kapuna kane

1 1/2 oz Salers Gentiane Liqueur
1 oz Macchu Pisco
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon-Honey Syrup (*)
6 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a spritz of mezcal.
(*) Sub either all cinnamon syrup or 1/4 oz each cinnamon and honey syrup in a pinch.
A few Fridays ago, I ventured over to the Independent on my day off. For a drink, I started with the Kapuna Kane which was perhaps named after the Hawaiian children's book author who wrote Keoni The Good Menehune. I was lured in by the combination of Pisco and gentian liqueur. Once served, the Kapuna Kane yielded a smoky aroma from the mezcal with earthy and lightly floral notes underneath. Next, the sip was a dry honey flavor with fruit notes from the pineapple and lime. The pineapple continued on into the swallow where it joined the gentian's earthiness, and it all ended with a cinnamon and spice finish.

rainy dayz

1 1/2 oz Old Monk Rum
3/4 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
1/4 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Two Thursdays ago, I stopped into the Independent in Somerville after work. For a cocktail, I asked bartender Casey Keenan for the Rainy Dayz. Casey mentioned that it was created by the bar manager Patrick Dole. The general structure of the drink reminded me of the Sacrilege with the Cardamaro playing second fiddle to a spirit and balanced by honey and citrus. Once prepared, the Rainy Dayz shared a dark rum aroma with brighter notes from the honey and lime. A caramel, lime, and floral sip shifted into a dark rum and herbal swallow with a molasses, honey, and vanilla finish. Overall, the dark rum's molasses' low flavors complemented the honey's higher notes here rather well.

earthbound

1 1/2 oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Last Wednesday, I stopped at the Independent for drinks. There, I was greeted by bartender Casey Keenan, and I asked Casey for the Earthbound. Casey commented that the recipe began with less Aperol but shifted over time; moreover, it reminded him of Lone Star Taco Bar's Chica Fácil. Once prepared, the Earthbound offered citrus oil and mineral tequila aromas. A lime, orange, and honey sip transitioned into a tequila flavor smoothed out by the honey. Finally, the drink ended with a bitter rhubarb and tart lime finish.

calico jack

1 oz Old Monk Rum
1 oz Becherovka
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/4 oz Punt e Mes

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist and add straws.
For a second drink at The Independent, I requested the Calico Jack from bartender Casey Keenan. Casey described how bar manager Lauren adapted a recipe from Beta Cocktails that was whiskey based; in a quick perusal of the book, I was unable to spot what exactly the inspiration was though. Regardless, he encouraged my request by noting that it was an intriguing rum Manhattan of sorts. Once mixed, the orange twist contributed to the Calico Jack's nose. Dark notes on the sip led into rum, cherry, spice, and vanilla on the swallow.

helen of troy does countertop dancing

1 1/2 oz Laird's Applejack
1 oz Fee Brothers' Orgeat
1/2 oz Angostura Bitters
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Wednesdays ago, we stopped in at The Independent to pay bartender Casey Keenan a visit. For a first drink, I asked Casey for the humorously named Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing which was described on the menu as "applejack, orgeat, lots of Angostura, and citrus." The combination first reminded me of a bitters-forward version of the Harvest Moon (apple brandy, orgeat, lime) that appears in the 1934 edition of Esquire Magazine's top 10 most popular cocktail as well as the Green Street Grill's house cocktail book where I first spotted it. The Helen of Troy was created by bar manager Lauren, and I was remiss in asking what might have inspired her.
The cocktail greeted my nose with cinnamon spice and nuttiness. A rich apple and lemon sip gave way to a nutty, cherry, and clove-y spice swallow. Overall, the citrus, orgeat, and Angostura combination worked rather well here as it did in the Bittah Walshie, Trinidad Sour, and Stormy Mai Tai.

zander

2 oz Bols Genever
1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

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

For my second drink at Trina's Starlite Lounge, I focused in on another drink from the "Tasty Drinks from Good People" section of their menu that I had spotted when I had Tony Iamunno's Chasing Fireflies last time. That drink was the Zander from Isaac Sussman of the Independent; I was not sure if he named it after the European river fish, The Simpsons character, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, or other. The combination of grain spirit, Punt e Mes, and Benedictine made me think of Green Street's Creole (their substitution in this Amer Picon-light world), but it was closer to Green Street's William of Orange that Emily Stanley crafted for the Bartenders on the Rise event back in 2010.
The Zander presented a malty and lemon oil aroma over that of the Punt e Mes' dark grape. The sip's caramelly grape flavors possessed a full mouthfeel from the Genever's malt, and the swallow showed off the rest of the Genever notes with a bitter, herbal, and spice finish. I believe that Andrea summed up the drink with the three words "black cherry toast," for they ended up in quotation marks at the end of my tasting notes.

somerville 75

3/4 oz Gin
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse

Shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Top with cava and garnish with a lime slice.
Two Sundays ago, I ventured down to the Independent for brunch. While I don't usually do busy brunches, I wanted to visit my fellow Russell House Tavern bartender Hannah Moore for she works at the Indo on Sundays. After the brunch rush died down, I asked Hannah for the Somerville 75 off of the cocktail menu. The name, besides being a riff on a French 75, reminded me of Trina's Starlite Lounge's Pimm's Cup variation, the Somerville Cup. Once mixed, the Somerville 75 began with a lime aroma with hints of Green Chartreuse's herbalness. A carbonated wine and lime sip gave way to a herbal swallow and a lime peel-like finish. In essence, a Green Ghost meets a Champagne Cocktail.

copacabana

1 1/2 oz Palo Viejo White Rum
1 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 1/2 oz Toasted Coconut Brown Sugar Syrup (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Top with fresh ice, zest a lime over the top, and add straws.
(*) Equal parts brown sugar syrup (1:1) and toasted coconut. The mixture is cooked, blended, and strained.
For a second drink, I asked bartender Isaac Sussman for the Copacabana. Isaac described how one of the kitchen staff had nicknamed him "Copacabana," and he paid tribute to that with this adult Piña Colada. Once prepared, the lime oil and rum combined for an almost grassy aroma. The sip contained lime and toasted flavors with a vague fruitiness from the coconut and pineapple. Finally, the pineapple and coconut came out on the swallow. Indeed, the toasted coconut syrup offered up a strong coconut flavor without the richness of coconut cream or the thinness of coconut water.

nerina jones

1 1/4 oz Plymouth Gin
1 1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1 1/4 oz Meletti Amaro
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

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

Two Wednesdays ago, we found seats at the Independent in Somerville. For a first drink, I asked bartender Isaac Sussman for the Nerina Jones. In asking for a history of the drink, Isaac replied that bartender Glen Cancelleire had put it on the list as a modification of the Nerina from Employees Only in Manhattan. The Nerina is Employee's Only's take on the Negroni with the Campari and sweet vermouth swapped for Meletti and Punt e Mes. The only change the Independent made was adding was a dash of orange bitters.
The orange twist's oils added to the aroma of the Punt e Mes' grape and the Meletti's violet. A grape sip with hints of orange led into a swallow offering gin, Punt e Mes' bitter flavors, and Meletti's floral and herbal elements.

wing nang

1 oz Old Monk Rum
1 oz Palo Viejo White Rum
3/4 oz Maurin Quina
1 1/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
4 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and pour unstrained into a rocks glass. Add straws.
Two Sundays ago, we stopped into the Independent during one of the their John Funke music nights. For a drink, I asked the bartender for the Wing Nang which seemed intriguing for it was a Tiki-like drink containing Maurin Quina. The Wing Nang's aroma offered grapefruit and cinnamon notes. The grapefruit continued on into the sip along with the Maurin's cherry, and the swallow began with rum and cinnamon notes. The swallow ended with a lingering almond flavor from the Maurin that worked incredibly well with the Tiki feel.

agave maria

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 barspoon (1/8 oz) Fernet Branca
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Agave Nectar

Shake with ice and pour unstrained into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Our adventures that Sunday took us later to the Independent in Union Square, Somerville, where MIT-WMBR DJ John Funke was spinning a mix of lost and found oldies and oddities. For a drink, I ordered the Agave Maria. On the nose, the pineapple aroma was joined by the garnish's orange oil. Next, the lime sip led into a swallow that began with mezcal, followed by pineapple and Fernet Branca, and ending with a lingering smoke note. Indeed, the Peychaud's Bitters and light touch of Fernet Branca added a bit of intrigue and character to the drink.

union cocktail

2 oz Michael Collins Irish Whiskey
1 oz Blandy's Rainwater Madeira
1/2 oz Meletti Amaro
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Tuesday last week, we were in Union Square, Somerville, for dinner and we decided to stop into the Independent for a drink. There, the menu item that grabbed my attention was a recipe created by Brother Cleve for the Somerville Arts Council's new book, Nibble. Brother Cleve described the concept behind the drink in a comment, "The Nibble book features recipes of the various ethnic groups of Somerville. I created the Union cocktail to honor Somerville's early immigrants: the Irish, Portuguese, and Italians. That was the idea behind mixing whiskey, Madeira, and amaro. As for the bitters... hey, I like bitters, ok!"
The Union Cocktail greeted me with an orange oil aroma. The sweet grape and malt sip gained caramel notes from the Meletti over time. Next, the swallow began with the Irish Whiskey and finished with the Madeira, the richness and herbal complexity of the amaro, and orange notes; over successive swallows, the Angostura spice notes crept into the picture as well.

autumn sweater

2 oz Laird's Applejack
1/4 oz Averna
1/4 Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 Sugar Cube

Muddle sugar cube with bitters. Add rest of ingredients and ice, stir, and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
The other drink I had at the Independent two Sundays ago when Evan Harrison was guest bartending was the Autumn Sweater. Evan described the drink to be like an Applejack Old Fashioned, but the addition of the sweet vermouth and Averna would add some greater depth to the mix. The Autumn Sweater greeted my nose with a bright orange oil aroma with lower notes from the Averna and possibly the sweet vermouth. The sip started as an apple and rich caramel taste that gained grape flavors over time as the drink warmed up. The swallow then showcased the Averna's spice notes and the bitter's chocolate ones to round out the drink.

this, that, the other

2 oz Maurin Quina
1 oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz Graham Six Grapes Port
1 dash Housemade Lime Bitters (*)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
(*) Possibly a lime peel tincture. Scrappy's sells a lime bitters, and muddling lime peels in the tequila and letting it sit for several minutes might work in a pinch.

Two weeks ago, we heard that Evan Harrison was going to be doing a guest bartending gig at his old haunt, the Independent, that Sunday. Currently, Evan is between jobs after he left Deep Ellum but before Brick & Mortar opens up in another week or two; thus, he has been doing guest stints around town to stay in shape including a night at Craigie on Main. Since we were unable to make the Craigie on Main one, we were quite pleased to attend this one.
The cocktail I picked off the menu, the "This, That, the Other," was a tequila aperitif akin to the Metexa but with richer, fruitier flavors. Furthermore, the combination of Maurin Quina and tequila appealed to me for it worked rather well in Scott Holliday's Tequila Scaffa. The drink presented a tequila and lime oil aroma that led into a rich cherry-grape fruit sip from the Maurin Quina and port. Next, the swallow offered up the complementary duo of tequila and lime peel notes.

tennessee

2 oz Jack Daniels Whiskey (or other Tennessee Whiskey)
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

On Monday night, Andrea and I stopped into the Independent for their "Barstool Mountain Monday: Country Drinking Songs and Country Drinks" event. I am not sure if the night was to celebrate all that is hillybilly noir or to honor bartender Evan Harrison on his last night at the Independent before shifting over to Deep Ellum. On the menu were a few drink specials including the Country Gentleman (applejack, curacao, lemon juice, and sugar) which Andrea selected and the Tennessee which I chose. The Tennessee was essentially an Aviation with the herbalness of the gin swapped for the barrel-aged sour mash taste of the whiskey. On the sip, the drink started out with a tart lemon note which was followed by the whiskey and then the Maraschino flavors. The presence of the citrus and liqueur smoothed out the spirit considerably and made the Tennessee easy, yet not boring, to drink.

chartreuse swizzle

1 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice (note: most other recipes have this as 3/4 oz)
1/2 oz Falernum (Fee Brothers)

Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice.

On Tuesday night, Andrea and I were in Union Square after getting Indian food and decided to get a digestif at the Independent. There were a few new drinks on their menu, and one that caught my eye was a Chartreuse Swizzle that used the green variety as opposed to the swizzle with yellow that I had at Drink. This one was created by Marco Dionysos of Harry Denton's Starlite Room and placed first in the 2003 Bay Area Chartreuse recipe contest. I could easily see why this drink was a winner with the Chartreuse flavors working rather well with the lime juice as they similarly do in the Last Word. In a more subtle way, the pineapple juice and falernum complemented these two robust ingredients to round out the drink.

Postnote 6/17/26: Imbibe Magazine provides the recipe same as above but with 1 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse and 3/4 oz lime juice.

marchessa

1 oz Plymouth Gin
1 oz Amaro Nonino
1 oz Aperol

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

Last night after getting Indian food in Union Square, we went over to the Independent for a cocktail and dessert. Both Andrea and I spotted and tried the new drinks on the menu. She went with the Apple Jack Rabbit which was a Laird's Apple Jack sour sweetened with maple syrup. And I picked out the Marchessa which seemed like it should be the fourth part of the Flight of Heraldry. This series of drinks was created a few years ago at No. 9 Park by Ryan McGrale and John Gertsen and based on the Negroni. To follow the tale of Count Negroni, they created the Contessa for the count's wife and the Patrician for the count's imagined "bitter laborer".

Whether or not the Independent's creation is part of the tale of Count Negroni or not (or which Marchesa it refers to), the drink is equal parts, gin-based, and full of bitter liqueur flavors like the other three. And the one bartender Liam made me was quite tasty. The first sensation was the orange oils on the nose. Upon the sip, the Aperol's bitter orange-rhubarb flavors filled the mouth, and on the swallow, the Amaro Nonino's complex bitterness took over. The orange oil and the Aperol had a wonderful synergy as did the Aperol and the Amaro Nonino. The bite of the Amaro Nonino intriguingly transformed the Aperol such that the end result tasted something very similar to Campari.

nonantum cocktail

2 parts Old Overholt Rye
1 part Punt e Mes
1 part Strega
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a Marasca cherry.

Yesterday, the Grand in Somerville (home of the Boston Shaker's shop) was holding its monthly Sip & Shop sale event. The guest bartender was Evan Harrison of the Independent who was making one of his newer creations, the Nonantum cocktail (please read the DrinkBoston post about Evan and his cocktail). The drink is a modification of a Green Point using a little less rye and swapping Strega liqueur for the yellow Chartreuse. Cheers to Evan for being the first to make a cocktail I have tasted with Strega, a liqueur I have only seen while browsing the shelves of certain liquor stores. Although historically others must use it since there are 23 recipes on CocktailDB.com in case any of you purchase a bottle and wonder what else to do with it besides making tasty Nonantums with it (although please have Evan and the others at the Indo make them for you if you are in the area!).

The drink was indeed reminiscent of the Green Point, although with the more sweet Strega and lower rye proportion, the cocktail was a bit more syrupy smooth in comparison. While the Strega is more intense of a bitter flavor than yellow Chartreuse, the overall profile was less sharp which might be due to the fact that I am used to Green Points with spicy Rittenhouse 100 and not the Nonantum's softer Old Overholt. Regardless of the differences between the two, the Nonantum was just as addicting of a taste as I find Green Points to be.

the bentley

2 oz Dubonnet Rouge
2 oz Laird's Applejack
1 dash Fee's Orange Bitters

Shaken with ice and strained into a cocktail glass.

Last night, Andrea and I were in Union Square in Somerville to satisfy her hunger for Indian food. Afterwards, we went over to the Independent for an after dinner drink. New on the menu was the Bentley, a simple 50-50 Dubonnet-applejack cocktail. I was able to find the recipe in three 1930's cocktail books: Savoy, Boothby's, and Cafe Royal. Generally, the cocktail is shaken for some reason instead of stirred and no garnish is given; often, it is made with Calvados. More modern re-tellings of this cocktail include a lemon or orange twist or orange bitters such as was the case with the cocktail Liam made me. A column that Gary Regan wrote for SfGate hints that the drink came into existence shortly after a Bentley automobile won the Le Mans in 1927 and the first reference in print was the 1930 version of the Savoy. The end product was a more red winy and less sweet version of the Marconi Wireless, and more aperitif (with a boozy kick) than a cocktail proper.

corpse reviver #2

1 oz. Hendrick's gin
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Lillet Blanc
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1 dash Pernod

Shake with ice. Service in a cocktail glass

Where: The Independent
When: 20 November, 2008
Who: Liam

Purpose: To give the Indo some love.

Ordinal: First of one
Nose: Nose still a little bit stuffed from eating Indian food. Aroma very subtle, mostly lemony. Only sensed the Pernod faintly at the end on the glass.
Taste: Fresh lemon with a floral aftertaste. Only tasted the Pernod faintly at the end.

Summary: Very refreshing and lemony. The Hendrick's is such a subtle gin that I hesitate to really call this a corpse reviver. Still, a very pleasant beverage that just about anyone (who likes lemon) would enjoy.