kan shibuya

2 oz Suntory Toki Whisky
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 dash Mole Bitters

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

Two Wednesdays ago, the after party from the Collectif 1806's Athenaeum event ended up at Hojoko. As people were figuring out what to do for dinner, I opted to depart and pay a visit to Tiger Mama down the street. For a first drink, I asked bartender Schuyler Hunton for the Kan Shibuya on the menu that reminded me a little in structure to their Flushing Main Street from the opening menu. Later, bar manager Charles Coykendall stopped by to say hello and explained that the drink was a collaborative effort between Schuyler and himself.
The Kan Shibuya greeted the nose with a light but complex lemon, whisky, herbal, and grape aroma. On the sip, the drink shared grape and malt notes with light honey and citrus undertones, and this was followed by the swallow with whisky and herbal-citrus elements with a hint of chocolate and smoke on the finish.

da nang

3/4 oz Tito's Vodka Plantation 3 Star Rum
3/4 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wheel-cherry flag.
Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured over to Tiger Mama for a drink where bartenders Schuyler Hunton and Sam Kontny were at the stick. There, I asked Schuyler if I could have the Da Nang with rum or gin instead of the vodka on the menu, and he gladly made it with his choice of Plantation white rum. On paper, the combination reminded me as a cross between the Dunniette and Don's Special Daiquiri given the combinations of elderflower, Aperol, and citrus and rum, passion fruit, and lime, respectively. Once prepared, it offered passion fruit and citrus aromas to the nose. Next lime with a vague fruitiness on the sip gave way to rum, orange, and floral notes on the swallow with a passion fruit finish.
After the Da Nang, I switched to a tasty hibiscus-tinged beer, Revolution Brewing Company's Rosa. In the midst of that glass, Nick Korn who was across the bar sent over a Cynar Colada! Nick was involved with Grupo Campari during Camp Runamok were our cabin's counselor, Steve Yamada, crafted the cabin's Cynar Colada. This one was Schuyler's creation using the more potent 70 proof Cynar as well a house orange-tinged coconut cream.

Tiger Mama's Cynar Colada
• 2 oz Cynar 70
• 1 oz House Coconut Cream
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1/4 oz Orange Juice
Blend with ice, pour into a Tiki mug, and garnish with mint, orchid, and freshly grated nutmeg.

This Cynar Colada began with a nutmeg, floral, and mint bouquet. Next, a creamy coconut sip shifted to the swallow's combination of pineapple and Cynar's funky bitter.

long eclipse

1 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum
1 oz Zucca Rabarbaro Amaro
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry
1 barspoon Apricot Liqueur

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Note: these were two half portions strained into sherry glasses.
When I was trying to decide which cocktail to get, I asked bartender James Miranda at Tiger Mama whether I should get the Flushing-Main St. or the Long Eclipse. He recommended the former, and as a thank you with the bill at the end of the night, he made for us the latter split into two glasses. The Long Eclipse began with orange and grape on the nose. The grape continued on into the sip along with a caramel note from the aged rum, and the swallow offered nuttiness from the sherry with herbal notes from the amaro and vermouth.

flushing - main street

2 oz Akasi White Oak Japanese Whisky
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1/4 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao
2 dash Angostura Bitters

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

For my first drink at Tiger Mama, I asked bartender James Miranda for their Manhattan variation, the Flushing - Main St. The drink name is Manhattan themed for that stop is the northern terminal station of the IRT Flushing Line of the NYC subway system as well as a station on the Long Island Rail Road. For a base spirit, they chose a slightly smoky Japanese Akasi which put it closer to a Rob Roy-Bobby Burns variation than a Manhattan one. Moreover, I was drawn in most by the combination of Chartreuse and cacao which have worked great in straight spirits drinks like the Prospector as well as shaken drinks like the Pago Pago.
The Flushing - Main St. began with a lemon oil aroma that gave way to a rich white wine-driven sip. Next, the swallow presented much of the flavor complexity as it began with whisky notes with a hint of smoke and ended with light chocolate, herbal, and spice flavors on the finish.

harris shrub

3/4 oz Four Roses Bourbon
3/4 oz Cardamaro
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Pineapple Shrub

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Fill with ice, garnish with a pineapple fruit leaf, and add a straw.
Two Wednesdays ago, Andrea and I met up to get cocktails and some food at the recently opened Tiger Mama near Fenway. For a first drink, Andrea asked bartender James Miranda for the Harris Shrub. Since bar manager Charles Coykendall was last at Sichuan Garden's Baldwin Bar, perhaps this drink is a riff on their Classic Harris which is Bourbon, Aperol, Cardamaro, and lemon juice. When I had a taste, the nose presented pineapple and vinegar aromas. Next, the sip was full of lemon notes with hints of pineapple, and the swallow offered the rest of the pineapple flavors plus a bitter grape one from the Cardamaro teaming up with the Aperol.