. Since Scotch paired well with amaretto in the 1970s classic, the Godfather, and Scotch with apricot liqueur in the Golden Dog, I was curious to see how the two liqueurs worked with Japanese whisky. In the glass, the Sasaki Garden gave forth lemon and marzipan aromas. Next, a vaguely nutty and orchard fruit sip traversed into whisky, almond, cinnamon spice, and apricot flavors on the swallow. While the cachaça as a spirit got a little lost in the mix, the amburana wood finish came through with its delightful cinnamon spice note.

tokyo dagger

2 oz Yamazaki 12 Year Japanese Whisky (Suntory Toki)
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1/2 oz Bonal Gentiane Quina

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry or a lemon twist (lemon twist).Two Thursdays ago, I had purchased a bottle of Toki Japanese Whisky, and I set off to find an inaugural recipe to make with it. The one I selected was the Tokyo Dagger by Sean Kenyon at Williams & Graham in Denver via a defunct Liquor-dot-com article where the recipe was captured on KindredCocktails. I soon found a blog post about the bar in 2012 that mentioned the drink. The combination of whisky and Pedro Ximenez sherry is one that has blossomed in the Rapscallion, William Wallace, Black Francis, and other recipes, so I knew that it would hit the spot with some Bonal in the mix. In the glass, the Tokyo Dagger gave forth a lemon and raisin aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip from the quinquina and sherry opened up into whisky, herbal, dried cherry, and fig flavors on the swallow with a rather dry finish.

sidewinder

2 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to an online collection of San Diego's Polite Provision recipes, and I spotted the Sidewinder that appeared like an interesting riff on the Rattlesnake from the Savoy Cocktail Book. Despite the overlapping ingredients of apple brandy and absinthe, it had nothing to do with Death & Co.'s Sidewinder riff on the Diamondback. While I was not able to find evidence of it in the Polite Provisions' Yelp menu photos, the idea of an apple brandy-maple syrup Rattlesnake was too tempting to pass up. Once assembled, the Sidewinder slithered to the nose with a lemon, apple, maple, and anise bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip with a caramel-like note from the maple led into apple, maple, and anise-herbal flavors on the swallow.

orchard sour

2 oz Germain-Robin Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1/2 oz Apricot or Peach Liqueur (Mathilde Peche)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Tuesdays ago, I had just entered my Bobcat's Tail into the Kindred Cocktails, and the database suggested the Orchard Sour as a related recipe. That drink was created by Darren Crawford at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco as published by Camper English in Fine Cooking in 2011. The idea of a Sour sweetened by peach and cinnamon worked well in the Peachy Keen and the Probitas Swizzle and by apricot and cinnamon in the Southern Belle and Transatlantic Orbit, so I was hooked. With the Orchard Sour made with peach liqueur, it offered up peach and cinnamon aromas to the nose. Next, lemon and orchard fruit notes on the sip flowed into brandy, canned peach, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

marco! polo!

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Cynar
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Mondays ago after getting home from our Saratoga Springs adventure, I needed a nightcap. Therefore, I returned to the online recipe flashcards from Sundry & Vice in Cincinnati and landed on the Marco! Polo! that Yelp menu and drink photos place to 2017. Since there was some similarity to True Romance with mezcal, Ancho Reyes, and Cynar, I was game. Once mixed, the Marco! Polo! ventured to the nose with grapefruit, vegetal, chili peper, and smoke aromas. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip transitioned into vegetal, dried fruit, smoke, chocolate, and spice flavors on the swallow.

[familiar creature]

3/4 oz Madre Mezcal
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I made an overnight trip to Saratoga Springs, New York. Andrea had suggested Albany, but I countered with Saratoga Springs since I had just given a talk that covered the city's cocktail history but had never been. While it was a challenge to find places that were open on Superbowl Sunday, we did go to the one brewery that was open and then an excellent champagne bar. When we lamented to the bartender at the second bar that cocktail places like Hamlet & the Ghost were closed due to the sporting event, he countered with the information that their sister establishment, Familiar Creature that recently opened, was a possibility that night; moreover, the brother-sister duo who were instrumental in the Hamlet & the Ghost program were now at the new spot. For a drink, I asked for a bartender's choice from Gerry Akins who mixed up a mezcal riff on a Paper Plane that I dubbed Familiar Creature after the three overlapping ingredients as well as the name of the establishment. With mezcal in the mix instead of Bourbon, the whole combination was indeed familiar but it took on a new life and direction of its own. In the glass, the cocktail gave forth a lemon, caramel, vegetal, orange, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and lemon notes on the sip soared into caramel, orange, and smoky mezcal flavors on the swallow.

forefather

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1 oz Roger Groult Reserve Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters (*)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon oil from a twist.
(*) See text, but the drink was originally created with Bittermens Tiki Bitters.Two Saturdays, I decided to make another recipe that I had spotted on the Death & Co. marketplace site called the Forefather. The recipe was created by bartender Evan Flynn at their Denver outpost in 2023, and he was helped by his bar manager Scott Keys to create this after dinner drink for the menu. It read like a Honeymoon Cocktail with a split apple brandy base but without the lemon juice so I was sold. After I posted the drink on Instagram, Evan chimed in with, "Hey thanks for making this one! It's a real special one for me. If you try it again, try substituting Bittermens Tiki Bitters for the mole bitters. Scott and I originally wrote the drink with those bitters but the menu this drink was on already had too many drinks with tiki bitters so we ended up moving to mole bitters. Let me know which one you end up enjoying!" I did not have a chance to remake the drink with tiki bitters (I lately sub in Bittercube's Corazon since I lack the Bittermens product), but with mole bitters, the Forefather began with lemon, apple, and orange aromas. Next, a vaguely fruity sip opened up into apple, herbal, orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

patrician

1 1/2 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I spotted a new recipe on Difford's Guide called the Patrician by Jason Clapham in Oxford, England. This one was different from the Patrician created as part of the Flight of Heraldry of Negroni variations at No. 9 Park. Instead, it was an Armagnac recipe that reminded me of the Scarecrow with the amaro, here Ciociaro, being modified with a small amount of Fernet Branca. Moreover, the combination of Fernet and crème de cacao made me think of the Fernet Alexander that I crafted in 2009 to answer the Anvil's 100 Drink List's Alexander description of "spirit, crème de cacao, cream" (I was inspired by the Campari Alexander that the Anvil got press for). Here, the Patrician gave forth a lemon and menthol bouquet. Next, caramel on the sip blossomed into brandy, caramel orange, minty, chocolate, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

lethal weapon

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Batavia Arrack (von Oosten)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 dropper Tiki Bitters (2 dash Bitter Cube Corazon)

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass with ice (Tiki mug with crushed ice).Two Thursdays ago, my friend Chris Almeida posted a story of a Facebook memory from 2022 of the recipe for the Lethal Weapon that he created at The Tasty in Plymouth, Massachusetts.The drink's combination of Smith & Cross, Batavia Arrack, lime, and falernum was one that I had enjoyed before in the Privateer, so I was curious to see how it would do with vanilla syrup and Tiki bitters here. Once prepared, the Lethal Weapon opened up with lime, vanilla, and rum funk aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip flipped into funky and earthy rums, vanilla, and clove flavors on the swallow.

cavalier

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Bushmills Singe Malt Irish Whiskey (Knappogue Castle)
1 1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/2 tsp Cane Syrup (Sirop JM)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
2 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I was listening to Vinepair's Cocktail College podcast on the Fourth Regiment with bartender Chris Lemperle of the Crane Club in Manhattan. I first tried the Fourth Regiment, a Manhattan with a trio of bitters including celery, when it appeared on Anvil's 100 Drinks List back in 2013. Chris also covered a bonus recipe, the Cavalier, which was the bar's three spirits riff on the Fourth Regiment perhaps to mirror the three bitters in the mix, and I decided to make one that night. In the glass, the Cavalier offered up lemon, grape, herbal, and anise aromas to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip flowed into rye, apple, nutmeg, anise, orange, and celery flavors on the swallow.

surfing valhalla

1 1/2 oz Aquavit (Linie)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Syrup
1/2 oz Cynar

Shake with ice, strain to a coupe, and garnish with a lime wedge (omit the garnish; also it was not observed in a Yelp drink photo in 2018).Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Rosewater in Houston and spotted their Surfing Valhalla that seemed intriguing. The restaurant's website describes it as "A sort of Nordic-inspired Daiquiri variation. We introduced this one in the Spring of 2017, and it's long been a favorite of the owner, but he's obsessed with aquavit and Genever." The obsession of aquavit and Genever reminded me of Vandaag in Manhattan which I had the chance to visit back in 2011. Once prepared, the Surfing Valhalla paddled out to the nose with caraway, lime, and herbal aromas. Next, lime and pineapple notes on the sip crested into caraway, grapefruit pith, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

mane of needles

2 oz Bulleit Rye (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Campari
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I spotted an interesting recipe on Difford's Guide called the Mane of Needles, and I tracked down the unadapted recipe to the Drinks & Drinking blog. There, Jason O'Bryan described how he created the drink at URBN in San Diego in 2012 after getting inspired by The Violet Hour's Autumn Negroni. His blog is where I found that 2011 Negroni riff, and I noted in my blog post how it bears resemblance to The Violet Hour's Eeyore's Requiem with the Fernet Branca. The Mane of Needles was named after a lyric in Cassandra Gemini's song Frances the Mule, and once assembled, it gave forth an orange, grape, and herbal bouquet. Next, grape and a hint of caramel on the sip led into rye whiskey, bitter orange, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

mexico city blues

3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz London Dry Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Sundays ago, I got inspired by recalling the mezcal-gin combination which made more sense to me once I saw juniper trees growing in the agave fields in Oaxaca in January 2023 and had Gracias a Dios Agave Gin from Oaxaca on the Josephine bar shelf a few months later. That duo had me finding the recipes and mashing up the Kerouac with Benedictine and the Thieves in the Night with Braulio. I originally tried a 1:1:1/2:1/2 structure akin to the Big Spender, but that turned out a little thin. I then added a little sweet vermouth to the mix which helped, but it came together more with Punt e Mes when I started again fresh. For a name, I dubbed this one Mexico City Blues after one of Jack Kerouac's short stories. In the glass, the drink showcased caramel, pine, and chocolate aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes mingled on the sip before flowing into vegetal, pine, chocolate, grapefruit zest, herbal, and smoke flavors on the swallow.