old timber

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Amaro Averna
1/8 oz Orgeat
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a mint sprig and a drizzle of pot still Jamaican rum (1/8 oz Smith & Cross). Two Saturdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and spotted the Old Timber by Ryan Kutnz at San Diego's Noble Experiment from 2016. The Averna and orgeat pairing reminded me of Meaghan Dorman's Across the Pacific although it also appeared in the Last Date and two other recipes on the blog. In the glass, the Old Timber gave forth mint and rum funk aroma. Next, a touch of creaminess and caramel on the sip opened up into Bourbon, a hint of almond and herbal, and clove flavors on the swallow.

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.

start me up

1 oz Elijah Craig 12 Year Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum (Doorly's 12 Year) (*)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Strega
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
(*) The bar's 2019 cocktail book has this as Scarlet Ibis Rum. Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make the Start Me Up that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards for the NoMad in Los Angeles. I uncovered both a drink photo and menu photo on Yelp from 2018 that had it under the "NoMad Classics" section, and I later found the recipe in The NoMad Cocktail Book where it was attributed to Leo Robitschek and Jessica Gonzalez; there it called for the Trinindad rum Scarlet Ibis. While the book did not say, if I had to wager, I would guess that it was named for the Rolling Stones song. As for the recipe, Strega has been paired up with either honey or ginger in a few drinks, but only appeared with both in Skull & Crown Trading Co.'s Hanalei Moon mixed in with a few other tropical ingredients. Once assembled, the Start Me Up gave forth a star anise and lemon aroma. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip evolved into Bourbon, rum, honey, ginger, anise, and vanilla 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.

guadalajara

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Averna
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry and an orange twist. Two Thursdays ago, I opened up my copy of Every Cocktail Has a Twist by Carey Jones and John McCarthy, and for the inaugural recipe, I selected the Guadalajara from the Manhattan variation section that was not one of the three other Guadalajaras already on this blog. The structure was reminiscent of the Bourbon-based Big Chief, and the combination of reposado tequila, Punt e Mes, and Averna have appeared in the Revelator with coffee beans and in the Modest Mousse with grapefruit liqueur. Once mixed, the Guadalajara opened up with orange, cherry, grape, and roasted vegetal aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip delved into vegetal and rounded bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

proof of heart

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays prior, I stumbled back to the online recipe flashcards for the New Orleans-themed Club 33 at Disneyland in Anaheim. There, I was drawn in by the Proof of Heart where the Aperol-sweet vermouth modifier duo that worked well in the Contessa with gin, Pulitzer with rye, and Dolores Haze with tequila, seemed curious with a split base of Cognac and Bourbon. In the glass, the Proof of Heart shared a lemon and dark grape bouquet. Next, grape and orange notes on the sip evolved into Cognac, whiskey, bitter orange, and rhubarb flavors on the swallow.

as you were

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Valdespino Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a grapefruit disk and a cherry. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago, and from their Fall 2021 menu, I was drawn in to the As You Were that was described as an "End of the night agave Manhattan". The idea of agave spirits, sweet vermouth, and Pedro Ximenez sherry was one that I enjoyed in the Stage Dives & Fist Fights created at the Last Word in San Antonio, so it was time to mix this one up. In the glass, the As You Were began with grapefruit, raisin, cherry, and smoky vegetal aromas. Next, a semi-sweet grape sip flowed into smoky vegetal, raisin, herbal, orange, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

wingspan

1 3/4 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a recipe called the Wingspan on Difford's Guide that caught my eye. The drink was created at the Savoy Hotel Bar in London circa 2014 as a cross between the Aviation and the World War II-era Wings (recipe not found) created there. From the menu's ingredients list, Simon Difford interpreted the drink as above, and after making it, I thought that the recipe could be tweaked a little. The Lillet/Cocchi Americano-Punsch aspect reminded me of recipes like the Metexa and Happy Daze, so I gave it a go. In the glass, the Wingspan soared to the nose with orange, pine, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and pear notes on the sip glided into gin, grapefruit, black tea, and soapy floral flavors on the swallow. Overall, the violette was a little much, and perhaps the Cocchi Americano could be bolstered to be more like the Metexa. My proposed recipe:

Wingspan (Fred's suggestion)
• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1/2 oz Swedish Punsch
• 1/8 oz Crème de Violette
• 1 dash Orange Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

inwood

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Café Lolita (Borghetti)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays prior, I was lured by an unusual combination in the Inwood at Attaboy via online recipe flashcards. One friend on Instagram commented that they had not experimented with Chartreuse and coffee flavors, and I commented that "I have never seen it before. Cacao and hot chocolate, yes." Since Green Chartreuse can stand up to Fernet such as in the similarly structured Green Hornet, I figured that it would do alright with even a robust coffee liqueur. Once stirred and strained, the Inwood presented a lemon, coffee, and herbaceous aroma. Next, a roast-driven sip led into rye, coffee, and herbal flavors on the swallow with roast and orange elements coming through on the finish.

little easy

1 1/2 oz Famous or Black Grouse (2 oz Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Averna (2/3 oz)
1 Sugar Cube (1/3 oz Simple Syrup)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Bitter Truth Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Muddle the sugar cube soaked with bitters (I used simple syrup and skipped the muddling), add Scotch and Averna, and stir with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with absinthe (Pastis d'Autreois) and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I was looking through the Kindred Cocktails database and landed upon the Little Easy by Brian Quinn in a 2012 Food Republic article as a riff on the New Orleans classic, the Sazerac. Scotch and Averna have paired well before in the Philadelphia Story, Black Mass, and other drinks, so I was game to give this one a whirl. In the glass, the Little Easy proffered an orange, anise, and licorice bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and malt notes on the sip opened up into Scotch, herbal, anise, and hint of cherry flavors on the swallow.

scoundrel

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)
3/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and found the Scoundrel by Yao Wong at The Elysian in Melbourne circa 2021 in the Manhattan section. While I have not had Green Chartreuse and Pedro Ximenez before, I have had it paired with other sherries such as in The Mouse's Tale and the Ghost of Castle Island. In the glass, the Scoundrel countered with a lemon, raisin, peat smoke, and herbaceous aroma. Next, a rich grape sip revealed smoky Scotch, raisin, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow with dried fruit and smoke on the finish.

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.

pitter patter

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Bigallet China-China (Amer Picon)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry. Two Mondays prior, I returned to the sets of online recipe flashcards from the Patterson House in Nashville and landed on the Pitter Patter from their Summer 2024 menu. While the recipe card lacked the serving style, I was able to glean it from an Instagram reel. Overall, it was akin to a Brooklyn Cocktail with sherry instead of dry vermouth, and also similar to the Blue Collar given the two bitters as accents. In the glass, the Pitter Patter roused up a dark orange and nutty cherry aroma. Next, a semi-dry caramel and grape sip crossed into rye, nutty cherry, dark orange, and oxidized sherry flavors on the swallow.

shinola

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/4 oz Amaro Nardini
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 tsp Rich Cane Syrup (1/4 oz 1:1)
2 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 opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Shinola by Greg Keesee at Nashville's Attaboy in 2021 via the book's Old Fashioned section. I was drawn in for I recalled how well Nardini and Chartreuse pair such as in the Green Hornet and Key Party which had motivated me to create the Metal Urbain soon after. In the glass, the Shinola donated a lemon and green herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, a semi-sweet sip with a hint of caramel unfurled into rye, bitter herbal, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow. Indeed, the Nardini played well with the Chartreuse as it had before, and it gave depth to the Chartreuse's brighter notes.

the linguist

1 1/2 oz Brennivin Aquavit (Linie)
1/2 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Mondays ago, I caught up on the December Campari Academy class video featuring Gregory Buda that I had missed when it aired live. Afterwards, I checked out his Instagram and spotted a drink called The Linguist that was the passed cocktail at his master class on menu development held at the Daisy Cocktail Bar in Reykjavík, Iceland, in November of 2025. I messaged Gregory for the recipe, and I made the drink that he created at Montreal's Bisou Bisou in 2024 later that night. The ingredients reminded me of the rye-forward Mergers & Acquisitions that I had a few years ago, so I knew it would be a good one. In the glass, The Linguist gave forth orange, caraway, and grape aromas. Next, the vermouth's grape led the sip that transformed into Bourbon, caraway, grape, herbal, and orange pith flavors on the swallow.

tide-breaker

1 oz Aged Dark Rum (3/4 oz Coruba + 1/4 oz Planteray OFTD)
1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/2 oz Old Overholt (86°)
1 cube Raw Sugar (>1/2 oz Raw Sugar Syrup)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass rinsed with absinthe (Kübler), and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and landed on the Tide-Breaker by Eric Alperin at Los Angeles' The Varnish in the Sazerac section of the book. I later realized that Eric called the Jamaican rum, single rye, and brown sugar version of this combination Colonial Ties in his Unvarnished book. In the glass, the Tide-Breaker sent forth a lemon and anise bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel notes on the sip from the dark rums ripened into rye whiskey, funky rum, orange, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, I was surprised at how much the orange bitters sang through in the mix.

bar room brauler

1 1/2 oz Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
3/4 oz Amaro Braulio
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed). Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted on my Instagram feed, a drink called the Bar Room Brauler. I was able to track down the recipe to Coach Vino's YouTube where he posted it in a video of three Braulio drinks that included my As I Lay Dying; Coach Vino attributed this amari-laden drink to Brandon Lockman at Red Star Tavern in Portland, Oregon. Braulio and Montenegro have appeared together in the Bourbon cocktail Spaghetti Western from Urban Grub in Nashville, so I was curious to try this brandy version. When the Bar Room Brauler geared up to fight, it hit the nose with an orange aroma rounded out by Cognac's richness. Next, caramel and orange notes on the sip sidestepped the Cognac, pine, clementine, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

honey badger

1 1/2 oz Barr Hill Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel (lemon twist). Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Honey Badger that Bardtenders posted on their Instagram account earlier that day. I felt it was a good tribute for the folks from that site hosted me on their podcast two nights before for a recording to be broadcasted in late February. The combination reminded me of Michael Madrusan's Son of a Beesting at Milk & Honey that calls for ginger syrup instead of liqueur akin to a Bee's Knees crossed with a Penicillin. In the glass, the Honey Badger gave forth a lemon, ginger, and honey bouquet. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip gave way to pine, ginger, honey, and orange flavors on the swallow.

save the robots

1 1/4 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass. Two Wednesday prior, I became inspired by the Nautical Mile with London Dry Gin and Calvados that I had the night before. I soon mashed up those spirits with the modifiers of Ce Soir, and I dubbed it Save the Robots after an after-hours club in New York City's East Village that I rediscovered in the book St. Marks is Dead and recalled from my time living in Manhattan in the early 90s. Here, pine and herbal aromas purchased entrance to the senses at the door. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip danced their way into juniper, apple, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow. I wondered if equal parts Calvados and gin would have worked better such that its richness would be closer the Cognac in the Ce Soir to balance the brighter herbaceous notes in the Yellow Chartreuse; however, I enjoyed the result enough not to retry it.

dark hand

2 oz Aged Dark Rum (Dos Maderas 5+5)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
3/8 oz Amaro Lucano
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays prior, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan, and there I spotted the Dark Hand by Yao Wong at The Elysian in Melbourne circa 2020. I figured that the recipe would be a good inaugural use for the aged rum finished in sherry casks, Dos Maderas 5+5, that I was sent as a sample along with a bottle of Spanish brandy and a bottle of Bauchant orange liqueur. Perhaps the name is a reference to the Right Hand but made dark by the rum choice as well as Amaro Lucano in place of Campari. Once mixed, the Dark Hand waved to the nose with an orange, caramel, and sherry grape aroma. Next, a semi-sweeet grape and caramel sip gave way to dark rum, nutty, dark orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.