skylarking

1 oz Rhum JM Gold Rhum Agricole (Clement VSOP)
1 oz Rhum JM Blanc Rhum Agricole (100°)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Don's Spices (3/8 oz Vanilla Syrup + 3/8 oz Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/4 oz Hibiscus Syrup
3 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Build in a Pearl Diver glass (Collins), fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs and an orchid (ornamental pea blossoms). Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Papaya Club at the Conrad in Orlando where I had found the Yellow Cloud, and I picked another of Paul McGee's creations, the Skylarking. That source provided the description, "This swizzle embodies all of the flavors found all around the Caribbean. Two rums made from fresh cane juice provide the backbone for this classic swizzle recipe with lots of warming spice and floral notes." I then found a photo on Scott French's Instagram in May 2025 that confimed the glassware and included the garnishes, although that drink was way more red in hue than mine. Given Paul's names many of his drinks after musical references such as the Music that Stays on for Extra Days, my guess is that he dubbed this after the 1986 album by the British indie rock group XTC. Once prepared, the Skylarking soared to the nose with mint over red fruit, floral, and grassy aromas. Next, lime and red fruit notes on the sip opened up into grassy rum, allspice, vanilla, clove, and anise flavors on the swallow.

tell me more

1 oz Bertoux Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1 oz Russell's Reserve Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 spray Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur (20 drop Russo Nocino)

Build in a Julep cup, add crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint and more Nux Alpina (10 drop Russo Nocino). Two Sundays ago, I ventured back to online recipe flashcards for Chicago's The Violet Hour and spotted a good use of mint in the Tell Me More from their Winter 2022 menu. With the sherry, ginger, and walnut aspect, I could see why it would be a more cold weather-styled Julep, but I figured that it could work in early July as well. On the bar's website advertising their Bartender's Manifesto book, there is a photo labeled Tell Me More of a drink served in a Julep cup garnished with a dried lime wheel (said recipe is not in that tome though). I know from Toby Maloney's second book, The Classic Cocktail Sessions, that he does not see the point to dried garnishes but it might have been for the photo shoot. Nutty oxidized sherries like Amontillado and Oloroso have been paired with walnut liqueur with great success in recipes like the Bamboozled and Towser the Mouser and I utilized it in my Folly Ruins, so I set off to crush some ice. Once prepared, the Tell Me More shared a mint and walnut aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip wandered towards brandy, Bourbon, ginger, nutty grape, walnut, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

song of the siren

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Privateer New England Reserve) (*)
1/2 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a ceramic mug or Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs.
(*) Perhaps a rum blend (or second rum) with a little funky or grassy profile might elevate this drink. I became inspired by how the Kingston Campfire took the Hotel Nacional in a smoky Scotch and falernum direction, and I wondered if the Mary Pickford could make a similar style of riff. To that classic, I added those two ingredients plus lime and bitters to bring the drink into balance, and I turned it into a more tropical serving style instead of prepared up in a cocktail glass. For a name, since Mary Pickford was referred to as "Canada's Silent Siren," I dubbed this one the Song of the Siren as a modern tribute. Once mixed, the Song of the Siren greeted the nose with a mint, nutty cherry, pineapple, and peat smoke aroma. Next, pineapple, red berry, and lime notes on the sip advanced into rum, smoke, nutty cherry, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow. Perhaps a rum or rum blend with a little grassiness or funk might add some delightful complexity to the profile.

pigeon park

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass rinsed with Ardbeg Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year), and garnish with orange oil from a flamed twist (unflamed, twist included). My rediscovery of Pimm's No. 1 led me to search the Kindred Cocktails database where I landed on the Pigeon Park by Martin Corriveau at La Pentola in Vancouver circa 2013. Martin created this as a variation on the the Vancouver which is a recipe that I made around 5 years ago from William Boothby's 1934 World Drinks & How to Mix Them with gin, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and orange bitters. Martin explained, "I wanted something slightly herbaceous to highlight the subtle herbal aroma of the mezcal, and Pimm's No.1 felt like the perfect choice because it wasn't very sweet, and being made from gin, it echoed the original Vancouver Cocktail, which was essentially a Martinez with Benedictine instead of Maraschino. Pigeon Park is a little square in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside where the homeless and junkies hang out or just take a nap. Still Vancouver, even though it doesn't look anything like a postcard photo, yet not without charm either." Once assembled, the Pigeon Park gave forth an orange, peat smoke, and red fruit aroma. Next, grape and berry notes on the sip slid into vegetal, smoke, bitter herbal, berry, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

electric circus

1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Pineapple Rum (Planteray Stiggins' Fancy)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Cynar
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. After spotting a rye drink on a menu that had Cynar and Montenegro as modifiers, I realized that it was similar to what I enjoyed in the Tio Amargo with Demerara rum. I was inspired to swap the base to a split of mezcal and pineapple rum which I discovered in the Hunter Thompson and utilized a few times before such as in the Cannibal Cove last Fall. For a name, I dubbed this one the Electric Circus after the 1960s New York City nightclub with a variety of performers often associated with Andy Warhol that I read about in the St. Marks Is Dead book. From 1967 to 1971, the Electric Circus incorporated the big top aspect with everything from jugglers, mimes, trapeze artists, and body painting, and added in other performances like psychadelic multi-projector audiovisual shows and bands like The Velvet Underground, The Grateful Dead, and Sly & the Family Stone. One quote about the establishment caught my curiosity with, "Like Woodstock, if you remembered much of what happened at the E.C., you weren't really there." In the glass, the Electric Circus sprang forth with an orange, tropical, and smoke aroma. Next, a caramel-driven sip evolved into rum, pineapple, tangerine, vegetal, smoke, and clove flavors on the swallow.

trophy room

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Maison Rouge Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcard set for Club 33, the New Orleans-themed restaurant at Disneyland in Anaheim, and came upon the Trophy Room. The recipe reminded me of the Physically Forgotten which is the gin version in the same ratio but with different bitters. I was able to find a Yelp menu photo from 2022 that had the description, "Tucked away among the magic of New Orleans' Square, a secluded room once played host to all manner of festivities and celebrations, with walls adorned with talking beasts and treasures from exotic far off lands." The description made me think of Muriel in New Orleans where Andrea and I attended an absinthe soirée towards the end of Tales of the Cocktail 2009 (see photo below). Once mixed, the Trophy Room donated an orange and nutty cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, a caramel-driven sip developed into Bourbon, Cognac, herbal, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow. The Maraschino came across as a little heavy handed here, so perhaps decreasing that amount could benefit the balance; surprisingly, I did not have a similar complaint a little over two years ago for the gin-based Physically Forgotten though.

slow drift

1 1/2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Rum (Zaya)
1/2 oz Drouin Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/4 oz Amaro Meletti
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a big cube. No garnish was specified. Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcards for Dear Irving, and I selected the Slow Drift from their current menu at their Gramercy location from the Island Hop section. Its Meletti-banana duo occurred before in the DK Old Fashioned with Bourbon and the Kon'Nichiwa!!! with Japanese whiskey and crème de cacao, so I was curious to try it with a dark rum-apple brandy base that reminded me of the spirits in the Sky Pilot. Once served, the Slow Drift gave forth a caramel, violet-floral, chocolate, and apple aroma. Next, caramel on the sip blossomed into dark rum, apple, herbal, banana, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

demerara dream daiquiri

1 oz Aged Demerara Rum such as El Dorado 12 Year (Hamilton's Demerara River)
1 oz Aged Jamaican Rum such as Appleton 12 Year (Appleton 8 Year)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry. Two Sundays ago, I finally got around to opening up my copy of Justin Wojslaw's Coconuts & Carnage book published by Wonk Press. Since my mint was not ready to harvest, I opted for the author's Demerara Dream Daiquiri which had the passion fruit, vanilla, and lime structure of the Apocalypto but with two aged rums and Angostura Bitters in place of pisco. Once shaken and strained, the Demerara Dream Daiquiri gave forth a woody rum, allspice, and vanilla bouquet to the nose. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip subsided into rum, passion fruit, vanilla, and clove flavors on the swallow.

wicker park sour

1 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with 3 drops Peychaud's Bitters. Two Saturdays prior, I opened up my copy of Toby Maloney's The Bartender's Manifesto book and was taken in by the Wicker Park Sour by Andrew Mackey at The Violet Hour circa 2011. Overall, the recipe read like a Pisco Sour that gained Malört, grapefruit, and honey to give it Chicago stylings. Once shaken and strained, the Wicker Park Sour began with an anise aroma from the Peychaud's Bitters garnish. Next, a creamy lemon, grapefruit, and honey sip evolved into bitter grapefruit pith and honey flavors on the swallow. While the drink allowed me to crack open my recent restocked bottle of pisco, that spirit was a bit lost in the mix and acted more like a flavor elongator akin to vodka in the Fernet-containing Sputnik.

smoke along the crescent bend

3/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
3/4 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum (Hamilton's Demerara River)
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Wednesdays ago, I returned home from my trip to Philadelphia for the USBG Bar Summit to a house with no electricity. When I learned that power would not be back until 3am, I decided to go to bed and double up my efforts on Thursday. The first drink I made then was from a set of online recipe flashcards that I found for Club 33 which is a restaurant in the New Orleans Square part of Disneyland in Anaheim. The drink was called Smoke Along the Crescent Bend as a Vieux Carré riff, and a Yelp menu photo from 2025 provided the description, "Aromas of campfire smoke and tobacco fill the air as riverboats travel along the mighty Mississippi. Goods are bought and sold by travelers at each stop along the way." While I have had rum-based Vieux Carré riffs like the Rhum with a Vieux and a Scotch-based De la Louisiane riff called Islay Louisiane, I have not had the combination in a single glass. Once mixed, the Smoke Along the Crescent Bend paddled to the nose with peat smoke, grape, and anise aromas. Next, caramel and grape on the sip unloaded smoky Scotch, woody rum, herbal, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

pied piper

1 oz Mezcal (Convite Esencial)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau)
1 oz Amaro Meletti
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. The final drink that I had prepared in advance for the bartenders' guild national meeting in Philadelphia was the Pied Piper that I uncovered through online recipe flashcards from Attaboy. The build reminded me of the rum-based Globetrotter from the Waldorf-Astoria, so I was game to try this one out with mezcal. To the nose, the Pied Piper played a melody of lemon, caramel, vegetal, smoke, nutty, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip flowed into smoky vegetal, herbal, nutty, floral, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

attack cocktail

1/2 Calvados (1 1/2 oz Morin Selection)
1/4 Cognac (3/4 oz Courvoisier VS)
1/4 Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Amontillado)
3 dash Grenadine (1/4 oz)
1 dash Anis (10 drop St. George Absinthe)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist as a garnish. Two Fridays ago, I reached for my Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails book from 1996, and I became intrigued by the Attack Cocktail created at Johnny's Bar in Paris circa 1930. Its trio of sherry, grenadine, and bitters reminded me of the Red Riding Hood from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 but here with brandies and a touch of anise liqueur (given the era, either anisette or pastis, but I went with absinthe). Once served, the Attack Cocktail reached out with an orange, berry, apple, and anise aroma. Next, grape and red fruit notes on the sip opened up into apple, nutty, berry, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

problem solver

1 oz H by Hine Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a snifter (old fashioned glass), and garnish with orange oil from a twist. Two Saturdays ago, I decided to delve into the online recipe flashcards that I uncovered from Saloon in Somerville, Massachusetts. I honed in on the Problem Solver from 2017, and I found a menu photo on GoogleMaps with this drink along with the Holy Mountain that I ordered there that year and wrote up on the blog. I have only seen Ancho Reyes paired with Cognac once in the Hawthorne's Cafe Lunaire, so I was curious to try it again. In the glass, the Problem Solver offered up orange, grape, and herbal aromas. Next, grape on the sip unfolded into Cognac, herbal, chocolate, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

old square

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Rancio Sec or sub Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Oloroso)
1/2 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange and a lemon twist. Two Fridays ago, I decided to make the Old Square by Danny Childs at Lacroix at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia as "a rustic take on the Vieux Carré" via an August 2025 article in Imbibe Magazine. I probably skipped over this recipe last year since I did not have rancio sec, and I decided to do it regardless given their recommended substitution. I was also drawn in since a few months after that article, I saw Danny on a Campari Academy virtual session and then read his Slow Drinks book, and I would be seeing him talk in a week and a half at the USBG regional conference in Philadelphia. Oxidized fortified wines such as sherry have appeared in Vieux Carré riffs like Rhum with a Vieux and my Cocktail à la Salle, so a rye-Armagnac version seemed enticing. Once prepared, the Old Square gave forth lemon, orange, nutty grape, and anise aromas to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip opened up into rye, brandy, nutty sherry, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

anderson punch

1 3/4 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the day before's Amaro Rusty Nail, and I took the idea in Malört direction after recalling how well it worked with Drambuie in the Bukowski. The combination ended up a bit too bright, but a dash of Angostura not only gave depth but complementary spice notes to the mix. For a name, I dubbed this one the Anderson Punch, the Chicken Man of Chicago, who was born in 1870 and became a legendary street performer that trained chickens to dance to his accordion and harmonica music. Punch was performing until the age of 101 before passing away in 1974. In the glass, the tribute to this colorful character of the Windy City gave forth grapefruit, honey, and Scotch aromas. Next, honey and malt notes on the sip welcomed in Scotch, honey, and grapefruit pith bitter flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Drambuie softened the Malört rather well.

shaken hands

1 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks or coupe glass. Two Wednesdays prior, I spotted the Shaken Hands in a recent Imbibe Magazine article. The drink was created by Aurele Berdoz at The Rhymer's Club in Manhattan as a tropical take on Audrey Saunder's Intro to Aperol. The gin and simple syrup from Audrey's recipe was swapped to tequila and ginger syrup with pineapple juice added, and perhaps one day I will get around to making the original. Here, the Shaken Hands gave forth an orange, agave, and clove aroma. Next, pineapple, lemon, and orange notes on the sip reached for vegetal, orange, ginger, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

fantastico

1 1/2 oz Gosling's Black Seal Rum
1/2 oz Varnelli Punch Fantasia
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a Highball glass with soda water (2 oz), add ice, and garnish with a piece of candied ginger. Another soda water recipe that I had saved up resided on the Bartender's Choice app called the Fantastico. The drink was crafted by Brandon Bramhall at Nashville's Attaboy in 2018, and the app described it as "A Dark 'N Stormy with some added amaro bitterness." After finding a way too cheap liter bottle of Punch Fantasia a little over a year and a half ago, I have been looking at ways of using it past the ounce and quarter to date poured thanks to the Bumbo and the Last King of Scotland. Here with another half ounce, the Fantastico offered up a caramel, hazelnut, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Next, a carbonated caramel and lime sip delved into rum, nutty, ginger, herbal, and allspice 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.

hat in hand

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Planteray Mr. Fogg)
1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Saline (4 drop 20%)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to sets of online recipe flashcards for Dear Irving and spied the Hat in Hand. I was able to trace it back to the current menu for Dear Irving Gramercy, the Raines Law menu in 2020 via a Yelp photo, and Fresh Kills in 2017 via a Yelp review. Overall, the recipe reminded me of the King Kong and Banana Cognac with different spirits and sometimes bitters (as well as the Bananarac if you overlook the absinthe rinse and serving style). In the glass, the Hat in Hand showcased an orange, caramel, and dried banana aroma. Next, caramel notes on the sip opened up into rum, Cognac, caramelized banana, and clove flavors on the swallow.

the mental demands of modern life

1 1/2 oz Altos Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
3/8 oz Fernet Branca
3/8 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Patterson House in Nashville, and The Mental Demands of Modern Life called out to me especially since I had just replaced my bottle of Pedro Ximenez. A 2022 StarChefs article attributed the drink to bartender Sam McCullough. While the aged spirit, banana, and Fernet trio makes me think of the Away Colors, the closest drink that I have tried is a mezcal with vermouth version called Dead in the Water, and I created a gin with vermouth Hanky Panky riff called Monkey Business. The Mental Demands of Modern Life in the glass evolved an orange, raisin, and menthol aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip unloaded vegetal agave, cooked banana, raisin, gentian bitter, and menthol flavors on the swallow.