pirate's revenge

3/4 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
3/4 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Pimm's #1
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 barspoon Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

For my next cocktail at Island Creek Oyster Bar, I asked bartender Vikram Hedge for the Pirate's Revenge. Vik explained how he and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli were playing around with St. Germain one night, and the result was a happy accident they dubbed the Pirate's Revenge.
The Pirate's Revenge greeted the senses with a nutmeg bouquet. The lemon coupled with the fruit flavors in the Pimm's on the sip, and the swallow was filled with the rum along with cinnamon, floral, and other spice notes.

spanish union

3/4 oz Milagro Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Island Creek Oyster Bar. There, we found seats in front of bar manager Vikram Hedge. For a first drink, I requested the Spanish Union for the combination of tequila and sherry has often been a winner. Vik explained how he wanted to go heavier on the tequila, but general manager Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli's recommendation of keeping it on the lighter side won out.
The sherry and lime aromas filled the nose, and similarly, the grape and citrus continued on into the sip. The swallow offered the tequila and cinnamon flavors that were rounded out by the sherry and chocolate notes.

wit haven

1 oz Barrel-aged Bols Genever
1 oz Kopke White Port
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I visited Island Creek Oyster Bar. For a drink, I asked bartender Paul for the Wit Haven. The Wit Haven utilized the bottling of the Genever barrel that Jackson Cannon selected at the Bols distillery. Apparently, this is the first single-barrel bottling that Bols has done with the Genever, and the wealth is spread between the three bars that Jackson Cannon supervises.
The twist's lemon oil greeted the senses and prepared the mouth for a sweet lemon sip that contained soft white port flavors; as the drink warmed up a bit, the Genever's malt began to play a role in the sip. Much of the Genever flavors filled the swallow though that finished with a lemon note.

paper schooner

3/4 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
3/4 oz Becherovka
3/4 oz Aperol
3/8 oz Lemon Juice
3/8 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

As a follow up to the Green Harbor at Island Creek Oyster Bar, I ask bartender Vikram Hedge for the Paper Schooner that was subtitled "the next quad." Vik explained that they wanted to retired Sam Ross' Paper Plane from the menu and replace it with a drink inspired by it. Therefore, he and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli set to work. While the recipe listed above has five parts, the two half parts, namely the lemon juice and simple syrup, were pre-mixed as a cordial.
The Paper Schooner offered up a fruity aroma that was a combination of the lemon and Aperol elements. The drink's nose prepared the mouth for the lemon juice and Aperol's orange flavors on the sip. Next, the rye's barrel notes began the swallow that ended with Becherovka's cinnamon and clove spice. As the drink warmed up a little, it got a bit sweeter and more clove driven; therefore, those that prefer drier drinks might opt for 2:1 lemon to simple in the cordial.

green harbor

1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Cocchi Americano
4 wedge Lime (2/3 whole Lime)
2 sprig Mint
2 dash Bittermens Grapefruit Bitters

Muddle the lime wedges and mint sprigs. Add rest of ingredients and fine strain into a Highball glass filled with ice. Top with ~3 oz soda water and stir. Garnish with 2 mint sprigs and add a straw.

Two Tuesdays ago, I paid a visit to Island Creek Oyster Bar, and for a start, I asked bartender Vikram Hedge for the Green Harbor. When I asked about the drink's history, Vikram described how he created it with Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli's help. Vik wanted to name the drink after a beach in his fiancé's hometown of Marshfield, MA, called Green Harbor. While the mental connection to Green Chartreuse stemmed from the beach's name, his fiancé actually does not care for it, but she does enjoy the Cocchi Americano that plays a balancing role in the recipe.
The Green Harbor's mint garnish contributed greatly to the herbal aroma. The carbonated lime sip had botanical hints to it, and the swallow presented the Green Chartreuse's flavor along with tart lime notes. Overall, the Green Harbor was rather light and refreshing and I could easily imagine drinking a few of these while watching the summer sun set over the harbor.

straits of messina

a) 3 Green Cardamom Pods
1 pinch Salt
2 dash Regan's Bitters
b) 1 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Blood Orange Juice

Muddle ingredients in (a). Add ingredients in (b) and ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail or wine glass. Top with ~2 oz of Dibon Cava.
For my second cocktail at Island Creek Oyster Bar, I requested the Straits of Messina from bartender Vikram Hegde. The Straits of Messina is the narrow passage between Sicily and southern Italy; with the classic blood orange, the Moro, originating from Sicily, I suspect that naming fell into place that way. Once prepared, the cardamom aroma pleasantly greeted me as I prepared for the crisp wine and Cocchi's citrus flavors on the sip. The swallow then offered up blood orange notes with a lightly lingering cardamom flavor. Vik commented that this drink made him realize how much cardamom was in Cocchi Americano since he is usually overwhelmed and distracted by the quinine aspect of it.

king caesar

3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and double strain into a Champagne flute. Top with ~2 oz Dibon Cava.

Last Friday, I dropped into Island Creek Oyster Bar for drinks. For a start, I asked bartender Vikram Hegde for the King Caesar. I was not sure whether the drink was named after the Roman emperor or the Japanese kaiju from the Godzilla series; however, after considering the restaurant's theme, I did a little searching. In the oyster town of Duxbury, MA, the largest industry back in the 18th century was ship building. Ezra Weston ran this enterprise and his success in building a large merchant fleet led to the nickname of "King Caesar"; he later passed the 100 ship fleet and the title to his son who kept the enterprise going into the early 19th century.

The King Caesar welcomed the senses with a pineapple and sparkling wine aroma that contained a hint of spice. The wine and lime paired to conjure a crisp sip, and the pineapple and the Amaro Montenegro's caramel and bitter notes rounded out the swallow. Indeed, I was quite impressed at how Amaro Montenegro worked to maintain the tropical tone of the drink.

king's bitter

1 oz Maurin Quina
1/2 oz King's Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz S. Maria al Monte Amaro
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with prosecco.

Wednesday last week, I attended a spirits tasting event at Hawthorne hosted by Origin Beverage Company. The bartenders there were mixing up a few cocktails using some of the product lines, and the drink that tempted me was the King's Bitter created at Island Creek Oyster Bar next door. The King's Bitter began with a ginger and dark grape aroma that later presented lighter grape notes from the prosecco. The sparkling wine's dry grape paired well with the lime on the sip. The swallow began with the Carpano Antica and Maurin's grape and fruit notes and ended with a dry lime finish. The ginger slowly crept up on the swallow such that it was detectable by the second or third sip and played an herbal role along with the amaro soon after.

1638

1 oz Kopke White Port
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

After a brief foray at Eastern Standard, we made our way over to Island Creek Oyster Bar for a nightcap. There, I requested the 1638 from bartender Vikram Hegde for I am always curious as to what mixologists can do with white port. Moreover, the combination of white port with Pimm's and Yellow Chartreuse seemed light and intriguing. I assume that the drink's name relates to the year Kopke, the first and oldest port producer, was founded.
The lemon twist provided much of the 1638's aroma before the oils dissipated and the Pimm's began to shine through. The Pimm's fruit notes came across in the sip along with a light grape flavor. However, most of the white port notes appeared at the beginning of the swallow with Yellow Chartreuse's spice and orange bitters rounding out the drink. As it warmed up, I found the 1638 became more cohesive of a cocktail with a nice savory wine feel to it.

charlie lindbergh

1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin
1 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe pre-rinsed with Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur.
Last Sunday, Andrea and I stopped by Island Creek Oyster Bar. The drink that caught my eye was the Charlie Lindbergh; the menu item's subtitle was "a modern take on the Prohibition variation" which hinted at the two rounds of alterations from the original. The drink commemorates Lindbergh's non-stop trans-Atlantic flight back in 1927, and the recipe first appears a few years later in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. In the Savoy, the recipe contains gin, Lillet, apricot liqueur, orange juice, and a lemon twist. Back in 2008, the Charlie Lindbergh had been on Eastern Standard's Prohibition-era drink of the month list that led up to their epic 75th Anniversary Prohibition Repeal Party. It was also served during the cocktail-pairing dinner portion of the party. According to my notes for the event, Eastern Standard' s Jackson Cannon removed the orange juice and lemon twist and replaced these citrus elements with Bittermens grapefruit bitters. In the Island Creek iteration, bar manager Bobby McCoy explained that they switched from Lillet to Cocchi Americano and from grapefruit bitters to orange ones. I am not sure if the Eastern Standard recipe used the apricot liqueur in a rinse or as a regular ingredient, but the Island Creek version included it à la James Maloney's bellringer -- an apricot liqueur rinse which was Maloney's signature move in his 1900 drink book. Here, the Charlie Lindbergh presented an aroma of gin with hints of citrus from the Cocchi Americano and orange bitters. The citrus continued on in the sip, and this was followed by gin on the swallow and apricot on the finish. My guess is that the orange bitters work better here than classic's orange juice, but I do think that the 1930 recipe's lemon twist would work wonders here.

royal bermuda yacht club

1 1/2 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers' Ragged Mountain Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Housemade Falernum (*)
1/4 oz Cointreau

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
(*) My guess is that ICOB uses a falernum recipe similar to what bar manager Bobby McCoy published in the current issue of Imbibe magazines (July/August).

Two Saturdays ago, Joe and Nicole Desmond, who I met at a rum tasting after Tales last year, were in town and I met up with them at Island Creek Oyster Bar. For a cocktail, I asked bartender Vikram Hegde for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. I was able to track the recipe as far back as the Crosby Gaige's 1941 Cocktail Guide & Ladies' Companion, and it became more standardized by 1947 Trader Vic, and ICOB's recipe only varies slightly from the latter (Trader Vic's is 1/4 oz falernum and a dash of Cointreau and lacks a twist). Interesting that none of these recipes used rum from Bermuda; Gaige and Trader Vic called for Barbados rum and bartender Vic made the menu item with rum produced here in Massachusetts.
The twist's lime oils joined the orange liqueur in providing a delightfully citrus-filled aroma. The citrus continued on in the sweet sip that was spiced by the housemade falernum's ginger notes. Finally, the swallow contained the aged rum and the falernum's clove flavors. Overall, this classic reminded me of a more intensely flavored version of the Exhibition Swizzle that I had a few weeks ago.

snap point

1 1/2 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
1 1/2 oz Bonal
1 barspoon Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I popped into the Island Creek Oyster Bar for a cocktail. The Snap Point caught my eye on the menu for it paired up the new Ransom Old Tom Gin with Bonal quinquina and Yellow Chartreuse, and I asked bartender Ginny Edwards to make one. Midway through my drink, head bartender Bobby McCoy stopped by and told me about the Snap Point. His concept was a winter aperitif loaded with Alpine spice that would not ruin the palate. Given the equal parts gin and aromatized wine capped off with a barspoon of yellow Chartreuse, I asked Bobby if the San Martin was his starting point. While he was familiar with the drink, his inspiration was the Bonal and Chartreuse; since these two ingredients are made in the same region in France, the pairing seemed a natural one to him.
The Snap Point began with a citrus aroma of lemon oil from the twist and orange from the bitters. Next, the sip was slightly sweet with grape notes, and the swallow contained a wealth of botanical complexity along with the orange from the bitters. While the Chartreuse and Bonal both played a role in the swallow, the Ransom Old Tom donated some intriguing juniper, clove, peppercorn, and pinelike notes to the mix. Indeed, the gentle sip was chased by a spicy swallow; however, as the drink warmed up, the gentle sip aspect dissipated a bit. In the end, the drink reminded me less of a San Martin and more like a bitter Martinez Cocktail.

wildwood

2 oz Sazerac 6 Year Rye (*)
1/2 oz Housemade Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
6 drop Pernod Absinthe

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

Just as I was finishing my first drink at Island Creek Oyster Bar, I gained a surprise drinking companion of Avery Glasser of the Bittermens Bitters. After speaking with Avery for a bit, bartender Bobby McCoy came by to talk drinks. When I inquired about the Wildwood, he commented that it was a Toronto meeting a Sazerac all with Red Hook proportions. He commented that the drink should be made with a bonded rye, but due to the Rittenhouse shortage, he was forced to substitute Sazerac Rye. Since my family once lived on a Wildwood Street, I was curious as to the name. Apparently, it must be a common street name for it is Bobby's family's address as well. The drink was created for the rehearsal dinner before his wedding as a tribute to where he and his friends used to drink. Those cocktails were made under the care of Bobby's father; alas, I did not realize that Bobby was a second generation bartender, but since he seems like such a natural at the stick, I am not surprised that it is in his blood.
The Wildwood began with an orange oil aroma with hints of Amaro Nonino and aniseseed. After a few sips, the cinnamon notes from the syrup became apparent on the nose. A malty rye sip was followed by cinnamon notes that were chased by a nice bitter finish. The absinthe in the Wildwood was present only as an accent, and the light hand in administering the dose paid off in that the drink was not overwhelmed by it.

Somewhere in the middle of drinking the Wildwood, Janet of the Bittermens joined our end of the bar. Soon after, it was time to move on to my next engagement -- my friend's mom's 70th birthday celebration up the street at the Chilton Club. There I discovered a bartender that could have used either of the McCoys' mentoring. What he lacked in recipe knowledge and bottles in front of him, he made up for enthusiasm to learn. Amongst the bottles of straight spirits and vermouths was a lone outlier -- a bottle of Campari! Quickly, I taught him how to make a Negroni; soon after, the other guests got wind of it and started ordering one after another. Even with building and free pouring on the rocks and with no orange twists, the drink was a success.

spanish caravan

1 oz Daron Calvados
1 oz Herradura Reposado Tequila
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a spiced dehydrated apple slice.

Last Friday I had the day off from work due to my business trip running Sunday to Thursday, and I decided to spend part of my afternoon at Kenmore Square's newest venue, the Island Creek Oyster Bar (the Citizen Pub did open more recently, but that is more in the Fenway region; anyways, we made a trip there as well two nights ago). Head bartender Bobby McCoy greeted me at my seat and walked me through some of the drinks on the menu. The Spanish Caravan, subtitled "From the Exotic to the Familiar," caught my eye and seemed like a good place to start.
Bobby described the interesting genesis of the drink. Jackson Cannon had come up with the idea of a seasonal apple chip as a garnish, and the cocktail itself came as an afterthought albeit a well executed one. The garnish, listed as "salted apple," was a thin slice sprinkled with salt, pepper, sugar, and Chinese 5 spice powder before being dehydrated. The apple and spice elements from the garnish paralleled the Calvados and Allspice Dram in the liquid portion. The nose was very apple-y with hints of sherry and tequila notes. The sip was a spiced apple from the tequila pairing with the brandy, and the swallow contained the sherry's grapeness and the liqueur's allspice flavors. Despite appearing in different parts of the sip, the tequila and allspice complemented each other splendidly. Moreover, the Calvados and sherry worked well together in a full bodied Marconi Wireless sort of way.