radio cocktail

50% Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Tanqueray)
30% Dry Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
10% Lemon Juice (1/4 oz)
10% Honey (1/4 oz Honey Syrup)
1 bsp Vanilla Syrup (1/8 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

I shook but I do not feel that stirring would be out of place here. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays, I opened up the 1936 book 1000 Misture and became curious about the Radio Cocktail. It appeared like a Martini with a touch of lemon and sweetener structure previously seen in the Journalist and Cat's Eye and that I utilized in my Siege of Havana. Once prepared, the Radio Cocktail broadcast a lemon, allspice, pine, and vanilla bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and lemon notes on the sip flowed into gin, clove, honey, and vanilla flavors on the swallow. Overall, the citrus and vanilla aspects here reminded me of Licor 43.

gringo peligroso

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with candied ginger. Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and landed on the Gringo Peligroso by Lewis Caputa at the Rosina Cocktail Lounge. It reminded me of an M&M mashed up with the ginger-citrus Smoke Signals and Dragonfly that I had recently made. In the glass, the Gringo Peligroso offered up vegetal, smoke, orange and ginger aromas. Next, lime and clementine notes on the sip retired into smoky mezcal and ginger flavors on the swallow.

cannibal cove

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray Stiggins')
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Fridays ago, I was motivated to create a recipe instead of taking the time to find one to make. Therefore, I mashed up two drink halves: the mezcal-pineapple rum that worked well in my Devil's Kitchen and Illegal Dance Moves with the Sfumato-cinnamon of my Hell Haggerty and Idlewild's Armstrong. For a name, I dubbed this one the Cannibal Cove after a section of the Tarawa coast that I learned about in the The Sex Lives of Cannibals book. In the glass, the Cannibal Cove offered up a grapefruit, herbal, and smoke sacrifice to the nose. Next, a roast-driven sip exalted vegetal, pineapple rum, smoke, cinnamon, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

pole star

1 oz Hamilton Pot-Still Gold Rum (Privateer New England Reserve)
3/4 oz Hamilton 151° Rum (Diamond Reserve)
1 bsp Herbsaint (1/8 oz)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a lime wheel and cinnamon stick (cinnamon stick and Hale Pele swizzle stick). Two Thursdays ago, I selected Nicole Schaefer's Portland Cocktails book, and Paddy Holland's Pole Star from the Hale Pele section caught my eye. Overall, it was very similar build to Jason Alexander's A Requiem for a Doomed Star but with different rums and anise source. Once built, the cinnamon aroma from the garnish and syrup below reached the nose. Next, caramel and lime notes on the sip exploded into rum, cinnamon, anise, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

spice oddity

2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton)
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Wednesdays ago, I was looking through an online recipe flashcard set from the Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco and found the David Bowie pun of a drink called the Spice Oddity. I was able to get an approximate date through Yelp menu photos from December 2018 to March 2019 and a photo of the cocktail on Instagram from early 2019. The combination of pineapple juice and pineapple syrup was utilized before in the Swamp Water Fix and the Pineapple Margarita, and Cognac and allspice have appeared plenty including classics like None But the Brave and modern ones like Decadence & Elegance. Therefore, I set to work, and the end result generated a pineapple and allspice aroma. Next, pineapple and lemon on the sip drifted into Cognac, pineapple, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

dragonfly

3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Amaro Braulio
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with candied ginger. Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan and stumbled upon the Dragonfly by Brandon Bramhall at the Nashville branch of Attaboy. Overall, it read like Sam Ross' Mosquito but with Braulio instead of Campari, so that seemed like a curious and delightful change given how well mezcal and Braulio work together in drinks like the Montañista and La Jetée. In the glass, the Dragonfly alighted on the nose with a vegetal, smoke, and ginger bouquet. Next, lemon notes on the sip with some texture from the ginger flowed into ginger, smoky mezcal, bitter herbal, and pine flavors on the swallow.

colonel gentleman

1 2/3 Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1/3 oz Laphroaig Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)
2/3 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Benedictine
3 dash Apple Bitters (Dashfire)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with grated cinnamon. Two Mondays ago, I returned to my list that I garnered from online recipe flashcard sets, and I landed on the Colonel Gentleman at Valkyrie in Tulsa. The combination of smoky spirit, orgeat, Benedictine, and lemon appeared in the Maguey Sour with mezcal and egg white instead of Scotch, so I was game to give this one a whirl. Once shaken and strained, the Colonel Gentleman offered up an almond, smoke, and cinnamon bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy lemon sip supported smoky Scotch, lemon, almond, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

smoke break

1 1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Famous Grouse Smoky Black Scotch
1 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with 3 spritz Laphroaig Scotch (12 drops). Two Sundays ago, I was looking through online recipe flashcards, and I spotted the Smoke Break at the now closed La Moule in Portland, Oregon, and dated to around 2021 through a GoogleMaps menu photo. Besides having Trinidad Sour vibes, with the Fernet, it came across a little like the Golden Gate Swizzle but with some Scotch and a touch of oxidized sherry to enrich the orgeat's notes notes (and here no falernum). In the glass, the Smoke Break clocked out with a peat smoke, nutty, and menthol aroma. Next, a creamy lemon sip exhaled into an almond, minty, and menthol swallow that was overall rather mellow for a Fernet-driven recipe.

caracara

1 oz Sazerac Rye
1 oz Jung & Wulff Trinidad Rum (Raising Glasses 8 Year Cask Strength)
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Herbsaint, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I had spotted an interesting recipe called the Caracara from the A Quick Drink book in my Instagram feed, and I noticed that it was one of the recipes that I had written on my bookmark that I never got around to making. The drink was created by Kitty Corbo for the dealer's choice round of Speedrack 2019 as a Sazerac riff. Indeed, there have been a few pineapple syrup-sweetened Sazerac variations that I have tried including the Bounty, Harbourmaster, and Dawn of Hospitality, so I was curious to try this one. In the glass, the Caracara gave forth a lemon and anise bouquet like a good Sazerac will. Next, a semi-sweet sip with hints of tropical notes on the sip opened up into rye, dark rum, pineapple, cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

hijos de borinquen

1 oz Aged Rum such as DonQ Añejo (DonQ Añejo)
1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel (omit). Two Fridays ago, I was perusing a thread on Reddit's cocktail forum about apricot liqueur recipes when I came across the Hijos de Borinquen. The drink created at La Factoria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was mentioned a bit on travel log sites. The bar's Instagram described, "Originally known as Café Hijos de Borinquen when revolutionaries and artists of the 50s and 60s used to meet, our main bar is where it all started... years ago." On paper, the spirit, cinnamon, apricot, and lime combination reminded me of the Baldwin Bar's Southern Belle but with gin and egg white instead of rums. In the glass, the Hijos de Borinquen gave forth a cinnamon, apricot, rum funk, and vanilla aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip blossomed into funky aged rum, apricot, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

pineapple paralysis

1 1/2 oz High Proof Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Orange Liqueur (Bauchant)
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lemon Juice
3 drop Bittermens Tiki Bitters (1 dash Bittercube Trinity)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a coconut mug or double old fashioned glass (mug), and garnish with a mint sprig, pineapple wedge, and orchid (chocolate mint sprigs). Two Thursdays ago, I spotted a reference to the Pineapple Paralysis from the The Minimalist Tiki Book by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith, and I realized that the recipe was not in my first edition but in an edition that followed. The recipe that I was able to find in a few places on the web was crafted by Eric Bogan as a riff on the Polynesian Paralysis with the orange juice swapped to orange liqueur à la Paul McGee. Moreover, the name reminded me of how Ames Street Deli created the Pineapple Project as a riff on Bourbon & Branch's Laphroaig Project. Once assembled, the Pineapple Paralysis lumbered to the nose with a mint over pineapple and cinnamon bouquet. Next, a creamy caramel, lemon, and pineapple sip converted into Bourbon, pineapple, orange, cinnamon, and almond flavors on the swallow.

stranger in paradise

1 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Clement Premiere Canne Rhum Agricole (Rhum JM 100° Blanc)
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
3 dash St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (30 drop Hamilton's)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a glass or mug (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish in a tropical way such as including a cinnamon stick (mint and cinnamon stick). Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the recipes that Lost Lake in Chicago published after they closed their doors, and the one that called out to me was the Stranger in Paradise from their second menu. Tequila and rhum agricole have appeared together in the Seas the Day, Menehune Gonzalez, and my Gunwale Punch (more often, rhum has been paired with mezcal though), so I wanted to see their spin on the duo. Here, the Stranger in Paradise welcomed the senses with cinnamon, mint, and pineapple aromas. Next, pineapple and lime notes on the sip uncovered funky rhum, vegetal, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

elected official

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
3 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, my Instagram friend Tim Kirkland posted a drink called the Elected Official. At first, I figured it was an election day thing until he described how it was a tribute to me. He explained that when I post drinks on Instagram that he wants to remake, he jokes with comments like "Frederic Yarm for President." Here, I felt like he was imitating my style a bit sort of like how I ripped off Jason Alexander's style in my 2020 election night drink the Doomscroller or studied my Secret Santé 2022 pick's favorite ingredients to craft The Phrasemaker. Indeed, the 3:1 rye to mezcal with 2 dashes of mole bitters is one that I use a lot such as in the Vaquero, and I definitely love Maraschino especially in stirred drinks. While I do not reach for Nonino much in my own creations, everything else is very much in my wheelhouse. Once assembled, the Elected Official cast out an orange, caramel, smoky, vegetal, and nutty cherry aroma. Next, caramel and a hint of cherry on the sip led into rye, smoke, nutty cherry, orange, vegetal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow. This combination definitely yielded a good number of layers of flavor.

tammany hall

1 oz Redbreast Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, garnish with lemon oil from a twist and a cherry. Two Mondays ago after making the No Bye/No Aloha, I selected a nightcap from the KindredCocktails database called Tammany Hall. It was not the century's old Tammany that is a rye Manhattan with Yvette and noyaux accents, but a split base Irish whiskey-Genever Manhattan with Benedictine created by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles circa 2013. The combination of two spirits, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and bitters reminded me of Death & Taxes (and later Mergers & Acquisitions); therefore, I was curious to give this one a go. In the glass, Tammany Hall ruled on a lemon, malty, and grape aroma. Next, grape and malty notes on the sip passed an order for Irish whiskey, malty Genever, herbal, wormwood, and clove flavors on the swallow.

no bye/no aloha

1 1/2 oz Fords Gin
1/2 oz Dr. Bird Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
1/2 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Whip shake, pour into a double old fashioned glass (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with tropical effects (mint and a nasturtium flower). I was a bit too tired two Sundays ago after celebrating surviving the morning bar of the Cambridge Half Marathon (we could not serve until 10am so we already had rows of people waiting to get their first drink) as well as later toasting my final shift at the C-Side Bar, so I skipped making a drink that night. Therefore, I made two drinks on that Monday with the first being the No Bye/No Aloha from Lost Lake in Chicago that the bar published right after they closed up. This reference to a song by The Breeders seemed to be a Saturn riff with the addition of rum (I did have a rum riff call the Janus recently), sherry, ginger syrup, bitters and absinthe; true, that is just as many ingredients added as the Saturn itself contains but the vibe is still there for me. Once prepared, the No Bye/No Aloha gave forth mint aromas over nutty sherry and rum funk ones from underneath. Next, lemon and grape notes from the sip departed with a rock promoter and left behind pine, funky rum, ginger, passion fruit, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

arrow through me

1 oz Gin (Tree House's Hildegard Von Bingen)
1 oz Amaro Pasubio
1 oz Cocchi Americano

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon (orange) twist. Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan, and there I landed upon the Arrow Through Me by Andrew Cordero at Seneca in San Diego circa 2022. I was drawn in by the lightly bitter and fruity Negroni style, and I am always looking for uses for my bottle of the blueberry vino amaro Pasubio. Here, the Arrow Through Me landed with a pine, woody spice, and blueberry aroma. Next, berry and grapefruit notes on the sip released pine, blueberry, herbal, and gentian flavors on the swallow.

dad bod

1 oz Pig's Nose Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
3/4 oz Angostura Bitters
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/4 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I decided to make the Dad Bod that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards from The Violet Hour's Spring/Summer 2023 menu. I decided to finally make it for it has the heavy Angostura Bitters, Cherry Heering, and lemon juice that I first tried in the Death or Glory that I recently republished in my The Clash cocktail biopic and just utilized in my Blood & Sand riff called the Rogue's Romance. Once shaken and strained, the Dad Bod gave forth an orange, allspice, and clove aroma. Next, creamy lemon and molasses notes on the sip stepped aside for Scotch, cherry, orange, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

razorgrass

1 1/2 oz Rhum JM 100° Rhum Agricole
1/2 oz St. George Absinthe
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Homemade Falernum (Velvet)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
5 drop Saline Solution (20%)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a snifter (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a spritz of absinthe (5-6 drops). Two Thursdays ago, I spotted a recipe by Andrew Boimila that he posted to Facebook's Tiki Recipes group called the Razorgrass. Andrew created the drink in 2023 during his time at Wusong Road in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and he was going to be competing with it in a cocktail competition soon in Rhode Island. The rhum agricole, absinthe, and orgeat trio was one that I used in my Mai Tai Suissesse for an absinthe competition years ago; the trio worked great but it was less intentional than this for it was the result of mashing up two classics. Once mixed, the Razorgrass offered up mint and star anise aromas. Next, a creamy lemon sip cruised into grassy, anise, herbal, and almond flavors on the swallow.

dark hand

2 oz Aged Dark Rum (Dos Maderas 5+5)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
3/8 oz Amaro Lucano
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays prior, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan, and there I spotted the Dark Hand by Yao Wong at The Elysian in Melbourne circa 2020. I figured that the recipe would be a good inaugural use for the aged rum finished in sherry casks, Dos Maderas 5+5, that I was sent as a sample along with a bottle of Spanish brandy and a bottle of Bauchaunt orange liqueur. Perhaps the name is a reference to the Right Hand but made dark by the rum choice as well as Amaro Lucano in place of Campari. Once mixed, the Dark Hand waved to the nose with an orange, caramel, and sherry grape aroma. Next, a semi-sweeet grape and caramel sip gave way to dark rum, nutty, dark orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

rogue's romance

1 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Angostura Bitters
1 Orange Peel approx. 3/4"x3" or 1"x2"

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. After thinking about the Death or Glory that I republished in the The Clash cocktail biopic article, I became inspired to tinker with the structure. The drink's Cherry Heering made me think of the Blood & Sand and I later dubbed the end result after another of Rudolph Valentino's movies, namely the Rogue's Romance. I opted for lemon instead of Blood & Sand's orange to mirror Johann Goes to Mexico and the Trinidad Sour, and after making it once, I decided to include a regal shake with an orange peel to add back some elegant notes found in the classic. Once made the second time with the orange peel in the shake, the Rogue's Romance served up a peat smoke, red fruit, orange, and clove bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip blossomed into smoky Scotch, cherry, clove, and orange flavors on the swallow.

el burladero

2 oz Spanish Brandy (Gran Duque d'Alba)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)
1/8 oz Cane Syrup (Sirop JM)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Another recipe that I wanted to make with my sample bottle of Gran Duque d'Alba was a recipe on the Bartender's Choice app that called for Spanish brandy named El Burladero. The drink was created by Brandon Bramhall at Attaboy's Nashville branch in 2018, and a burladero is a wooden panel in a bullring near the wall to offer a safe space for bullfighters. Since coffee liqueur and Fernet have worked well in the Queen Village, Mount Makana, and Don't Flip Out, I was curious to see how it would modify a sherry-driven brandy. In the glass, El Burladero gave forth orange, sherry, coffee, and mint aromas. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip eluded brandy, nutty, coffee, menthol, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

petty crime

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Orgeat

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into an old fashioned glass (Tiki mug), top with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs. Two Sundays ago, I rediscovered an old screenshot of a friend on Instagram posting a bitter tropical drink called Petty Crime, and I decided that it was perfect for the evening's nightcap. The recipe was created by Jon & Siobhan of SubtleTiki and was posted on both their Instagram and their blog. The Fernet-rum Daiquiri aspect of it reminded me of the Tar Pit, and the orgeat-banana duo appeared in the Brightside, Banana Hammock, and other drinks and is one that I utilized in my Escape from Monkey Island. Once prepared, the Petty Crime launched off with mint, banana, and rum funk aroma. Next, a creamy lime and caramel sip developed into funky rum, banana, nutty, and bitter menthol flavors on the swallow.

smoke signals

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (1 1/2 oz Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice and dirty dump into a single old fashioned glass (strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube). Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make the Smoke Signals from Alcove in Boston that I uncovered in a set of online recipe flashcards. Overall, the combination reminded me of Trader Vic's El Diablo with ginger syrup instead of ginger beer/ale as well as mezcal for tequila. There was also Ted Kilgore's Count Diablo that was a Diablo riff with ginger liqueur instead of ginger beer/ale as well, but that was also a mashup with Negroni. Once prepared, the Smoke Signals relayed to the senses a smoke and dark berry aroma. Next, lime and red fruit notes on the sip smoldered into smoky, agave, ginger, and tannic berry flavors on the swallow.

dream of the lava beds

1 3/4 oz London Dry Gin (Fords)
1/4 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I thought about the next drink to make for a regular who I hooked on Martini variations and as a follow up to the Portorico, a Martini with Jamaican rum and banana liqueur, that I had just served them. Here, I took the Poet's Dream and merged it with a Madame Lou (gin, dry vermouth, pineapple syrup) but with pineapple rum in place of the syrup. Plus a dash of Angostura was added to the equation for a little depth. I originally tried a 3:1 gin to pineapple rum ratio but that was a bit distracting, so I toned it down. For a name, I dubbed it the Dream of the Lava Beds with the first part of the name from the Poet's Dream and the second part from Madame Lou's nickname, the Queen of the Lava Beds. In the glass, the Dream of the Lava Beds erupted with an orange, pineapple, and allspice aroma. Next, white wine and caramel notes on the sip relaxed into pine, pineapple, herbal, orange, and clove flavors on the swallow.

demure thoughts

1 1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Peated Scotch (Caol Ila 12 Year)
1/3 oz Campari (2 tsp)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Rich Simple Syrup (Sirop JM)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Thursdays ago, I recalled meeting Shawn Soole at Portland Cocktail Week this year, so I reached for his Great Northern Cocktails book. There, I latched onto the Demure Thoughts by Dinah Kisil at Calgary's Proof Cocktail Bar that read like the Daiquiri with Scotch version of the Campari Swizzle. Moreover, rum and Scotch have worked well in Daiquiri riffs like the Mr. Howell and Strangeways Daiquiri, so I was sold. In the glass, the Demure Thoughts expressed itself with a peat smoke and herbal orange aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip were mindful of the rum, pineapple, whisky, smoke, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

the man comes around

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Sombra Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Spanish Brandy (Gran Duque D'Alba)
1 tsp Fernet Branca
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass (with ice), and garnish with a mint sprig. I was recently sent a three pack of bottles that included the sherry-tinged Gran Duque D'Alba Grand Reserva Brandy, and I recalled a recipe from New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles that I had been wanting to make once I had a Spanish brandy in stock. The drink was The Man Comes Around circa 2013 via KindredCocktails. Rafa was inspired after having a mezcal-Cynar cocktail at Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan followed by hearing subway musicians on the ride home who played Johnny Cash covers. When he made it back to his home bar, he whipped this up as a nightcap and named it after one of the songs he had just heard. The recipe was alluring for it had the mezcal, brandy, and Cynar trio that I utilized in my Papa Was a Rodeo and enjoyed in the Witch Doctor. Here, the Man Comes Around broadcast a mint and caramel aroma to the senses. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip flowed into brandy, herbal, vegetal, menthol, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

cannibalernum

1 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray Stiggins' Fancy)
2/3 oz High Proof Rum (1/4 oz each Planteray OFTD, Smith & Cross, and Privateer Navy Yard)
3/4+ oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, and fill with crushed ice. Float dashes of Bitter Truth Creole Bitters (Peychaud's) and Matthias' 2022 post shows a mint garnish. The weird measurements make more sense in metric. On Instagram, I spotted one of my friends making a tropical drink called the Cannibalernum that was created by Matthias Soberon circa 2019. I most recently had the combination of rum, passion fruit, falernum, and lime in the Saturn riff the Janus, and it has prospered in drinks ranging from the Sunakora Zombie to the Last Rites. Besides that, the mashup of the words "cannibal" and "falernum" made for an equally tempting concept as the ingredients. In the glass, the Cannibalernum hunted down the nose with a mint and anise aroma. Next, lime, melon, and tropical flavors on the sip ensnared rum, pineapple, passion fruit, clove, and funk flavors on the swallow.

fantasma

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
2 dash Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters (The Bitter Housewife)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lime twist. Two Mondays ago, I was perusing an online recipe flashcard set for Pammy's in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Luxardo Bitter Bianco recipe called the Fantasma caught my eye. The closest thing to this mezcal White Negroni on the blog was perhaps the aged gin-based Jaded Sensibilities, so I was curious. Moreover, a Yelp menu photo points this to the December 2017 timeframe. Once served, the Fantasma met the nose with a lime, vegetal, herbal, and smoke bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet white wine sip opened up into smoky mezcal, bitter herbal, wormwood, and cardamom flavors on the swallow.

the law firm

1 1/2 oz Diplomatico Exclusiva Rum
3/4 oz Quintinya Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
3/4 oz Amaro Lucano
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 dash Tiki Bitters (2 dash Bittercube Trinity)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Sundays ago, I looked up the folks offering mentoring sessions alongside me at Portland Cocktail Week, and some of them were apart of a Columbus, Ohio, bartender-built company called Historic Revelry. On the company's website was a recipe section where I landed on the Law Firm. Its rum, sweet vermouth, and amaro structure reminded me of drinks like the Palm Viper, Laughing Boy, and Bridgetown Stomp; therefore, I gave it a whirl. Once stirred and strained, the Law Firm summoned caramel aromas with a hint of rum funk. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip defended the rum, herbal, molasses, citrus peel, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

magician's downfall

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Demerara Rum (Hamilton 86° Demerara River)
1/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Juice (1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup (omit, see above)
1/2 oz Grenadine (Mulberry Syrup)
1 fistful Mint (12-14 leaves)

Spindle blend with crushed ice and pour into a Tiki mug (shake with ice and double strain into a Tiki mug). Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs. Two Saturdays ago, I saw a reference to a drink called the Magician's Downfall by James Hoffman on the Reddit Tiki forum, and I tracked down the recipe to the creator's How To Drink YouTube channel. While this was most likely inspired by the Missionary's Downfall given the name, this one had the rum, mezcal, passion fruit, mint, and lime of my Lili'uokalani's Downfall albeit with different rums and modifiers. Once prepared, the Magician's Downfall enchanted the nose with a mint aroma. Next, berry, lime, and tropical flavors on the sip shapeshifted into funky rum, smoky, passion fruit, berry, and mint flavors on the swallow.