cobra's tail

3/4 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1 1/4 oz Bonded Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

After going to Wusong Road where I tasted their Cobra's Fang riff for the Chinese New Years celebration for the Year of the Snake, I became inspired. When I looked at a modern remake of the 1937 Cobra's Fang and the classic 1962 Cobra, the remake's OFTD Rum called out to me and I wanted to pair it with brandy from the Road to Ruin a few nights before. I then removed the orange juice component, and instead of doing the Paul McGee move of subbing in curaçao, I opted for Campari given how well it pairs with passion fruit in the Novara. In considering of the remake's addition of falernum, I thought about allspice dram with how well it worked with Campari in the Chester Rapkin, Negroni Grog, and other drinks. With the allspice dram, I realized that it was close to a Lion's Tail, and I switched the Cognac to Bourbon. For a name, my mind went to the Cobra's Tail; I later uncovered the Lion's Fang which would have been the other choice (that recipe is less like the Cobra's Fang and closer to a Lion's Tail though, and definitely distinct from my end result).The Cobra's Tail proffered a cinnamon, passion fruit, orange, and allspice aroma. Next, caramel and lime notes on the sip slithered into funky rum, Bourbon, passion fruit, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Indeed, with all of the overproof and bonded spirits plus the liqueurs, the Cobra's Tail left a detectable bite when I woke up the next day.

wonderlust king

2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye (Rittenhouse Bonded)
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
1 dash Saline (4 drop 20% Salt Solution)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays, I was perusing a bar's online recipe flashcards when I spotted a curious borrowed recipe, the Wonderlust King from Esquire Tavern in San Antonio. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Jackson Ward with different proportions; however, the Wonderlust King is closer to a Little Italy in structure than Jackson Ward's more Black Manhattan-like recipe. In the glass, the Wonderlust King dictated an orange and herbal aroma. Next, caramel and grape notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow rounded things off with rye, root beer, licorice, herbal, and chocolate flavors.

road to ruin

3/4 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
3/4 oz Butchertown Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Amaro Zucca (Sfumato)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.Two Fridays ago, I landed upon online recipe flashcards for Rosewater in Houston, and the Road to Ruin called out to me as an oddity akin to the Last Mechanical Art. Their website describes it as "An aggressively boozy and bitter cocktail from 2016. You'll probably hate it, but it's ok, because it hates you too (limit 1)." Moreover, the rum, Punt e Mes, and Zucca/Sfumato combination reminded me of the Improved Kingston Negroni and 1872 Cocktail, so I was intrigued. Once mixed, the Road to Ruin gave forth a roast and herbal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip flowed into dark rum, roast, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

velvet death

1 1/2 oz Death's Door Gin (Tree House Brewing Percy's)
3/4 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 bsp Absinthe (1/12 oz or 1/2 tsp Kübler)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a flamed orange or lemon twist (unflamed lemon twist).Two Thursdays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcards when I found the Velvet Death from Culinary Dropout in Tucson, Arizona. I soon found another set's recipe which varied by garnish and absinthe amount and delivery (one was a vague "top with absinthe" and the other was a barspoon of Matahari absinthe in the shake). I also found an article that described the drink as "a tart Corpse Reviver"; however, it reminded me more of a gin Royal Bermuda Yacht Club with absinthe or a gin Test Pilot minus bitters. In the glass, the Velvet Death summoned lemon, orange, pine, and anise aromas. Next, a lemon and orange sip crept into gin, orange, clove, and anise flavors on the swallow.

pink rabbit

1 1/4 oz 400 Conejos Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Campari
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays prior, I found the recipe for a curious drink via online recipe flashcards called the Pink Rabbit. This cocktail created at Clyde's in Alexandria, Virginia, and appeared on their Spring/Summer 2024 menu read like an M&M (equal parts mezcal and Montenegro) met Bergamot's Montenegroni and Monte Cassino, so I was sold. Once prepared, the Pink Rabbit hopped to the nose with an orange, smoke, and vegetal aroma. Next, orange and tangerine notes on the sip unfurled smoky vegetal, bitter orange, and soft cantaloupe flavors on the swallow.

peat's dragon

1 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition Blended Scotch
1/2 oz Single Malt Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/4 oz Black Pepper Tincture (3 Peppercorns, muddled)

Stir with ice and strain (double strain) into a coupe.After I posted about Clover Club's Peat's Dragon on Instagram, one of my friends mentioned another Peat's Dragon created at the Up & Up in Manhattan. I was able to track it down first to Difford's Guide which led me to an unadapted version from Cheers Magazine in 2016 that attributed it to bartender Matt Piacentini. I decided to utilized muddled black peppercorns which worked in drinks like the Fresa Catrina and Bee Sting instead of making a black pepper tincture. When I posted this version on Instagram, a friend commented, "Good timing - will make this to raise a toast to the late Peter Yarrow RIP" for Yarrow passed on January 7th of this year. Once mixed, this Peat's Dragon showcased a smoky Scotch and orange bouquet. Next, peach and pear notes on the sip slid into smoky Scotch, orange, and black pepper flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Ardbeg's peat notes and the black pepper complemented each other rather deliciously.

la corla

1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Rosso Antico Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Select Aperitivo (*)
1/2 oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
2 dash Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters (2 dash from a Japanese bitters bottle)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add a large ice cube, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Select is somewhere between Campari and Aperol, so perhaps a sub could be 1/4 oz of each.Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I headed down to Equal Measure for the Dutch Kills pop-up event sponsored by Amaro Montenegro. For a second drink, I asked bar owner Richie Boccato for the La Corla that my neighbor was rather enjoying; moreover, the idea of a Kingston Negroni cross with a Coffee Negroni seemed like a good way to round out the visit. Once served, La Corla donated orange, rum funk, and coffee aromas to the nose. Next, coffee roast, grape, caramel, and orange notes on the sip were chased by funky rum, bitter coffee, and roast flavors on the swallow.

fireside chat

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Peloton de la Muerte Mezcal
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch, add a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I spied an Old Fashioned variation in a set of online recipe flashcards called the Fireside Chat that seemed to complement the cold weather outside. The drink was created at Clyde's in Alexandria, Virginia, and it appeared on their Fall 2023 menu via both the information from the cards and an old online menu. While the Cognac-mezcal duo reminded me of the 1910 Cocktail, the maple-allspice dram combination has been enjoyed several times before in drinks like the French Toast Flip and Orchard. Moreover, the whole mix was similar to the Armagnac-containing Black Powder from the Death & Co. Welcome Home book. Once prepared, the Fireside Chat conjured up orange, peat smoke, and maple aromas to the nose. Next, a rich, caramelized sip flowed into Cognac, agave, maple, and allspice flavors on the swallow with a smoke and orange finish.

paix to play

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1/4 oz Campari

No instructions were provided, so I stirred with ice, strained into a cocktail coupe glass, and garnished with an orange twist (a grapefruit one might have worked well here too).While searching for online recipe flashcards featuring Pedro Ximenez sherry, I uncovered a set from La Moule in Portland, Oregon. The recipe Paix to Play with Bourbon, Cynar, and Campari in the mix seemed like a winner, and I was able to find bartender Daniel Olivas posting about it and claiming ownership on his Instagram. Overall, it reminded me of the Dead Italian Cocktail but with a sweeter sherry and a touch of Campari instead of Angostura Bitters. Once prepared, the Paix to Play opened up with an orange, caramel, and raisin bouquet on top of the smile that the pun in the name brought. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip subsided into Bourbon, funky vegetal, raisin, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

peat's dragon

2 1/4 oz Wild Turkey 101° Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 tsp Peat Monster Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with an orange twist.For a drink two Fridays ago, I ended up perusing the online recipe flashcards for the Fall 2024/Winter 2025 menu at Clover Club in Brooklyn. There, the Peat's Dragon caught my eye; while there are other Peat's Dragons including one from the Up & Up nearby Clover Club, this one spoke to me. The combination of Bourbon, Sfumato, and Scotch reminded me fondly of Sother Teague's Char No. 8 but here with cream sherry and blanc vermouth. Once prepared, Peat's Dragon flew to the nose with orange, grape, and peat smoke aromas. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip fell into Bourbon, smoky, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a gentle sherry finish.

improved scotch cocktail

2 oz House Scotch Blend (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse Smoky Black + 3/4 oz Royal Brackla 12 Year)
1 tsp Luxardo Maraschino
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1 dash Fee's Black Wanut Bitters (3 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixirs Walnut Bitters)
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcard sets for Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and their Improved Scotch Cocktail called out to me. Here, they added in maple and walnut notes to the classic structure of the Improved Whiskey Cocktail which seemed like a delightful complement to the spirit. They featured this version in 2023 while on other years' menus, it was a honey-driven one as deduced from Yelp menu photos. In the glass, the Improved Scotch Cocktail offered up orange, Scotch, and nutty cherry aromas. Next, maple and cherry notes on the sip transitioned into Scotch, maple, cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

instant crush

1 1/2 oz Patron Silver Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Ilegal Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/8 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Bitter Sling Moondog Latin Bitters (Bitter Cube Corazon)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a heart-shaped orange twist on a skull pick (if available).Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to CocktailWonk's release of Tomas Estes' The Tequila Ambassador, and I spotted the Instant Crush by Lauren Mote of Amsterdam. The combination of cassis and Fernet was one that I experienced in the Wells Cocktail from Louis' Mixed Drinks back in 1906, so I was curious to try it here as an accent in an agave-Cocchi Americano concept. Once stirred and strained, the Instant Crush greeted the nose with an orange, dark berry, and herbal bouquet. Next, dark fruit notes on the sip were requited by smoky agave, syrupy red and black fruit, and bitter menthol flavors on the swallow.

agave orchard

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Laird's Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/4 oz Becherovka
2 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.While researching the Orchard in Manhattan that I had two nights previous, I found this similar recipe by Sother Teague that I had not tried before. That one was the Agave Orchard that he created for Bergen Hill in Brooklyn and that was published in a 2014 Imbibe Magazine article. This variation had tequila and celery bitters instead of Cognac and apple bitters plus a different recipe structure. In the glass, the Agave Orchard bloomed with orange, cinnamon, and pear aromas. Next, pear and nectarine notes on the sip flowed into tequila, apple, clove, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow with a celery finish.

renegade

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Fee's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I began perusing the KindredCocktails database when I spotted a mezcal-Bourbon split-based Alaska riff of sorts called the Renegade that was akin to the tequila-Batavia Arrack Juno that I found in Drink's recipe collection. The Renegade was crafted by Sara Rosales, a Seattle bartender and co-owner of Lady Jaye who entered it into the database in 2013. In the glass, the Renegade surged forward with orange, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, a honey-tinged sip was toppled over by whiskey, vegetal, pine, orange, herbal, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

orchard in manhattan

1 1/4 oz Louis Royer Force 53 VSOP Cognac (1 1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
1 1/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Morin Calvados Selection)
1/2 oz Becherovka
1 dash Apple Bitters (Dashfire Spiced Apple)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an apple slice.Two Sundays ago, I opened up my new purchase of Adam Ford's Vermouth book, and when I flipped to the recipe section, the Orchard in Manhattan by Sother Teague at Amor y Amargo called out to me. The idea of a Harvard Cocktail (a/k/a a Cognac Manhattan) with apple and winter spice accents seemed rather appealing, so I set to work. In the glass, the Orchard in Manhattan unfurled toward the nose with apple, grape, clove, and cinnamon aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip grew into Cognac, apple, cinnamon, clove, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

ashes in our mouths

1 1/2 oz Sombra Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Zucca or Sfumato (Sfumato)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Saturdays, I was flipping through the KindredCocktails database when I spotted the Ashes in Our Mouths by user Applejack from Chicago in 2016. Applejack took the name from a line in President JFK's 1962 Cuban missile crisis speech where he, according to one historian, "walked a rhetorical tightrope between the language of diplomacy and the language of war." Kennedy declared, "We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth, but neither will we shrink from that risk at any time it must be faced." Overall, the combination reminded me of Raines Law Room's Comanche Club minus its Campari component. Once prepared, the Ashes in Our Mouths began with a grapefruit, smoke, and herbal bouquet. Next, grape and dried fruit notes on the sip launched into smoky mezcal, earthy, bitter, dried pepper, and spice flavors on the swallow.

brooklyn 2.0

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
1/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/8 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.While perusing a set of online recipe flashcards from Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco, I was intrigued by the Brooklyn 2.0 that I was able to date to around 2015 from a Yelp drink photo. Besides the swap from Picon to Nonino, the bar opted for blanc vermouth instead of the original's dry vermouth akin to what Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin did with the White Collar at Dutch Kills (using Ciociaro for the Picon). Once mixed, the Brooklyn 2.0 danced to the nose with rye and nutty cherry aromas. Next, a white grape sip with a hint of caramel transitioned into rye, caramel orange, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow with a bitter pithy finish.

twelve five

1 1/2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Absinthe or Herbsaint (Herbsaint)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays ago, I reached for Jeff Mason and Greg Boehm's The Big Bartender Book and spotted the Twelve Five by Jamie Boudreau. I tracked down the recipe to Jamie's Spirits And Cocktails blog in December 2007 for the Mixology Monday XXII event with a Prohibition theme. This drink named after the date of repeal day and created before Jamie opened the Canon in 2011 reminded me of Frank Caiafa's Bobby Burns riff, Tale of Two Roberts, but with Punt e Mes instead of regular sweet vermouth and a substantial absinthe quotient. In the glass, the Twelve Five opened up with a lemon, Scotch, and anise aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip released Scotch, bitter herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

scottish lore

1 1/2 oz Oban 14 Year Scotch (Caol Ila 12 Year)
1/2 oz Ardbeg Corryvreckan (Ardbeg 10 Year)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1 bsp 2:1 Simple Syrup (1 tsp 1:1)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays prior, I reached for Neil Ratliff's 2022 Seattle Cocktails book, and the Scottish Lore by Joanna "Jojo" Kitchen lured me it. She created it for a regular at Rob Roy in Seattle as a bartender's choice that she first called The Ayuba Special. The combination reminded me of a Creole Cocktail variation that Deep Ellum did that dropped the vermouth element from the original given how similar Ciociaro and Picon are. Here with smoky whisky, the Scottish Lore began with a lemon and smoky Scotch nose. Next, malty and caramel notes on the sip flowed into smoky Scotch, caramel orange, herbal, and clove flavors on the swallow.

folk hero

3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Wild Turkey 101° Rye (Rittenhouse)
1 tsp Linie Aquavit
1 tsp Amaro Nonino
1 tsp Benedictine
1 tsp Honey Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.After making the Model Village, I still had the webpage for the Death & Co. market place open, and I found the Folk Hero there. They attributed the drink to bartender Jake Powell at their Denver location in 2024; Jake described how the rye-apple brandy duo often denoted by the word "harvest" such as in the Harvest Sour drew him in. Moreover, he let his obsession about folk heroes like Paul Bunyan and Evil Knievel come through in the name. The idea of a split base rye-apple brandy Old Fashioned with accents of aquavit seemed appealing especially recalling how well rye and apple brandy work with aquavit in the 2009-era Carra-Ryed Away and Norwegian Wood, respectively. Once mixed, the Folk Hero launched into a lemon, apple, caramel, caraway, and herbal bouquet. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip wandered off into rye, apple, caraway, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

tabard cocktail

1 1/2 oz Milagro Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a thyme sprig and an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, Chantal Tseng mentioned on Threads that the New York Times republished a story with her Tabard Cocktail recipe for the holidays. Chantal created this drink at Washington D.C.'s Tabard Inn, and I found the recipe as early as 2010 in an Imbibe Magazine article. Overall, the drink reminds me of a tequila riff on the Scotch-based Prince Edward that Misty Kalkofen made me at Drink once but here with a dry sherry instead of Lillet. Once prepared, the Tabard Cocktail showcased an orange and herbal aroma. Next, a semi-dry honey and grape sip became tequila, herbal, hint nutty, and honey flavors on the swallow.

scandanavian delight

1 1/2 oz Martin Miller's Gin (Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength)
1/2 oz Krogstad Aquavit
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Amaro Braulio

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard set for the Scotch Lodge in Portland, Oregon, and I landed on the Scandanavian Delight that had the same gin, aquavit, and blanc vermouth combination as Death & Co.'s One, One, One. I was able to get a time frame of 2022 through Yelp menu and drink photos and a January 2023 Early Out article. Here, it had Braulio to accent the Martini structure akin to the Maraschino in the Genever-for-gin Bohemia. Once assembled, the Scandanavian Delight welcomed the nose with a lemon, pine, caraway, and star anise bouquet. Next, a white grape sip with a hint of caramel transitioned into caraway, citrus, pine, and anise flavors on the swallow.

rhymes with orange

4 cL Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao (1 1/3 oz)
2 cL Fernet Branca (2/3 oz)
1.5 cL Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
1.5 cL Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1.5 cL Egg White (1 Egg White)
1 dash Bob's Cardamon Bitters (The Bitter Housewife)

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I was perusing Maison Ferrand's 2014 Parisian Cocktail Book when I spotted the oddball Rhymes with Orange by Michael Mas at the Experimental Cocktail Club in Paris. Curaçao and Fernet Branca have worked well together in drinks like the All Hands on Deck, Alligator, Don't Give Up the Ship, and Heather in Queue, so I was curious to see what it could do in this liqueur-forward egg white Sour that was skewed like the Mission of Burma to have orange liqueur as the principle ingredient. Once mixed, the Rhymes with Orange quizzed the nose with orange, lemon, and herbal aromas. Next, a creamy orange and lemon sip opened up into a world of orange, gentian bitter, minty, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

nighthawks

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Caffe Lolita (Mr. Black)
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass.Two Fridays prior, I picked Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix's A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood book for inspiration. There, I spotted Eryn Reece's Nighthawks that she served up for a dealer's choice round for a Speed Rack competition. She named it after the Edward Hopper painting and probably based it off her 2013 Broken Oath at Death & Co. Once stirred and strained, the Nighthawks rose to the nose with a coffee, vegetal, and smoke nose. Next, a grape-driven sip from the sherry and vermouth elements served up smoky mezcal, coffee, chile spice, and nutty flavors on the swallow.

sunny-side up

1 1/2 oz Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch (*))
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass.
(*) Teeling Small Batch is finished in rum casks.Two Thursdays prior, I reached for my copy of Paddy Drinks: The World of Modern Irish Whiskey Cocktails and selected the Sunny-Side Up by Jillian Vose at the The Dead Rabbit in Manhattan. The rum element (albeit a finish), sweet vermouth, curaçao, and Angostura reminded me of the Presidente, so I wanted to see how it would play out with a whiskey base, banana liqueur, and chocolate bitters in the mix. In the glass, the Sunny-Side Up gave forth a caramel, orange, and banana bouquet. Next, a grape and caramel sip turned over into whiskey, caramelized fruit, chocolate, and clove flavors on the swallow.

chester copperpot

1 1/2 oz Diplomatico Exclusiva Rum (Coruba)
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/8 oz Borghetti Espresso Liqueur (Mr. Black)
4 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

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 looking through online recipe flashcards for Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco and decided upon the Chester Copperpot. I found a Yelp review that mentioned this drink at the bar in 2015 but it could be older. Perhaps the name refers to a character in the 1985 movie The Goonies, and the movie Wikipedia describes how, "Chester Copperpot was a reclusive scavenger hunter from Astoria, Oregon, who went missing in the 1930s while looking for One-Eyed Willy's treasure. He was later found by the Goonies, crushed to death under a booby-trapped boulder." In the glass, the Chester Copperpot started the tasting adventure with an orange, caramel, and grape bouquet. Next, a grape and caramel sip led into dark rum and bitter coffee melding into bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

bienvenidos

2 oz Tequila Ocho Reposado (Espolon)
1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Campari
1/4 oz Vago Elote Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I opened up my new copy of Tomas Estes' The Tequila Ambassador published by Wonk Press and turned to the recipe section. There, I spotted the Bienvenidos by Elayne Duff, and the idea reminded me of a Rosita combined with elements of the Banana Boulevardier, so I was intrigued. The Bienvenidos greeted the senses with a grapefruit, tequila, and orange aroma. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip transversed into tequila, bitter herbal, and banana flavors on the swallow with smoke on the finish.

lucy mercer

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Courvoisier)
3/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Mondays ago, I ventured back to the Maison Ferrand 2015 New York City Cocktail Book and honed in on the Lucy Mercer by Erick Castro at the now closed Boilermaker in Manhattan. Erick named his Cognac drink after President Franklin D. Roosevelt's mistress who was never allowed to attend the cocktail hour. With a brandy, vermouth, and Meletti, it reminded me of another tribute cocktail, the Hedy Lamarr. Once mixed, the Lucy Mercer tempted the nose with a lemon, caramel, and floral-herbal bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet sip with caramel notes revealed Cognac, cola, and floral flavors on the swallow.

dagny taggart

1 3/4 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Torani Amer

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Ardbeg 10 Year Scotch, add a large ice cube, and garnish with a flamed (unflamed) orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I spotted a curious drink called the Dagny Taggart in a comment on KindredCocktails and traced it back to Imbibe Magazine in 2011. There, it described how it was created by Leo Rivas at Seven Grand in Los Angeles and named for the fictional heroine in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The combination of Aperol and something Amer Picon-like was one that I enjoyed in the Bigmouth Strikes Again, so I was curious to see it matched with Scotch. In the glass, the Danny Taggart proffered a peat smoke and orange aroma. Next, malt and a hint of caramel on the sip opened up into smoky Scotch and bitter orange transitioning to softer orange flavors on the swallow.

easy out

1 oz Lalo Tequila (Arette)
1 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with cayenne pepper powder.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to my list of drinks to make and decided on the Easy Out from the Spring/Summer 2024 menu at Dutch Kills that I had found in an online set of recipe flashcards. The combination of Montenegro with cinnamon reminded me of the Conquest of Paradise, Battle Annie, and other drinks, and Montenegro with passion fruit was one that I experienced in the Stranger than Paradise, so I was curious to see what the three would do together. In the glass, the Easy Out opened up with chili, passion fruit, clementine, and cinnamon aromas. Next, lime, caramel, and tropical notes on the sip were stepped on by tequila, peach, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow with hints of pepper spice on the the finish.

model village

1 1/2 oz High West Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Hine by H Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
2 tsp Giffard Crème de Mûre (Marie Brizard Blackberry Brandy)
1 tsp Port Charlotte 10 Year Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
2 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, the Reddit's cocktails forum offered up an interesting drink called the Model Village for day 20 of their yearly cocktail Advent calendar project. The recipe was created by Jack Stevenson at Death & Co. Denver in 2023 and sourced from Death & Co.'s online market page; that page described how Jack was inspired by the Red Ant created at Death & Co. Manhattan. I believe that I had not touched that bottle of blackberry liqueur for almost three years back when I made the At the Gates of Hell. All of the recipes on the blog including that one with it have been shaken citrus numbers, and the straight spirits nature of the Model Village reminded me of the classic Russell House Cocktail (rye, blackberry liqueur, simple syrup, orange bitters) that I made but did not write up when I was working at Russell House Tavern; luckily, the vermouth and Scotch here made this combination a lot more interesting. In the glass, the Model Village opened up with berry and grape aromas accented with a wisp of smoke. Next, a grape and dark fruit sip transformed into rye, Cognac, and peat smoke on the swallow.

brethren of the coast

2 oz Rhum Barbancourt 8 Year
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash House Ginger Bitters (King Floyd's Scorched Pear & Ginger)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lime twist.Two Thursdays prior, I opened up my copy of Eastern Standard's bar bible from their pre-Pandemic days, and I spotted the Rhum Old Fashioned dubbed the Brethren of the Coast. The call for Haitian spirit made sense once I discovered that buccaneers off the coast of Hispanola (now Haiti and Dominica) who sought revenge on the Spanish called themselves "The Brethren of the Coast." Once prepared, the drink sailed to the nose with lime and barrel-aged spirit notes. Next, a semi-sweet sip unfurled into rum, cherry, pear, anise, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

:: fred's picks for the top cocktails of 2024 ::

At the end of 2010, someone asked what my favorite drink of the year was, and I lacked an answer at first for there were so many good options to chose from. My choices were influenced by two factors – tastiness and uniqueness; it had to be both memorable and worth repeating. In past years, I did one post for drinks that I had out at bars and one post for drinks that I had at home; however, as I found myself going out less due to my work schedule and other factors, I cut it down to one post a few years ago. Each month here was selected for when the drink post appeared and not when it was enjoyed (unlike my real time Instagram account, I have a two week delay here before it goes live to give myself an ample window to write). Without further ado, here is the fifteenth annual installment of my best drinks for the year with a pair of runner ups.

January: The winner for the month was an easy pick with the Solomon Grundy by Los Angeles bartender Dan Long – it reminded me of Backbar's Scarecrow with a touch of Fernet shaping a gentle amaro, and it made my chef at Josephine rather happy when I made it for him as his nightcap. For runners up, one old and one new. The old is the New Victoria from the Café Royal Cocktail Book with a rye-apple brandy mix accented with passion fruit and banana that seemed like it would be more like 2017 than 1937. And the new is Lobo Saldado from Lion's Share in San Diego as another split-spirit drink of tequila-Cognac with maple and Benedictine; the tequila-maple combination fondly reminded me of drinks like Debbie Don't.

February: For top honors in February was the On the Avenue at Equal Measures as a Boulevardier of sorts with the rye and Campari split with Cognac and Cynar, respectively. Getting a nod were two elegant recipes: an Old Fashioned Besitos de Abuelita by Raised by Wolves with Pedro Ximenez and Sfumato as accents and Pouring Ribbon's Flip Little Gem Diner. March: I rather enjoyed the De La Louisiane-Remember the Maine mashup Louisiane and Maine by Todd Yard of Concocktails. For secondary mention with a great name was Plausible Deniability that reads like a Rusty Nail meets a Campari Sour; also, Teardrop Lounge's Hell or High Water that reminded me of a Clover Club in structure but with Irish Whiskey, peach, honey, and Benedictine.

April: Top pick for April was the Burrows in Disguise as a weird Scotch Boulevardier with a Drambuie in the mix at Blyth & Burrows in Portland, Maine. Two mezcal recipes also caught my attention that month – namely, Gasoline Boots at the Patterson House with Punt e Mes, Cynar, and Bendictine, and Castaneda's Companions with dry vermouth, Cynar, and Yellow Chartreuse. May: A 2016-era Eastern Standard recipe called After Midnight that reminded me of their Coup d'Etat crossed with Chuck Taggart's Hoskins (that appeared on one of their early menus) had a comforting familiarity. Two falernum drinks deserve some mention for May with Pyre of Minerva as a Laphroaig Toronto of sorts by Jacob Mentel while at Wormwood in San Diego, and Apropos Barbados as the Dorrance's rum egg white Sour with apricot.

June: Thieves in the Night as a mezcal-gin Julep sweetened by Braulio and maple from Death & Co.'s Welcome Home book was a delight. Two other drinks in June worthy of merit were the walnut banana bread Old Fashioned, The Man in the Yellow Hat, from Devon in NYC, and bitter fruity stirred drink, Ghosts of Graceland, fromPolite Provisions in San Diego. July: One of the most enjoyable drinks of the month was the Famous on Paper at The Violet Hour that read like a Naked and Famous made friends with a Paper Plane. July also offered up Ivy Mix's mashup of sorts of a Red Hook and Green Point with the Perfect BQE and Trick Dog's Baby Turtle as a delightful Tequila Sour from their Pantone menu.

August: I purchased Amaro Pasubio this past year, and Palomar's El Presidente riff used the blueberry wine-based amaro rather well. Two drinks that made my bottle of Ancho Reyes shine got seconds for August: Smith & Cross, honey, and Cynar in the No Woman, No Crime from Shameful Tiki in Toronto and mezcal, Punt e Mes, and bitter things in the Comanche Club from Raines Law Room. September: September had me appreciating both the name and ingredients of the Clever Visual Metaphor by Winnipeg bartender Nicole Cote that had a similar feel to January's Solomon Grundy. For honorable mention, Bourbon & Branch's Laphroaig Project still holds up, and Beckaly Frank's spicy Negroni, My Name Is Nobody, that she offered up to the A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood book (there are other variations out there that I did not make though) got my attention.

October: This was a tough month with more heavier hitters throughout. My pick is Daiquiris & Daisy's Chili Southside that displayed how Ancho Reyes at 80° proof could hold its own as a base spirit. Dutch Kill's Becherovka-containing Velvet Revolution and their quirky Hitman with Batavia Arrack were tasty. November: Liz Pittari's Halloween menu tribute to Hellraiser at Backbar called Pin(heads) and Needles was quirky yet delicious with mezcal, Braulio, and Zirbenz. For silver and bronze for the month in no particular order was the agave bitter stirred drink with a great tip of the hat to history of the Mina Loy from the now closed Park in Harvard Square; also, the cuteness of the name matched the flavor punch of the Stregasaurus from Smith in Seattle.

December: My pick of the month was Alcove's Negroni's transformative adventure to the Czech Republic called the Bullfinch Trio. For December's nod of approval, two good uses of Lustau's East India Solera Shery – namely, Baldwin & Son's Trading Co.'s Bluecollar/Brooklyn riff, Good Luck Grin, and Clover Club's rum Old Fashioned spiced with falernum and cinnamon, Lei'd to Rest.

Some of my favorite creations not mentioned in yesterday's year end round-up: I mentioned yesterday 7 of the drinks that I created that were hits on Instagram and KindredCocktails, so here are a few that I was proud of that might have gotten overlooked. The Devil's Kitchen was one that I crafted after looking over all of the Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur pairings on the blog that turned out rather well. The agave-based This Is Not Berlin complemented the spirits with Cynar, grapefruit, and cinnamon flavors. The Opera Comique was essentially a Trident meets the Drink of Laughter and Forgetting, and the orange liqueur-Cynar duo from one drink inspired the Papa Was a Rodeo using the 1910's Cognac-mezcal base. Finally, the Cutty Sark crime tour of Boston that I helped organize led to the Jolly Jane named after one of the creepiest serial killers in our city. Overall, 2024 was a great year of recipes although I wish that time and finances made going out for drinks something that I could do more often. Regardless of the creeping prices, drinks out on the town are frequently too complicated to put into a blog post with all of the acidification, clarification, fat washing, batching, and other advanced techniques not to mention fewer off-the-shelf or commonly made ingredients. I understand that it is a trend prompted by awards and making places more unique (drinks only available there or when the bar does pop-ups elsewhere), but it does not translate well to a blog like this one. Luckily, there are still some places keeping it old school. Here, I was able to narrow down the 330+ recipes from others down to the top 12 and the top 36, so think of the above as the best 3% or 10% that I had this year. Indeed, I look forward to what 2025 brings to my home bar and bars across town. Cheers!

promontory point

50 mL Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (1 1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
20 mL Yellow Chartreuse (1/2 oz)
20 mL Punt e Mes (1/2 oz)
20 mL Palo Cortado Sherry (1/4 oz Lustau Oloroso + 1/4 oz Lustau Amontillado)
3 dash Angostura Bitters (2 dash)
3 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist and a cherry. Note: I adapted this to be this slightly more Cognac-forward than the original.After sampling from Maison Ferrand's New York City recipe book, I turned to their 2015 Cocktails at the Red Dot: The Singapore Cocktail Book. There, I was lured in by the Promotontory Point created by bartender Tom Hogan at Anti:Dote; a 2014 article mentioned that Tom was born in New York City before moving to Chicago, and Promontory Point is a man-made peninsula in Chicago that juts out into Lake Michigan. Overall, the combination of Yellow Chartreuse, sherry, and Punt e Mes reminded me of the Bourbon-based Blue Point crafted by Matt Schrage at the Blue Room. In the glass, the Promontory Point began with an orange, grape, and cherry bouquet. Next, honey and grape notes on the sip slipped into Cognac, herbal, nutty, orange, and clove flavors on the swallow.