bitter pineapple daiquiri

2 oz Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.
Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I stopped into Deep Ellum in Allston. One of the drinks we ordered was the Bitter Pineapple Daiquiri that seemed to merge the Jungle Bird with a classic Daiquiri, and it reminded me of Brick & Mortar's Jets to Brazil. In the glass, this Daiquiri gave forth a pineapple and lime bouquet to the nose. Next, lime with hints of tropical notes filled the sip, and the swallow continued on with pineapple, rum, and bitter orange flavors to yield a rather complex but pleasing profile.

laughing boy

1 1/2 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1 dash House Aromatic Bitters
1 dash House Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish the ice cube with a pinch of salt and garnish the drink with a lemon twist.

Two Mondays ago, we stopped into Deep Ellum for dinner. For a cocktail, I selected the Laughing Boy which just appeared on their menu. The pairing of Fernet Branca and Meletti stood out for it is one that bar owner Max Toste rather enjoys, and the drink did remind me of the one I dubbed the Brooklyn Roasting Company. Instead of coffee notes in that one, this one had sweet vermouth and utilized the salt on the ice cube trick made famous in the Little Giuseppe.
The Laughing Boy offered lemon oil aroma over that of aged rum notes. A caramel sip from the amaros gave way to the dark rum on the beginning of the swallow. Finally, the swallow finished with a medley of herbal, menthol, and floral notes that were softened as the ice melt brought salt into the mix.

winter cobbler

1 1/2 oz Scotch
1 oz Honey Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Palo Cortado Sherry
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash House Aromatic Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Julep cup (or Highball glass). Pack with crushed ice, garnish with mint, and add a straw. Perhaps this was built in the Julep cup though, sans shake/strain step, since my notes do not specify.

A few Wednesdays ago, we ventured down to Deep Ellum for dinner. For a first drink, I asked bartender Jennifer Salucci for the Winter Cobbler that just appeared on the menu. I am always pleased when bars take old non-cocktail, non-highball styles like the Cobbler, Fix, and Zoom and give new life to them. Here, Deep Ellum made a seasonal Cobbler that read like a riff on the Penicillin Cocktail; this was not their first riff on the neo-classic for they had the agave-based Little Branch Cocktail on the menu three years ago.
The Winter Cobbler began with a mint aroma over a Scotch and sherry nose. Honey flavors sweetened the lemon and grape sip, and the swallow offered Scotch and raisiny notes with a growing ginger signature after successive gulps. Overall, I was quite impressed at how well Palo Cortado sherry paired here with Scotch and how much depth it added to the Penicillin Cocktail-like base.

oaxacan dead

1 1/2 oz Sombra Mezcal
1/2 oz Falernum
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with mint and add straws.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I stopped in at Deep Ellum on our way home from central Massachusetts. For a start, I asked bartender Ethan for a drink, the Oaxacan Dead, that he mentioned last time but he lacked falernum at the bar to make the recipe. Ethan explained how it all started with the name, and he figured that something that sounded like "Walkin' Dead" needed to be a Zombie riff. From there, he crafted the recipe and based it off some of the later apricot-liqueur containing Zombie recipes that first appeared in the literature around 1941 (opposed to the classic 1934 Zombie).
The Oaxacan Dead led off with a mint aroma from the garnish. The sip offered up a lime flavor along with a vague fruitiness, and the mezcal began the swallow which faded away into an apricot, clove, and spice finish.

creole variation

2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz House Picon Replica
1 dash House Aromatic Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.

Two Sundays ago, we ventured over to Deep Ellum for dinner. There, we sat in front of bartender Ethan who mentioned earlier in the week that he worked Sunday nights. For a starter, Ethan wanted to show me his variation of the Creole. After his co-workers got back from Tales of the Cocktail, he got inspired by this New Orleans classic and decided to give it the Deep Ellum treatment by dialing up the flavors. He did this by dropping the sweet vermouth from the recipe and upping the liqueurs from mere dashes to significant players in the balance.
This Creole variation greeted the senses with an orange oil aroma with dark notes from the Picon and Benedictine. A caramel and malt sip then led into a rye, dark orange, herbal, and spice swallow. This twist took the Creole from a Manhattan variation to a bittered, brown, and stirred drink. To return it a bit to a Manhattan, Ethan added back some of the vermouth and the grape notes worked to soften the swallow.

Creole Variation #2
• 2 oz Old Overholt
• 3/4 oz House Picon Replica
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1/4 oz Benedictine
• 1 dash House Aromatic Bitters
• 1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.

plateau cocktail

1 oz Dry Gin
1 oz Lillet Rose
1/2 oz Meletti Amaro
1/2 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a big ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.
For my first drink at Deep Ellum, I requested the Plateau Cocktail since the combination of gin, aromatized wine, and bitter liqueurs seemed perfect right before dinner. Indeed, the Plateau Cocktail did make for a great aperitif. Orange oils greeted the nose and gave way to a light caramel and wine sip. The swallow then offered floral, gentian, and juniper notes. Andrea commented that when she rolled it around on her tongue, it was candied and sweet, but that was countered by the bitter herbal swallow.

bitter collins

1 1/2 oz Damrak Gin
1/2 oz Campari
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup

Build with ice in Highball glass, top with soda, and gently roll to mix. Garnish with a cherry and orange flag, and add a straw.
Two Tuesdays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Deep Ellum for dinner. For a drink, Andrea asked bartender Danielle Berman for the Bitter Collins which seemed perfect for the warm weather. The drink began with an orange aroma from the garnish and prepared the mouth for the carbonated citrussy sip. Finally, a gin and herbal swallow ended with a tart lemon finish.

white lion (variation)

2 oz Añejo Rum
1/2 oz Housemade Falernum
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint and 2-3 dash of house aromatic bitters (sub Angostura), and add a straw.

Two Wednesdays ago, we traveled over to Allston to Deep Ellum for dinner. For a drink, I asked bartender Jen Salucci about the White Lion since the ingredient list was not the same as the one in Jerry Thomas from 1862:

White Lion
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Juice of 1/2 Lime (include rind in mixing glass)
• 1 wineglass Santa Cruz Rum (2 oz)
• 1 tsp Curaçao
• 1 tsp Raspberry Syrup
Mix well, chill with shaved ice, and garnish with berries in season.

Jen explained that it started out with bar own Max Toste trying to craft a Tiki-like drink for the winter to utilize the housemade falernum they had just created. As Max tinkered, he realized that his recipe was close to one that already existed -- the White Lion from Stan Jones' 1977 Complete Barguide:

White Lion
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 oz Rum
• 1/4 oz Grenadine or Falernum
• 2 dash Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Variation: serve in a Highball glass with crushed ice and soda water. Orange curaçao may be added.

Max decided to use the name to continue the lineage of variations, even if this one was unintentionally created as such. Since I had this drink at Deep Ellum, I revisited the Jerry Thomas recipe and will write about it in the next week or two.
The aromatic bitters' allspice and clove notes joined that of the mint on the nose. A lime and pomegranate sip led into a clovey rum swallow. Definitely different in flavor than the original raspberry syrup version and closer to the Stan Jones one; however, the presentation was more akin to the Thomas instructions.

a shot in the dark

1 1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Cognac
10 oz O'Hara's Irish Stout

Build in a highball and top with stout. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
For a second drink at Deep Ellum, bar owner Max Toste recommended the A Shot in the Dark beer cocktail that appears on the menu. The libation offered up the nutmeg's spice and sherry's grape aromas. A lightly carbonated malty sip gave way to a stout and grape swallow that ended dryly. Max commented that the beer is so rich and dry and the sherry adds a sweet component such that the whole mixture comes off like a Pedro Ximénez sherry.

[brooklyn roasting company]

1 1/2 oz Bacardi 8 Year Rum
1/2 oz Galliano Ristretto Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.

Two Mondays ago, we had dinner at Deep Ellum. Bar owner Max Toste came by and mentioned that he had been working on a few drinks. The one I chose from that collection was a recipe that Max built around Galliano's Ristretto coffee liqueur. He also mentioned that he was quite pleased at discovering how well the Fernet Branca and Meletti paired here.
The orange oil brightened the dark roast coffee aroma that was accented by sweet herbal notes. A rich caramel and roast sip led into coffee on the swallow. The Fernet Branca's menthol and the Meletti's violet notes were prevalent on the drink's finish. Andrea commented that it tasted like how she would want cola syrup to be.

hernando's hideaway

1 oz Reposado Tequila
1 oz Mezcal
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Fair Trade Coffee Liqueur
1 barspoon Cinnamon Syrup
3 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.

For my second drink, I asked bartender Danielle for the Hernando's Hideaway. At first, I figured it was a Saturday Night Live reference; however, Billy Crystal's character was Fernando not Hernando. Instead, the drink Danielle created was named after a song about a speakeasy; that song was written for the musical The Pajama Game in 1954.
Hernando's Hideaway greeted the nose with orange and agave aromas. The sip was rich with coffee roast flavors that were accented by wine notes. Finally, the swallow began with smoky mezcal and ended with coffee and cinnamon notes.

western passage

1 1/2 oz Batavia Arrack
1/2 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Green Yellow Chartreuse (*)
1 dash Aromatic Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry, and twist an orange peel over the top.
(*) The drink was served with Green Chartreuse (see comments for the recipe that was printed out for me).  After the Imbibe Magazine article came out with the recipe as Yellow Chartreuse, Deep Ellum lists the drink as a Yellow Chartreuse one on the website's menu.
Two Mondays ago, we stopped by Deep Ellum for dinner. For a first drink, I asked bartender Danielle for the Western Passage. Owner Max Toste later described how he created this recipe for Imbibe Magazine and just put it on the cocktail menu in anticipation of winter. The drink began with Green Chartreuse and funky Batavia Arrack aromas. Next, the sip offered grape flavors with hints of the Green Chartreuse's herbal notes, and the swallow followed that up with a wallop of Batavia Arrack and Green Chartreuse notes. Overall, with the Green Chartreuse and Batavia Arrack notes, the Western Passage came across like an angry Bohannon.

oaxacan rose

1 1/2 oz Fidencio Clásico Mezcal
3/4 oz Combier Pamplemousse Rose Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash House Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Two Mondays ago after my DJing gig, we avoided dining down the street in Kenmore Square due to the Red Sox game, and instead we traveled to Deep Ellum in Allston. For a cocktail, I asked bartender Max Toste for the Oaxacan Rose that utilized the new Combier grapefruit liqueur that he was excited about last time we saw him. The drink began with a citrus and mezcal aroma which gave way to a grapefruit sip that offered a hint of lemon. Finally, the swallow began with the mezcal's agave and light smoke flavors and ended with grapefruit peel notes.

sloe 75

1 oz Gin
3/4 oz Bitter Truth Sloe Gin
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a wine glass. Top with 2 oz of prosecco wine. Garnish with a wide lime twist.

Another drink that Max Toste made us was fellow Deep Ellum bartender Jennifer Salucci's Sloe 75. As a variation on the French 75, the addition of sloe gin and Aperol and the change of lemon for lime juice significantly shifted the flavor spectrum. Here, the oils for the lime twist prepared the senses for the citrus in the sip which was joined by berry and sparkling wine notes. The drink concluded with gin and lime notes on the swallow. Indeed, it was curious how the drink was high in acids, but it came across as being bright without seeming tart.

[yellow hook]

2 oz Sazerac 6 Year Rye
1/2 oz Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz House Amer Picon Replica
1 barspoon Maraschino Liqueur (1/8 oz)
1 dash House Aromatic Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

On Monday night last week, Andrea and I visited Deep Ellum for dinner. For a drink, bartender Max Toste wanted to tinker with the classic Brooklyn. With a change from dry to sweet vermouth, an alteration of proportions, and the addition of bitters, the recipe reminded me of the Liberal Cocktail. For a name, I took the leftist aspect of the word "liberal" and picked the far left part of Brooklyn called Yellow Hook since it was similar to the Red Hook named after a different section of Brooklyn.
The cocktail began with an orange oil aroma with a darker fruit note from the Picon or sweet vermouth. The liqueur's orange peel notes filled the sip along with grape and malt flavors, and the swallow began with rye and bitters notes and ended with the Maraschino Liqueur.

east india cocktail

2 oz La Forêt VSOP Brandy
1/2 oz Combier Liqueur d'Orange
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 oz Pineapple Syrup
2 dash Housemade Boker's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top and discard.

Two Mondays ago, we ate dinner at Deep Ellum; one of the drinks bartender Max Toste made for me was the East India Cocktail. He became inspired by that classic while searching for brandy drinks, and he felt it would make good use of the Boker's Bitters that are part of his bar's housemade bitters program. The spirit that inspired him was La Forêt -- a high quality but affordable French brandy; while it is made in the Cognac region of France, it seems to source at least some of brandy's grapes from outside the region and is thus not a Cognac. I had written about the East India two and a half years ago as I was making my way through the Anvil's "100 Drinks You Should Try at least Once" list; however, I was curious to see Max's take on this cocktail.
The East India Cocktail's aroma contained funky Maraschino and bright lemon oil elements. The sweet and smooth orange and pineapple-flavored sip contained earthy notes from the brandy. The rest of the brandy flavors came across in the swallow along with the Maraschino and spice notes from the Boker's.

black market

1 1/2 oz Death's Door Gin
3/4 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Black Tea Bitters (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
(*) Lapsang souchong and black tea infused in rye whiskey, mixed with a 10x strength hot water tea steep, and flavored with a honey-lemon peel syrup.
Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I paid another visit to Deep Ellum when Max Toste was bartending. For my first drink, I asked for the Black Market which reminded me on paper of other sweet vermouth-citrus Sours like the Fig Leaf. The drink's lemon twist contributed greatly to the Black Market's aroma. The sip proffered a candied lemon flavor that was perhaps an interaction of the lemon with the sweet vermouth. The swallow then presented the gin with a tannin and smoky finish from the tea bitters.

wayback

1 1/2 oz Fidencio Mezcal
1/2 oz Cocchi Barolo Chinato
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz House Picon Liqueur
1/4 oz Agave Syrup
2 dash House Aromatic Bitters
1 dash Black Tea Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Twist a lemon and an orange peel over the top and discard.

For our second round at Deep Ellum, bartender Max Toste had some off-menu ideas that he wanted to try out on us. The drink Max made me was the Wayback which featured one of the three Fidencio Mezcal products the bar now carries, a pair of robust aromatized wines, and a trio of bitter elements to round off the drink. The Wayback began with an agave and red grape aroma that was accented by the citrus oils from the twists. The sip was a full-bodied cherry-grape flavor with orange notes from the Picon; Andrea described its texture as "velvety." The mezcal appeared on the swallow and its intensity was smoothed out by the sweet wines and agave syrup. Indeed, certain aspects of this drink reminded me of the Independent's This, That, the Other.
For Andrea, Max wanted to show off his variation of the Metexa. I had recommended this recipe when we saw him at Hawthorne and he mentioned that he had reformulated his house Swedish Punsch. His alteration of this 1937 tequila aperitif was as follows:

Metexa (variation)
• 1 1/4 oz Cocchi Americano
• 3/4 oz Housemade Swedish Punsch
• 1/2 oz Fidencio Mezcal
• 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila
• 1 squeeze Lemon Slice (1 dash juice)
• 1 dash House Orange Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Both the aroma and the sip were dominated by Cocchi Americano and lemon notes. Next, the swallow shifted the focus to a smooth tequila and mezcal flavor, the Punsch and bitters' spice, and a lingering smokiness.

hot old fashioned

1 Demerara Sugar Cube
1 Luxardo Maraschino Cherry
2 Orange Slices
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash House Aromatic Bitters
2 oz Four Roses Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Boiling Hot Water

Warm a rocks glass with boiling water. Meanwhile, muddle the sugar cube, orange slices, cherry, and bitters in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add Bourbon and give the ingredients a quick shake. Empty the hot water from the rocks glass and fine strain into it. Top with the jigger of boiling water and give a quick stir.

When we were at Hawthorne, Deep Ellum's Max Toste sat down to our left. He mentioned that he was now behind the bar more often these days especially on Monday nights. Therefore, two Mondays ago, Andrea and I found seats at Deep Ellum's bar for dinner. For my first drink, I asked Max for the Hot Old Fashioned from the menu. At Hawthorne, Max had mentioned that he rather enjoyed how his house Old Fashioned converted into a Toddy, so I was curious to give it a try.
The drink's steaminess brought Bourbon, fruit, and Peychaud's aromas to my nostrils. While the sip was warm and malty, the swallow had a pleasing spice aspect that the warmth emphasized. Lastly, the muddled orange peels contributed a great flavor at the tail end of the swallow. While there were no great surprises here, I do have to agree that their New Fashioned Old Fashioned can convert into a fine winter beverage.

bourbon milk punch

1 1/2 oz Four Roses Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Milk
1/2 oz Diplomatico Rum
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 dash Housemade Aromatic Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass containing fresh ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

The second drink I had at Deep Ellum two Sundays ago was the Bourbon Milk Punch which Andrea enjoyed last time we were there. Milk Punches of this sort appear in Jerry Thomas' 1862 Bartenders Guide: A Bon Vivant's Companion and became popular brunch drinks especially in New Orleans. More modern versions often go the vanilla-flavored route, but the Deep Ellum took the cinnamon path. The one bartender Jennifer Salucci made me began with a nutmeg aroma than preceded the sip full of the milk's richness and the aged rum's caramel notes. The swallow then presented the Bourbon, cinnamon, and the bitters' spice flavors, and I was quite impressed at how well the whiskey and cinnamon balanced each other in intensity.