held in contempt

2 oz Speyside Scotch (Glen Grant 16)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/8 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I fired up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and latched onto the Held in Contempt by Mikey Reihill at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2023. The recipe seemed like a good follow-up to last night's Scotch-Ciociaro drink, The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, and Scotch and Ciociaro have worked well before in Little Branch's .38 Special, my Jolly Jane, and other recipes besides that Julep. In the glass, the Held in Contempt gave forth a lemon, caramel, and apricot bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and a hint of orchard fruit notes on the sip slid into Scotch, bitter caramel orange, and apricot flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and orange finish.

fat cat

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS) (*)
3/4 oz Sloe Gin (Plymouth)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Orange Blossom Water (10 drop)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with orange oil from a twist (include the peel).

(*) Originally an equal parts drink (save for the orange blossom water) that included the twist in the glass.
Two Tuesdays prior, I spied the Fat Cat by Yoann Tarditi at Satan's Whiskers in London circa 2023 via the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app. I later found a post on the bar's Instagram that had it as an equal parts recipe and included the peel as garnish. Overall, the concept reminded me a little of the Charlie Chaplin (and Frank Caiafa's comment that they sometimes added gin to the classic at the Waldof Astoria for backbone and balance similar to the Fat Cat's structure). While I generally think of sloe gin mixed with gin, whiskey, rum, and agave spirits, Cognac is a rarity, and the only one with brandy that I have tried was the Manhattan Exposition at Deep Ellum. Once shaken and strained, the Fat Cat gave forth an orange, apricot, and dark fruit aroma. Next, lemon and dark berry notes on the sip subsided into Cognac, apricot, and red fruit flavors on the swallow.

poke the bear

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton)
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. After thinking about the apricot-allspice dram combination in the Pleasure Island. I became inspired to cross two classics – the Pendennis Club and the Lion's Tail. Even if the only overlapping ingredient was lime juice, the two drinks have the same spirit, liqueur (with or without simple syrup), lime, and bitters structure. For a name, I worked with "twisting the lion's tail" as slang for provoking the British and dubbed this one Poke the Bear perhaps to bring it more in the direction of Kentucky. I also find it odd that the British half here calls for Bourbon and the Kentucky half calls for gin. In the glass, the Poke the Bear opened up with orange, apricot, allspice, and pine aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip woke up Bourbon, juniper, apricot, and allspice flavors on the swallow with an anise finish.

doctor's orders

2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Raspberry Syrup
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a raspberry and piece of candied ginger on a pick (omit raspberry). Two Mondays ago, I opened up my copy of Cocktails in Color Book by Sammi Katz and Olivia McGiff and spotted their Doctor's Orders perhaps named after it appearing like a fruity Penicillin riff. This makes the third unique Doctor's Orders that I have had that joins the Dead Rabbit's and Eastern Standard's on this blog. Once mixed, the Doctor's Orders prescribed a Scotch, ginger, and orchard fruit aroma to the nose. Next, lemon and fruity notes on the sip ushered in Scotch, ginger, raspberry, and apricot flavors on the swallow. The ginger and raspberry combination reminded me of how I used to make the Florodora with both those syrups at Drink and how there was an amazing flavor synergy when freshly made ingredients were combined in that recipe (instead of ginger ale).

pleasure island

1 1/2 oz House Barrel-Aged Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum (Unaged)
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Fosforo Ensemble)
1/2 oz BG Reynolds Don's Spice No. 2 (1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup + 1/4 oz Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice (*)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a decorative mug, and top with crushed ice. Garnish with mint (3 sprigs), bitters (Angostura), and fire (omit).
(*) My Don's Spices No. 2 combination was probably not as sweet as BG Reynolds' syrup, so perhaps a 1/4 oz of simple or dropping the lime to 1/2 oz might balance this drink a little better (a bit booze-forward with the 126° rum). With my mint patch beginning to fill out, two Friday ago I looked through the recipe list that I had saved up during the off season. The one that caught my eye first was the Pleasure Island by Ryan Lobe of Rumba in Seattle for the 2015 Iron Tiki Tender competition that I sourced from the Cocktail Wonk blog. Ryan described, "The name is inspired by the island in the book Pinocchio where all the bad boys go to drink and smoke." The pairing of apricot and allspice dram worked rather well in the Firebreak, Decadence & Elegance, and other drinks, so I was curious to give it a go here. In the mug, the Pleasure Island awakened the senses with mint, clove, and allspice aromas. Next, lime and apricot notes on the sip flowed into funky rum, vegetal, smoke, vanilla, allspice, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

irresponsible husband

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/8 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/8 oz Orgeat

Whip shake, pour into a double old fashioned glass with crushed ice, mix, top with crushed ice, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Two Thursdays prior, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and latched on to the Irresponsible Husband by Brian Lee at San Diego's Noble Experiment circa 2013 via the book's the Fix & Swizzle section. The apricot, orgeat, and lemon juice combination was one that I could date back to the 1937 Yellow Mist, and it appeared once before on the blog with Scotch in different proportions in the Brigadoon. Here, the Irresponsible Husband alerted the nose with a woody spice, nutty, and apricot aroma. Next, a creamy lemon sip was forgotten by Scotch, apricot, and almond flavors on the swallow.

love in the time of covid

1 1/2 oz Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
1 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/4 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Giffard Menthe de Pastille (Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail (coupe) glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays ago, I selected my copy of Neil Ratliff's 2022 Seattle Cocktails book for the night's libation. There, I was lured in by Love in the Time of Covid at The Doctor's Office. Bar director Keith Waldbauer described how it was created as a one-off for a charity during lockdown, and it was so successful that it became the bar's first original on a menu of classics. The concept of apricot and mint accents was something that I was familiar with from the Leap Frog and that I utilized in my Derby Julep, so I was curious to see how it would work here with Japanese whisky. Once this updated Gabriel García Márquez tribute drink was mixed, lemon, apricot, and mint aromas jumped out to the nose. Next, pear and grapefruit notes on the sip broadened into whisky, grapefruit, apricot, and mint flavors on the swallow. As the drink warmed up, the Peychaud's cherry and anise aspects started to come out on the back palate.

winterbird

1 1/2 oz Dark Rum (Coruba)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
4 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Collins glass or ceramic mug, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an orange quarter wheel (half slice) and a cherry. Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a drink that I spotted on Facebook's Tiki Recipes group called the Winterbird. I was able to trace it back to a Liquor.com which attributed this winterized Jungle Bird riff to Randy Hayden at Nine Mile Station in Atlanta. To me, it seemed more like a 1941 Here's How Zombie with a stripped down rum base plus orange juice and Fernet more than a Jungle Bird proper. In the mug, the Winterbird flitted to the nose with a caramel, menthol, and apricot aroma. Next, caramel, lime, and orange notes on the sip landed on funky dark rum, minty-menthol, pineapple, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

hijos de borinquen

1 oz Aged Rum such as DonQ Añejo (DonQ Añejo)
1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel (omit). Two Fridays ago, I was perusing a thread on Reddit's cocktail forum about apricot liqueur recipes when I came across the Hijos de Borinquen. The drink created at La Factoria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was mentioned a bit on travel log sites. The bar's Instagram described, "Originally known as Café Hijos de Borinquen when revolutionaries and artists of the 50s and 60s used to meet, our main bar is where it all started... years ago." On paper, the spirit, cinnamon, apricot, and lime combination reminded me of the Baldwin Bar's Southern Belle but with gin and egg white instead of rums. In the glass, the Hijos de Borinquen gave forth a cinnamon, apricot, rum funk, and vanilla aroma. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip blossomed into funky aged rum, apricot, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

dealing despair

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1 tsp Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1 tsp Averna
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan arrived (it came out the day before). As I flipped through the pages, I quickly latched on to the Dealing Despair by Trevor Shores at Death & Co. Denver in 2023 possibly named after a song by Billy Strings. I was able to find a Reddit post with photo from an imbiber at the bar who had this when it was on the menu. While I had not tried an Averna-peach drink before, Averna and apricot liqueur is a great combination that I first learned about at Green Street in 2008 with the Cocktail Miranda, and peach works well with other amari like Sfumato in the Amen Corner and Ciociaro in the Prodigal Son. In the glass, the Dealing Despair opened up with orange, dark herbal, and peach aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip welcomed Bourbon, brandy, peach, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

five & dime

1 1/2 oz Gin (Treehouse Hildegard von Bingen)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with crushed ice (large ice cube), and garnish with a cherry and orange slice (cherry only). Two Thursdays prior, I spotted the recipe for the Five & Dime in online recipe flashcards for the speakeasy Idlewild and tracked it down on KindredCocktails. The drink was created by Zac Pease at My Friend Duke in New York City, and I first learned of Zac Pease's handiwork with the Aunt Eleanor a few years ago when I found that one on the Bartender's Choice app. The Five & Dime had the apricot, orgeat, lemon juice combination found in classics like the 1930s Yellow Mist and modern drinks like the Apricole Swizzle and Café Racer. Overall, it read like an orchard fruit-enhanced Army & Navy, so I was intrigued. Once mixed, the Five & Dime anted up apricot, almond, and cherry aromas. Next, a creamy orchard fruit and lemon sip flipped into pine, apricot, almond, and clove flavors on the swallow.

mischief

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Tuesdays ago, I ventured back to the Instagram of Satan's Whiskers in London and spotted the Mischief that they posted in 2023. Overall, it read like a mezcal version of the classic rum-based Culross, and it was very similar to the Almost Famous at the Franklin Café in 2015 which had the addition of orange bitters. Once prepared, the Mischief conjured a smoke and apricot aroma. Next, lemon, apricot, and pear notes on the sip were chased by smoky, vegetal, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

toreador del diablo

40 mL (1 1/3 oz) Tequila Ocho Blanco (Cimarron)
10 mL (1/3 oz) Campari
10 mL (1/3 oz) Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
20 mL (2/3 oz) Lemon Juice
5 mL (1/6 oz) Honey Syrup 2:1
10 mL (1/3 oz) Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Sundays ago, I returned to the updated The Tequila Ambassador book by Tomas Estes published by Wonk Press and selected the Toreador del Diablo by José Manuel Alvarez Gonzalez at Milk & Honey in London. The drink had the Campari-apricot duo that worked great in Michael Madrusan's Hollow Point and in my Intercept plus the tequila-honey-ginger of Deep Ellum's Little Branch Cocktail. Once assembled, the Toreador del Diablo opened up with an agave, ginger, and apricot aroma. Next, lemon and honey on the sip shuttled in tequila, ginger, and bitter orange-apricot flavors on the swallow.

staycation

1 oz Hamilton 86° Demerara Rum
1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Coconut Cream (Coco Lopez)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Collins glass (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a lemon wheel and mint sprig.Two Fridays ago, I reached for my copy of Chloe Frechette's Easy Tiki book and landed on the Staycation as one that I had not previously made. The recipe was bartender Devin Kennedy's riff at Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan on the 1970s Tradewinds that the split of the rum base and passion fruit modifier with rye and passion fruit, respectively. Once assembled, the Staycation presented a lemon and mint aroma from the garnishes. Next, a creamy lemon sip opened up into rye, woody rum, coconut, and apricot-passion fruit flavors on the swallow.

el beso

1 1/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/8 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/8 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/8 oz Ginger Syrup
3/8 oz Agave Syrup
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with candied ginger.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the set of online recipe flashcards from Good Company in St. Louis, Missouri, that I uncovered in May, and I selected the El Beso from their Spring 2024 menu. Apricot and ginger have worked well before in the Ninety-Nine Roses and Queen Anne's Revenge, so I was curious to see how this would work in this mezcal drink with Montenegro accents. Once prepared, El Beso gave forth smoke, pineapple, ginger, and orange-apricot aromas to the nose. Next, lime and pineapple notes on the sip blossomed into smoky, vegetal, ginger, and melon-orange flavors on the swallow.

isla bonita

1 1/4 oz Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Caffe Lolita (Borghetti)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I uncovered a collection of online recipe flashcards for Good Company in St. Louis, and the Isla Bonita called out to me. Their Instagram posted that it was their Negroni Week 2024 offering but did not mention if it was named after the Madonna song; they did describe it as, "If tequila and Campari went camping in the woods" though. Looking at the build, Campari and apricot liqueur are a great pairing that I have tried in A Moment of Silence from Beta Cocktails and utilized in my Boulevardier meets Slope drink, the Intercept. Moreover, Campari and coffee liqueur have worked great in cocktails like the Red Morning Light and were utilized in my Sex Lives of Cannibals Tiki drink. Once prepared, the Isla Bonita gave forth orange, vegetal, and roast aromas. Next, roast and orchard fruit notes on the sip opened up into tequila, coffee, apricot, bitter orange, and chocolate 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.

mountebank

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Morin Calvados Selection)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Absinthe (6 drop St. George)

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

Two Saturdays ago, I was inspired by the apricot-Sfumato combination in the previous night's Smooth Operator. I swapped the Armagnac-rye duo for Scotch-apple brandy, dropped the Benedictine, and exchanged the two bitters for absinthe. Originally, I tried Peychaud's Bitters here since they generally work well with Scotch, apple brandy, and apricot, but the balance was just too dark especially with the Sfumato, so I replaced it with the brightening action of absinthe. For a name, I kept the Smooth Operator in mind and dubbed this the Mountebank which dictionaries define as "a person who deceives others, especially in order to trick them out of their money; a charlatan" and "a person who sells quack medicines from a platform." Once prepared, the Mountebank gave forth a roast, orange, apricot, and anise aroma. Next, roast and apple notes on the sip sold off Scotch, apple, bitter apricot, smoky roast, char, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, I wished that I had reached for a more flavorful Scotch here like Cutty Sark Prohibition or mixed in a little high impact Islay single malt for some of the blended whisky, but Andrea and a few folks who tried it on Instagram enjoyed it as written.

smooth operator

1 1/2 oz Armagnac Marie Duffau (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
3/4 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Zucca (Amaro Sfumato)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye (Rittenhouse)
2 dash Spiced Cherry Bitters (King Floyd's Cherry Cacao)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, I found a set of online recipe flashcards from Cork & Cow in Franklin, Tennessee, which is a bar that I first learned of through their To Rome With Love. Here, I selected the Smooth Operator circa 2021 that was different from the Smooth Operator that I had already tried. While I have had a few cocktails with the Benedictine-apricot duo, I have only had one with rabarbaro-apricot which was the Long Eclipse but with only a minor accent of apricot. Once prepared, this Smooth Operator brought forth an orange, apricot, herbal, and roast bouquet to the nose. Next, apricot notes on the sip opened up into brandy, bitter herbal, char-smoky, and spice flavors on the swallow.

apricot sazerac

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
[1/4 oz Demerara Syrup – my addition]
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters
3 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an absinthe-rinsed (Pernod Absinthe) old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.After posting the Guapo Buffone from 1 Tippling Place in Philadelphia on Instagram, a friend messaged me asking if I had the recipe for their Apricot Sazerac. After sharing it with him from the online recipe flashcards, I decided to make this one. I was able to find other Apricot Sazeracs out there at bars and being sold as a bottled cocktail, so I cannot be sure if they were the ones who created the concept. In the glass, the Apricot Sazerac opened up with lemon, anise, and apricot aromas. Next, the apricot notes continued on into the sip where they lingered in the swallow to join rye, brandy, anise, and orange flavors.