hemingway's ruin

2 oz Caña Brava Rum (Hamilton's White 'Stache)
1 1/2 oz Don's Mix (1 oz Grapefruit Juice + 1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Tuesdays, it was time to dispatch my garnish grapefruit into juice and begin what turned into a series of five grapefruit cocktails. The first one I started with was Hemingway's Ruin from Golden Tiki in Las Vegas that I uncovered through online recipe flashcards for their inaugural menu in 2015. Eater wrote about the drink in an article about the bar opening with, "Don's Mix, composed of cinnamon and grapefruit, is added to Caña Brava rum, Maraschino liquor, and lime juice to create a delicious Hemingway [Daiquiri] variation." A Reddit post about the bar in 2019 contained a photo of the drink, and the current menu has the rums as Hamilton White 'Stache and St. Lucia White Rum given that Caña Brava has been discontinued since 2019. For the rum, I went with an adaptation of the modern version with White 'Stache alone. In the glass, Hemingway's Ruin ushered in a nutty cherry and cinnamon aroma. Next, lime, grapefruit, and light cherry notes on the sip cascaded into rum, nutty cherry, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

liquid swords

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays ago, I began scanning the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app, and I spotted the Liquid Swords by Aisha Sharpe at the Ace Hotel in Manhattan circa 2009. The recipe that I most associate with Aisha is The 212 from 2008 that found its way into the PDT Cocktail Book, and she used to collaborate with Willy Shine (before his long tenure with Jägermeister) in their Contemporary Cocktails consultancy. Perhaps the drink was dubbed after the 1995 solo album from Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, and the name will always remind me of a listing on the Russell House Tavern dessert menu when I started in 2013 that was a mix of Old Monk Rum, Luxardo Espresso Liqueur, amaretto, and Amarula Cream Liqueur. The combination of Green Chartreuse and curaçao always makes me think of the Knight from David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks and its appearance in more modern recipes like the Prospector, and Green Chartreuse and Aperol were last seen here in the Monk's Mystery with Montenegro instead of curaçao. Once prepared, the Liquid Swords swung at the nose with a lemon and orange aroma. Next, orange and red fruit on the sip opened up into rye and herbaceous flavors on the swallow with a citrus pith and orange finish.

dust jacket

1 3/4 oz Aged Dark Rum (1 oz Coruba + 3/4 oz Hamilton 86° Demerara)
3/4 oz Manzanilla Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1 tsp Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Sundays prior, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and found the Dust Jacket by David Molyneux at The Everleigh in Melbourne circa 2017. The combination of spirit, fortified wine, Ramazzotti, and Maraschino reminded me of the Williamsburg that has Cocchi Americano instead of sherry and the Caretaker with dry vermouth and a mint leaf instead of sherry. In the glass, the Dust Jacket revealed a woody rum and nutty cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the rums and amaro flowed into funky rum, root beer, and cherry flavors on the swallow.

charlie hustle

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I began searching The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and landed upon the Charlie Hustle by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2019. Overall, it came across like a split amaro Black Manhattan with a split base akin to Sam Ross' Grandfather. Once prepared, the Charlie Hustle conned the nose with an bright orange oil, caramel orange, and apple aroma. Next, the amari's caramel came through on the sip where it was pursued by Bourbon, apple, bitter orange, and caramel flavors on the swallow.

man maker

3/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Cognac (Courvoisier)
3/4 oz Averna
3/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays prior, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Man Maker by Hayden Lambert at Above Board in Melbourne. Averna and Benedictine (with or without bitters) as the sole modifiers appear in the Bolt from the Blue and Sucker in a 3 Piece, so I was curious to try it with the New Orleans-style feel of the rye-Cognac split base. Once mixed, the Man Maker presented a lemon, caramel, and herbal aroma. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the two liqueurs opened up into rye, brandy, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

davinci

1 1/2 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato

Stir with ice, strain into an old fasioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Thursdays ago, I began perusing The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app when I spotted the DaVinci crafted in 2023 by Roger Scandela at Manhattan's Attaboy. In the structure of spirit, Campari, Sfumato, and vermouth drinks, the Mean Old Man with Scotch stands out in my head, and I did a similar drink but with port called the Preceptor. Also in the ballpark is Cure's Ghost of My Life with gin, Campari, and Zucca (another rabarbaro like Sfumato) but no vermouth. Once mixed, the DaVinci gave forth a fresh orange aroma over Campari's orange and Sfumato's herbal and roast. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip flowed into gin, bitter orange, smoky, and earthy herbal flavors on the swallow.

where eagles dare

1 1/2 oz Dewar's 12 Year Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Smith & Cross Rum. Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted on an online recipe site the Where Eagles Dare created at State Park in Cambridge that was named after either the 1968 Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton WWII action film or the 1979 song by The Misfits. The Punt e Mes-banana combination appears in a few drinks such as the Social Vampire and the Banana Manhattan, but none with Scotch muchless a funky Jamaican rum rinse. Scotch and banana though were last seen in the Cupid Deluxe (that post has links to two other Scotch-banana drinks on the blog), so I curious to give this one a try. In the glass, the Where Eagles Dare soared to the nose with a pineapple rum funk and banana aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip swooped into Scotch, bitter herbal, and banana flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

southern gentleman

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Averna
1/2 oz Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I received the new issue of Imbibe Magazine (September/October 2026), and I immediately picked out the Southern Gentleman as a Black Manhattan riff by Sean Skvarka and Matt Ross at Whisler's in Austin. It appeared like an Averna for sweet vermouth variation on Happiness Forgets' Harry Palmer, so I was game. Once stirred and strained, the Southern Gentleman greeted the senses with a lemon and earthy herbal aroma. Next, caramel from the Averna filled the sip that led into rye, gentian, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

señor bali hai

1 oz Mezcal (Convite)
1 oz Black Jamaican Rum (Coruba)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
3/4 oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz 2:1 Simple Syrup (2/3 oz 1:1)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 pinch Salt (3 drop 20% Saline)

Whip shake, pour into a mug, and fill with crushed ice. I garnished with mint sprigs. Two Mondays ago, my Instagram pal Rob Balazs posted a recipe called the Señor Bali Hai created by his friend Charley Hicks. The idea is a Mexican-themed riff on the Mr. Bali Hai that swaps some of the rum for mezcal and Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur. I have tried mezcal in a split base Mr. Bali Hai variation in the Mistah Bittah Hai and in my King Kopeika, so I was curious to try it with Ancho Reyes in the mix. Once assembled, the Señor Bali Hai gave forth mint over coffee, agave, and smoke aromas. Next, pineapple, lemon, and roast notes on the sip opened up into rum, coffee, vegetal, chili pepper spice, and smoke flavors on the swallow. I felt that with the robust Mr. Black, if I were to make this again, perhaps I would tone down that volume to a half ounce or use a less intense coffee liqueur so that it did not take over the flavor profile here. Moreover, I could not help to think that the theme could be bolstered by replacing the Jamaican rum with one of the many cane spirits coming out of Mexico these days such as Uruapan Charanda (partly because Coruba's light funk note got lost in the mix here).

columbia heights

1 1/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I selected The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Columbia Heights by Rob Libecans at Melbourne's Caretaker's Cottage in 2022. Overall, the recipe read like an Improved Manhattan minus the Angostura Bitters which seemed like a great nightcap. I later found the Dirty Harry which is a bit more rye-driven version of this combination, and of course, the Lawhill as a dry vermouth and bitters variation that was a cult classic at Drink in Boston back in the day. In the glass, the Columbia Heights shared a lemon, dark grape, nutty cherry, and anise aroma. Next, grape and cherry notes on the sip evolved into rye, herbal, cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

sidewinds

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
1 oz Lemon Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a mug, top with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs. Two Saturdays ago, my Coco Lopez run had me thinking about the Tradewinds, and its apricot liqueur made me consider how well bitter liqueurs would work in there. My original idea was to do a Ferrari-based (Fernet-Campari) riff, but the flavors ended up too muddied, so I changed it up by dropping the Fernet from that and returning it to being a bit more rum-driven. Nixing the Fernet over the Campari was a no brainer for the latter works rather well with apricot liqueur such as in the A Study in Pink and the Jungle Hotel Bird. The apricot also pointed me to its synergy with Swedish punsch which I learned about in the Havana Cocktail, and Swedish punsch works great with Campari from a trio of drinks I had in 2012 – namely, Sleeping with Strangers, Barefoot in the Dark, and Deck Hand. For a name, I dubbed it the Sidewinds named after a breezes that can blow a moving object off its direction of travel. Here, the Sidewinds gave forth mint, rum funk, and fruity aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and orange sip sunk into funky rum and bitter peach flavors on the swallow.

buster brown

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Amaro Braulio
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/8 oz Honey Syrup
3/8 oz Coconut (Coco Lopez)

Shake with ice and strain into a glass. The recipe's photo shows an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, so I followed suit. Two Fridays prior, I began perusing the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app on my phone, and I landed upon the Buster Brown by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2023. The app only listed the ingredient as "coconut," and since I had an opened Coco Lopez in the refrigerator, I interpreted it as coconut cream. The combination of spirit, Braulio, honey, and lemon reminded me of my Golden Eagle, but here with Bourbon and coconut instead of mezcal. Once mixed, the Buster Brown lumbered forward with herbal, coconut, and pine aromas. Next, a creamy honey and lemon sip twisted into Bourbon, bitter pine, and coconut flavors on the swallow.

quartermaster

2 oz Jägermeister
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a snifter or tropical mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig, star anise, and cherry (nasturtium). Two Thursdays ago, I opened up Justin Wojslaw's Coconuts and Carnage book and spotted his Quartermaster that was different from Gin Joint's Quartermaster and Matt Pietrek's Smoky Old Quartermaster. This one reads like a Jägermeister Piña Colada or perhaps Painkiller with the orange juice swapped for curaçao like Paul McGee prefers. I have been thinking about Jägermeister in tropical drinks a lot lately as I am building out my slide deck for a talk at Boston Rum Week in a few weeks entitled "Minimalist Amaro Tiki". Jägermeister has such wonderful ginger, galangal, star anise, dried orange peel, cinnamon, and clove aspects that work great in tropical drinks such as the Escape Hatch, Muertito Vivo, and my Lost U-Boat. Once prepared, the Quartermaster came forth with mint, floral, anise, caramel, and orange aromas on the nose. Next, a creamy lime, caramel, and pineapple sip delved into caramel, anise, ginger, herbal, orange, pineapple, and coconut flavors on the swallow.

bad juju

1 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1/2 oz Brugal 1888 Rum (Privateer New England Reserve)
1/2 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch (3/8 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition + 1/8 oz Laphroaig)
1/2 oz Borghetti Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Coco Lopez

Whip shake, pour into a glass (coconut mug), top with crushed ice, and garnish with 2 pineapple fronds, a banana chip, and freshly grated coffee bean.

Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Spec recipe app, and in the Bardtenders podcast's collection, I found the Bad Juju as a Piña Colada riff created by one of the podcast's hosts, Jon Mateer. Jon runs the bar program at TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and perhaps the name refers to one of the cursed holes. One article described, "The phrase 'bad juju' at TPC Sawgrass most famously relates to the notorious water-logged history of the iconic par-3 17th island green, where PGA Tour groups have occasionally suffered collective meltdowns by hitting their tee shots straight into the water." I thought that I had tried a coffee-tinged Piña Colada before, but alas, I had not; the closest was Chad Austin's pineapple-less Aztec Warrior, so the Bad Juju was indeed a first. Once prepared, the Bad Juju offered up coffee and a hint of smoke on the nose. Next, a creamy sip with roast notes slid into burly rum, hint of smoky Scotch, coconut, pineapple, and coffee flavors on the swallow. Jon commented on my Instagram post, "Love the addition of splitting the Scotch here! That 1/8 of Laphroaig is money," to which I explained that the last of "my Cutty Sark bottle ran short, so I figured to fill the gap with flavor instead of a more neutral blended whisky."

the decatur

1 1/2 oz Bonded Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/4 oz Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. I added a cherry garnish to the recipe. Two Tuesdays prior, Matt Pietrek posted a drink on his Cocktail Wonk Instagram while he was traveling in France called The Decatur that was subtitled "The Brooklyn of Georgia." His recipe read like a cross between a Bourbon Bell and a Buffalo, so it definitely caught my attention. Moreover, I thought keeping the Amer Picon (or similar bitter liqueur) and replacing the Maraschino with peach would have been an interesting riff as well, but two stone fruit liqueurs might have a curious synergy. Once mixed, The Decatur displayed rye, cherry, and peach aromas. Next, grape and red fruit notes on the sip delved into rye, nutty, vanilla, and peach flavors on the swallow.

ohana joe

1 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/3 oz St. George Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)
1/2 oz Rich Demerara Syrup (1:1)
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Build in a Collins or Pilsner glass, fill with crushed ice, swizzle to mix and chill, top with crushed ice, and garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Two Mondays ago, I was scanning Kindred Cocktails and spotted the Ohana Joe by Jeff Cleveland then of the Tonga Hut in Palm Springs, California. I was able to trace it back to a 2016 post on Critiki (that I was able to read through the Wayback Machine). While at Jeff's home, blogger Humuhumu Trott mentioned that her favorite drink was the Mai Kai's Black Magic, and this is what he served her. Humuhumu explained, "It was so new, it didn't yet have a name. Jeff asked me to help name it, and together we came up with Ohana Joe: a nod to the coffee in the drink, and to the feeling of warm welcome Jeff's had from the tiki 'ohana, and to the historic Palm Springs tiki bar Aloha Jhoe's." Once assembled, the Ohana Joe ushered in coffee and pineapple aromas. Next, roast and lime notes on the sip transformed into burly rum, coffee, and pineapple flavors on the swallow. While I expected a Mr. Bali Hai, I ended up with something a bit more complex given the overproof and pineapple rums, the lower pineapple juice quotient, and the lime instead of lemon juice.

cupid deluxe

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)

Shake with ice, serve tall (old fashioned glass, ice, 1 oz soda water), and garnish with a piece of candied ginger. Two Sundays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcards from Dutch Kills in Long Island City and selected the Cupid Deluxe. The drink for their Spring 2019 menu was attributed elsewhere on the web to bartender Jose Cardenas, and it was perhaps named after the 2013 album by the group Blood Orange. Scotch and banana worked so well in the Holy Molé! that I utilized it in my Artists and Models at the Cocktail Lab at Earl's, and I was curious to try it here. Once prepared, the Cupid Deluxe offered up a pineapple and ginger aroma. Next, a carbonated caramel, lemon, and pineapple sip flowed into Scotch, pineapple, banana, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

lacrimosa

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Luxardo Bitter (Bianco)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed). Two Saturdays prior, I decided to make the Lacrimosa by David Slape at Manhattan's P.D.T. in Fall 2008 via The P.D.T. Cocktail Book as a "dark, brooding Negroni variation." I spotted this a few days before on a friend's Instagram and realized that I skipped over the recipe in the book since I lacked Luxardo's Bitter until a year and a half ago. In the glass, the Lacrimosa cried forth fresh orange oil aromas over rye and caramel orange ones. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the Ciociaro opened up into rye, dark orange, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

no further questions

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/8 oz Peated Whisky (Laphroaig 10 Year)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink created by Tim Kirkland called No Further Questions that he named after his friend Brian Collins' frequent replies to requests of a sip of the drink that he posted on Instagram. Whisky, Punt e Mes, and Ciociaro is a combination that worked well in my Jolly Jane, Rafa Garcia Febles' Stenton, and other recipes, so I was curious to try it here. In the glass, the No Further Questions proffered orange, peat smoke, and grape aromas to the nose. Next, grape and caramel on the sip soon hid behind rye, caramel orange, bitter herbal, and peat smoke flavors on the swallow.

heartbreaker

1 1/2 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Thursdays ago, I fired up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and got curious about the Heartbreaker by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy circa 2023. The gin, Green Chartreuse, and Montenegro trio reminded me of Sother Teague's Oh My Word, so I figured that it would be a more alpine and less nutty-fruity version here. The duo of Braulio-Montenegro has appeared twice on the blog in the Bar Room Brauler and the Spaghetti Western; however, I have previously only tried one other Green Chartreuse-Braulio drink, the Devil's Whisper, as Braulio is more often paired with the Yellow variety. Once prepared, the Heartbreaker descended with a grapefruit, herbaceous, and pine aroma. Next, a lightly caramel and clementine sip was kicked aside for gin, bitter herbal, pine, orange, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.

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.