as you were

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Valdespino Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a grapefruit disk and a cherry. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago, and from their Fall 2021 menu, I was drawn in to the As You Were that was described as an "End of the night agave Manhattan". The idea of agave spirits, sweet vermouth, and Pedro Ximenez sherry was one that I enjoyed in the Stage Dives & Fist Fights created at the Last Word in San Antonio, so it was time to mix this one up. In the glass, the As You Were began with grapefruit, raisin, cherry, and smoky vegetal aromas. Next, a semi-sweet grape sip flowed into smoky vegetal, raisin, herbal, orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

johnny utah

2 oz Espolon Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 1 oz soda water, fill with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I began perusing the Kindred Cocktails database and landed on the Johnny Utah created by Carlo Caroscio at Volt in Baltimore circa 2014 around two years before he moved to Boston to work at Backbar. Carlo named the drink after Keanu Reaves' character in the movie Point Break. What drove me into making it was how well the Campari-grenadine combination works; in fact, the duo was dubbed "bittersweet" in the Freaky Tiki, and I utilized it in my Jungle Grog and Zombie Count. Moreover, the Campari-cinnamon pairing is also excellent in recipes like the Babbo's Toddy and Rum Firewalker, and I made use of in the Black Hand Society and Quetzal. Once prepared, the Johnny Utah proffered an orange, cinnamon, and agave aroma. Next, a carbonated lime and dark berry sip gave way to vegetal tequila, bitter red fruit, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

yabbadabbado

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Convite Especial)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup
Strawberries (2 medium)

Muddle strawberries, add the rest, shake with ice, and double strain into a coupe. Two Tuesdays prior, I looked at my list of drinks garnered from the Attaboy online recipe flashcards, and I zoomed in on the Yabbadabbado. The rabarbaro-strawberry combination was one that I enjoyed greatly in the King Vittorio's Cobbler at Cure in 2011 (and renamed King's Cobbler in the Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em book), so I looked forward to trying it in this The Flintstones-themed drink. In the glass, the Yabbadabbado opened up with roast, vegetal, smoke, and red berry aromas. Next, lime, roast, and a hint of red fruit notes on the sip swayed into mezcal, honey, herbal, and strawberry flavors on the swallow.

10 gallon hattan

2 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Casa d'Aristi Narano (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/8 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Mondays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago, and I honed in on the 10 Gallon Hattan from Fall 2022 menu. The bar's Instagram post from October 2022 described how it was "A tequila-based twist on a classic Manhattan – boozy and forward featuring notes of allspice and bitter orange." While I did not have Casa d'Aristi's somewhat bitter orange liqueur, the similarities to the Sherpa with curaçao and allspice dram lured me in. When prepared with Pierre Ferrand's curaçao, the 10 Gallon Hattan rode high with roasted vegetal aromas and a hint of vanilla. Grape, orange, and caramelized notes on the sip slid into tequila, bitter herbal, allspice, and orange flavors on the swallow.

21st century

1 1/2 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (1 1/4 oz Coruba + 1/4 oz Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Blanco Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and spied the 21st Century. This was not the tequila one created by Jim Meehan at Pegu Club from the PDT Cocktail Book that I had already written about, but a rum one by Brandon Bramhall at Nashville's Attaboy. This riff stuck to the classic 20th Century structure more, and it swapped the gin and Lillet for Jamaican rum and blanc vermouth. In the glass, the 21st Century dawned upon the senses with a lemon, molasses, chocolate, and rum funk aroma. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip turned into dark rum, hint of funk, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

problem solver

1 oz H by Hine Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a snifter (old fashioned glass), and garnish with orange oil from a twist. Two Saturdays ago, I decided to delve into the online recipe flashcards that I uncovered from Saloon in Somerville, Massachusetts. I honed in on the Problem Solver from 2017, and I found a menu photo on GoogleMaps with this drink along with the Holy Mountain that I ordered there that year and wrote up on the blog. I have only seen Ancho Reyes paired with Cognac once in the Hawthorne's Cafe Lunaire, so I was curious to try it again. In the glass, the Problem Solver offered up orange, grape, and herbal aromas. Next, grape on the sip unfolded into Cognac, herbal, chocolate, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

old square

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Rancio Sec or sub Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Oloroso)
1/2 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange and a lemon twist. Two Fridays ago, I decided to make the Old Square by Danny Childs at Lacroix at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia as "a rustic take on the Vieux Carré" via an August 2025 article in Imbibe Magazine. I probably skipped over this recipe last year since I did not have rancio sec, and I decided to do it regardless given their recommended substitution. I was also drawn in since a few months after that article, I saw Danny on a Campari Academy virtual session and then read his Slow Drinks book, and I would be seeing him talk in a week and a half at the USBG regional conference in Philadelphia. Oxidized fortified wines such as sherry have appeared in Vieux Carré riffs like Rhum with a Vieux and my Cocktail à la Salle, so a rye-Armagnac version seemed enticing. Once prepared, the Old Square gave forth lemon, orange, nutty grape, and anise aromas to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip opened up into rye, brandy, nutty sherry, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

drifter

1 1/2 oz Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Thursdays ago, I became intrigued by the Drifter created at ABV in San Francisco and published in Punch. The San Francisco Examiner attributed the drink to bartender Donny Henderson and explained "so named because every ingredient comes from a different part of the world." Overall, the mix reminded me of an apricot-less Noble Order, a blanc instead of sweet vermouth Salary Man, and a Japanese whisky for Bourbon West End on paper. Once prepared, the Drifter sauntered in with a grapefruit, caramel, and orange aroma. Next, caramel and white grape notes on the sip flowed into whisky, bitter herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

anderson punch

1 3/4 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the day before's Amaro Rusty Nail, and I took the idea in Malört direction after recalling how well it worked with Drambuie in the Bukowski. The combination ended up a bit too bright, but a dash of Angostura not only gave depth but complementary spice notes to the mix. For a name, I dubbed this one the Anderson Punch, the Chicken Man of Chicago, who was born in 1870 and became a legendary street performer that trained chickens to dance to his accordion and harmonica music. Punch was performing until the age of 101 before passing away in 1974. In the glass, the tribute to this colorful character of the Windy City gave forth grapefruit, honey, and Scotch aromas. Next, honey and malt notes on the sip welcomed in Scotch, honey, and grapefruit pith bitter flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Drambuie softened the Malört rather well.

amaro rusty nail

1 oz Scotch (3/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Drambuie
1 oz Amaro Sfumato

At the bar, served from the freezer into a shot glass (served with a Budweiser for $10). Here, I stirred with ice, strained into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnished with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I was listening to the Speakeasy podcast where the hosts were interviewing Robby Dow of Bespoke in Wilmington, North Carolina. On the episode, Robby provided the recipe for the Amaro Rusty Nail which they serve undiluted from the freezer into a shot glass in a boilermaker pairing with a Budweiser. The concept fell into the class of bitter liqueur-tinged Rusty Nail riffs like the Tooth & Nail and the Bitter Nail, so I was intrigrued. Instead of building in a rocks glass and sticking it in the freezer for an hour, I decided to stir with ice and strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. With my addition of a lemon twist garnish, the Amaro Rusty Nail ushered in a lemon, roasty char, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and roast notes on the sip emptied out into smoky Scotch and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

flamingo

1 oz Cuban Rum (2 oz Havana Club 7 Year)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice (1 oz)
1 dash Grenadine (1/2 oz)
Juice 1/2 Lime (1/2 oz)

Blend with fine ice, pour into a coupe, and serve with straws (shake with ice and strain into a coupe). Two Mondays ago, I decided to make the Flamingo that been making the rounds after being picked up by Madrusan's recent cocktail book. I turned to the source which was Ted Saucier's 1951 Bottoms Up book as provided by the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. While the Madrusan adaptation seemed a bit too sweet for my palate, the original as written was a bit too tart, so I split the difference. With the call for Cuban rum (and Madrusan asking for dark rum), I figured that this was a great way to use the second to last pour of my Havana Club 7 Year bottle I got in the Jalisco airport duty-free shop a decade ago. The bird name and color made its way into the 1939 Just Cocktails' Flamingo, but that one had gin and brandy instead of rum and pineapple juice. This Flamingo's combination appeared like the Santiago Julep from Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide if mint were added. Here, the Flamingo conjured up red berry, caramel, and pineapple aromas. Next, lime, pineapple, and dark caramel notes waded into dark rum, hint of molasses, pineapple, and red fruit flavors on the swallow.

sleeping tiger

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a cayenne pepper-Demerara sugar (1:4) rim, and garnish with a lime wheel (omit) and a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Two Sundays ago, I returned to Amanda Schuster's New York Cocktails book and spotted the Sleeping Tiger from Louis 649 in Manhattan that I had neglected to make over the years. This was Louis 649's most popular cocktail, and a year after they closed in 2014, the bar Mace opened in that spot. The concept with the honey-ginger aspect reminded me of agave Penicillin riffs like the Little Branch Cocktail perhaps crossed with mezcal-honey-cayanne recipes like the Dahlia's Revenge and my Lupe Velez. Once mixed, the Sleeping Tiger awoke with a pineapple, vegetal, and smoke aroma. Next, pineapple, honey, and lime notes on the sip stretched into smoky mezcal, pineapple, and ginger flavors on the swallow with a hint of pepper spice.

smoking jacket

1 oz Mezcal (Convite Esencial)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for King Bee in Austin and landed on the Smoking Jacket. The site Austin Pedal Party mentioned the drink in a bar review and showcased it in a menu photo around the Fall 2024-Spring 2025 timeframe. This one joins the two other Smoking Jackets on the blog, namely Bergamot's and Death & Co.'s, but this is the only one to use mezcal instead of Scotch. Overall, the combination was rather similar to the Bordertown with different proportions and garnish and without bitters added. Once prepared, the Smoking Jacket gave forth a grapefruit, roasted vegetable, and smoke aroma. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip opened up into vegetal, smoky, dried fruit, bitter orange, and spice flavors on the swallow.

fire lily

1 1/2 oz Ford's Gin
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Thai Chili Firewater Tincture (3 dash my Hellfire Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I turned to the Martini section of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book, and I was drawn in by the Fire Lily that was created by Eric Alperin at The Varnish in Los Angeles as perhaps a riff on the Water Lily from Little Branch. Eric converted the Sour into a smoky and spicy Martini-style drink, but given the straight spirits nature, it slightly reminded me of the White Lily too. It also gave me a reason to use my bottle of violette for the second time that week that I had not dusted off since I made the Final Say last summer. Once prepared, the Fire Lily lept off with an orange, vegetal, floral, and pine aroma. Next, a hint of orange on the sip blossomed into gin, smoke vegetal, floral orange, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

sepia negroni

1 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Attaboy and became intrigued by the Sepia Negroni. An article about Florence Cocktail Week 2025 mentioned that Attaboy served this drink during their guest shift. True, this is not a not a Negroni but an abstraction; the use of Sfumato in this Negroni-adjacent drink reminds me of the Caustic Negroni that I came up on the fly to satisfy a request during my guest shift at Backbar years ago. Once stirred and strained, the Sepia Negroni conjured forth an orange, nutty sherry, and smoky roast aroma to the nose. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip unfurled into gin, nutty, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

testarossa collins

1 1/2 oz Rhum Barbancourt Blanc (110°)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup 2:1 (1/2 oz Ginger Syrup 1:1 + 1/4 oz Simple Syrup)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 1 oz soda water, fill with ice, and garnish with a pineapple wedge (lime wheel). Two Wednesdays ago, I reached for my copy of the Cuban Cocktails: 100 Classic and Modern Drinks book from the Cienfuegos crew of Alla Lapushchik, Jane Danger, and Ravi DeRossi, and I happened on the Testarossa Collins by Tom Chadwick of Cienfuegos and Dram Bar. The book claims that Tom was inspired by the French house musician Kavinsky who crashed his Ferrari Testarossa in 1986 and then "mysteriously came back to life as a Zombie" with the Fernet representing the Italian sports car. Wikipedia declares that "The concept behind OutRun [Kavinsky's 2013 debut album named after a video game featuring a Ferrari] follows Kavinsky's backstory of a young man who crashed his Testarossa in 1986 and reappeared in 2006 as a zombie who produces electronic music." Overall, the recipe read like a rum and soda instead of completely Fernet-driven Cure for Immorality, so it seemed worthy of a go. In the glass, the Testarossa Collins opened up with a lime, grassy rhum funk, and ginger aroma. Next, a carbonated lime and pineapple sip drove into grassy rum, ginger, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

wingspan

1 3/4 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a recipe called the Wingspan on Difford's Guide that caught my eye. The drink was created at the Savoy Hotel Bar in London circa 2014 as a cross between the Aviation and the World War II-era Wings (recipe not found) created there. From the menu's ingredients list, Simon Difford interpreted the drink as above, and after making it, I thought that the recipe could be tweaked a little. The Lillet/Cocchi Americano-Punsch aspect reminded me of recipes like the Metexa and Happy Daze, so I gave it a go. In the glass, the Wingspan soared to the nose with orange, pine, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and pear notes on the sip glided into gin, grapefruit, black tea, and soapy floral flavors on the swallow. Overall, the violette was a little much, and perhaps the Cocchi Americano could be bolstered to be more like the Metexa. My proposed recipe:

Wingspan (Fred's suggestion)
• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1/2 oz Swedish Punsch
• 1/8 oz Crème de Violette
• 1 dash Orange Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

inwood

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Café Lolita (Borghetti)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays prior, I was lured by an unusual combination in the Inwood at Attaboy via online recipe flashcards. One friend on Instagram commented that they had not experimented with Chartreuse and coffee flavors, and I commented that "I have never seen it before. Cacao and hot chocolate, yes." Since Green Chartreuse can stand up to Fernet such as in the similarly structured Green Hornet, I figured that it would do alright with even a robust coffee liqueur. Once stirred and strained, the Inwood presented a lemon, coffee, and herbaceous aroma. Next, a roast-driven sip led into rye, coffee, and herbal flavors on the swallow with roast and orange elements coming through on the finish.

loose cannon

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Fernet-Vallet (Fernet Branca)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and found the Loose Cannon by Brandon Bramhall at Last Saint in Charleston via the Manhattan section. The recipe made me think of the Alcazer from Pioneer of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 (rye, Fernet, orange liqueur), and the combination of whisk(e)y, Punt e Mes, and those two liqueurs can be found in the Scotland the Brave. In the glass, the Loose Cannon shot off with orange, grape, and minty aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip stepped aside for Bourbon, herbal, bitter menthol, and orange flavors on the swallow.

st. stephen's sour

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Aged Rum (Dos Maderas 5+5)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into a glass filled with crushed ice (big cube), and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I came across the St. Stephen's Sour by Jeffrey Morgenthaler at Portland's Clyde Common in 2014 via Imbibe Magazine. Overall, the concept reminded me of the Cameron's Kick, but instead of Scotch and Irish whiskey, it features the punch duo of rum and brandy. Moreover, it also came across like a Between the Sheets with orgeat instead of that classic's orange liqueur. Once shaken and strained, the St. Stephen's Sour showcased a lemon and nutty aroma. The sip mirrored the nose with creamy and lemon notes, and the swallow revealed rum, Cognac, and nutty flavors.