pagan punch

2 oz Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a glass (Tiki mug), and fill with crushed ice. The instructions did not list a garnish, but the photo showed mint sprigs and a plastic spider (grapefruit peel snakes). Two Thursdays ago, my shipment of a half dozen new Tiki mugs arrived, and I sought out uses for them. On my phone, I found a screenshot of the Pagan Punch by San Francisco home enthusiast Joe Kennedy that he posted on Facebook's Tiki Recipes group back in October. It was a cross of Pagan Idol's Quarantine Order with Stephen Remsberg's Planter's Punch featuring Coruba Rum (which we had at his house in 2010 as alluded to in this post). The passion fruit-cinnamon syrup duo is one that I utilized in my Bucking the Tiger a few days after having it in the Samson Swizzle; my earliest blog post with the duo turns out to be something I came up with independently during Loyal Nine's Yacht Rock Sundays in 2015 called the Key Largo. In the new mug, the Pagan Punch prayed to the nose with grapefruit and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel, grapefruit, lime, and passion fruit notes on the sip chanted until dark funky rum, passion fruit, cinnamon, and allspice flavors from the swallow reared their heads.

snowbirds & townies

1 1/2 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Dry Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Snowbirds & Townies that I spotted in the KindredCocktails database. It was created by Tonia Guffey at Brooklyn's Dram circa 2013 and was first published by Robert Simonson in the New York Times. Tonia named the drink after a song about winter by the group Further Seems Forever and based the flavor profile on the chocolate-orange candies she used to get every Christmas. She mollified the bitterness of Fernet with a trio of sweet holiday flavors: orange, cocoa, and cinnamon. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Alligator with orange juice and crème de cacao in the mix (plus lemon for lime). In the glass, the Snowbirds & Townies mingled with a chocolate and minty aroma. Next, lemon and orange notes on the sip opened up to bitter menthol, chocolate, cinnamon, and orange flavors on the swallow.

alpine drive

1 oz Drouin Calvados (Morin Selection)
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Becherovka
2 dash Maple Bitters (3 drop Maple Syrup + 1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with an apple fan. Two Tuesdays ago, the apple fan on the Beyond the Solar System reminded me of the recipe that I had saved for the Alpine Drive by Mark Stoddard. I had uncovered this recipe via online recipe flashcards for the Fall 2024 menu at Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and the current menu describes it as "A leisurely stroll through the changing colors" with evidence in the Willamette Weekly that it was being served at the bar as far back as 2017. I have only had Becherovka with an apple brandy base in the Meadowlands but several times in split base apple brandy drinks such as the Orchard in Manhattan, so I was curious to see try it here in a spiced Marconi Wireless riff. Once prepared, the nose offered up apple, dark grape, and cinnamon aromas. Next, grape, plum, and maple flavors on the sip dispersed into apple, herbal, clove, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

westpoint

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (Coruba)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon wedge (lemon twist). Two Mondays prior, I grabbed my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion, and the Westpoint by Daniel Zacharczuk circa 2015 at Salt's Cure in Los Angeles spoke to me. For some reason, the structure quickly reminded me of the Sky Pilot despite that drink being an apple brandy and grenadine one without bitters but still with the dark rum as an accent. Searching the database, it is closer to the Lazy Bear though with lime and a different call of bitters. Once prepared, the Westpoint showcased lemon, honey, and whiskey aromas to the nose. Next, lemon, honey, and caramel notes on the sip marched into rye, funky rum, honey, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

beyond the solar system

3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Orgeat

Whip shake with crushed ice, dump into a glass (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an apple fan dusted with freshly grated cinnamon. Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a drink that I had bookmarked on Instagram back in October from user WeeklyTiki called Beyond the Solar System. This Saturn riff seemed like a good followup to the tequila Saturn called the Papa Noel from the Sippin' Santa series I had two days prior. Here, a rye-funky rum version had me curious for the rum-laden Janus was so delightful; moreover, the falernum was also swapped to cinnamon syrup. In the mug, the Beyond the Solar System welcomed the nose with an apple and cinnamon aroma. Next, creamy, lemon, and tropical notes on the sip launched off to rye, funky rum, earthy nutty, cinnamon, and passion fruit flavors on the swallow.

nova scotia

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (2 oz Evan Williams Bonded)
1/3 oz Islay Scotch (>1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca (1/3 oz)
1/4 oz Honey Syrup (1/3 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I opened up The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and became enchanted with the Nova Scotia as a Toronto riff by Paul Hammond and Priscilla Leong now of The Flowing Bowl Cocktail Company in Melbourne, Australia. Overall, it reminded me of the rye-Speyside Scotch Toronto riff, All Bark, All Bite from the Violet Hour that I discovered in the Bartender's Manifesto two years ago. In the glass, the Nova Scotia approached the nose with a lemon, floral, and peat smoke bouquet. Next, honey and malt notes on the sip transitioned into smoky whiskey flavors accented with bitter minty menthol on the swallow.

papa noel v1

1 1/2 oz Camarena Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/4 oz Orgeat
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a 12 oz Pearl Diver glass (coconut Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a pineapple wedge, orchid, and paper umbrella (umbrella only). Two Fridays ago, I reached for the recipe collection from the Sippin' Santa events and selected the Papa Noel version 1 from the 2018 menu (version 2 posted down below seems to be from 2019). Overall, it read like a reposado tequila Saturn with Peychaud's; I recently had the Jamaican rum and lime juice version, the Janus, so trying an agave version seemed intriguing. Once prepared, this version of the Papa Noel orbited the nose with agave and passion fruit aromas. Next, a creamy lemon sip landed upon tequila, passion fruit, nutty, clove, and anise flavors on the swallow. Indeed, I was impressed how the vegetal nature of the agave completely reshaped the way a Saturn-like drink came across.

Papa Noel v2
• 2 oz Blanco Tequila
• 1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur
• 3/4 oz Orgeat
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/4 oz Pineapple Juice
• 3 dash Cardamom Bitters
Similar directions as v1.

aztec death whistle

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Orange Liqueur (Bauchant)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca (*)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass (or Tiki mug) with ice. Garnish with orange oil or an orange twist (a later addition than the first photo).
(*) Fernet Vallet, a Mexican Fernet, worked just as well as Fernet Branca at work if not better at work. At Gato Exotico, we have a Tiki-style mug in the form of an Aztec death whistle that was too small for our Margaritas and needed a use. It was also thought that something more aggressive needed to accompany a mug of that name, so I set to work at home. My creation started as an abstraction of the Don't Give Up the Ship that swapped the gin and Dubonnet for mezcal and chile liqueur. Ancho Reyes and Fernet have worked well in one of the versions of My Name is Nobody, and Ancho Reyes and orange liqueur have been great in drinks like Third Times' the Charm. The drink and the mug were named after a type of whistle used by the Aztecs to produce a high-pitched human-like shrieking sound. It was originally believed that it was used to scare off their enemies in war, but after finding it in the hands of a sacrificial victim, it may have been ceremonial or perhaps functioning in both capacities. At home, the Aztec Death Whistle served like an Old Fashioned (before an orange twist was added) gave forth smoky, roasty, vegetal, and minty aromas. Next, an orange-driven sip expanded into smoky, spicy pepper, and bitter menthol flavors on the swallow. At Gato Exotico, the team tried it with Fernet Branca, Amargo Vallet, and Fernet Vallet, and the Mexican Fernet seemed to be the favorite. My manager felt it needed a citrus twist, and orange won out over lemon. Also, since the mug is branded to Espolon, the spirit will probably change to an equal split of Espolon Tequila and Montelobos Mezcal (same portfolio) keeping all other things equal. There will also need to be a change to a shorter and thinner straw since it is more difficult to enjoy a higher proof Old Fashioned-style drink with a wider and thus higher volume straw.

on christmas island

1 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum (Hamilton Demerara River 86°)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Donn's Spices #2 (1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup + 1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's))
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a glass or mug (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish in tropical fashion (mint and nutmeg). Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the Pandemic-era Lost Lake email recipe collection when I spotted the On Christmas Island created for their first Christmas Pop-up in 2017 alongside drinks from Boilermaker in Manhattan and Latitude 29 in New Orleans. I also found this in the Sippin' Santa recipe collection which attributed it to a year earlier in 2016. The lemon juice balanced by ginger and passion fruit syrups reminded me of Lost Lake's No Bye/No Aloha but with Donn's Spices #2 instead of orgeat and vanilla. It turned out that this recipe made good use of the last of this season's mint before a killing frost took out every last plant in the yard soon after. In the mug, On Christmas Island presented mint, woody spice, and hints of caramel, rum funk, and passion fruit to the nose. Next, lemon, caramel-molasses, and hints of passion fruit on the sip flowed into funky rum, ginger, and allspice flavors with a vanilla-passion fruit finish.

stardust (bar lunette)

2 oz Bacardi White Rum infused with Butterfly Pea Blossoms (*)
1 oz Marie Brizard Parfait Amour
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice (*)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with edible glitter (*).
(*) See the Green Street and Eastern Standard recipes below for something closer to the original. For a second drink, I asked bartender Corey Campbell at Bar Lunette in Coolidge Corner for their version of the Stardust that has ties to the Paris Creperie next door. The late, great Brother Cleve created the Stardust at the B-Side in Cambridge over 25 years ago, and later he consulted with the Paris Creperie right before the Pandemic in 2019 to start up their cocktail program in the now closed Seaport location. While the original is white rum, parfait amour liqueur, and lemon, Bar Lunette gussied this one up a bit, and it is very possible that Cleve crafted this version 2.0 at the Seaport Paris Creperie. Here is the recipe from both the Green Street A to Z recipe book and Eastern Standard bar bible:

Stardust
• 1 1⁄2 oz White Rum (Green Street called for Cruzan 2 Year Light Rum)
• 3⁄4 oz Parfait Amour
• 3⁄4 oz Lemon Juice
Shake, strain into a Martini glass, and garnish with an orange wedge.

Blogger and professional food critic MC Slim JB wrote, "[The Stardust]: a drink which Boston hospitality legend Brother Cleve created for the opening specialty cocktail menu of the late, lamented B-Side Lounge in Cambridge, MA. (Cleve in turn describes his cocktail as a variation on Don the Beachcomber's Royal Daiquiri, a Tiki drink of early 1940s vintage.)" The Royal Daiquiri is a lime-driven drink whereas the original Stardust is a lemon one, so the Bar Lunette one splits the difference (besides adding in additional color from the butterfly pea blossoms and changing the garnish from something simple to something fabulous. In the glass, this newer rendition of the Starlite offered up lemon, floral, and vanilla aromas. Next, lemon and lime notes on the sip twinkled into rum, grapefruit, and bubblegum vanilla notes on the swallow. It is also worth mentioning that Trina's Starlite Lounge (name perhaps unrelated) pays tribute to Cleve's creation by doing a French 75-esque version with the addition of sparkling wine.

day for night

1 oz Barr Hill Gin
1 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz St. Elder Elderflower Liqueur
1 dash Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a cucumber slice on a pick. Two Mondays ago, I ventured down to Coolidge Corner to visit Corey Campbell who was bartending at Bar Lunette. For a first drink, I requested the Day for Night that Corey described as a White Negroni variation created by Nick Mallia, one of the owners of Paris Creperie and Bar Lunette. In the glass, the Day for Night offered up cucumber, gentian herbal, and floral aromas to the nose. Next, white grape and grapefruit notes on the sip transformed into juniper and cucumber herbal flavors on the swallow. Indeed, cucumber and gentian liqueur flavors paired rather elegantly here as they did in the Little Oaxacan.

bid farewell

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1/2 oz Vanilla Syrup
2 dash Walnut Bitters (4 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixirs)

No instructions were given but I interpretted this as an Old Fashioned so I stirred with ice and strained into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. A citrus twist such as lemon or orange would not be out of place here and would probably round out the bouquet. Two Sundays ago, I returned to my notes from a set of online recipe flashcards for the Boise, Idaho, location of Tavolata where I previously found the Golden Eagle. There, I selected the Bid Farewell from their current menu as a Toronto accented with Donn's Spices #2. Moreover, Fernet has been been paired with allspice dram in a few drinks including the Colonial Bastard and The Aftermath, so I was curious to see how it would be mollified with vanilla syrup. In the glass, the Bid Farewell gave forth a vanilla, Bourbon, and allspice bouquet. Next, light caramel notes on the sip flowed into Bourbon, vanilla, allspice, and bitter minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

tropicale

3/4 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (Coruba)
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
3/8 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1 tsp Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garish with an orange wedge (orange twist). Two Saturdays ago, I returned to The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and opted for the Tropicale by Lorenzo Antinori at Bar Leone in Hong Kong from the Negroni section. It was a different drink from the similarly named Negroni Tropicale that took things in a passion fruit and citrus direction. As a Kingston Negroni with sherry and banana accents, the Tropicale began with orange oil, caramel, nutty sherry, and dried fruit aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip ripened into funky rum, nutty, bitter orange, and tropical flavors on the swallow.

black metal sleigh

1 1/2 oz Vodka (Goral)
3/4 oz Jägermeister
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Grapefruit Bitters (Bittermens)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Julep or Swizzle tin (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig. Two Fridays ago, I delved into a collection of Sippin' Santa recipes that was recently shared on Reddit. The one I selected as a starting point was the Black Metal Sleigh from the 2015 event that had the same vodka lengthening and fortifying a bitter liqueur technique that I first observed in the Sputnik. Moreover, it had a similar structure to the Jägermeister tropical recipe, the Escape Hatch, so I was sold. With the penultimate use of this season's mint as garnish, the Black Metal Sleigh greeted the nose with a mint bouquet. Next, lime and caramel on the sip slid into star anise, herbal, cinnamon, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

overtime

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

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wedge (omit). Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of the The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and honed in on the Overtime by Anthony Jayasekera at Bar Tobalá in Melborne circa 2023. It reminded me of the Mosquito and Dragonfly but with another bitter liqueur and lime instead of lemon. With Ramazzotti, I realized that it had the Maserati (mezcal-Ramazzotti duo) as its base, and that pairing has worked great in other recipes such as The Great Satan, There is no Spoon, and El Nacional. In the glass, the Overtime racked up a root beer, vegetal, and smoke aroma. Next, lime and caramel on the sip opened up into smoky vegetal, root beer, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

ghost rider

3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with candied ginger. Two Wednesdays ago, I became inspired by the Maraschino, ginger, and lime trio in the Hitman from Dutch Kills and I mashed it up with the Ferrari (Fernet-Campari duo). Previously, I did a similar Ferrari mashup in the Blank Hand Society using the Gilda as the other inspiration point. For a name, I dubbed this one the Ghost Rider after a 1977 song from the synth-punk band Suicide that was a nod to a Marvel Comics character. In the glass, the Ghost Rider screamed the truth with a menthol, ginger, and nutty cherry aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip rode off towards caramel, minty, menthol, and bitter nutty cherry-orange flavors on the swallow.

voorhees

1 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with cayenne pepper powder. Two Tuesdays prior, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and honed in on the Voorhees by D. Skinner. Overall, it appeared like a variation on the Holland Razor Blade with the Genever split with apple brandy and the simple syrup split with cinnamon. In the glass, the Voorhees donated an apple, cinnamon, and malty aroma. Next, a lemon-driven sip blossomed into apple, malty, cinnamon, and herbal flavors on the swallow that gained an increasing amount of hot pepper spice over time.

gnarly proposition

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

This is a doubled recipe. Shake with ice and strain into a single old fashioned glass or perhaps a coupe, or to be closer to the original, strain into two shot glasses. Two Mondays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for Navy Strength in Seattle and landed on the Gnarly Proposition. The drink is normally served as a shot, so I doubled the amounts to make it cocktail sized. A problem with the recipe was that it called for a batched mezcal-Cynar pour that I assessed to be 3:1 instead of 1:1 through the hue in a Yelp drink photo from 2022. Moreover, I ended up making the 1:1 version as well that was more opaquely brown than the photo as well as more quirky as opposed to more pleasing like a shot should be. Since the trio of mezcal, Cynar, and passion fruit worked well in the Bairdley Legal an Yvonne's, I was definitely excited about trying this one. In the glass, the Gnarly Proposition opened up with caramel, vegetal, tropical, and smoke aromas. Next, lime and passion fruit notes on the sip revealed smoky mezcal, tropical, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

famous american novelist

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Amaro Averna
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/4 oz Campari
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a cherry-orange slice on a pick (cherry only). Two Sundays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcards when I came across the Famous American Novelist from the cocktail bar at Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in Manhattan from Spring 2024. I found a discussion of the drinks for the performance mentioning this one on Reddit's Broadway forum circa June 2024. The name is most like a reference to the play's Herr Clifford Bradshaw and perhaps a nod to the Boulevardier – a drink of Bourbon, vermouth, and Campari named after an American-founded literary magazine in Paris. Overall, the recipe was rather similar to the Finishing School by Carlo Caroscio at Backbar as his riff on his Smoking Section, and somewhat similar to the NoMad's Brunswick. In the glass, the Famous American Novelist penned a Bourbon, cherry, and caramel bouquet for the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip concluded with Bourbon, herbal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with clove on the finish.

dead man's hand

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I opened up The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and spotted the Dead Man's Hand by Greg Keese at the Nashville branch of Attaboy circa 2022. This is the second drink here to reference this card game lore of the bad luck associated with a pair of black aces plus a pair of black eights that were in Wild Bill Hickok's hand when he was shot down; that other recipe is the Aces & Eights from Death & Co. On paper, the Dead Man's Hand reads like a Green Point meets a Left Hand, so perhaps the latter drink gave the inspiration for the name. Moreover, on the blog, there are only three other recipes with both Campari and Yellow Chartreuse with the only stirred one being the Trans-Europe Express from Beta Cocktails. Once prepared, the Dead Man's Hand dealt both bright orange oil and dark orange aromas along with piny notes from the Yellow Chartreuse. Next, a grape-driven sip folded into Bourbon, chocolate, herbal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

honey badger

1 1/2 oz Barr Hill Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel (lemon twist). Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Honey Badger that Bardtenders posted on their Instagram account earlier that day. I felt it was a good tribute for the folks from that site hosted me on their podcast two nights before for a recording to be broadcasted in late February. The combination reminded me of Michael Madrusan's Son of a Beesting at Milk & Honey that calls for ginger syrup instead of liqueur akin to a Bee's Knees crossed with a Penicillin. In the glass, the Honey Badger gave forth a lemon, ginger, and honey bouquet. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip gave way to pine, ginger, honey, and orange flavors on the swallow.

save the robots

1 1/4 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass. Two Wednesday prior, I became inspired by the Nautical Mile with London Dry Gin and Calvados that I had the night before. I soon mashed up those spirits with the modifiers of Ce Soir, and I dubbed it Save the Robots after an after-hours club in New York City's East Village that I rediscovered in the book St. Marks is Dead and recalled from my time living in Manhattan in the early 90s. Here, pine and herbal aromas purchased entrance to the senses at the door. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip danced their way into juniper, apple, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow. I wondered if equal parts Calvados and gin would have worked better such that its richness would be closer the Cognac in the Ce Soir to balance the brighter herbaceous notes in the Yellow Chartreuse; however, I enjoyed the result enough not to retry it.

nautical mile

1 1/4 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/4 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. From the most recent issue of Imbibe Magazine in the article on Calvados drinks, I got lured in by the Nautical Mile by Chris Kiyuna at Holy Water in San Francisco. The gin and apple brandy in a Sour reminded me of the Pink Lady but with orgeat and honey instead of that classic's grenadine and egg white. Furthermore, the orgeat-honey duo was one that I last saw in Backbar's Platform Lime and 3/4 as well as some older drinks like Army Navy Grog. In the glass, the Nautical Mile reached out with a pine, apple, and almond bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip unfurled into juniper, almond, and apple flavors on the swallow with a honey and chocolate finish.

the capricorn

1 1/2 oz Aged Dark Rum (Planteray Original Dark)
1/2 oz Batavia Arrack (von Oosten)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lime oil (lime twist). Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spied an Erick Castro recipe that I had never made before – namely, the Capricorn that he created at Rickhouse in San Francisco circa 2009. It was reminescent of the Wray of Light with Jamaican rum instead of the dark rum and Batavia Arrack here, and with Becherovka as the clove source instead of falernum, it reminded me of Hop, Skip, and Jump. Once prepared, the Capricorn galloped to the nose with floral pineapple-lime melding into Batavia Arrack funk aromas. Next, lime with a hint of pineapple on the sip ushered in dark rum, Batavia Arrack's earthy funk, pineapple, and clove flavors on the swallow.

tuxedo no. 3

2 oz Probitas Rum (1 3/4 oz Hamilton's White 'Shache + 1/4 oz Wray & Nephew)
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Lazzaroni Maraschino Liqueur (Maraska)
1 tsp Pineapple Oleo Saccharum (Pineapple Syrup)
21 drop Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal
3 drop Salt Solution

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe. Two Mondays ago, my Instagram friend Darren Marks posted a recipe called the Tuxedo No. 3 that he created in 2025. It is also what he made for writer Robert Simonson when Robert visited Ruby's Lagoon Bar, Darren's home bar in Kansas City. Darren took the gin and absinthe of the Tuxedo No. 2 and replaced it with rum and Elixir Vegetal, and he added pineapple oleo akin to the Velvet Tuxedo No. 2 adding sloe gin. Once prepared, the Tuxedo No. 3 addressed the senses with a cherry and white rum with a hint of funk aroma. Next, white wine with a touch of pineapple and cherry on the sip opened up into rum with a little Jamaican funk, nutty cherry, pineapple, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.