lake union

1 1/4 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
3/4 oz Old Monk Rum
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Caffè Borghetti
1 dash Angostura Bitters

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

Two Mondays ago, I ventured down to West Bridge after work. There, I was surprised when I spotted one of my old coworkers, Adam Palmer, behind the stick. For a first drink, I asked Adam for the Lake Union that he mentioned was Mike Fleming's creation. I was definitely curious to see how Cynar and coffee flavors would play out; despite it seemingly like such a natural pairing, I cannot recall a drink that did so. I do regret not finding out the secret to the name, but there is a famous Lake Union in the middle of Seattle, Washington, one of the coffee capitals of the country.
Once mixed, the Lake Union offered a bright lemon aroma that later shifted to darker notes from the rum and liqueurs. Next, a caramel-driven sip gave way to rye spice contrasting the dark rum and Cynar's herbal flavors on the swallow. Finally, the drink finished with coffee, allspice, clove, and char notes.

sinnerman

2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
1/2 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange twist and add straws.
For a second drink at West Bridge, I asked bartender Moe Isaza for the Sinnerman as I was intrigued by its use of Suze Gentian Liqueur. Moe mentioned that this aperitif-style cocktail was another of Mike Fleming's recipes. In the glass, the Sinnerman shared an orange oil and grape aroma. The grape continued on into the sip where it was chased by citrus and earthy gentian on the swallow and allspice on the finish. As the ice melted some over time, that earthy swallow revealed some chocolate and bubblegum-like notes to the mix. Overall, the combination was a touch sweet but the allspice did work to dry out the balance.

conspiracy theory

1 1/2 oz Dewar's Blended Scotch
3/4 oz Meletti Amaro
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.
Two Mondays ago, I decided to visit West Bridge after work. For a first drink, I asked bartender Moe Isaza for the Conspiracy theory that he mentioned was bartender Mike Flemming's creation. I was drawn to it for it appeared like a classic apricot-driven Daisy but with the floral amaro Meletti for added complexity; indeed, Mike had used that amaro to good effect in the Hedy Lamarr cocktail. Once in a glass, the Conspiracy Theory presented a floral and apricot aroma. A malty, lemon, and orchard fruit sip gave way to a Scotch and floral swallow with a return of the apricot on the finish.

d.c. flip

3/4 oz Plantation 3 Star Silver Rum
3/4 oz Old Monk Rum
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano Rosa
1/2 oz Grenadine
1 Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, twist an orange peel over the top, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.
For my final drink at West Bridge, I requested the D.C. Flip from bartender Chris Danforth for I had not had an egg drink in quite a while. Chris described how the Flip as a collaborative effort of a few of the bartenders; moreover, he explained that the "D.C." stands for District of Columbia as a riff on the El Presidente. Once prepared, the D.C. Flip greeted the nose with orange oil and cinnamon notes. A creamy sip shared fruit flavors from the grenadine and Cocchi Americano Rosa, and it led into a rum, clove spice, and lime swallow. Over time, the cinnamon from the garnish entered into the flavor profile on the finish.

blow-up

1 oz Tanqueray Gin
1 oz Dimmi Liqueur
1 oz Amaro del Capo
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a lemon over the top.
For Andrea's first drink at West Bridge, she asked bartender Chris Danforth for the Blow-Up. Chris described how it was a creation of bartender Mike Fleming, but I neglected to ask if it was named after the late 1960s film. Once mixed, the Blow-Up shared a lemon aroma that led into a grape sip with bright citrus notes. Next, the swallow offered the gin followed by the amaro's caramel giving way to an herbal and menthol finish. Indeed, Andrea commented how this drink would make for a perfect aperitif.

an end to feral days

1 1/2 oz Avuá Amburana Aged Cachaça
1/2 oz Lustau East India Sherry
1/2 oz Amaro del Capo
1/2 oz Averna
2 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Two Wednesdays ago after my double shift, I met up with Andrea at West Bridge for a drink. The cocktail that I requested from bartender Chris Danforth was the An End to Feral Days. Chris described how this was his drink and how the cachaça aged in amburana wood gave an interesting spice and smoothness that made it easier for mixing in straight spirits drinks instead of needing to resort to the more common citrus-driven ones. Once mixed, the An End to Feral Days offered a funky grass aroma with dark herbal notes. A grape and caramel sip led into a funky grass and grape swallow with minty and herbal accents.

hedy lamarr

1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Meletti Amaro
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Lavender Honey Syrup (1:1)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

For my second drink at West Bridge, I asked bartender Byron Lepine for the Hedy Lamarr from the cocktail menu. Bar manager Josh Taylor later explained that the recipe was created by fellow West Bridge bartender Mike Fleming, but it was Mike's girlfriend who named it. The strength of the barreled in bond spirit versus the lighter ingredients conjured a Samson and Delilah type of thing, and that made her think of Hedy Lamarr who portrayed Delilah in Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 movie Samson and Delilah. Josh initially thought it was a riff on a Marconi Wireless due to Hedy's contributions to wireless communication.
The apple brandy's aroma mingled with floral notes from the Meletti and honey. A fruity grape, caramel, and honey sip gave way to apple, bitter, floral, and spice elements on the swallow. Moreover, as the drink warmed up it gained an interesting bubble gum note.

the exporter

1 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Becherovka
1/4 oz Falernum
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top.

Two Wednesdays ago, I wandered down to Westbridge after work where Josh Taylor and Byron Lepine were tending bar. For a first drink, I requested the Exporter, and Josh explained how it was Alex Howell's initial idea for a menu item for a Drambuie dinner and how he helped Alex tweak it. Although the libation did not make it on to the Drambuie event menu, it did make it on to the restaurant's regular cocktail menu.
The Exporter presented lemon oil over the Genever's malty aroma. Lemon, honey, and malt in the sip led into Genever, clove, and spice on the swallow. Overall, the combination of Becherovka and falernum combined well to offer a bounty of winter spice notes.

love & fear

1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Syrup (*)
1 barspoon Fernet Branca

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top.
(*) West Bridge's pineapple syrup contains orange zest and clove besides the pineapple and sugar.

After our trip to the Blue Room, we crossed the courtyard and paid bar manager Josh Taylor a visit at West Bridge. While looking over the menu, I was able to narrow down my pick to three choices, and Josh recommended that I try the Love & Fear from that short list. I was definitely curious to see if the pineapple-Fernet pairing worked here as well as it had in the Velvet Goldmine, Agave Maria, Fernet Fix, and other drinks.
The Love & Fear proffered a lemon oil and fruity aroma from the pineapple syrup and Aperol. The lemon and Aperol flavors filled the sip, and the pineapple swallow ended with herbal and spice elements from the gin botanicals, Fernet Branca, and clove. Just as Josh had suggested, the barspoon of Fernet worked rather well to dry out the drink on the finish. Moreover, as the drink warmed up, it acquired more pineapple notes on the nose and a touch more gin on the swallow.

wheelwright

1 1/2 oz Tio Pepe Palomino Fino Sherry
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3/4 oz Galliano L'Autentico
1/2 oz Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with 2 drops orange blossom water.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to West Bridge in Kendall Square, Cambridge, where Eastern Standard alumni Josh Taylor accepted a position as bar manager. For a drink, I asked Josh for the Wheelwright. The restaurant itself is named after the nearby West Bridge, also known as the Longfellow or Salt-and-Pepper-Shaker Bridge, that connects West Boston with East Cambridge. As for the drink, it was named after Edmund Wheelwright who was the consulting architect for the structure, and Wheelwright took his inspiration from the various bridges he studied in Europe. Josh decided to pay tribute to the architect by combining his love of sherry to make a lighter style aperitif for the West Bridge cocktail menu.
The Wheelwright presented Galliano's star anise and other herbal aromas that merged well with the fino sherry and orange blossom water notes. A crisp grape sip led into a nutty, vanilla, and herbal swallow with a lingering Jamaican rum finish. The drink succeeded as an aperitif, and its bright yellow hue certainly garnered a lot of attention at the bar.