end of the road

1 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Campari
1 oz Green Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe (Nick & Nora).One of the recipes in the "Drinks of Drink" notebook that caught my eye despite not being invented in-house was Chris McMillian's End of the Road that appears in Beta Cocktails. I had never made this number despite having had the successor, Start of a New Road, at Backbar. Since two Saturdays was my last shift at Drink, I figured that it was a good cocktail to go out on. I did ponder why this intense combination of Scotch with an almost medicinal peat smoke, bitter orange Campari, and aggressively herbaceuous Chartreuse was called End of the Road; when I went to Portland Cocktail Week the following day, I perhaps got a clue even if it is wrong. I attended a Glenmorangie seminar where they shared a recipe booklet that also had drinks from their sister distillery Ardbeg in it. In those pages, they had The (Real) End of the Road made with Ardbeg Uigeadail with the story provided "Ardbeg is the last distillery – at the end of the Islay road." I could find no evidence that this cocktail had ever been made with Ardbeg by McMillian, so who knows the reason for the finality in the name. Alas, for me, it was the end of a year long adventure from reopening Drink after a 4.5 month repair shutdown to becoming the bar manager while still bartending and finally becoming the general manager while still being the bar manager and bartender (and whatever else needed to be done including being two barbacks at once (and doing the job better) or the door guy). Eventually, they asked for even more -- more than I could give as an individual trying to hold an absurd to the rest of the world semblance of work-life balance, so I gave notice. And my date lined up with the day before Portland Cocktail Week, so it was my own start of a new road a few hours later on Sunday morning.The recipe did not appear in the 2009 Rogue Cocktails or the 2010 'zine and only in the 2011 Beta Cocktails (read about the books' history). Finally getting to this combination 11 years later, it proffered an orange, herbal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, a peachy orange sip terminated with smoky Scotch and herbaceous flavors on the swallow with a bitter quinine finish. Pictured above was the line at open that Saturday night (it extended down the stairs to our door) including three guests in the photo who queued up to say goodbye and mark the end of the road at 348 Congress Street with me.

l'incontro

1 1/4 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Mezcal)
3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3 dash Hersaint (30 drop Kübler Absinthe)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Fridays ago, I decided to make the L'Incontro from the "Drinks of Drink" binder for it reminded me of Phil Ward's Division Bell with the addition of Herbsaint, the swapping of lemon for lime, and a tweaking of the proportions. I later discovered that the recipe was attributed to Ezra Star in the Claridge's: The Cocktail Book. L'Incontro meaning "the meeting" once prepared called to order with a smoke, nutty, vegetal, and cherry aroma. Next, lemon and cherry notes on the sip concluded with vegetal, orange, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow with a cherry and smoke finish.

no glory in the west

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (1 1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Barolo Chinato (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Aperol
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Continuing on in the "Drinks of Drink" notebook, I spied the No Glory in the West that reminded me a little of the Caesar Cardini that had also been created at Drink. The recipe was probably named after the Orville Peck song which makes its invention sometime after the song was released in 2020. Once stirred and strained, it proffered an orange, vegetal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and orange notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow wrapped things up with smoky, vegetal, grape, and quinine flavors on the swallow with a smoke and clove finish.

fat bottomed girl

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Orgeat (Giffard)
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 Whole Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a glass (old fashioned), and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Wednesdays ago, I delved back into the "Drinks of Drink" notebook and found the Queen tribute recipe named Fat Bottomed Girl. This Flip dubbed after the 1978 song was served at and presumably created for the charity drag brunch held at Drink in November 2020 and sponsored by Rittenhouse Rye. I have only had Amaro Montenegro and orgeat paired together in two drinks before – namely Backbar's Magical Mezcal Mystery Cure and Cure's Little Boots, so I was curious to try this in a Flip instead of a Sour. Here, the Fat Bottomed Girl began with a woody and nutty aroma. Next, a creamy and citrussy sip twerked into a rye, almond, citrus, and allspice swallow.

benson flip

1 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum
3/4 oz Dark Crème de Cacao (Giffard White)
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1/4 oz Heavy Cream
Coffee Beans (3 Espresso Roast)
1 Whole Egg

Muddle the coffee beans. Add the rest of the ingredients, shake once without ice and once with ice, double strain into a rocks glass or cocktail coupe, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Fridays ago, I opted for the Benson Flip that had caught my eye a few times in the "Drinks of Drink" binder. Once prepared, this Flip welcomed the senses with a woody spice and coffee aroma. Next, creamy caramel and roast notes on the sip framed dark rum, bitter coffee, nutty, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

rusty bene

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Drambuie
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube (4 Kold Draft cubes), and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the "Drinks of Drink" collection and landed upon the Rusty Nail riff called the Rusty Bene. I have often listed the Rusty Nail as one of my guilty pleasure drinks during interviews; however, I have not had a classic one in years. I have enjoyed variations over that time though including recently creating a mashup with the Modernista called the New Nails. The Rusty Bene read like a B&B (Brandy and Benedictine) for Scotch variation, and that seemed intriguing. Once prepared, the Rusty Bene broadcasted an orange and rich aroma to the nose. Next, honey and caramel notes on the sip latched on to Cognac, honey, herbal, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow. A priori, I expected this combination to be a bit cloying, but it ended up more rich than sweet.

the flower room

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1 bsp Lemon Juice (1/8 oz)

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 2 oz soda water, and fill with ice cubes.Two Wednesdays ago, after doing the books at work, I reached for the "Drinks of Drink" binder and selected the Flower Room. This embittered Highball had no other information besides the recipe such as hints to the date, creator, and rationale for the name, but a Gin-Ferrari Highball sounded like a solid way to wrap up the evening. Once prepared, the Flower Room wafted to the nose with bitter orange and pine aromas. Next, a carbonated orange sip bloomed into gin, menthol, and minty flavors on the swallow. Overall, it delivered as expected and there were no great surprises here flavor-wise.

noche verde

2 oz Del Maguey Minero Mezcal (Vida)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Perhaps serving this on the rocks (as was done at Backbar in a 2013 post on Twitter) would work well too.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the "Drinks of Drink" notebook and became intrigued by the Noche Verde. If it is a house original, it probably dates to sometime from October 2008 when the bar first opened and 2010 when the more affordable Del Maguey Mezcal Vida became available and the house mixing standard. Overall, the combination of agave spirit, Green Chartreuse, and Cynar reminded me of the Toto with tequila and the Up Jumped the Devil with mezcal (plus Rhum Agricole and mole bitters). Once prepared, the Noche Verde welcomed the senses with a vegetal and herbaceous bouquet. Next, a caramel sip from the Cynar bloomed into smoky, caramel, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

corpse reviver #3

1 oz Cognac (Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Crème de Menthe (Marie Brizard White)

Stir with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora glass.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was looking through the pages of the "Drinks of Drink" cocktail bible and became curious about the Corpse Reviver #3 subtitled the "Savoy Corpse." I have never seen the Corpse Reviver #3 in the Savoy Cocktail Book so I was definitely curious. I had previously skipped over this recipe in our database until I recently made the Apotheke which was essentially a sweet vermouth for Cognac version of this one. My curiosity led me down internet rabbit holes until I uncovered that it was crafted at the Savoy's American Bar around 20 years after the publication of the book which contained the more famous versions one and two. Wikipedia declared that, "Salvatore Calabrese states in his book Classic Cocktails that it was created by Johnny Johnson of the Savoy circa 1948, and lists it as a Corpse Reviver #3. Others believe it was invented later in 1954 by Joe Gilmore, also of the Savoy."With the mystery solved, it was time to experience the Savoy's wonder. Here, it began with a minty aroma that led into a caramel-tinged sip from the Fernet Branca and perhaps the Cognac as well. Finally, the swallow wrapped things up with Cognac, minty, and menthol flavors. Overall, I would probably find myself drinking this more frequently after a big meal than first thing in the morning after a raging evening.

temporary memory loss

1 1/4 oz Del Maguey Minero Mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz White Crème de Cacao (Giffard)
1/4 oz Averna

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, I continued on with my discoveries in the "Drinks of Drink" notebook with the Temporary Memory Loss. Since it called for Minero, it probably dated to sometime after Drink opened in 2008 but before Del Maguey launched the more price effective Vida in 2010. Once prepared, the Temporary Memory Loss donated an orange, smoke, and Green Chartreuse herbaceous aroma. Next, orchard fruit with a hint of caramel on the sip flowed into smoky vegetal, herbaceous, and chocolate flavors on the swallow. Overall, it came across like a darker, more vegetal, and more smoky Bijou.

rosa forteleza

1 1/4 oz Cachaça (Novo Fogo Bar Strength)
1/2 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Thursdays, I decided to make another recipe from the "Drinks of Drink" notebook called the Rosa Forteleza. The recipe was crafted by Misty Kalkofen at Drink and published in a 2011 Boston.com article along with the Two Orchard Thieves, Zocalo, and Sel de la Mer. The recipe surprised me since I had never had any cachaça creations of hers through the years. After a shake and a strain, the Rosa Forteleza sallied up with a grassy, funky, and grapefruit bouquet. Next, grapefruit, orange, and pear notes on the sip twirled into funky rum, grassy, and citrus flavors on the swallow.

menage

1 1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 1/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice (rocks glass no ice).After my bartending shift two Wednesdays ago, I delved into the "Drinks of Drink" notebook once the finances were done for the night. There, I came across the Menage that I had noted was crafted sometime before 2011. I assume that the name is a reference to the French term ménage à trois since there are three herbal elements playing around here. In the glass, the Menage welcomed the senses with a caramel, Green Chartreuse herbal, and menthol aroma. Next, the Fernet and Cynar's caramel notes filled the sip, and the swallow consummated things with vegetal, herbaceous, minty, and menthol flavors. Surprisingly, the Chartreuse took the forefront on the aroma and swallow despite being a more minor component volume-wise.

andrew square

2 oz Old Overholt Rye Whiskey (86°)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Fridays ago, I was peering into the "Drinks of Drink" notebook at work and spotted the Andrew Square named after a nearby neighborhood just south of the bar's location. Its combination of cherry liqueur and Fernet Branca was one that dated back to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 with the Pinto. With rye whiskey as a stirred drink, the Andrew Square reminded me of the more recent Problem Solver and the combination of the liqueurs have appeared elsewhere on here. The notebook lacked any hint as to its creator or year, but once prepared, it revealed a cherry, clove, and rye aroma. Next caramel and dark fruit notes on the sip flowed into rye, cherry, menthol, and bitter gentian flavors on the swallow.

little giuseppe

2 oz Cynar
2 oz Punt e Mes
6 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 bsp Lemon Juice (1/8 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a pinch of salt.

It occurred to me that I had never written up the Little Giuseppe properly here despite referencing it and listing the recipe in related cocktails. This low ABV vermouth-amaro number was created by Misty Kalkofen at Drink within a few dozen feet of where I made mine pictured below. Legend has it that it was created as a game of telephone in 2009 with Stephen Cole of the Violet Hour in Chicago who crafted his own version, the Bitter Giuseppe that I made for myself two days after this one. What is left out of that story is that Kirk Estinopal, one of Stephen's old coworkers at the Violet Hour, also generated The Search for Delicious at Cure in New Orleans and published it in the 2009 Rogue Cocktails book and later in the 2011 Beta Cocktails book; perhaps he was involved in the initial game or joined in a few weeks afterward (some articles suggest that he was aware of one or other of the Giuseppe creations before adapting his own riff). Misty's and Kirk's recipes share a little more similarity opting for Punt e Mes instead of sweet vermouth as well as the inclusion of a pinch of salt garnish.In the glass, the Little Giuseppe waved to the senses with a caramel and vegetal bouquet. Next, grape and caramel notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow rounded things off with a funky bitter-sweet flavor that mellowed out as the garnish salt dissolved into the cocktail.

strangeways daiquiri

3/4 oz Plantation Xaymaca Rum
3/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 bsp St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (1/8 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Another recipe that I had spotted in the cocktail database at Drink was the Strangeways Daiquiri that was presented without attribution. When I posted it on Instagram, bartender Ben Watts who now works at Chickadee took credit for its creation. He described how it was initially designed for the cocktails to go program in Fall of 2020, and on a practical level, it was due to a large stockpile of Laphroaig that they received right before the Pandemic shutdown. He continued, "Intellectually, it's because I like wrestling with the smoke in Islay Scotch – it's less flexible than mezcal smoke, but it's also why people order it... The solution is usually to pair it with flavors as aggressive as its peat and to try to twist them together, so Jamaican rum made sense to me." This recipe that he crafted in homage to the Boukman Daiquiri was named when "trying to marry something Scottish with something Jamaican, so I thought about Bond novels and films [set] in Jamaica. And John Strangeways is the head of Station J–Jamaica in the book Live and Let Die and whose murder sets the plot of Dr. No."In the glass, the Strangeways Daiquiri proffered cinnamon and peat smoke aromas. Next, a lime-driven sip led into rum, peat smoke, allspice, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

conquest of paradise

1 1/2 oz Tequila or Mezcal (Del Maguey Mezcal Vida)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing the cocktail database at Drink when I uncovered the Conquest of Paradise. The recipe was attributed to Ezra Star and the cominbation reminded me of her Daiquiri-styled Elements of the Stars that was published in the Drinking Like Ladies book. The Conquest of Paradise launched with a smoke, vegetal, and cinnamon aroma. Next, lemon and a hint of caramel on the sip sailed into smoke, cinnamon, vegetal, and clementine flavors on the swallow.

various positions

3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an Herbsaint (or absinthe) rinsed double old fashioned glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, I was inspired to tinker again with Phil Ward's Lipspin with its Cynar-sloe gin combination that previously led to my Perverted by Language. Here, I utilized a split rye-mezcal base and took things in a Sazerac direction. While crafting this number, a song from Leonard Cohen's Various Positions album was playing, and that ended up being the name. The Various Positions welcomed the nose with lemon, anise, smoke, red berry, and caramel aromas. Next, caramel and red fruit notes on the sip progressed into rye, vegetal, herbal, anise, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

absinthe painkiller

1 oz Kübler Absinthe
1 oz Plantation 5 Year Barbados Rum
1 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.I have a few regulars are big absinthe fans, and I am frequently looking up recipes to make or improvising drinks that have an ounce of the stuff. In the post about one of those drinks, the Yellow Parrot, I mentioned one of these on-the-fly riffs, the Absinthe Painkiller where I utilized the Painkiller template from Eastern Standard. I decided to make one for myself two Saturdays ago since I had made one for a guest earlier that evening. Here, the woody spice of the nutmeg joined the aromas of anise and pineapple. Next, a creamy orange and pineapple sip slid into coconut, caramel, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, definitely a great introduction to absinthe-heavy drinks given the rich, sweet, and fruity flavors to soften the absinthe's intensity.

two roads diverged

1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/8 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Wednesdays ago, I got a request for a "Fall in a glass" cocktail from a guest at Drink. I took an apple brandy bolstered by maple syrup and spiced with Benedictine, cinnamon syrup, and Angostura bitters route. Things tasted a bit thin so I added a barspoon of Demerara syrup to fatten it up. Given the success of that creation with said guest, I served it later that night for a similar style of request and then for myself as a nightcap. For mine, it offered up apple, maple, and cinnamon aromas. Next, caramel and lemon notes on the sip flowed into apple, maple, herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow. For a name, I dubbed this one Two Roads Diverged after a line from Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" poem akin to my naming convention in my Miles to Go Before I Sleep.

leaf fall

1 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato (Zucca will work)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (10 drop Kübler)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with orange oils from a twist.After wrapping up hosting a cocktail party at Drink and doing the books two Saturdays ago, I needed a nightcap. I recalled how well Benedictine toned down Fernet Branca in the Campo Viejo, and I wondered what it would do for Amaro Sfumato. With Autumn on its way, the Sfumato and Benedictine led me to the combination of smoky Scotch and apple brandy, and I dubbed it the Leaf Fall. Once prepared, it gave forth an orange, smoke, and apple aroma. Next, a caramel sip fluttered down into an apple, smoke, earth, and herbal swallow.