wilcoxson

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Gammel Dansk
1 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1/2 oz Cinnamon Maple Syrup (* normal recipe is Demerara Simple Syrup)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

On Tuesday night after my networking event downtown, I met Andrea at No. 9 Park for drinks. Bartender Matthew Schrage wanted to make me something off the menu that another bartender at No. 9, Ted Kilpatrick, had developed. The Wilcoxson that he made me was pretty complex. The nose was floral and minty almost like a perfume, and later possessed more of a green kitchen herb quality. As for the taste, it had a solid rye and bitters foundation on the sip followed by a menthol-like sting on the swallow.

Post Note: Ted Kilpatrick wrote me with some clarification, "The drink, named for Mr. and Mrs. Wilcoxson (two lovely and frequent guests of No. 9), actually uses demarara syrup, not cinnamon."

rum copenhagen

2 oz rum
2 oz apricot liqueur
3/4 oz Gammeldansk
2 dashes orange blossom water
topped off with orange peel oils (no garnish)

Stirred with ice and strained into a cocktail glass. Add orange peel oil to top of cocktail.

Last night after my birthday dinner at Ten Tables, Andrea took me to No. 9 Park. My second cocktail of the night was a variant of their Copenhagen which Ben and Matt were working out that night. They used a Venezuelan rum that really worked well with all of the flavors and was not overly sweet. The rum set a very different tone to the drink than Fighting Cock bourbon does, but it was complex enough to do the job. The apricot liqueur was the same Rothman and Winter one that is in their normal Copenhagen; however, it did not taste like there was too much apricot like the bourbon version (*). Ben's touch to Matt's variant was the orange blossom water and orange oil which added a very pleasant nose feel to the drink.

(*) The original Copenhagen, for my taste buds, could have the apricot halved and the Gameldansk doubled to a 2 oz bourbon 1 oz apricot 1 1/2 oz Gameldansk ratio. The concept seemed to intrigue Ben last night.

copenhagen

1 part Bourbon
1 part apricot liqueur
1/4oz? Gammeldansk bitters

Ben came by while we were still waiting for seats at the bar with this drink for us to try -- apparently it will be on the menu this week. Very interesting drink, as the Bourbon intensity is tamed, making it a bit too easy for me to drink. I don't know what it is about Bourbon that kicks me so hard, I can only assume it's something to do with the higher sugar content of corn versus rye grains? A fine, fine drink.

Post Note 10/16/23: I found the recipe on DrinkBoston as such:

Copenhagen (Ben Sandrof, No. 9 Park)
1 1/2 oz Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Gammel Dansk
Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.