charlie hustle

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I began searching The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and landed upon the Charlie Hustle by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2019. Overall, it came across like a split amaro Black Manhattan with a split base akin to Sam Ross' Grandfather. Once prepared, the Charlie Hustle conned the nose with an bright orange oil, caramel orange, and apple aroma. Next, the amari's caramel came through on the sip where it was pursued by Bourbon, apple, bitter orange, and caramel flavors on the swallow.

golden boy

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Thursday ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Golden Boy by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2024. I recognized the bartender's name as being the creator of Hamilton the Hipster when he was at Brooklyn's Grand Army in 2021, so I was curious about trying this one especially with the sherry-Cocchi Americano pairing. Moreover, the recipe itself reminded me of another drink on that app called the Brigantine with rye instead of Bourbon and no sherry element. Once prepared, the Golden Boy offered up lemon, grape, and orange aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and grape on the sip pivoted into Bourbon, nutty grape, orange, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

primavera

1 oz Espolon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Agave Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a snifter (double old fashioned) glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig (or 3). Two Mondays prior, I came across online recipe flashcards for the Spring 2026 menu at The Old Pal in Athens, Georgia, and the seasonally-appropriate Primavera stood out. Their website displays this drink on the current menu along with a drawing of it. The combination of tequila and Pimm's appeared in two drinks including the Indian Summer, and I utilized it in the Blind Hen as a mashup of the Metexa and Pimmeron from the 1930s. Once built, the Primavera gave forth mint aromas over caramelized vegetal ones from the tequila. Next, lemon and caramel on the sip blossomed into aged agave, red berry, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

baudouine

1 1/2 oz Siete Leguas Añejo Tequila (Cimarron Reposado)
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1 tsp Marie Brizard White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
3 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Mondays ago, I spotted a reference to the Baudouine at the NoMad bar in London, and I soon located the recipe in The NoMad Cocktail Book. The drink created by Gino Pellarin at the original Manhattan location was perhaps named after a historic building that was build in 1896 in the Classical Revival Style including a small Greco-Roman temple on the upper levels and that is located around the corner from the bar (until the New York City location closed in 2021). There are three reposado tequila-based drinks containing Amaro Nonino on the blog, and they are all from Death & Co. or their alumni: West of East India, Spaghetti Western, and Los Amargos, so I was interested to see NoMad's take on it. In the glass, the Baudouine ascended to the nose with a raisin and vegetal aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip developed into tequila, chocolate, orange, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

drifter

1 1/2 oz Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Thursdays ago, I became intrigued by the Drifter created at ABV in San Francisco and published in Punch. The San Francisco Examiner attributed the drink to bartender Donny Henderson and explained "so named because every ingredient comes from a different part of the world." Overall, the mix reminded me of an apricot-less Noble Order, a blanc instead of sweet vermouth Salary Man, and a Japanese whisky for Bourbon West End on paper. Once prepared, the Drifter sauntered in with a grapefruit, caramel, and orange aroma. Next, caramel and white grape notes on the sip flowed into whisky, bitter herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

fredo corleone

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (3/4 oz Coruba + 1/4 oz Smith & Cross)
3/8 oz Amaro Nonino
1 tsp Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
2 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I selected my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Fredo Corleone by Lorenzo Antinori at Bar Leone in Hong Kong circa 2023. Lorenzo named his creation after the incompetent middle son of Mafia Don Vito Corleone in the movie The Godfather. Overall, it reads like The Velvet Touch with the rye split here with Jamaican rum, and it would make a good pairing with Lorenzo's other tribute to that movie, the Luca Brazi. Once mixed, the Fredo Corleone gave forth an orange, caramel, and raisin bouquet to the nose. Next, dark grape and caramel notes on the sip slid into rye, funky rum, raisin, caramel orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

hillside cocktail

1 1/2 oz Junipero Gin (Tanqueray)
3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
2 dash Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays ago, I spotted a reference to the Hillside Cocktail created by Chris Bostick at The Varnish. I soon uncovered a YouTube video from 2011 where Chris made the drink and provided the recipe. Back in 2011, this recipe would be notable for Elixir Vegetal had to be suitcase smuggled (although at some point Cocktail Kingdom had a stash), but now as of a few years ago, it is legally imported here. The recipe reminded me of Eastern Standard's Aprilia which is an equal parts number with Cocchi Americano accented by grapefruit bitters instead of dry vermouth and Elixir Vegetal. Once stirred and strained, the Hillside Cocktail proffered a lemon, herbaceous, and pine aroma. Next, light caramel notes on the sip tumbled into pine, herbaceous, and caramel-herbal flavors on the swallow.

elected official

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
3 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, my Instagram friend Tim Kirkland posted a drink called the Elected Official. At first, I figured it was an election day thing until he described how it was a tribute to me. He explained that when I post drinks on Instagram that he wants to remake, he jokes with comments like "Frederic Yarm for President." Here, I felt like he was imitating my style a bit sort of like how I ripped off Jason Alexander's style in my 2020 election night drink the Doomscroller or studied my Secret Santé 2022 pick's favorite ingredients to craft The Phrasemaker. Indeed, the 3:1 rye to mezcal with 2 dashes of mole bitters is one that I use a lot such as in the Vaquero, and I definitely love Maraschino especially in stirred drinks. While I do not reach for Nonino much in my own creations, everything else is very much in my wheelhouse. Once assembled, the Elected Official cast out an orange, caramel, smoky, vegetal, and nutty cherry aroma. Next, caramel and a hint of cherry on the sip led into rye, smoke, nutty cherry, orange, vegetal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow. This combination definitely yielded a good number of layers of flavor.

hillside cocktail

1 1/2 oz Gin (Treehouse Percy's)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1 tsp Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan, and I landed on the Hillside Cockail by Chris Bostick at The Varnish in Los Angeles. The Hillside had a similar structure of gin, white vermouth, and Nonino of the Walk on the Wild Side and Alpine Cocktail but with an herbaceous instead of fruity direction. In the glass, the drink showcased a lemon and herbaceous bouquet. Next, white wine and caramel notes on the sip descended into gin, orange peel, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

dogstar

2 oz Brennivin (Linie Aquavit)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1 bsp Maraschino (1/8 oz Luxardo)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist and with a cherry.Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming, and selected the Dogstar from their Winter 2015-16 menu. On paper, it came across like an aquavit Angel of Tombstone or Brown Manhattan with a touch of Red Hook. Once mixed, the Dogstar guided the nose towards orange, cherry, caraway, and herbal aromas. Next, a grape and cherry sip flowed into caraway, bitter herbal, orange, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

dogfight

2 oz Eagle Rare Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Aperol
2 dash Bitter Truth Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)
2 Lemon Peels expressed and dropped into the mixing glass

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a paper plane.Two Thursdays prior, I was looking through online recipe flashcards and honed in on the Dogfight from Alter Ego in San Jose, California. Their stirred riff on the Paper Plane that I found in a 2023 recipe set is still currently on their menu. In the glass, the Dogfight took off with orange and herbal aromas. Next, caramel and orange notes on the sip were chased by Bourbon, orange, and lightly bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a lemon and orange pith finish.

[familiar creature]

3/4 oz Madre Mezcal
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I made an overnight trip to Saratoga Springs, New York. Andrea had suggested Albany, but I countered with Saratoga Springs since I had just given a talk that covered the city's cocktail history but had never been. While it was a challenge to find places that were open on Superbowl Sunday, we did go to the one brewery that was open and then an excellent champagne bar. When we lamented to the bartender at the second bar that cocktail places like Hamlet & the Ghost were closed due to the sporting event, he countered with the information that their sister establishment, Familiar Creature that recently opened, was a possibility that night; moreover, the brother-sister duo who were instrumental in the Hamlet & the Ghost program were now at the new spot. For a drink, I asked for a bartender's choice from Gerry Akins who mixed up a mezcal riff on a Paper Plane that I dubbed Familiar Creature after the three overlapping ingredients as well as the name of the establishment. With mezcal in the mix instead of Bourbon, the whole combination was indeed familiar but it took on a new life and direction of its own. In the glass, the cocktail gave forth a lemon, caramel, vegetal, orange, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and lemon notes on the sip soared into caramel, orange, and smoky mezcal flavors on the swallow.

brooklyn 2.0

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
1/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/8 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.While perusing a set of online recipe flashcards from Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco, I was intrigued by the Brooklyn 2.0 that I was able to date to around 2015 from a Yelp drink photo. Besides the swap from Picon to Nonino, the bar opted for blanc vermouth instead of the original's dry vermouth akin to what Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin did with the White Collar at Dutch Kills (using Ciociaro for the Picon). Once mixed, the Brooklyn 2.0 danced to the nose with rye and nutty cherry aromas. Next, a white grape sip with a hint of caramel transitioned into rye, caramel orange, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow with a bitter pithy finish.

folk hero

3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Wild Turkey 101° Rye (Rittenhouse)
1 tsp Linie Aquavit
1 tsp Amaro Nonino
1 tsp Benedictine
1 tsp Honey Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.After making the Model Village, I still had the webpage for the Death & Co. market place open, and I found the Folk Hero there. They attributed the drink to bartender Jake Powell at their Denver location in 2024; Jake described how the rye-apple brandy duo often denoted by the word "harvest" such as in the Harvest Sour drew him in. Moreover, he let his obsession about folk heroes like Paul Bunyan and Evil Knievel come through in the name. The idea of a split base rye-apple brandy Old Fashioned with accents of aquavit seemed appealing especially recalling how well rye and apple brandy work with aquavit in the 2009-era Carra-Ryed Away and Norwegian Wood, respectively. Once mixed, the Folk Hero launched into a lemon, apple, caramel, caraway, and herbal bouquet. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip wandered off into rye, apple, caraway, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

devil you know

1 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Egg White (1 full Egg White)

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lime twist (omit twist).Two Mondays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards from Teardrop Lounge in Portland, and I spotted the Devil You Know that seemed like a more complex St. Germain. I was able to find a mention of the drink in a 2011 article in Portland Food & Drink magazine, and the idea of Green Chartreuse and Amaro Nonino in a Sour reminded me of Sahil Mehta's Double Bubble Trouble and the two in a stirred drink in Al Sotack's Harry Rag. Once prepared, the Devil You Know came through with a lime and herbaceous bouquet. Next, a creamy lime and caramel sip transformed into herbaceous, caramel, and orange flavors on the swallow.

dead flowers

3/4 oz St. George Barrel-Aged Rye Gin (unaged St. George Dry Rye Gin)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Strega
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Shake with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards from Death & Co. Denver, and I opted for the Dead Flowers from their Winter 2023-24 menu that read like a Corpse Reviver #2 riff of sorts with Amaro Nonino and Strega in place of the classic's orange liqueur and Lillet (plus aged gin as well). Once prepared, the Dead Flowers opened up with star anise, pine, and vanilla aromas. Next, lemon and honey on the nose blossomed into gin, pine, orange, and anise flavors on the swallow.

monkey business

2 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Vanilla Gomme Syrup (Vanilla Syrup)
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Mondays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible and spotted the Monkey Business which was bar director Jackson Cannon's creation. Unlike the two other Monkey Businesses on the blog, this one was a Flip with vanilla and amaro accents. There are mentions of this drink as early as 2015 on UrbanDaddy, and MarketWatchMag in 2017 quoted Jackson as saying that it is a "more refined eggnog". Once prepared, the Monkey Business provided a delightful woody spice, vanilla, and apricot bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy caramel and orange sip set up Scotch, vanilla, orange, herbal, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

goat rodeo

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1 dash Demerara Syrup (1/8 oz)
2 dash Spiced Cherry Bitters (King Floyd's Cherry-Cacao)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I made a recipe that I had recently spotted on Reddit cocktails forum called the Goat Rodeo. The drink appears on the current menu of the Black Rabbit in Nashville and user SolomonGorillaJr was cited as the source. A goat rodeo is a slang term for when something disasterous and unbelievable is occurring and one holds back and watches the train wreck occur; it is also the name of a bluegrass-classical fusion album featuring Yo-Yo Ma. In the glass, the Goat Rodeo corralled a cherry and grape bouquet for the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip stampeded towards rye, herbal, orange, and chocolate-cherry flavors on the swallow.

griselda

1 1/2 oz Wild Turkey 101° Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
3/8 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/8 oz Amaro Nonino
1/8 oz Green Chartreuse
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist (omit).

Two Mondays ago, I was perusing the KindredCocktails database when I stumbled upon the Griselda by Leonardo Rezende at the Dandelion Cocktail Bar in Florianopolis, Brazil, circa 2013. I had previously enjoyed the Lost & Found from that bar, so I was definitely curious to try another libation of theirs. While the name reminded me of the local cachaça number the Esmeralda, this was a Bourbon drink accented by a trio of herbal liqueurs: Montenegro, Nonino, and Green Chartreuse, and dried out a touch by French vermouth. In the glass, the Griselda approached the nose with a tangerine and Bourbon aroma. Next, caramel and nectarine notes on the sip led to American whiskey, caramel orange, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.

bootlegger's barrel

3/4 oz Bulleit Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a barrel mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a lemon wheel and 2 Bird's Eye chilis (1 dried Matchbox pepper).Two Wednesdays ago, I turned to another volume of the City Series with Trevor Felch's San Francisco Cocktails. I continued on with the tropical theme from the night before by selecting the Bootlegger's Barrel from the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. I found the drink posted on the bar's Facebook in early 2020, and I uncovered their menu which described it as "This is what happens when a whiskey man leaves the mountains and heads for warmer climates." The rum, Bourbon, Amaro Nonino, and passion fruit reminded me of Death & Co.'s The Lonesome Crowded West, but here, there was chile liqueur and lemon juice in the mix and not an Old Fashioned in structure. Once prepared, the Bootlegger's Barrel lifted off with a lemon and passion fruit bouquet. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip smuggled in funky rum, Bourbon, passion fruit, and chili pepper spice flavors on the swallow. The Amaro Nonino save for the caramel in the sip was a bit lost here in the balance.