bad date

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Suze Gentian Liqueur
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail or coupe glass, and garnish with a lime twist. Two Sundays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Bad Date by Alastair Walker at Caretaker in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2021. The Suze-Yellow Chartreuse duo reminded me of the gin-lemon Yellow Cocktail that I have been meaning to make; however, I have had that combination with citrus in other drinks like the Revenge. Checking my recipes, I have tried a gin-Genever version of the Bad Date in the A Bouquet of Parentheses and a gin one sans absinthe in the You Is or You Ain't. Moreover, the name pleasantly reminded me of the Last Date at the Citizen Public House. In the glass, the Bad Date conjured up lime, agave, floral, and gentian herbal aromas for the nose. Next, a semi-sweet honey and white wine sip escaped and left behind agave, herbal, mint, pine, and anise flavors on the swallow.

dead man's hand

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I opened up The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and spotted the Dead Man's Hand by Greg Keese at the Nashville branch of Attaboy circa 2022. This is the second drink here to reference this card game lore of the bad luck associated with a pair of black aces plus a pair of black eights that were in Wild Bill Hickok's hand when he was shot down; that other recipe is the Aces & Eights from Death & Co. On paper, the Dead Man's Hand reads like a Green Point meets a Left Hand, so perhaps the latter drink gave the inspiration for the name. Moreover, on the blog, there are only three other recipes with both Campari and Yellow Chartreuse with the only stirred one being the Trans-Europe Express from Beta Cocktails. Once prepared, the Dead Man's Hand dealt both bright orange oil and dark orange aromas along with piny notes from the Yellow Chartreuse. Next, a grape-driven sip folded into Bourbon, chocolate, herbal, and bitter 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.

smoother than a horse on skates

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I came across another intriguing use of Luxardo Bitter Bianco in the Smoother than a Horse on Skates. I found the recipe in a 2019 Imbibe Magazine article attributing the drink to Jenner Cormier at Bar Kismet in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the glass, the Smoother than a Horse on Skates opened up with orange and Bourbon aromas. Next, light honey and caramel notes on the sip slid into Bourbon, honey, herbal, bitter, floral, and orange flavors on the swallow.

royal port

3/4 oz Hampden Estate 8 Year Jamaican Rum (Monymusk Gold)
3/4 oz Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça (Novo Fogo Bar Strength)
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 tsp Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Dale DeGroff Pimento Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with lemon twist coin.Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the Death & Co. market site and found the Royal Port by Joshua White at Death & Co. DC in 2024. He was inspired to create this riff on the Vieux Carré by the legendary pirate haven of Port Royal in Jamaica that also inspired this Port Royal and that one. The split spirit base caught my eye for the Jamaican rum-cachaça duo was one that I enjoyed in the Jah Rule and one that I had recently used in the Overpowered by Funk. In the glass, the Royal Port opened up with lemon, caramel, tropical, and funky aromas. Next, caramel and white grape notes on the sip sailed into funky rum, pineapple, banana, and allspice flavors on the swallow

first word

1 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/8 oz Honey Syrup
3/8 oz Velvet Falernum
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Mondays ago, I turned to the Hawthorne's bar bible and spotted the First Word by bartender Ingrid Schneider. While the name suggested a Last Word riff, this one was veered off a bit. With Yellow Chartreuse and falernum, it was closer to the Eulogy save for the falernum being cut with honey syrup which would complement both the apple brandy and the Yellow Chartreuse here. Moreover, the name and the apple component made me think of the biblical first sin in the Garden of Eden in addition to the Detroit pre-Prohibition classic. In the glass, the First Word opened up with apple, honey, and clove aromas. Next, lemon and honey on the sip fell into apple, herbal, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

electric mayhem

1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a drink that I uncovered in an online collection of recipe flashcards for Long Island Bar and the Rockwell called the Electric Mayhem. The cocktail was attributed to bartender Tim Miner who currently works at the Long Island Bar, and a Timeout article in 2014 placed it at the Jakewalk which closed back in 2016. Once shaken and strained, the Electric Mayhem gave forth a lemon, orange, and clove bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon, orange, and honey notes on the sip evolved into Bourbon, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Although the recipe reads like a Bourbon Naked & Famous, the Angostura took things in a different direction.

renegade

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Fee's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I began perusing the KindredCocktails database when I spotted a mezcal-Bourbon split-based Alaska riff of sorts called the Renegade that was akin to the tequila-Batavia Arrack Juno that I found in Drink's recipe collection. The Renegade was crafted by Sara Rosales, a Seattle bartender and co-owner of Lady Jaye who entered it into the database in 2013. In the glass, the Renegade surged forward with orange, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, a honey-tinged sip was toppled over by whiskey, vegetal, pine, orange, herbal, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

promontory point

50 mL Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (1 1/2 oz Courvoisier VS)
20 mL Yellow Chartreuse (1/2 oz)
20 mL Punt e Mes (1/2 oz)
20 mL Palo Cortado Sherry (1/4 oz Lustau Oloroso + 1/4 oz Lustau Amontillado)
3 dash Angostura Bitters (2 dash)
3 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist and a cherry. Note: I adapted this to be this slightly more Cognac-forward than the original.After sampling from Maison Ferrand's New York City recipe book, I turned to their 2015 Cocktails at the Red Dot: The Singapore Cocktail Book. There, I was lured in by the Promotontory Point created by bartender Tom Hogan at Anti:Dote; a 2014 article mentioned that Tom was born in New York City before moving to Chicago, and Promontory Point is a man-made peninsula in Chicago that juts out into Lake Michigan. Overall, the combination of Yellow Chartreuse, sherry, and Punt e Mes reminded me of the Bourbon-based Blue Point crafted by Matt Schrage at the Blue Room. In the glass, the Promontory Point began with an orange, grape, and cherry bouquet. Next, honey and grape notes on the sip slipped into Cognac, herbal, nutty, orange, and clove flavors on the swallow.

doppelganger

1 1/2 oz Drumshambo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Linie Aquavit
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the Paddy Drinks: The World of Modern Irish Whiskey Cocktails book, and I decided on the Doppelgänger by Jillian Vose at the Dead Rabbit. Once prepared, the drink showcased lemon, pine, and caraway aromas. Next, white grape and honey notes on the sip blossomed into whiskey, caraway, and pine flavors on the swallow with a soft vegetal finish.

six figure

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
1 1/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed on the Six Figure by Dan Greenbaum at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2016 as a possible answer to my nightcap dilemma. The combination reminded me of Sother Teague's Disco Ball minus the Green Chartreuse aspect and Alex Day's Alto California with tequila and a touch of cinnamon instead of the mezcal. In the glass, the Six Figure presented a lemon, vegetal, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, white grape and a hint of honey on the sip set up smoky agave, herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow.

coin toss

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye, Laird's Bonded, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Hine H Cognac, or Famous Grouse Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe.I recently saw a mention of the Coin Toss from Death & Co., and I realized that I had not made one yet. It appears in the Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book attributed to Phil Ward in 2008. This was the original multiple choice cocktail in a section of the bar's menu that put the Mr. Potato Head method into practice by allowing the guest or bartender to pick the spirit. The Coin Toss was based on the template 2 oz spirit, 3/4 oz vermouth, and 1/2 oz liqueur(s) that Phil frequently used such as the simple Cynartown or the split spirit-split liqueur Airbag. With my choice of Scotch combined with Yellow Chartreuse, Benedictine, and Peychaud's, the recipe reminded me of the Blues from a Gun that I crafted on the fly at Drink with the 1895 combination of Yellow Chartreuse-Benedictine in mind from the Widow's Kiss. In the glass, the Coin Toss began with a grape and herbal bouquet. Next, the vermouth's grape filled the sip which was followed by Scotch, pine, dried fruit, herbal, and anise flavors on the swallow.

made man

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/8 oz Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Mondays ago, I was peering through the Kindred Cocktails database when I came upon the Made Man by Ali Reynolds at the Hawksmoor in London. The database sourced the drink from a CocktailsDistilled web post which described, "In the same way that a made man is traditionally seen as 'untouchable' by fellow criminals, in the world of cocktails, a Made Man offers a taste you can't refuse." I was able to find references as early as 2013 to this drink on the web, and the rye, cherry, Yellow Chartreuse combination reminded me of the Last Waltz. Once stirred and strained, the Made Man gave forth a rye, cherry, and herbal pine bouquet. Next, dark fruit notes on the sip led into rye, cherry, bitter herbal, piny, and menthol flavors on the swallow.

laphroaig project

1 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1/2 oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Peach Bitters (Fee Brothers)

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Mondays ago, I was listening to the new episode of the Bartender At Large podcast (or the Patreon bonus episode) where host Erick Castro and Imbibe Magazine editor Paul Clarke discussed the Laphroaig Project, and I realized that I had never made one for myself. I had straw-tasted it years ago when I had a regular at Russell House Tavern circa 2013-14 who was from San Francisco and used to request them off menu from me which was great since we had housemade peach bitters at the time (my bar notebook says that his name was Jonathan and we began talking about cocktails when he ordered a Prince Edward that he had learned down the road at Rendezvous). The closest to a full drink that I had tried was a variation called the Pineapple Project at Ames Street Deli in December 2014. This lesser known neo-classic was created by Owen Westman at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco circa 2009, and its popularity as a bartender's choice drink has probably been effected by the skyrocketing cost of Chartreuses and Laphroaig Scotch as compared to 15 years ago not to mention the availability issues of all those ingredients (when I was doing the ordering at Drink in 2022, I was more crushed by Laphroaig outages than Chartreuse shortages). Overall, it has the same feel of Death & Co.'s Pete's Word on paper (I need to make this soon) with the lemon juice aspect of the Final Ward.In the glass, the Laphroaig Project launched with a lemon, peat smoke, and nutty cherry bouquet. Next, a lemon sip with a hint of fruitiness slid into herbaceous, smoky Scotch, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

barley & gold

2 oz Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Salers Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
1/2 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth (Dolin)
1/8 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane
1/8 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Saline (4 drop 20%)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Another drink that I had spotted in the 2020 Community Cocktails book put out by the Seattle bartending community was the Barley & Gold by Adam Aly at the Stampede Cocktail Club. The Irish whiskey, vermouth, and gentian liqueur combo was one that I have enjoyed since the Second Wife at Local 149 back in 2013, so I was game to give one with blanc vermouth and light accents of banana and Yellow Chartreuse a go. In the glass, the Barley & Gold showcased a herbal and floral bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet sip flowed into whiskey and gentian herbal flavors on the swallow with a hint of banana on the finish.

famous on paper

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange flag (orange twist).Two Thursdays ago, I finally got around to replacing my empty bottle of Amaro Nonino, and I decided to make a recipe that I had collected to encourage me to eventually go shopping. That drink was the Famous on Paper by Lisa Lauck from Chicago's The Violet Hour's Fall 2022 menu via online recipe flashcards that was also described in TastingTable in December 2022. Given the name and the ingredients, I figured that a mashup of a Naked and Famous with a Paper Plane would be a treat. Moreover, Yellow Chartreuse and Amaro Nonino worked rather well together in Backbar's Peat's Kiss. In the glass, the Famous on Paper took off with an orange, smoke, and vegetal aroma. Next, lemon, caramel, and honey on the sip cruised into smoky, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a lemon finish.

corpse reviver #4

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the bartender recipe collection from Eastern Standard and landed on the Corpse Reviver #4. Thrillist in May 2010 attributed it to Jackson Cannon in a list of Boston off-menu items as his addition to the Corpse Reviver canon. While Corpse Revivers #1 and #2 were codified in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, the third in the series was created either in the late 1940s or mid 1950s (depending on the competing claims) as Cognac, crème de menthe, and Fernet. Here, Jackson swapped the Cognac for rye and the menthe for Yellow Chartreuse in the #3 and added in a dash of mole bitters. In the glass, the Corpse Reviver #4 proffered a lemon, herbal, and minty bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and honey on the sip gave way to rye, pine, minty, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a menthol and chocolate finish. Overall, the combination was rather elegant for a Fernet drink!

party line

1 1/2 oz Tequila (Olmeca Altos Blanco)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Saturdays ago, I reached for the Raising the Bar book by Jacob Grier and Brett Adams and spied the Party Line. The recipe was created by author Jacob Grier for a guest bartending event at the Latin American bartending convention Barra in Mexico City. In the glass, the Party Line broadcasted a vegetal, lime, and mineral nose. Next, a honey and lime sip slid into tequila, bitter orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

sabotage

3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Rhum Agricole Blanc (Rhum JM 100°)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with orange oils from a twist.Two Mondays ago, I attended a Calvados event at Equal Measure. Before the event began, beverage director Jackson Cannon came over and mentioned that last night at Eastern Standard next door, there was a request for the Espionage that was created there in 2012. When the staff was unsure of the recipe, they found it here on this blog and were able to fulfill the request. Later that night, I decided to riff on the Espionage which had a quinoa vodka base to create the Sabotage with the mezcal-rhum agricole combination that worked well for me in the Miracles Take Longer and the Up Jumped the Devil. In the glass, the Sabotage started off with an orange, grassy funk, and smoke-filled nose. Next, caramel and orange notes on the sip slid into vegetal, herbal, pine, and minty flavors on the swallow.

castaneda's companions

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe that was flamed with a spritz of absinthe (rinse with 8 drop St. George, unflamed).Two Fridays ago, I decided to make Castaneda's Companions created at Wood Hill Table in Concord, Massachusetts, circa 2021 that I uncovered through a set of online recipe flashcards. The combination of agave spirit, Cynar, and Yellow Chartreuse was one that worked amazingly well in Under the Volcano, so I was curious to see how it worked as a straight spirits instead of citrus-laden drink. The restaurant's Instagram described, "Castaneda's Companion is named for Mexican philosopher Carlos Castaneda. It is said that Castaneda and three women took peyote together and lived in a tree house. Each ingredient represents each person: the mezcal represents Castaneda and the Cynar, Yellow Chartreuse, and dry vermouth represent each of the women. The barrel it is stored in represents the treehouse that they lived in." I was familiar with Castaneda's work through reading parts of his 1968 book The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge many years ago, so I gave this one a try despite not having stored or aged it in a barrel and skipping the flamed step. In the glass, I became aware of Castaneda's Companions with a vegetal, anise, herbal, and smoke bouquet. Next, a lightly caramel and honey-tinged sip opened up to an awareness of vegetal, piney, herbal, and smoke flavors on the swallow.