where it all begins

1 1/2 oz Chattanooga High Malt Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Licor 43
1/4 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

No instructions were provided, so I stirred with ice, strained into a cocktail coupe, and garnished with a cherry. Two Wednesdays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard set for Nashville's Pinewood Social and selected the Where It All Begins from a 2021 collection, and I was able to confirm the drink's ingredients in a GoogleMaps menu photo. This Manhattan variation launched off with a cherry and dark grape aroma. Next, grape and sweet citrus notes on the sip slipped into Bourbon, bitter, bright orange-lemon, vanilla, and peppery flavors on the swallow. If I were to make this again, I would decrease the Licor 43 amount or even swap the volumes with Amaro Abano, for the balance came across a bit sweet and bright for me; often a quarter ounce of Licor 43 in a stirred drink is plenty such as in the Signals, Calls, & Marches.

drops of life

2 oz Hendrick's Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
2 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber slices, add rest of ingredients, stir with ice, double strain into a coupe, and garnish with a skewered cucumber (cucumber wheel). Two Tuesdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Sundry & Vice in Ohio and opted for the Drops of Life from a 2022 set. The drink was much older than that, for I found a reference as early as 2015 in a Yelp review and as late as 2024 in a Yelp menu photo. Overall, the idea reminded me of the Day for Night that I had at Bar Lunette but without the gentian liqueur and with muddled cucumber instead of cucumber bitters, and perhaps the St. Germain for simple syrup riff on the East Side that I made on occasion at Drink. In the coupe, the Drops of Life offered up a cucumber, grapefruit, and floral bouquet to the nose. Next, sweet grape and orchard fruit notes on the sip cascaded into gin, cucumber, vegetal, floral, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

don draper's bitter end

1 oz Rye (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Averna
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao) (*)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fasioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.
(*) An adaptation added to the original recipe. Two Mondays ago, I was perusing the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across Don Draper's Bitter End created at Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria, Virginia, circa 2014. The recipe posted there was an adaptation of the original that included the addition of orange liqueur for sweetness. I found the rye, Fernet, and orange liqueur combination reminscent of the Alcazer from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933, so I went with it. Once stirred and strained, the Don Draper's Bitter End gave forth orange, Cognac, caramel, and menthol aromas. Next, a caramel-driven sip soon advertised rye, Cognac, orange, bitter gentian, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

top rope

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Fino Sherry (Lustau Manzanilla)
1/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1 dash Fee's Black Walnut Bitters (3 dash Strongwater Walnut)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fasioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and picked the Top Rope by Sean O'Connor-Combee at J & Tony's Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse in San Diego circa 2022. The name made me think of the Turnbuckle, but that one was more bitter tropical. This drink instead reads like a sherry for sweet vermouth Boulevardier akin to Hungry Mother's No. 72, but here with a cross of dry Fino and sweet Pedro Ximenez sherries as I tried in the Bae of Biscay (I am much more used to Oloroso or Amontillado with Pedro Ximenez such as in the Black Adonis and the In the Middle of a Foggy Sea). In the glass, the Top Rope lept off with an orange, raisin, and Bourbon aroma. Next, a dark grape sip landed on Bourbon, raisin, date, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

bitter bird

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Saline (3 drop 20%)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist. Two Saturdays ago, I turned to online recipe flashcards for Eastern Standard in Boston, and I selected the Bitter Bird from the Spring 2026 menu. The restaurant's menu from March has it in the "Old Fashioned: Everything New is Old Again" section, and their Instagram reel has bartender Julian Bernal describing it as his creation from 2013 before he was working at there and how his drink lands somewhere between a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned. Overall, the combination comes across like the Papa Was a Rodeo with rye and no bitters or the Water Line without aquavit. Once built, the Bitter Bird flew to the nose with orange, rye, and herbal aromas. Next, caramel with hints of orange on the sip swooped before alighting on rye and herbal-orange flavors on the swallow.

torreador del diablo

1 1/4 oz Tequila (Cimarron Blanco)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/8 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Fridays prior, I began perusing The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and happened upon the Torreador del Diablo by José Manuel Alvarez Gonzalez at London's Milk & Honey in 2013. The Campari, apricot liqueur, and lemon juice trio has worked well in the Juniper #3 and in my St. Botolph's Club, so I was curious to taste it with the ginger-honey-lemon of a Penicillin Cocktail. Once mixed, the Torreador del Diablo showcased a vegetal tequila, apricot, and ginger aroma. Next, lemon with a hint of honey on the sip stepped aside for tequila, bitter orchard fruit, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

jack & bone

1 1/2 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (1 oz Coruba + 1/2 oz Smith & Cross)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wedge (lime wheel). Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Jack & Bone by Oska Whitehart at Melbourne's The Everleigh circa 2016 in the book's Daiquiri section. It reminded me of the Artichoke Hold minus the elderflower liqueur and the Navy Dock Daiquiri with orgeat instead of nutty Maraschino liqueur, so I was game to give it a whirl. In the glass, the Jack & Bone welcomed the nose with a lime, caramel, and pineapple-tinged rum funk aroma. Next, a creamy lime and caramel sip developed into funky rum, herbal, and almond flavors on the swallow.

maybe later

1 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Amaro Braulio
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2-3 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in syrup, add rest of ingredients, shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a floated cucumber slice. Two Wednesdays ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and spotted the Maybe Later by Chloe Martin in 2024 with no mention of where the drink was created. Given the name and structure, it was perhaps a riff on Sam Ross' Too Soon? and very reminscent of the Amaro Montenegro-laden Old News that I made around two weeks prior. In the glass, the Maybe Later showcased a lemon, pine, and cucumber bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip delayed pine, herbal, cucumber, and minty flavors on the swallow.

fay wray

3/4 oz Rhum Barbancourt 4 Star (8 Year) (*)
3/4 oz Dudognon Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Giffard Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Rhum Clement Rhum Agricole (Rhum JM 100° Blanc)
1/4 oz Rich Demerara Syrup 2:1 (1:1)
1 small Lime Wedge

Squeeze lime wedge and drop into the shaker tin. Add the rest of the ingredients, whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet and a dried banana (plantain) slice.
(*) Yes, there is no 4 Star, only 3 and 5 Star, but my guess is that they meant 4 Year/3 Star. Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a reference to the Fay Wray on Reddit, and I tracked the recipe back to Punch. My only gripe with this drink created by Matthew Belanger at Donna in Brooklyn is that, given the name, there was no Wray & Nephew Rum in the mix, and it could very well stand in for the funk accent here generated by the rhum agricole. Fay Wray is best known for portraying Ann Darrow in the original King Kong movie, and the recipe joins the other banana-laden movie-themed King Kong on the blog (the King Kong closer to the movie's 1933 release date features Benedictine and noyaux though). Once assembled, the Fay Wray gave forth a mint aroma over rum and caramel ones. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip fell into Cognac, funky rum, and banana flavors on the swallow.

thang down flip

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Zucca Rabarbaro (Sfumato)
3/4 oz Amargo de Chile (Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur)
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a snifter glass (single old fashioned), and garnish with freshly microplaned chocolate. Two Mondays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcards for Chicago's The Violet Hour and happened upon the Thang Down Flip from their Winter 2022 menu; the slightly cooler weather made a whole egg drink not feel out of place. Overall, it reminded me of the Colleen Bawn with the rye, egg, two liqueurs, and grated garnish. Having tasted Amargo de Chile earlier this year, I felt that Ancho Reyes would work well in its place. The drink was probably named after the Missy Elliott's song "Work It" with the lyric "I put my thang down, flip it and reverse it." Once prepared, the Thang Down Flip offered up chocolate, herbal, and roast aromas to the nose. Next, a creamy and caramel sip was chased by rye, chili pepper, smoky herbal, and hint of spice flavors on the swallow.

the caretaker

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Maraschino (Maraska)
1/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1 leaf Mint

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe (cocktail glass), and garnish with a mint leaf. Two Sundays prior, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Caretaker by Lisa Kempen at Caretaker in Auckland, New Zealand, circa 2021. Overall, the recipe came across like a Brooklyn riff akin to the Williamsburg with Cocchi Americano and the Brooklyn Bridge with sweet vermouth instead of the dry vermouth here. The stirred with mint Manhattan aspect is actually an old concept such as in the Sirloin from the 1933 edition of Jack's Manual (and rather common with vintage Martini riffs like the Fascinator and Cooperstown). In the glass, the Caretaker offered up assistance with a Bourbon, mint, and cherry aroma. Next, caramel and a slight cherry note on the sip blossomed into Bourbon, root beer, nutty cherry, and minty flavors on the swallow.

fort de france

1 oz Agricole Rhum (Rhum JM 100° Blanc)
1 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
Absinthe Rinse (20 drop St. George in mix)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet and freshly grated nutmeg. Two Saturdays ago, I looked to The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and landed upon the Fort de France by Michael McCollum at Nashville's Attaboy in 2024. Two combinations of interest stood out with the first being the Suze-rhum agricole duo that I have enjoyed in drinks like the Tour le Carbet, Pennington Daiquiri, and Is that All there Is?. The other is the Suze-orgeat pairing that worked well in the Little Oaxacan, Inna di Yard, and Frightened Tiger. Once prepared, the Fort de France began with a wood spice and mint bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip expanded into grassy rum, herbal, almond, anise, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

wayward mariner

1 1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Don's Spices #2 (1/4 oz each Vanilla Syrup + Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice (large cube), and garnish with a mint sprig and a pineapple wedge (mint only). Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Kindred Cocktails database to make the Wayward Mariner by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2015. The serving style was vague, and since it was late and I was more in the mood for something a bit more somber, I went with a big ice cube serving instead of crushed or cubed ice. Overall, the combination reminded me of the Crooked Kilt that the Accomplice Bar served me at a pop-up last Fall where they split the Scotch with sherry in NoMad's creation to work better with the pineapple and lime. Moreover, the combination of pineapple syrup with Don's Spices #2 was one that I utilized in a Jet Pilot riff, the Nuku Hiva. Here, the Wayward Mariner set off with a mint, peat smoke, lime, and allspice aroma. Next, lime and grape notes on the sip sailed into smoky Scotch, nutty sherry, pineapple, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

dahlia

3/4 oz Gin (Tree House Hildegard von Bingen)
3/4 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur (St. Elder)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist (included the twist). Two Thursdays ago, I opened up The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and selected the Dahlia by Michael McCollum at Nashville's Attaboy. The recipe appeared like a Corpse Reviver riff that was a step closer to Sam Ross' Sunflower. Elderflower and gentian have paired well in drinks like the Terrible Love and Tulip Thief, so I figured that this could work. Once mixed, the Dahlia offered up lemon, gentian, and some floral aromas. Next, a lemon-driven sip blossomed into pine, floral, gentian-herbal, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow. I did find that the Suze dominated my choice of elderflower liqueur, and I would perhaps adjust the quantities accordingly if I made it again.

coffee and cigarettes

1/2 oz Mezcal (Convite)
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)
1/2 oz Demerara Rum (Hamilton 86°)
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I looked to Kindred Cocktails and spotted the Coffee and Cigarettes by user Applejack from Chicago in 2015, and it was different from the Coffee and Cigarettes I wrote about a few years ago from Chad Austin. This split-base drink features coffee liqueur and Cynar as the modifiers that I gained an appreciation for in a few drinks like the Lake Union and Palisades and utilized in my Why Don't You Do Right. Once prepared, the Coffee and Cigarettes initiated things with a lemon, peat smoke, coffee, and herbal bouquet. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip percolated into smoky, coffee, caramel, herbal, and vegetal flavors on the swallow.

scarab

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with candied ginger on a pick. Two Tuesdays ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app, and the Scarab by Chris Hughes and Jon Nutter at Attaboy in Manhattan circa 2022 caught my attention. The Scarab is another part of the insect series of equal parts spirit, amaro, ginger syrup, and citrus that includes the mezcal-Campari Mosquito, applejack-Nardini Yellow Jacket, and mezcal-Braulio Dragon Fly. Moreover, I first experienced Smith & Cross paired with Fernet in my Bartender on Acid that was later served as a punch of the day at Drink in Boston back in 2010, so I was curious to see it in this format. Once shaken and strained, the Scarab opened up with a ginger, rum funk, and menthol aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip delved into ginger, rum funk, gentian, bitter herbal, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

kingston neck tai

(a) 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
(b) 1 1/2 oz oz Aged Jamaican Rum (Coruba) (*)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)

Stir ingredients in set A with ice. Shake ingredients in set B with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass. Add crushed ice, and layer the stirred set A on top. Fill with crushed ice and garnish with a spent lime shell (or orange twist) and mint sprigs.
(*) A lighter Jamaican rum like Appleton Signature might make the layers more visually distinct than the dark rum I opted for. Two Mondays ago, I became inspired by Three Dots & A Dash's Negroni + Saturn that layered a rum-based Kingston Negroni over a gin-based Saturn; however, I wanted to keep the spirit class the same like I did in my Negroni on Saturn (but layered opposed to a mashup). Therefore, I conceived of a Kingston Negroni over a Mai Tai to keep Jamaican rum as the central thread tying the two parts together. For a name, I cleaned up the idea of Kingston Neg-Tai into the Kingston Neck Tai. My original plan earlier in the day was to do an orange twist to tie in the garnish from the Kingston Negroni aspect along with a mint bouquet, but I forgot that once the drink making process got started and I ended up garnishing with the classic spent half lime shell. Once prepared, the Kingston Neck Tai surrounded the nose with a mint, lime, and rum funk aroma. Next, using a straw, a creamy lime and orange sip progressed into funky rum and orange flavors on the swallow. As the rum Negroni entered the scene, the gained caramel notes on top of the creamy lime ones with additional funky rum and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

pisco! pisco!

1 1/2 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
1/3 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 wheel Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in the syrup, add the rest of the ingredients, shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cucumber wheel. Two Sundays ago, I went to the index of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book to search for cucumber drinks, and I found the Pisco! Pisco! by Bianca Wendt at Bar Que Sera in Sawtell, Australia. I was drawn in for pisco and Suze have worked well in Backbar's Frightened Tiger, and gentian liqueur and cucumber have paired well in the Little Oaxacan. In chatting with Bianca on Instagram, I discovered that she was the manager at Michael Madrusan's The Everleigh from 2018-2020, and now is at a small beachtown around three hundred of miles north of Sydney. Once shaken and strained, the Pisco! Pisco! came across with a vegetal aroma with bright cucumber balanced by bassy gentian. Next, lime with a cucumber freshness on the sip swapped into pisco, floral, and gentian-herbal flavors on the swallow. I commented to Bianca that, "I really liked the interplay of cucumber and Suze, and my pisco choice supported the earthy and floral aspects."

atomizer

40 mL Tanqueray Gin (1 1/3 oz)
15 mL Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum (1/2 oz)
5 mL Green Chartreuse (1 tsp)
20 mL Lemon Juice (3/4 oz)
20 mL Simple Syrup (3/4 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make the Atomizer that London's Satan's Whiskers posted on their Instagram a week prior. On paper, it reads like a gin-Jamaican rum Champs-Élysées with perhaps a slight nod to the Nuclear Daiquiri given the name and two ingredients of overlap. Once prepared, the Atomizer set off with a juniper, herbaceous, rum funk, and clove aroma. Next, a lemon-driven sip exploded into funky rum, pine, herbaceous, and clove flavors on the swallow with a lemon finish. In the end, instead of a Champs-Élysées or Nuclear Daiquiri, the Atomizer's overall feel reminded me more of Dale DeGroff's embittered Gin Sour, the Fitzgerald, with a dose of rum funk and a little herbaceousness mixed in.

gravedigger

3/4 oz Aged Rhum Agricole (Rhum Clement VSOP)
3/4 oz Amaro Nardini
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and spied the Gravedigger by Chris Hughes at Manhattan's Attaboy circa 2025. The equal part stirred drink with vermouth and amaro elements reminded me of the Last Mechanical Art, and the bitter liqueur-vermouth-Cointreau combination made me think of the Lucien Gaudin. Moreover, the only Nardini-rhum agricole drink on the blog is the Adventures Close to Home, so I was curious to try one that was not my creation. Once mixed, the Gravedigger prepared an orange, grassy, and caramel aroma. Next, orange and caramel notes on the sip led into grassy rum, caramel orange, apricot, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

kingston negroni (toby maloney)

1 3/4 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist and a lemon twist. Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted in Toby Maloney and Emma Janzen's The Classic Cocktail Sessions book that was Toby's take on the Kingston Negroni which appeared in the book's Negroni variation section. To Joaquin Simó's tropical Negroni riff, Toby described, "I up the amount of booze (of course) and then lean into the dark brooding funky flavors of the Jamaican rum by plumping up the Campari with some of the artichoke-based Cynar." Toby's recipe joins the other Kingston Negroni riffs that I have made such as Paul McGee and Shelby Allison's Pineapple Kingston Negroni that included pineapple rum in with the Jamaican rum and Death & Co.'s Improved Kingston Negroni that swapped the vermouth and amaro to Punt e Mes and Zucca. This one is in the middle utilizing the pineapple rum split from the former and a change in bitter liqueurs from the latter. Once prepared, Toby's Kingston Negroni gave forth an orange, lemon, pineapple, and rum funk bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip delved into funky rum, pineapple, bitter orange, and funky herbal flavors on the swallow.

old news

1 oz Gin (Tree House Percy)
1 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
2-3 slice Cucumber
1 pinch Sea Salt (3 drop 20% Saline)

Muddle cucumber in syrup, add rest of ingredients, shake with ice, double strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cucumber slice. Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Idlewild in Charlotte, North Carolina, to make a cocktail called the Old News that I had saved until I had cucumber in house. Given the name and structure, it was perhaps a variation on the Too Soon? with Montenegro and cucumber in place of Sam Ross' Cynar and orange slices. The drink itself is mentioned in a 2025 Yelp review as being recommended for folks liking gin and bitter, although the flashcard set was one that I found before that in 2024. Moreover, the Montenegro-cucumber aspect reminds me of the Manhattan riff, the Cobble Hill, but this is in a very different direction given the citrus. Once prepared, the Old News reported a cucumber, pine, and clementine aroma to the nose. Next, lemon and vegetal notes on the sip revealed juniper, orange, and cucumber-herbal flavors on the swallow.

shakedown street

2 oz Tequila (Fosforo)
1/2 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Agave Syrup
1 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in syrup, add rest of ingredients, shake with ice, double strain into a cocktail glass (old fashioned glass with ice), and garnish with a cucumber slice. Two Tuesdays ago, I was looking through The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Shakedown Street by Rhiannon Enlil. Since Rhiannon was our first Cure bartender back in 2009, I followed my hunch and opened up the Cure: New Orleans Drinks And How to Mix'em book. There, it described how Rhiannon riffed on one of Maks Pazuniak's drinks called the Deadhead that was got its name from being herbaceous enough that it "tasted like some hippie shit," and perhaps that is why she named this one after a Grateful Dead song. Rhiannon kept the ratio but changed things around. "Cucumber and Aperol want to be together; cucumber and tequila want to go together... it came together naturally." The drink stood out due to the cucumber and Aperol combination; I first learned about how the two can conjure up watermelon flavors in the 3185, and I observed it in other drinks like the Sunday Service and Ghost Hardware. Once prepared, the Shakedown Street proffered a cucumber and watermelon bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and watermelon notes on the sip transitioned into tequila and orange flavors on the swallow. After I made the drink, I realized that I kept the serving style from The Madrusan Cocktail Companion without noticing that the Cure book calls for it to be strained into a coupe. 

smoking gun

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz Aquavit (Linie)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in syrup, add rest of ingredients, shake with ice, double strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a fresh cucumber slice. Two Mondays ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and looked for a recipe to celebrate my garden's first cucumber of the season. There, I landed on the Smoking Gun by Gabriel D'Alessandro at London's Satan's Whiskers in 2025. The bar's Instagram had a slightly different ratio of 1 oz mezcal, 1/2 oz aquavit, and 2/3 oz for both the lemon juice and simple, but I used the app's recipe better suited to American jiggers. While I have had a few mezcal-cucumber drinks like the Mexican Razor Blade and the Disco Nap, the only aquavit-cucumber recipe that I have tried is the Balsa Raft at Vandaag, a Manhattan bar that focused on Genever and aquavit. Gabriel recommended on Instagram, "If you can get hold of Aalborg Dild Aquavit, the dill freshness sets things off nicely." With Linie Aquavit though, the Smoking Gun revealed itself with a vegetal, cucumber, and caraway aroma. Next, lemon coupled with a greenness on the sip delved into vegetal, smoke, cucumber, and spice notes on the swallow.

left-handed banana

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a cherry. Two Sundays ago, I spotted a curious recipe on the Reddit Cocktails forum created by user The_Xozz called the Left-Handed Banana. The recipe was a riff on Sam Ross' Left Hand and named after a legendary item in the RuneScape game. After I made it, someone reminded me of Anvil's Banana Boulevardier, and I thought: just like a Left Hand is a Boulevardier with chocolate bitters and served up, this is its own drink. Unlike the standard Left Hand that opts for an orange twist and a cocktail coupe, this recipe calls for a cherry and an old fashioned glass with ice (the Banana Boulevardier recipe gives the option of either coupe or rocks glass with ice serving styles, both with an orange twist). Once prepared, the Left-Handed Banana conjured up a cherry and fruity aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip developed into Bourbon, bitter orange, and banana flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

skylarking

1 oz Rhum JM Gold Rhum Agricole (Clement VSOP)
1 oz Rhum JM Blanc Rhum Agricole (100°)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Don's Spices (3/8 oz Vanilla Syrup + 3/8 oz Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/4 oz Hibiscus Syrup
3 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Build in a Pearl Diver glass (Collins), fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs and an orchid (ornamental pea blossoms). Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Papaya Club at the Conrad in Orlando where I had found the Yellow Cloud, and I picked another of Paul McGee's creations, the Skylarking. That source provided the description, "This swizzle embodies all of the flavors found all around the Caribbean. Two rums made from fresh cane juice provide the backbone for this classic swizzle recipe with lots of warming spice and floral notes." I then found a photo on Scott French's Instagram in May 2025 that confimed the glassware and included the garnishes, although that drink was way more red in hue than mine. Given Paul's names many of his drinks after musical references such as the Music that Stays on for Extra Days, my guess is that he dubbed this after the 1986 album by the British indie rock group XTC. Once prepared, the Skylarking soared to the nose with mint over red fruit, floral, and grassy aromas. Next, lime and red fruit notes on the sip opened up into grassy rum, allspice, vanilla, clove, and anise flavors on the swallow.

savannah slammer

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Peach (Mathilde Peche Liqueur)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 splash Steen's Syrup (1/8+ oz Demerara)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint and freshly grated cinnamon. Two Fridays prior, I decided to make the Savannah Slammer created at Good Company in St. Louis from their Spring 2025 menu that I had uncovered in a set of online recipe flashcards. This drink that still resides on their current menu reads like a Georgia Julep crossed with a Cynar Julep in a mint as a garnish-only Smash. Once assembled, the Savannah Slammer awoke the senses with a mint and cinnamon aromas over peach. Next, lemon with a vague orchard fruit note on the sip blossomed into Bourbon, peach, and funky herbal flavors on the swallow.

golden boy

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Thursday ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Golden Boy by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2024. I recognized the bartender's name as being the creator of Hamilton the Hipster when he was at Brooklyn's Grand Army in 2021, so I was curious about trying this one especially with the sherry-Cocchi Americano pairing. Moreover, the recipe itself reminded me of another drink on that app called the Brigantine with rye instead of Bourbon and no sherry element. Once prepared, the Golden Boy offered up lemon, grape, and orange aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and grape on the sip pivoted into Bourbon, nutty grape, orange, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

locksmith

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (3/4 oz Rittenhouse + 3/4 oz Old Overholt 86°)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays prior, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book, and I landed on the Locksmith by Ingrid Archer and David Molyneux at The Everleigh in Melbourne circa 2018 in the book's Manhattan section. Scotch and either Lillet or Cocchi Americano seem to go rather well together in classics such as in the Prince Edward, and there is a very similar cocktail to the Locksmith in the NoMad Cocktail Book, the North Sea Oil, with aquavit instead of rye and a quarter of the Cocchi Americano swapped for orange liqueur. Once assembled, the Locksmith opened up the aroma with a lemon, peat smoke, and grapefruit bouquet. Next, white grape, orange, and malt notes on the sip unlocked rye, smoky Scotch, apricot, and grapefruit pith flavors on the swallow.

pineapple peat

1 1/2 oz Great King Street Glasgow Blend (Ardmore Traditional Cask)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Martelletti Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a bucket glass, and top with crushed ice. Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco that I last utilized in November with the Spice Oddity. Here, the Pineapple Peat called out to me and made me think of a Scotch Algonquin – a drink that I made a lot the summer of 2007 of rye, pineapple juice, and dry vermouth. The citrus aspect was something that I saw in the dry vermouthless Far East Algonquin by Ryan Fitzgerald of San Francisco's Beretta at a Tales of the Cocktail 2011 happy hour, but here, the pineapple aspect is amplified. As for a timeframe, Yelp has photos of the drink at the Liholiho Yacht Club as early as 2015, and a 2015 blog post has a photo and specifies the Scotch. It is unclear if it was named after a Pineapple Pete character: the two most famous ones, a Fortnight outfit and Six Flags mascot, came after 2015, but there are some instances like the restaurant in St. Marten that came before that. In the glass, the Pineapple Peat came forth with a peat and pineapple aroma true to its name. Next, lemon, malt, and pineapple notes on the sip switched into smoky Scotch, herbal, and pineapple flavors on the swallow.

mai fernet has a first name

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz White Rum (2/3 oz Hamilton White 'Stache + 1/3 oz Wray & Nephew)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet (chocolate mint). Two Mondays ago, an intriguing drink appeared on my Instagram feed called Mai Fernet Has a First Name. It was created by Jason Dolley as a Mai Tai riff that is part of his "Will it Fernet?" series where he replaces a key ingredient with Fernet Branca. The Fernet-orange liqueur aspect reminded me of the century's old Alcazer where I learned how well the two pair, and Fernet-orgeat have paired well together in a number of cocktails including the Smoke Break. For a white rum, my mind went to Wray & Nephew for this recipe reminded me of the Bikini Atoll, but since Jason utilized the more mild Planteray Three Star Rum blend, I split the base for I did not want the funky Jamaican rum to take too big of a role. Once prepared, my senses were greeted with a mint, caramel, orange, and menthol aroma. Next, a creamy lime, caramel, and orange sip was displaced by funky rum, minty menthol, earthy, and orange flavors on the swallow. Overall, I was surprised at how Fernet seemed to subdue the orgeat's presence in the mix, but I was generally pleased at how Fernet worked in this combination.

tell me more

1 oz Bertoux Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1 oz Russell's Reserve Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 spray Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur (20 drop Russo Nocino)

Build in a Julep cup, add crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint and more Nux Alpina (10 drop Russo Nocino). Two Sundays ago, I ventured back to online recipe flashcards for Chicago's The Violet Hour and spotted a good use of mint in the Tell Me More from their Winter 2022 menu. With the sherry, ginger, and walnut aspect, I could see why it would be a more cold weather-styled Julep, but I figured that it could work in early July as well. On the bar's website advertising their Bartender's Manifesto book, there is a photo labeled Tell Me More of a drink served in a Julep cup garnished with a dried lime wheel (said recipe is not in that tome though). I know from Toby Maloney's second book, The Classic Cocktail Sessions, that he does not see the point to dried garnishes but it might have been for the photo shoot. Nutty oxidized sherries like Amontillado and Oloroso have been paired with walnut liqueur with great success in recipes like the Bamboozled and Towser the Mouser and I utilized it in my Folly Ruins, so I set off to crush some ice. Once prepared, the Tell Me More shared a mint and walnut aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip wandered towards brandy, Bourbon, ginger, nutty grape, walnut, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

shotgun wedding

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice (* see text), and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays prior, I fired up the The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and opted for the Shotgun Wedding by Chris Hughes at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2022. The combination seemed familiar for it appeared with Scotch and a much lower quotient of apricot liqueur in Held in Contempt also created at Attaboy. In the glass, the Shotgun Wedding prodded the nose with a lemon, apricot, and vegetal aroma. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the Ciociaro blossomed into smoky vegetal and bitter orange-apricot flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish. As the ice melted, the drink began to fall apart as the flavors subsided, and perhaps this would be better served up in a coupe; this did not happen in the whisky-based Held in Contempt, so perhaps this was due to the lighter-style mezcal that I utilized.

mojave punch

1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum such as Coruba (Coruba)
1 oz Silver Puerto Rican-style Rum (Hamilton White 'Stache)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice (3/4+ oz) (*)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Juice
3/4 oz Hibiscus Syrup (**)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a pilsner (collins) glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a paper umbrella skewering a cherry.
(*) Even at a heavy 3/4 oz, the drink was still a bit sweet so perhaps 1 oz would be a good lime juice amount. Over perhaps 1/2 oz lime juice + 1/2 oz lemon juice to keep the acidity where I want it but with the remainder as a more neutral citrus juice.
(**) I did a hibiscus tea bag in 4 oz boiling water for 5 minutes. After removing the tea bag, I added an equal weight of sugar and stirred to dissolve. Two Fridays ago, I returned to the 2015 set of online recipe flashcards from the Tonga Hut in Los Angeles where I had found the Bermuda Dunes and selected the Mojave Punch. I was able to find photos of the drink at the Tonga Hut in blogs from 2017 and 2022 and multiple photos on Yelp. The recipe came across like a gussied up Hurricane with extra juices (the original Hurricane had fassionola syrup which some recipes include hibiscus); however, it also read a bit sweet so I upped the lime juice a bit (but perhaps not as much as I should have (see note above)). Once prepared, the Mojave Punch proffered a cherry, passion fruit, and floral bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel, lime, and orange notes on the sip shifted into funky rum, pineapple, passion fruit, and red berry-herbal flavors on the swallow. If you made a batch of hibiscus syrup, I recommend using some of the remainder on Aaron Butler's Koki'o Punch, Brick & Mortar's Velvet Rope, and my Red Skies at Night from Loyal Nine.

silk stockings

1 1/2 oz Aged Martinique Rhum (Rhum Clement VSOP)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup

Whip shake, pour into a Zombie glass, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a lemon wheel and mint sprig. Two Thurdays ago, I went out shopping for a bottle of aged rhum agricole to make a few recipes that I had stored up. The first one I set off with was Justin Wojslaw's Silk Stockings from his Coconuts & Carnage book which looked like an agricole Mai Tai crossed with a Gold Frond. Once prepared, the Silk Stockings gave forth a mint and lemon aroma over a nutty, orange, and rhum funk one. Next, a creamy lemon, pineapple, and orange sip slid into caramel, grassy rhum, almond, orange, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

mephisto's mai tai

1 oz Planteray OFTD Overproof Rum (perhaps sub a Demerara 151°)
1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch (or other smoky Scotch)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato (or other Rabarbaro like Zucca)
1 oz Lime
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao (or other Orange Liqueur)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass or ceramic mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a spent lime shell. As I was writing up the blog post for the Mai Tai 3000 and realizing that I had never had a Mai Tai riff with smoky Scotch in it before, I became inspired to create a recipe to take the concept a step further. I took the smoky and burly OFTD-Laphroaig-Sfumato combination that worked well in my Brimstone Colada and kept everything else in line with a classic Mai Tai build. For a name, I dubbed the creation after the devil from the Faust tale, Mephistopheles, for a little alliteration and then shortened it to his nickname. Once prepared, the garnishes in Mephisto's Mai Tai offered up mint and lime aromas over the drink's peat smoke and smoky herbal ones. Next, lime, roast, and orange notes on the sip collected the swallow of funky rum, smoky Scotch, bitter herbal, and nutty flavors with a bright lime and smoke finish.

mai tai 3000

1 oz Empress 1908 Gin (Tree House Percy)
1/2 oz Rum Fire Overproof White Jamaican Rum
1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Demerara 151° Proof Rum (Diamond Reserve)
1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Kahuna Kevin Aromatic Bitters (DeGroff Pimento)
1 spritz Tahitian Vanilla (1 dash Savoy Society Orange Vanilla)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Mai Tai or double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a spent lime shell. Two Tuesdays prior, I opened up my collection of Kahuna Kevin's Tiki Cocktails books and spotted Kahuna Kevin's 2018 creation, the Mai Tai 3000, in the fourth volume. There, it had the subtitle of "Voted best non-traditional Mai Tai of the near dystopian future," and I was up to the challenge of combining 11 ingredients, 2 garnishes, and a few handfuls of freshly crushed ice to see this through. While I have tried gin in a Mai Tai riff before in the Catamaran and the Blanche DuBois, I have not tasted a Mai Tai riff with a smoky Scotch aspect to it. After an epic build session, the Mai Tai 3000 commanded a mint and lime aroma over caramel and smoke. Next, a creamy lime and orange sip was displaced by juniper, rum funk, pineapple, and maple flavors with an allspice and smoke finish.

hotel de ville

1 1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Mondays ago, I opened up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Hotel De Ville by Zack Gelnaw-Rubin at Manhattan's Lion Lion circa 2019. The name Hotel De Ville translates to "city hall," and the term often refers to the magnificent one in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. I was familiar with the combination of spirit modified by Nardini which has appeared with Bourbon in the Closing Argument (plus chocolate bitters) and with rye in the Defeat by Greater Things (plus orange bitters) and the Mayor's Lament (plus a trio of bitters). Moreover, there was also a somewhat similar recipe spirits-wise with the Dark Horse with a Jamaican rum-Calvados pairing (albeit a non-funky rum) accented by Nardini and orange liqueur. Once prepared, the Hotel De Ville proffered an orange, caramel, apple, and rum funk bouquet. Next, caramel notes on the sip led into apple, funky rum, gentian, licorice, and mint flavors on the swallow.

wry grin

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
4 wedge Lemon (1/2 Lemon in quarters)
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle lemon wedges and mint. Add rest of the ingredients, shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet. Two Sundays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and spied the Wry Grin by Sam Ross at Manhattan's Milk & Honey circa 2010 in the Smash section. Overall, it reminded me a little of the Job's Lament which did the rye-Fernet combination in Mint Julep form but with Amaro di Angostura instead of the simple and lemon here. In the glass, the Wry Grin greeted the senses with fresh mint over rye and menthol aromas. Next, lemon with a hint of caramel on the sip revealed rye whiskey, caramel, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

malua

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Dry Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
8-10 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass (ceramic mug), and garnish with a lime wheel and mint bouquet. Two Saturdays ago, I was in the mood for something tropical, so I looked to my notes from my online recipe flashcard research and selected the Mālua at the Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Honolulu. A 2022 Yelp review made reference to it in the text and included a drink photo as well. Overall, the combination of mint, peach, and lime took the drink into Missionary's Downfall territory but with a tequila (and no pineapple and honey) spin on it. Here, the Mālua opened up with lime and mint aromas from the garnishes over peach and tropical ones. Next, lime, orange, and passion fruit notes on the sip were washed away by agave, peach, orange, and mint flavors on the swallow.

race to the bottom

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/8 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I got home from work and opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Race to the Bottom by Chris Hughes at Manhattan's Attaboy circa 2021-22. Grenadine historically has paired well with amari such as with Fernet in the Jim Rose, Cynar in the Giuseppe's Lady, and Amer Picon in the Jayco, but I have never previously had it paired with Braulio. In the glass, the Race to the Bottom started with an orange, grape, and dark berry aroma. Next, grape and berry notes continued on into the sip where they were chased by rye, apple, pine, herbal, and red berry flavors on the swallow.

rest in pieces of eight

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
>1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Licor 43
>1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice. Strain into a Collins glass with ice (double old fashioned with a large ice cube) pre-rinsed with Cruzan Black Strap Rum. After making a fresh batch of ginger syrup, I perused Kindred Cocktails and spotted the Rest in Pieces of Eight by Doug Monroe at Nashville's The Patterson House that he entered into the database in 2012. The name seems to be a play on the pirate phrases "rest in peace" and "pieces of eight." Given that aspect, I expected some overlap with the tropical classic Pieces of Eight, but there was only rum and lemon in common. Once mixed, the Rest in Pieces of Eight put forth a molasses aroma from the black strap rum rinse. Next, a creamy caramel and lemon sip subsided into funky rum, funky herbal, ginger, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

sea air on sunday

1 1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Black Scotch (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/4 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with candied ginger on a pick. Since I had half a lime left over from the night before, I looked through my collection sourced from online recipe flashcards and landed on the Sea Air on Sunday from The Butcher Chef in Toronto via a 2021 set. I was able to find a menu photo on GoogleMaps from around that time period, but most of the photos from that restaurant were of the food not drink. The recipe came across like a Penicillin with Amaro Montenegro and ginger liqueur for the honey and ginger syrups, respectively. Moreover, the concept made sense as a Penicillin riff for sea air has been romanticized historically as a cure-all during the 18th and 19th centuries. Indeed, Jane Austen wrote in Sanditon that sea air and bathing could cure "every disorder of the stomach, the lungs, or the blood." Once prepared, the Sea Air on Sunday misted the nose with a spray of ginger, peat smoke, and caramel orange aromas. Next, lime and a hint of caramel on the sip receded into smoky Scotch, clementine, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

no. 39

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Pineapple Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Serving it in an old fashioned glass on crushed ice was recommended to provide a drier experience (here, served up). Two Tuesdays prior, I looked through the recipes from the Kindred Cocktails database that I had bookmarked and landed on the No. 39. The recipe was crafted by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles in 2013, and the name reminded me of the menu convention at the old Hungry Mother in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with drinks like No. 64 and No. 43. The recipe itself made me think of a lime and pineapple syrup riff on the lemon, simple syrup, and Angostura Bitters Champs Élysées though. Once prepared, the No. 39 donated a pineapple and herbaceous bouquet to the nose. Next, a lime-driven sip set up Cognac, herbaceous, and pineapple flavors on the swallow.

high plains julep

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz Amaretto (Luxardo)
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint with the liqueurs in a Julep cup, add the rest of the ingredients, top with ice, and garnish with a mint bouquet. Two Mondays ago, I got home late from a series of industry events and felt like enjoying a Julep to round out the evening. Therefore, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and became intrigued by the High Plains Julep by Travis Hernandez at Half Step in Austin circa 2017. There was something about amaretto juxtaposed with Braulio that I needed to experience to understand, and I also have a lot of Luxardo Amaretto since shortly after buying a bottle, I was tasked with developing a recipe with Luxardo and Hotaling products and was sent another bottle for R&D. Checking back, "shortly" was two years ago (replacing my 15+ year old bottle of Disaronno that I finished a month before), but that does sum up my general use of that liqueur. There are a few instances on the blog of bitter liquids pairing with amaretto with the most extreme being a hefty slug of Angostura Bitters in the Sock Drawer Sexuality, but most are with softer amaro such as two that I created – the Bar Boss with Cynar and the Am-Am Sour with Averna. While the closest thing to amaretto meeting mint was in the garnish to the Caribbean Punch, Braulio has been paired before with mint including two other Juleps – the Ducati and the Thieves in the Night. So I set to work (and got one step closer to not dying with two bottles of amaretto bottles in the house), and the High Plains Julep offered up mint aromas over almond and stone fruit pit ones. Next, caramel on the sip expanded into rye, almond, minty, bitter herbal, and pine flavors on the swallow.

starward swizzle

2 oz Hamilton's Lost Voyage Rum (1 oz Hamilton's 86° Demerara River + 1/2 oz Monymusk Gold + 1/2 oz Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Pernod (12 drop Pernod Absinthe)

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a mint bouquet, dehydrated lime wheel (omit), and freshly grated nutmeg. Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Starward Swizzle from Strongwater in Anaheim that I spotted in a set of online recipe flashcards. In researching the drink, I found a web-based set of recipes put out by the rum that included the spec verbatim. Since Lost Voyage Rum is described as a blend of rum from Guyana and Jamaica's Worthy Park, I tried my best to replicate the flavor profile with a trio of rums. Here, the rum, cinnamon, falernum, lime, bitters, and absinthe made me think of the Jet Pilot but with pineapple and Peychaud's instead of the classic's grapefruit and Angostura. In the glass, the Starward Swizzle emitted a woody spice, mint, and rum funk aroma. Next, pineapple and lime notes on the sip opened up into funky rums, pineapple, cinnamon, and anise flavors on the swallow.

old timber

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Amaro Averna
1/8 oz Orgeat
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a mint sprig and a drizzle of pot still Jamaican rum (1/8 oz Smith & Cross). Two Saturdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and spotted the Old Timber by Ryan Kutnz at San Diego's Noble Experiment from 2016. The Averna and orgeat pairing reminded me of Meaghan Dorman's Across the Pacific although it also appeared in the Last Date and two other recipes on the blog. In the glass, the Old Timber gave forth mint and rum funk aroma. Next, a touch of creaminess and caramel on the sip opened up into Bourbon, a hint of almond and herbal, and clove flavors on the swallow.

song of the siren

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Privateer New England Reserve) (*)
1/2 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a ceramic mug or Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs.
(*) Perhaps a rum blend (or second rum) with a little funky or grassy profile might elevate this drink. I became inspired by how the Kingston Campfire took the Hotel Nacional in a smoky Scotch and falernum direction, and I wondered if the Mary Pickford could make a similar style of riff. To that classic, I added those two ingredients plus lime and bitters to bring the drink into balance, and I turned it into a more tropical serving style instead of prepared up in a cocktail glass. For a name, since Mary Pickford was referred to as "Canada's Silent Siren," I dubbed this one the Song of the Siren as a modern tribute. Once mixed, the Song of the Siren greeted the nose with a mint, nutty cherry, pineapple, and peat smoke aroma. Next, pineapple, red berry, and lime notes on the sip advanced into rum, smoke, nutty cherry, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow. Perhaps a rum or rum blend with a little grassiness or funk might add some delightful complexity to the profile.

pigeon park

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass rinsed with Ardbeg Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year), and garnish with orange oil from a flamed twist (unflamed, twist included). My rediscovery of Pimm's No. 1 led me to search the Kindred Cocktails database where I landed on the Pigeon Park by Martin Corriveau at La Pentola in Vancouver circa 2013. Martin created this as a variation on the the Vancouver which is a recipe that I made around 5 years ago from William Boothby's 1934 World Drinks & How to Mix Them with gin, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and orange bitters. Martin explained, "I wanted something slightly herbaceous to highlight the subtle herbal aroma of the mezcal, and Pimm's No.1 felt like the perfect choice because it wasn't very sweet, and being made from gin, it echoed the original Vancouver Cocktail, which was essentially a Martinez with Benedictine instead of Maraschino. Pigeon Park is a little square in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside where the homeless and junkies hang out or just take a nap. Still Vancouver, even though it doesn't look anything like a postcard photo, yet not without charm either." Once assembled, the Pigeon Park gave forth an orange, peat smoke, and red fruit aroma. Next, grape and berry notes on the sip slid into vegetal, smoke, bitter herbal, berry, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

towards the unknown

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George) (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

I became inspired to tinker by the reposado tequila-Pimm's aspect of the Primavera that I had just made, and I utilized the Pimm's-banana element in the Luxury from the 1953 UKBG Guide for Drinks as a direction. For a name, I dubbed this one Towards the Unknown after a 1950 painting by Mexican surrealist Gunther Gerzso. Once prepared, the Towards the Unknown wandered to the senses with a vegetal, caramel, banana, and anise aroma. Next, lime, red berry, and caramel notes on the sip uncovered roasted vegetal, fruity, banana, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, the absinthe did give this drink a lift and brought it out of the darker fruit direction that the Pimm's and banana liqueur took it in (Giffard's Crème de Banane should be a bit brighter than Tempus Fugit's).