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.

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.

i'm not your mary

1 oz Wild Turkey (Rittenhouse Rye)
1 oz Bertoux Brandy (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
3 dash Smeby Black & White Bitters that are chocolate/vanilla (2 dash Savoy Society Chocolate Chicory + 2 dash Savoy Society Orange Vanilla)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Fernet Branca. The identity of the whiskey as to Bourbon or rye (or the proof) was not mentioned, but I went with Rittenhouse Rye to split the difference since Wild Turkey Bourbon is a bit fiery. Two Mondays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour and latched on to the I'm Not Your Mary as a Toronto riff taken by way of the Sazerac from the Winter 2022 menu. I was drawn in for it reminded me of the bar's All Bark, All Bite circa 2018 as a Toronto with a split rye and Scotch base with a smoky rinse. Once stirred and strained, the I'm Not Your Mary welcomed the nose with Fernet's minty and menthol aromas. Next, a lightly caramel sip unfurled into rye, brandy, chocolate, menthol, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

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.

saints & sinners

2 oz Sainte Louise Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
3 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Herbsaint, and garnish with an orange peel basket holding a star anise. Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make that a Sazerac riff called the Saints & Sinners by Craig Eliason, a home enthusiast from St. Paul, Minnesota, for Reddit Cocktail's December 2025 cacao and anise recipe challenge. I have previously had the cacao-Maraschino combination in a few drinks such as the Savage Detectives and Tropical Cocktail and enjoyed the resulting chocolate cherry note. Here, the Saints & Sinners marched down to the nose with an orange, anise, nutty cherry, and Cognac bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet sip led into Cognac, chocolate, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

el burladero

2 oz Spanish Brandy (Gran Duque d'Alba)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)
1/8 oz Cane Syrup (Sirop JM)
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Another recipe that I wanted to make with my sample bottle of Gran Duque d'Alba was a recipe on the Bartender's Choice app that called for Spanish brandy named El Burladero. The drink was created by Brandon Bramhall at Attaboy's Nashville branch in 2018, and a burladero is a wooden panel in a bullring near the wall to offer a safe space for bullfighters. Since coffee liqueur and Fernet have worked well in the Queen Village, Mount Makana, and Don't Flip Out, I was curious to see how it would modify a sherry-driven brandy. In the glass, El Burladero gave forth orange, sherry, coffee, and mint aromas. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip eluded brandy, nutty, coffee, menthol, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

the man comes around

1 1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Sombra Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Spanish Brandy (Gran Duque D'Alba)
1 tsp Fernet Branca
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass (with ice), and garnish with a mint sprig. I was recently sent a three pack of bottles that included the sherry-tinged Gran Duque D'Alba Grand Reserva Brandy, and I recalled a recipe from New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles that I had been wanting to make once I had a Spanish brandy in stock. The drink was The Man Comes Around circa 2013 via KindredCocktails. Rafa was inspired after having a mezcal-Cynar cocktail at Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan followed by hearing subway musicians on the ride home who played Johnny Cash covers. When he made it back to his home bar, he whipped this up as a nightcap and named it after one of the songs he had just heard. The recipe was alluring for it had the mezcal, brandy, and Cynar trio that I utilized in my Papa Was a Rodeo and enjoyed in the Witch Doctor. Here, the Man Comes Around broadcast a mint and caramel aroma to the senses. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip flowed into brandy, herbal, vegetal, menthol, and smoke 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.

stardust

2 oz Dartigalongue Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Sundays ago, I was looking through my list of recipes garnered from online recipe flashcards, and I spotted the Stardust in a set from the Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco. A blog post in 2016 places this drink at Louie's Gen-Gen Room below the Liholiho Yacht Club, and the Liholiho Yacht Club had it on their own menu in 2017 and 2019 via Yelp menu photos. Overall, the structure reminded me of the Gilda (despite only the pineapple juice being the same). Once shaken and strained, the Stardust glimmered to the senses with a pineapple, ginger, and brandy aroma. Next, pineapple and lemon notes on the sip twinkled upon brandy, tropical, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

what about bob

1 oz Planteray OFTD Overproof Rum
1 oz Havana Club 3 Year White Rum (Tommy Bahama White Sand)
1 oz Sacred Bond Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1 oz Gin (Treehouse Hildegard von Bigen)
2 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, strain into a Bob mug (Tiki mug), and garnish with a flower (mint sprigs). Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make a drink posted by El Nova via the Vatos Who Tiki Instagram account that was a riff on the Fog Cutter called What About Bob. Its orgeat-cinnamon modifiers reminded me of Ben Sandrof's Cuban Anole Mai Tai variation given the orgeat-cinnamon modifiers; however, this Fog Cutter riff did not have the stereotypical float such as the classic sherry one or the aquavit one in the case of the Viking Fog Cutter. While I neither have seen the 1991 movie by that name nor have a Bob Tiki mug, I selected a mug that was closest which was a vintage Moai mug I found from the Honolulu restaurants in Westborough and Norwood, Massachusetts (both of which opened in the mid 1970s and closed in 2007 or before). Once prepared, the What About Bob gave forth a mint aroma from my choice of garnish. Next, a creamy orange and lemon sip opened up into funky rum, brandy roundness, cinnamon, pine, and almond flavors on the swallow.

between the sheets (dale degroff)

1 1/2 oz Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass with an optional sugar rim, and garnish with a flamed orange peel (unflamed). Two Mondays ago, I listened to Dale DeGroff's episode on on Tristan Stephenson's The Curious Bartender podcast. There, Dale described when he was putting together a program for Joe Baum, he found a Between the Sheets recipe in the 1951 Bottoms Up book from the Detroit Wonder Bar that called for Benedictine instead of rum (a rich equal three parter that recipe lacked lemon juice). Dale felt that the rum in the classic Between the Sheets confused things, so he mashed up both recipes for his menu to make it more of a Sidecar riff. That night, I sourced the recipe from his 2002 The Craft of the Cocktail book. The combination was very similar to the mid-century They Shall Inherit the Earth from the Esquire's The Art of Mixing Drinks as well as the apple brandy Honeymoon Cocktail, but I still felt that it was still important to try Dale's take on it. Once shaken and strained, Dale's version blossomed wihth orange and Cognac aromas. Next, lemon and orange notes on the sip akin to a Sidecar led into brandy, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

black dog serenade

1 1/4 oz Brandy (Marie Duffau Napoleon Armagnac)
3/4 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with Laphroaig Scotch, and garnish with a lemon twist. Another one of the cocktails that I had spotted in the online recipe flashcards for Valkyrie in Tulsa was the Black Dog Serenade that was most likely named after an episode of Cowboy Bebop. On paper, it reminded me of something between a classic Vieux Carré and the (apple) brandy-gentian-Benedictine Tin Can Telephone. Once stirred and strained, the Black Dog Serenade conjured up lemon and peat smoke aromas. Next, a hint of caramel on the sip expanded into brandy, rye, gentian, herbal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

double idemnity

1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.Two Tuesdays prior, I reached for my copy of T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and found the Double Indemnity as his inverted riff on the Vieux Carré perhaps at 12 Mile Limit in New Orleans (the book did not specify). All the ingredients were halved or doubled compared to his Vieux Carré recipe, plus the Cognac and rye were switched to Armagnac and Bourbon. The reverse Manhattan of sorts fronted by Punt e Mes reminded me of some of Maks Pazuniak's drinks like the Cease & Desist across town at Cure, so I was curious to try this one. In the glass, the Double Idemnity gave forth a grape and caramel bouquet to the nose. Next, a rich grape sip slid into grape, brandy, herbal, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow. The switching from spicier rye to sweeter Bourbon at a reduced amount unfortunately minimized whiskey's presence in the flavor profile.

social vampire

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Brandy Sainte Louise (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil (Tempus Fugit)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fasioned glass.Two Fridays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for the Chumley House in Fort Worth, Texas, and I was attracted to the Social Vampire that I was able to find on their March 2025 menu. The Social Vampire has the brandy-mezcal combination accented with Punt e Mes that the 1910 Cocktail does except with banana instead of Maraschino liqueur. Moreover, the banana liqueur-Punt e Mes duo worked excellently in the Banana Manhattan with rum as a base spirit, so I was excited to try it here. In the glass, the Social Vampire sought out the nose with vegetal, fruity, and smoke aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip drained into Cognac richness, vegetal, bitter herbal, banana, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

alpine sour

1 oz Asbach Uralt German Brandy (Marie Duffau Napoleon Armagnac)
1 oz Orgeat
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 mini-bottle (2/3 oz) Underberg

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.For the middle drink of my three pack of Underberg bottles. I turned a recipe in Brad Parsons' Amaro book called the Alpine Sour. Damon Boelte was inspired by the Trinidad Sour and his love of Underberg to create this at Prime Meats in Brooklyn. KindredCocktails has a reference to a circa 2011 article in Saveur with the recipe that helps with the time frame along with Prime Meats opening date in 2009. With the nutmeg garnish, the Alpine Sour ascended to the nose with a woody spice, nutty, and licorice aroma. Next, creamy, lemon, and caramel notes on the sip developed into brandy, earthy-nutty, minty, and licorice flavors on the swallow.

bright side

1 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with dashes of Angostura Bitters and mint. Two Mondays ago, I ventured back to a set of online recipe flashcards for Raines Law Room in Manhattan, and I selected the Bright Side as a great use of my new batch of orgeat. I was able to date this drink to around 2018 where it appeared on a menu photo on Yelp. Indeed, the combination of crème de banane, orgeat, and citrus reminded me of the Mr. Wednesday, Banana Hammock, and Escape from Monkey Island, so I was definitely intrigued. In the glass, the Bright Side gave forth mint, allspice, and clove aromas from the garnish. Next, a creamy, lemon, and caramel sip pushed through to rye, brandy, earthy, nutty, and caramelized banana flavors on the swallow.

dead language

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 tsp Massenez Framboise (1 tsp Mathilde)
1/2 tsp Massenez Framboise Eau de Vie (omit)
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with grapefruit oil from a twist. Two Sundays prior, I reached for my copy of Death & Co.'s Welcome Home book and landed on the Dead Language by Matthew Belanger in 2017. Matthew utilized the raspberry-chile liqueur combination from Tyson Buhler's Sound & Fury in a Manhattan context akin to Thomas Waugh's Red Ant. While I did not have the eau de vie called for here that Matthew was using similar to the kirsch in the Red Ant, I still went ahead to make this drink to experience the raspberry-chile aspect. Plus looking through my 30 other Ancho Reyes recipes on here, very few of them contain fruit liqueurs save for a pair like the Elvis & the Mexican Ghost that use crème de banane. Once stirred and strained, the Dead Language launched off with grapefruit, red berry, and roasted pepper aromas. Next, grape and berry notes on the sip uncovered rye, raspberry, chili pepper, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

speakeasy blues

1 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Brandy (Marie Duffau Napoleon Armagnac)
1/4 oz Peche Liqueur (Mathilde)
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
3 spray Herbsaint (24 drop)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with mint and powdered sugar (omit powdered sugar).Two Sundays ago, I decided to make the Speakeasy Blues from La Moule in Portland, Oregon, that I had found a few months ago in a set of online recipe flashcards where I also sourced the Paix to Play. The split spirit base, peach notes, and Herbsaint combination reminded me a little of Russell House Tavern's Sazerac riff called the Crosseyed and Painless, so I was drawn in. Once prepared, the Speakeasy Blues gave forth mint and peach aromas. Next, a semi-sweet sip with hints of orchard fruit hid behind rye, brandy, peach, and anise flavors on the swallow.

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.

five year plan

1 1/4 oz Yellowstone Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1/2 oz Delord Napoleon Armagnac (Marie Duffau)
1/4 oz Don Ciccio Nocino (Russo Nocino)
1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittertruth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with orange and lemon twists.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the Death & Co. marketplace site and landed on the recipe for the Five Year Plan. It was created by bartender Summer Goff at their Denver outpost in 2023, and Summer dubbed the drink after the question "Where do you see yourself in five years?" that sends Summer "reeling into absolute panic, and naming that cocktail after it is the closest thing I've gotten to an answer." With the same walnut liqueur-cinnamon syrup duo from The World is Yours from three days prior, I was game to give this one with Bourbon-Armagnac instead of Japanese whisky-sherry a go. In the glass, the Five Year Plan opened up with orange, lemon, cinnamon, and nutty aromas. Next, caramel-roast notes on the sip finished off with Bourbon, walnut, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.