mischief

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Tuesdays ago, I ventured back to the Instagram of Satan's Whiskers in London and spotted the Mischief that they posted in 2023. Overall, it read like a mezcal version of the classic rum-based Culross, and it was very similar to the Almost Famous at the Franklin Café in 2015 which had the addition of orange bitters. Once prepared, the Mischief conjured a smoke and apricot aroma. Next, lemon, apricot, and pear notes on the sip were chased by smoky, vegetal, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

cocoyage

2 oz Bols Barrel-Aged Genever
1/2 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a Sour glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Two Monday ago, I opened up my copy of the pre-Pandemic Eastern Standard bar bible and latched on to the Cocoyage. It was the bar's version of a drink vaguely described by Lafcadio Hearn in 1880 and communicated as a Genever, coconut water, and egg drink in Beachbum Berry's Potions of the Carribbean book. As for a time frame, a Yelp review in 2018 makes mention of the Cocoyage, and its coconut cream coupled with a whole egg reminded me of the bar's Root of All Evil. This Flip gave forth a woody spice and cinnamon bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy and rich sip flowed into malty, coconut, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

sawyer

2 oz Beefeater Gin (Treehouse Percy's)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup 1:1
14 dash Angostura Bitters
7 dash Peychaud's Bitters
7 dash Fee's:Regan's 50:50 Mix Orange Btters (4 dash Regan's, 3 dash Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice and strain into a single old fashioned glass.

Two Sundays ago, I still had in my mind one of the drinks in Punch's article on Gimlet variations called the Sawyer. The drink originally published in Brad Parsons' Bitters book in 2011 was crafted by Don Lee at Momofuku Ssäm Bar in Manhattan as a digestif nightcap. Overall, it reminded me of a gin and lime for rum and lemon with Fernet Don's Little Bitter that he created previously during his time at PDT, so I was game. The book and article describe how this bitters-laden Gimlet was inspired by wd-50 chef Wylie Dufresne who loves gin and how it was named after Wylie's daughter. Don elaborated on my Instagram post how, "Chef Wylie was a regular at PDT in the early days, and every week he would come in asking for a gin cocktail. A few years later after his baby was born, he lived a block away from Momofuku Ssäm Bar, and every night he would walk around the block with his daughter strapped to him to get her to sleep. He would walk by, and on slow nights, we would turn down the music so he could come in without waking the baby. This was a drink I made shortly after visiting Boston where I made the DLB (hence similar specs). Both were inspired by the Beta Cocktail book by Maks Pasuniak and Kirk Estopinal where they use Angostura and Peychaud's bitters by the ounce."While making the drink, I regret not dashing the bitters into the measuring cup to figure out the total volume used (but I did not regret the clean up of splatter that would have been necessary afterwards). In the glass, the Sawyer opened up with pine, allspice, and clove aromas from the gin and Angostura Bitters. Next, a rich, burnt sugar-noted sip flowed into clove, pine, and anise flavors on the swallow with lime and allspice elements on the finish.

mean old man

1 oz Lagavulin 16 Year Scotch (Caol Ila 12 Year)
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/2 oz Zucca (Amaro Sfumato)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I looked to online recipe flashcards and came across the Mean Old Man at the Alley Light in Charlottesville, Virginia, from their Summer 2025 menu. The Islay Scotch, rabarbaro, and sweet vermouth trio made me think of the Caustic Negroni that I created on the fly at my guest shift at Backbar in 2017 but here with Campari in the mix too. In the glass, the Mean Old Man yelled forth a peat smoke, smoky herbal, and orange aroma. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip grumbled into smoky Scotch, bitter herbal, more smoke, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

ends of the earth

2 oz Añejo Tequila (Cimarron Reposado)
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I returned to the KindredCocktails database to make the Ends of the Earth by user Applejack from Chicago in 2019. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Away Colors with añejo tequila and Amaro Nardini in place of the añejo rum and Fernet. Once mixed, it greeted the nose with an orange, caramel, and banana aroma. Next, the amaro and liqueur's caramel notes filled the sip, and the drink progressed into vegetal, caramel, cooked banana, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

chicagovardier

1 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Thursdays prior, I spotted an interesting Malört recipe on the KindredCocktails database called the Chicagovardier. It was created and posted by Chicago home enthusiast RoscoeHour in 2025, and he was inspired by a love of the Malört-amaro pairing and took it in a Boulevardier direction by adding sweet vermouth. Malört has paired well with amaro before like Fernet in the Chicago Underground, Averna in the All That Jazz, and Cardamaro in the Continual Risk, and I had good luck matching Malört's intensity with sweet vermouth in the Ada Lovecraft. Once stirred and strained, the Chicagovardier gave forth a grapefruit, caramel, floral, and grape aroma. Next, chocolate, grape, and citrus notes on the sip ventured into dark herbal, grapefruit, pine, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

bordertown

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1 dash Smoked Bitters (Crude "Pooter" Smoke & Salt)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange coin twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing my list of recipes that I had garnered from online flashcards, and I landed on the Bordertown at Alley Twenty Six in Durham, North Carolina, for their Negroni Week 2022 menu. The Bordertown had the mezcal, chile pepper liqueur, and Campari of Raines Law Room's Comanche Club, so I was intrigued. Once prepared, it presented an orange, roasted pepper-vegetal, and smoky aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip from the vermouth crossed over into smoky agave, spicy pepper, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

el chapo

2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Honey Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a pilsner glass (Tiki mug), and garnish with a piece of pineapple or a pineapple frond (chocolate mint sprigs). Two Tuesdays ago, I peered into Chad Austin's Everyone Has a F*cking Cocktail Book and spotted the El Chapo which was his first mezcal tropical drink. It was a different El Chapo from the one I made from the A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood book, and this one contained the honey, grenadine, lime, and spice core that I enjoyed in the South Seas Sleepwalker. In the mug with my alternative garnish, El Chapo proffered a mint bouquet to the nose. Next, lime, honey, and pineapple notes on the sip led into smoky mezcal, berry, vegetal, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

odd bedfellows

1 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum (Hamilton 86° Demerara River)
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a glass (Tiki mug), and top with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and/or mint sprigs (mint sprigs); add grated bitter chocolate. Two Mondays ago, I found a coconut cream recipe in Sother Teague's I'm Just Here for the Drinks book that I had skipped over previous called the Odd Bedfellows. Sother described it as a cross of a Piña Colada and a York Peppermint Patty. The combination reminded me of Hungry Mother's Fernet Colada (A/K/A No. 34) with the Fernet-cacao duo from my Fernet Alexander that I crafted in 2009 as part of the Anvil's 100 Drink List for the vague recipe of "spirit, crème de cacao, cream" and later in Lineage's Thin Mint Julep. Once mixed, the Odd Bedfellows awakened the senses with chocolate and mint aromas. Next, a creamy pineapple sip tossed and turned into coconut, chocolate, minty-menthol, and rum funk flavors on the swallow.

toreador del diablo

40 mL (1 1/3 oz) Tequila Ocho Blanco (Cimarron)
10 mL (1/3 oz) Campari
10 mL (1/3 oz) Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
20 mL (2/3 oz) Lemon Juice
5 mL (1/6 oz) Honey Syrup 2:1
10 mL (1/3 oz) Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Sundays ago, I returned to the updated The Tequila Ambassador book by Tomas Estes published by Wonk Press and selected the Toreador del Diablo by José Manuel Alvarez Gonzalez at Milk & Honey in London. The drink had the Campari-apricot duo that worked great in Michael Madrusan's Hollow Point and in my Intercept plus the tequila-honey-ginger of Deep Ellum's Little Branch Cocktail. Once assembled, the Toreador del Diablo opened up with an agave, ginger, and apricot aroma. Next, lemon and honey on the sip shuttled in tequila, ginger, and bitter orange-apricot flavors on the swallow.

essenza vintage

1 oz Hennessy VS Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Rum (Doorly's 12 Year)
1/2 oz Bigallet China-China (Amaro Ciociaro)
1/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/8 oz Simple Syrup
3 dash Cocoa Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a dried orange wheel (orange twist). Two Saturdays ago, I was delving into online flashcard sets when I found the Essenza Vintage at Cataluna in Jacksonville, Florida, from their January 2024 menu that still appears on the current cocktail list. With Ciociaro in place of the China-China, the pairing with Sfumato reminded me of DTCC-II and my Kilted Flower. Once stirred and strained, the Essenza Vintage gave forth an orange, caramel, and herbal roast aroma. Next, caramel and orange notes on the sip transformed into Cognac, rum, caramel orange, and smoky bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

williamsburg

1 1/2 oz Old Forester Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays ago, I began perusing the KindredCocktails database, and I came across the Williamsburg created in 2015 by user OldFashionedWhiskey who self-describes as Ray, a cocktail enthusiast from Philadelphia. Overall, it had the Ramazzotti-Maraschino combination of the Brooklyn Bridge and Front Street combined with the Ramazzotti-Cocchi Americano duo of the There is No Spoon, so I was curious to give it a try. In the glass, the Williamsburg donated a lemon, root beer, and nutty cherry aroma to the nose. Next, caramel and pear notes on the sip welcomed Bourbon, root beer, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

great minds

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice cubes (large cube), and garnish with a spritz of Nux Alpina (drops of Russo Nocino). Two Thursdays prior, I looked over the recipes that I had saved from online recipe flashcards from The Violet Hour in Chicago, and I selected the Great Minds from their Fall 2021 menu. I was able to find a Yelp drink photo from November 2021 to confirm the date and serve. The rye, orgeat, and banana combination was one that I enjoyed in a citrus-driven one, the Bright Side, but here it was with a substantial amount of Bitter Bianco and no juice. With the walnut liqueur garnish to complement the orgeat, the Great Minds began with a nutty bouquet. Next, a creamy sip developed into rye, bitter herbal, almond, banana, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

lips of an angel

1 1/4 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
3/4 oz Bacardi 8 Year Rum
3/4 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Giffard Passion Fruit Liqueur
1/8 oz Honey Syrup (2:1)
1 - 1 1/2 dash Angostura Bitters (3 decanter dashes)
3 drop Saline

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with orange oil from a twist. I had traded bar shifts two Wednesdays ago and had the day free, so I stopped into Backbar for a drink. There, I asked bartender Liz Pittari for the Lips of an Angel off of the Mix Tape Volume 3 menu. This tribute created by bartender Jesse Lane to the 2005 Hinder song was subtitled "You'll wanna kiss this Vieux Carré" (well, there was a word heavily crossed out before the word kiss, but I will stick with kiss). Here, the Lips of an Angel was perfumed with an orange and tropical perfume. Next, grape and honey notes on the sip pouted for Bourbon, rum, and candied passion fruit flavors on the swallow.

what about bob

1 oz Planteray OFTD Overproof Rum
1 oz Havana Club 3 Year White Rum (Tommy Bahama White Sand)
1 oz Sacred Bond Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1 oz Gin (Treehouse Hildegard von Bigen)
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, strain into a Bob mug (Tiki mug), and garnish with a flower (mint sprigs). Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make a drink posted by El Nova via the Vatos Who Tiki Instagram account that was a riff on the Fog Cutter called What About Bob. Its orgeat-cinnamon modifiers reminded me of Ben Sandrof's Cuban Anole Mai Tai variation given the orgeat-cinnamon modifiers; however, this Fog Cutter riff did not have the stereotypical float such as the classic sherry one or the aquavit one in the case of the Viking Fog Cutter. While I neither have seen the 1991 movie by that name nor have a Bob Tiki mug, I selected a mug that was closest which was a vintage Moai mug I found from the Honolulu restaurants in Westborough and Norwood, Massachusetts (both of which opened in the mid 1970s and closed in 2007 or before). Once prepared, the What About Bob gave forth a mint aroma from my choice of garnish. Next, a creamy orange and lemon sip opened up into funky rum, brandy roundness, cinnamon, pine, and almond flavors on the swallow.

between the sheets (dale degroff)

1 1/2 oz Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass with an optional sugar rim, and garnish with a flamed orange peel (unflamed). Two Mondays ago, I listened to Dale DeGroff's episode on on Tristan Stephenson's The Curious Bartender podcast. There, Dale described when he was putting together a program for Joe Baum, he found a Between the Sheets recipe in the 1951 Bottoms Up book from the Detroit Wonder Bar that called for Benedictine instead of rum (a rich equal three parter that recipe lacked lemon juice). Dale felt that the rum in the classic Between the Sheets confused things, so he mashed up both recipes for his menu to make it more of a Sidecar riff. That night, I sourced the recipe from his 2002 The Craft of the Cocktail book. The combination was very similar to the mid-century They Shall Inherit the Earth from the Esquire's The Art of Mixing Drinks as well as the apple brandy Honeymoon Cocktail, but I still felt that it was still important to try Dale's take on it. Once shaken and strained, Dale's version blossomed wihth orange and Cognac aromas. Next, lemon and orange notes on the sip akin to a Sidecar led into brandy, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

black dog serenade

1 1/4 oz Brandy (Marie Duffau Napoleon Armagnac)
3/4 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with Laphroaig Scotch, and garnish with a lemon twist. Another one of the cocktails that I had spotted in the online recipe flashcards for Valkyrie in Tulsa was the Black Dog Serenade that was most likely named after an episode of Cowboy Bebop. On paper, it reminded me of something between a classic Vieux Carré and the (apple) brandy-gentian-Benedictine Tin Can Telephone. Once stirred and strained, the Black Dog Serenade conjured up lemon and peat smoke aromas. Next, a hint of caramel on the sip expanded into brandy, rye, gentian, herbal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

mild sedative

1 1/2 oz Pusser's Rum (3/4 oz Hamilton's 86° Demerara + 3/4 oz Monymusk Gold)
1 1/2 oz House Coco Cordial (1 oz Coco Lopez)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Flash blend with crushed ice (whip shake), pour into a footed Fizz glass (Tiki mug), and top with crushed ice. Garnish with mint, orange twist, flower, and paper parasol with a cherry. Two Saturdays ago, I searched my list of cocktails to make for another use of my Coco Lopez stash, and I honed in on the Mild Sedative – a Painkiller riff at Raised by Wolves in San Diego that I found via online recipe flashcards. The menu description from 2021 read as follows, "We're walking the path paved by the classic Painkiller. Layers upon layers to be found in this tropical sipper that toes the line between decadence and crisp citrus refreshment." With peach, passion fruit, and lime added to the classic that I had experienced once before in the Nautilus (albeit with other fruit flavors in the mix), I was curious to taste Raised by Wolves' version. Fully garnished, it gave forth an orange and mint aroma. Next, a creamy orange and lime sip was smoothed off with rum, coconut, peach, and passion fruit flavors on the swallow.

little black dress

1 1/2 oz Cihuatan Jade White Rum (Privateer Tres Aromatique)
3/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1/2 oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
1/4 oz Lucano Caffe (Borghetti Espresso Liqueur)
1/8 oz Amaro Sfumato
1 peel Orange

Shake with ice, strain into a footed Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I was perusing sets of online recipe flashcards from The Violet Hour in Chicago, and the Little Black Dress from their Spring 2022 menu called out to me. Their Instagram had a photo post of the drink during that menu's time frame with the description, "We all know the classic Espresso Martini, but have you met the Little Black Dress? ⁠Rum pairs famously with its counterpart's coffee flavors layered in with Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur and Lucano Caffe⁠. The addition of PX sherry adds a unique nutty complexity for a flirty Violet Hour spin on everyone's favorite after dinner pick-me-up." Since coffee liqueur and Sfumato have been paired in drinks like the Oakland and Dark Matter, I was curious to see what it would be like when the coffee balance was greater than the amaro amount here. In the glass, the Little Black Dress twirled around with orange, roast, and raisin aromas. Next, roast and dark, rich grape notes on the sip welcomed rum, coffee, bitter espresso, raisin, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

death by distance

2 oz Half Moon Gin (1 3/4 oz Farmer's Gin + 1/4 oz Morin Calvados Selection) (*)
3/4 oz Averna
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.
(*) Half Moon is a gin made with a 80-20 wheat-apple base, so I supplemented the gin with Calvados like I did with the Muff Pistol. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcards for the Valkyrie in Tulsa and selected the Death by Distance. The Tulsa Voice in 2014 attributed the creation to bartender Josh Coffee, and its Averna-cinnamon combination lured me in for how well it has worked in other drinks such as the Earl Grey Angel. In the glass, the Death by Distance donated a caramel, cinnamon, and rum funk bouquet to the nose. Next, Averna's caramel continued on into the sip where it was followed by juniper, apple, herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow with a rum funk finish.

brimstone colada

1 oz Planteray OFTD Overproof Rum
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 oz Cream of Coconut (Coco Lopez)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg. Two Wednesdays ago, I was still thinking of the Highland Diver and A Scotsman in Paradise as Scotch Piña Colada riffs. From there, the OFTD-Laphroaig duo from the Doomscroller came to mind. The Scotch-Sfumato combination that I utilized in the Caustic Negroni led me to the Sfumato-cinnamon pairing that I learned about in the Armstrong and utilized in the Hell Haggerty. With the burly overproof rum, peaty Scotch, and smoky roast amaro in place, I dubbed this one the Brimstone Colada. Once prepared, the Brimstone Colada donated a woody and cinnamon spice aroma to the nose. Next, a creamy roast and pineapple sip opened up into rum, caramel, coconut, smoke, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

sunakora zombie

1 oz Demerara 151° Dark Rum (Diamond Reserve)
1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (Coruba)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 tsp Grenadine
2 dash Angostura Bitters
4 drop Herbsaint

Flash blend (whip shake) with crushed ice, pour into a Zombie glass (Tiki mug), top with crushed ice, and garnish with mint. Two Tuesdays ago, I scanned the recipe section of The Atomic Grog blog, and I was inspired by the Sunakora Zombie by Don the Beachcomber. The Atomic Grog blog found the recipe in the Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber, Inc. book and adapted it as such. The blog described it as, "A hybrid Zombie that manages to be equally sweet, spicy and strong. It features many of the hallmark ingredients of the 1934 original, plus the passion fruit of the 1950 version, ...but it's still a Zombie and should be approached with caution... and great anticipation." Overall, it had the passion fruit, grenadine, falernum, Angostura, and Herbsaint/absinthe aspect of the Cobra's Fang, so I was intrigued. Once assembled, the Sunakora Zombie arose with mint and passion fruit aromas. Next, lime, passion fruit, and caramel notes on the sip sauntered forward towards funky and woody rum, passion fruit, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

highland diver

2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a tropical mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a pineapple wedge (omit) and freshly grated nutmeg. Two Mondays ago, I had spotted a reference to the Highland Diver at Clover Club in Brooklyn, and I was able to find a more recent recipe for it in Imbibe. The magazine attributed the drink to bartender Ryan Liloia as a riff on the classic Pearl Diver. While the article was new, I was able to find a photo of the Highland Diver on Yelp as far back as 2016 and a recipe on the Whisky Advocate in 2018. The idea of a Scotch Piña Colada variation reminded me of A Scotsman in Paradise that I had enjoyed only a few weeks prior. In the mug, the Highland Diver showcased a nutmeg aroma. Next, a creamy, pineapple, honey, and lemon sip switched places with Scotch, coconut, pineapple, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

green run

1 1/2 oz Broker's Gin (Treehouse Percy's)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with cubed ice, and garnish with mint. Two Sundays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Bastion in Nashville and was lured in by the Green Run from their Spring 2022 menu; I was able to spot it in a menu photo on their Instagram during that time frame. With Braulio, honey, and citrus, the combination reminded me of the Golden Eagle that I crafted last December with mezcal. Once shake and strained, the Green Run proffered a mint, caramel, and pine bouquet to the nose. Next, lime and honey notes on the sip transitioned into pine, minty, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

sunday service

1 1/2 oz Tequila (equal split of Arette & Cimarron)
1/2 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup
3 slice Cucumber

Shake with ice strain into a glass (the app photo shows an old fashioned glass with ice), and garnish with salted cucumber slices. With a cut open cucumber at hand, I perused the Bartender's Choice app for uses. There, I honed in on the Sunday Service by Jose Cardenas at Diamond Reef in NYC circa 2019 that was described as a "slightly bitter & agave take on the Falls Cocktail [Bourbon, lemon, ginger, mint, Angostura]." Since the Aperol-cucumber combination to conjur watermelon notes was fresh in my head from the Ghost Hardware, I was curious to try it with ginger. In the glass, the Sunday Service began with cucumber and vegetal aromas. Next, a lemon sip with hints of orange arose to tequila, ginger, and watermelon flavors on the swallow.

hanalei moon

1 1/2 oz Koana Kea Agricole Rum (Uruapan Charanda)
1/2 oz Fed Street Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
1/2 oz Strega
1 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/2 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup (fat 1/4 oz each Honey Syrup & Ginger Syrup)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
4 dash Absinthe (24 drop St. George)
1 pinch Seat Salt (4 drop 20% Saline)

Whip shake and pour into a pineapple glass (coconut Tiki mug). The earlier garnish instructions were mint and an orchid and later ones were pandan, lemon wedge, and basil sprig (mint sprigs and ornamental pea blossoms). Two Fridays ago, I was in a tropical mood, so I revisited the online recipe flashcards for Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Honolulu, and I was able to find the Hanalei Moon in two sets of different vintages. I found Yelp photos as early as 2023, and it appears on the current menu. One Yelp review described it as "a spicier Piña Colada on steroids. Delicious." Perhaps the drink was named after the popular 1974 Bob Nelson song that describes the beauty of Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai and that later frequently got covered by other artists. Once prepared with the older garnish set, the Hanalei Moon rose to the senses with mint over coconut and rum funk aromas. Next, a creamy lime and pineapple sip cast a glow on funky rum, star anise, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

mexico navy

2 oz Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with candied ginger. Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted in Punch called the Mexico Navy as a riff on the classic Army & Navy Cocktail that was updated by Jordan Valls at Palomar in Portland, Oregon. Jordan swapped in tequila and lime for the gin and lemon plus added ginger as a spice (or in place of the Angostura Bitters that later found its way into the recipe -- see the blog post link above for more on that) to the classic first mentioned in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book and first published recipe-wise in David Embury's 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Overall, it read like a ginger Infante, so why not give it a whirl? Once prepared, the Mexican Navy sailed to the nose with a ginger, agave, and hint nutty aroma. Next, a creamy lime sip dropped anchor to mineral-vegetal tequila, almond, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

m&m colada

1 1/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 1/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned or Tiki mug, top with crushed ice, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon. After writing up the Piña Verde for the blog earlier in the day, I began to wonder what other Piña Colada riffs had not been done. I have previously had a variety of unique riffs like the Ferrari Colada, so I wondered why not an M&M (Mezcal-Montenegro) Colada? I had already had success tinkering with the mezcal-Montenegro motif in the Trash Vaudeville and Oaxacan Lady and a bit more abstractly in the Songs My Mother Taught Me, so away I crafted. Since Montenegro has clementine-cinnamon notes, I figured that bolstering that spice aspect with cinnamon syrup and a cinnamon dust garnish would work, and mezcal drinks are frequently better with molé bitters. I worked with the Piña Verde's lime juice-containing recipe skeleton to craft the M&M Colada. Once mixed, it offered up a cinnamon bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy pineapple and lime sip worked its way into vegetal, smoky, clementine, coconut, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

happy/sad girl

2 oz Blanco Tequila (Tequila Arette)
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice (coupe), top with a splash of soda water (omit), and garnish with a lime wheel and/or candied ginger (candied ginger only). Two Tuesdays ago, Carey Jones' Brookyln Bartender book caught my eye, and I soon found the Happy/Sad Girl by Katherine Pangaro at No. 7 in Brooklyn. The recipe has the same amazing combination of ginger syrup-Maraschino liqueur that I learned about in the New Rider from that same book (technically, first in the One for Jimmy that used a housemade ginger beer years before that) and that I utilized in my Who Killed Mr. Moonlight? as a result. In the glass, the Happy/Sad Girl welcomed the senses with a nutty cherry, ginger, and tequila aroma. Next, lime and cherry notes on the sip transformed into agave and nutty cherry-ginger flavors on the swallow.

aztec warrior

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass (Tiki mug), top with crushed ice, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon. Two Mondays ago, I recalled that there were unmade cream of coconut recipes in Chad Austin's Everyone Has a F*cking Cocktail Book, and there I found the Aztec Warrior. Since Ancho Reyes paired well with coffee liqueur in three previous drinks – namely, Nighthawks, Cafe Lunaire, and Bonfires of the Vanities, I was curious to see how it would work in a cream of coconut direction. In the Tiki mug, it proffered a cinnamon aroma from the freshly grated garnish. Next, creamy lime and roast notes on the sip were attacked by smoky vegetal, roast pepper, coffee, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.