copperhead

2 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry. The Pegu Club eshewed a garnish, but I included it as described in the version in Madrusan's book. Two Thursdays prior, I selected my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book off the shelf and decided to make the Copperhead created at Manhattan's Pegu Club. A video of a Pegu Club's Ricky Agustin making the drink for Forbes confirms the recipe but did not call for a garnish, and a Punch article on the Diamondback Lounge mentions this as a riff. Essentially, the Pegu Club reversed the rye-forward classic into an apple brandy-strong one, and changed the ratio from 2:1:1 to 4:1:1 to dry it out a touch (not to mention the modern concern of reducing the cost given what Chartreuse costs these days if you can find it). With Madrusan's added garnish, the Copperhead slithered to the senses with a cherry and apple aroma. Next, honey and apple notes on the sip settled into apple, herbal, rye, and pine flavors on the swallow.

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.

race to the bottom

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/8 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I got home from work and opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Race to the Bottom by Chris Hughes at Manhattan's Attaboy circa 2021-22. Grenadine historically has paired well with amari such as with Fernet in the Jim Rose, Cynar in the Giuseppe's Lady, and Amer Picon in the Jayco, but I have never previously had it paired with Braulio. In the glass, the Race to the Bottom started with an orange, grape, and dark berry aroma. Next, grape and berry notes continued on into the sip where they were chased by rye, apple, pine, herbal, and red berry flavors on the swallow.

smoke julep

1 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint leaves in maple syrup. Add rest of the ingredients, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a bouquet of mint. Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and turned to the Julep section where I found the Smoked Julep by Phil Ward at Death & Co. circa 2008. Scotch, apple brandy, and maple is a trio that I recently saw in the Blackjack and that I utilized six years ago in the Lumberjack Negroni, so I was curious to try it in a Julep. Moreover, Scotch and muddled mint is something that I had not experienced before, but only with the mint as a garnish. With my freshly picked garden mint, the Smoked Julep opened up with mint over hints of apple and smoke to the nose. Next, apple and maple notes on the sip grew into smoky Scotch, hint of apple, and maple flavors on the swallow.

iroc-z

1 1/2 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a highball glass with soda water (2 oz), add ice, and garnish with a piece of candied ginger. Continuing on with my backlog of recipes elongated with soda water, I decided to make the Iroc-Z from Attaboy two Wednesdays ago. This recipe that I found in online flashcards reminded me of the CIA crossed with a Buck. Once assembled, the Iroc-Z accelerated to the nose with an apple and ginger aroma. Next, a carbonated lime and caramel sip switched gears into an apple, ginger, and herbal swallow.

7 seminole avenue

1 oz Laird's Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1 oz Appleton Signature Rum
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
10 drop Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Mondays ago, I returned to my notes from the online recipe flashcards from the Patterson House in Nashville and found the bitter, brown, and down number the 7 Seminole Avenue to fit the evening's calling. The recipe dated back to their Fall 2024 menu, and I was able to find an old menu online to confirm its placement and ingredients; however, I could not determine what that address corresponds to. Apple brandy and Cardamaro have paired up elegantly before in drinks like the Trenton and Euthanasia, and I have utilized the duo in recipes like the Wooden Shoe and Runaway Horses, so I was curious to try it here in this Old Fashioned meets Black Manhattan style drink. In the glass, this nightcap revealed orange, caramel, peppery, and root beer aromas to the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip opened up into rum, apple, herbal, and black pepper flavors on the swallow.

dama rosa

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I uncovered a curious split base egg white recipe called the Dama Rosa at the now shuttered La Moule in Portland, Oregon, via online recipe flashcards. A Yelp menu photo places this drink around June 2021. Given the name and build, the Dama Rosa is a riff on the classic Pink Lady with tequila and lime for the original's gin and lemon. Tequila with apple brandy is a pairing that I first learned about in Island Creek's Spanish Caravan that inspired me to craft the Hasta Manzana riff on the Vieux Carré a few weeks later. In the glass, the Dama Rosa greeted the senses with a lemon, agave, and red berry aroma. Next, creamy lime and red fruit notes on the sip twirled into tequila, apple, and tart red berry flavors on the swallow.

blackjack

1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse Scotch
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays prior, I selected a recipe from The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming, called the Blackjack that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards. The name could be an allusion to how gambling was made illegal in Wisconsin in 1901 yet Jackson was "so far removed from the eyes of any federal law enforcement, it happened in the basements of several downtown drinking establishments" until mid-century. The duo of maple and ginger syrups appeared in the Mountain Man with Bourbon and peach liqueur instead of Scotch and apple brandy. Once dealt, the Blackjack showed a lemon, maple, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Lemon and an amber note on the sip revealed Scotch, apple, maple, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

slynx

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear Liqueur

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte). Two Fridays ago, I spotted an adapted recipe on Difford's Guide called the Slynx by Phil Ward at Mayahuel in Manhattan. I tracked down a 2009 article for an unadapted one on Wine & Spirits Magazine. 2009 was also the year that we bought Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear and when Andrea used it in the Naughty Nanny, so perhaps it was the year that the liqueur reached the East Coast markets after the launch announcement in 2008. Tequila and pear liqueur have worked in stirred drinks like La Perla from 2005 and Out of Focus circa 2020, so I was curious to try Phil's take on it. Once mixed, the Slynx gave forth a wood smoke and vegetal aroma. Next, a semi-sweet apple and pear sip developed into vegetal and orchard fruit flavors on the swallow.

yellow jacket

3/4 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
3/4 oz Amaro Nardini
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with candied ginger. Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Yellow Jacket in the Gimlet section. While there are several Yellow Jacket recipes out there to the point that the one in the Cocktail Dive Bar book called theirs the Yellow Jacket #2 to acknowledge that it is not the most original of names, this one was crafted by Greg Keesee at the Nashhville branch of Attaboy in 2021. Given the flying insect motif, it is most likely a riff on Sam Ross' Mosquito with its spirit, bitter liqueur, ginger syrup, and citrus structure that I last observed in the Dragonfly (and I more recently had the Overtime but without the bug naming convention). In the glass, the Yellow Jacket buzzed to the nose with ginger, apple, and herbal aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip opened up into apple, ginger, herbal, and minty flavors on the swallow.

voorhees

1 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with cayenne pepper powder. Two Tuesdays prior, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and honed in on the Voorhees by D. Skinner. Overall, it appeared like a variation on the Holland Razor Blade with the Genever split with apple brandy and the simple syrup split with cinnamon. In the glass, the Voorhees donated an apple, cinnamon, and malty aroma. Next, a lemon-driven sip blossomed into apple, malty, cinnamon, and herbal flavors on the swallow that gained an increasing amount of hot pepper spice over time.

maria bonita

1 oz Cachaça (Novo Fogo Bar Strength)
1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. I became inspired by the cachaça, apple brandy, and cinnamon trio of the Cinnamon Girl that I had made a few days prior and I merged parts of that with a Negroni given that it was Negroni Week and the cinnamon-Campari duo of Erick Castro's Babbo's Toddy. I dubbed this one the Maria Bonita which was the nickname of Maria Delia who joined Lapião and his bandits in criminal adventures in Brazil circa 1930; Maria & Lampião became entrenched in Brazilian folk history akin to Bonnie & Clyde in the United States. Once mixed, the Maria Bonita shot forth with orange, cinnamon, and grassy funk aromas. Next, grape and apple notes on the sip were ambushed by funky cachaça, apple, bitter orange, cinnamon, and clove flavors on the swallow.

cinnamon girl

1 oz Avua Prata Cachaça (Novo Fogo Bar Strength)
1/2 oz Laird's Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Whip shake, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an Angostura Bitters float (3-4 dashes). I drank this with a straw to bypass the bitters layer. Two Tuesdays, after I returned home from placing third in the Boston Malört competition making the Swedish Paralysis (see the updated post with a photo of me behind the bar that night), I had extra prepped orange juice, lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup left over. I looked for a good use of these ingredients before the juices went bad, and in my notes, I found the Cinnamon Girl by Rebeca Hitcher for the Dutch Kills' Fall 2024 menu via online recipe flashcards. Once prepared, the Cinnamon Girl welcomed the nose with allspice, cinnamon, and clove aromas from the bitters garnish and the syrup. Next, through the straw, the sip shared orange and lemon notes, and the swallow unfurled funky cachaça, apple, and cinnamon flavors. Indeed, I was impressed at how well this cachaça worked with apple brandy, and I had noted similar observations in the Ironbound and Fantastic Fizz (and I used it in my Vagalume Bowl).

velvet jukebox

1 oz Jura 12 Year Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1 oz Amaro Pasubio
1/2 oz Delicious Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
2 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for Death & Co. and spotted the Velvet Jukebox that I was able to confirm by a 2023 online menu for the Los Angeles outlet. Since the blueberry amaro Pasubio had worked great with Scotch and apple brandy in the Return of the King and Trainspotter, respectively, I was curious to try this split-base Manhattan riff of sorts. Once prepared, the Velvet Jukebox opened up with lemon and blueberry aromas. Next, grape, dark berry, and apple notes on the sip spun into Scotch, herbal, smoky, and blueberry flavors on the swallow.

lost generation

1 1/2 oz Bacardi Ocho Rum (Angostura 7 Year)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with candied ginger.Two Tuesdays prior, I landed upon a set of online recipe flashcards for Bygone in Baltimore, and I was lured in by the Lost Generation on their Winter 2023 menu that I later spotted on a Yelp menu photo. At first glance, it appeared like a rum-apple brandy for Scotch Penicillin with Swedish punch in the mix. I remember that there was a mention of ginger on my Swedish punsch cheat sheet, and I cited the Haunted House as being a good example of how well the pairing works. With rum, Swedish punsch, and honey, this was similar to the D'yer Mak'er that I enjoyed a few weeks ago, and the trio is one that I utilized in the Reverend Wise back at Loyal Nine. Once mixed, the Lost Generation proffered caramel, honey, and ginger aromas. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip opened up into rum, apple, ginger, and black tea flavors on the swallow.

missed deadline

3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Ward 8 in Boston and decided on the Missed Deadline. On paper, it read to me like an equal parts apple-lemon Periodista, and my blog searching showed that the closest with lemon has been the 1937 Canadian Glory with Canadian whisky. Once shaken and strained, the Missed Deadline found the nose with a lemon oil over orange and apricot bouquet. Next, lemon and orchard fruit notes on the sip stepped aside for apple, apricot, orange peel, and tart lemon flavors on the swallow.

first word

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/8 oz Honey Syrup
3/8 oz Velvet Falernum
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Mondays ago, I turned to the Hawthorne's bar bible and spotted the First Word by bartender Ingrid Schneider. While the name suggested a Last Word riff, this one was veered off a bit. With Yellow Chartreuse and falernum, it was closer to the Eulogy save for the falernum being cut with honey syrup which would complement both the apple brandy and the Yellow Chartreuse here. Moreover, the name and the apple component made me think of the biblical first sin in the Garden of Eden in addition to the Detroit pre-Prohibition classic. In the glass, the First Word opened up with apple, honey, and clove aromas. Next, lemon and honey on the sip fell into apple, herbal, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

storm king

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I got a copy of Sammi Katz and Olivia McGiff's Cocktails in Color book in the mail and was ready to use it that night for a drink. Their Storm King named after the sculpture park in Beacon, New York, was an autumnal Manhattan that quickly caught my eye. Although it had the same name as Damon Boelte's Storm King, it was closer to Sasha Petraske's Fallback with a different ratio of sweet vermouth to Montenegro and here Angostura instead of Peychaud's. Once stirred and strained, the Storm King opened up with orange and apple aromas. Next, the vermouth's grape filled the sip that transitioned into rye, apple, herbal, clementine, and clove flavors on the swallow.

sidewinder

2 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to an online collection of San Diego's Polite Provision recipes, and I spotted the Sidewinder that appeared like an interesting riff on the Rattlesnake from the Savoy Cocktail Book. Despite the overlapping ingredients of apple brandy and absinthe, it had nothing to do with Death & Co.'s Sidewinder riff on the Diamondback. While I was not able to find evidence of it in the Polite Provisions' Yelp menu photos, the idea of an apple brandy-maple syrup Rattlesnake was too tempting to pass up. Once assembled, the Sidewinder slithered to the nose with a lemon, apple, maple, and anise bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip with a caramel-like note from the maple led into apple, maple, and anise-herbal flavors on the swallow.

forefather

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1 oz Roger Groult Reserve Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters (*)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon oil from a twist.
(*) See text, but the drink was originally created with Bittermens Tiki Bitters.Two Saturdays, I decided to make another recipe that I had spotted on the Death & Co. marketplace site called the Forefather. The recipe was created by bartender Evan Flynn at their Denver outpost in 2023, and he was helped by his bar manager Scott Keys to create this after dinner drink for the menu. It read like a Honeymoon Cocktail with a split apple brandy base but without the lemon juice so I was sold. After I posted the drink on Instagram, Evan chimed in with, "Hey thanks for making this one! It's a real special one for me. If you try it again, try substituting Bittermens Tiki Bitters for the mole bitters. Scott and I originally wrote the drink with those bitters but the menu this drink was on already had too many drinks with tiki bitters so we ended up moving to mole bitters. Let me know which one you end up enjoying!" I did not have a chance to remake the drink with tiki bitters (I lately sub in Bittercube's Corazon since I lack the Bittermens product), but with mole bitters, the Forefather began with lemon, apple, and orange aromas. Next, a vaguely fruity sip opened up into apple, herbal, orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.