black jewel old fashioned

1 1/2 oz Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Old Overholt 86° Rye Whiskey
1/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/8 oz Cane Syrup (Sirup JM)
1 dash Bittercube Bolivar Bitters (Bittercube Trinity)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Another recipe from The Patterson House in Nashville that I spotted in online recipe flashcards when I made the Polite Meeting two days prior was the Black Jewel Old Fashioned. This drink from the Fall 2024 menu collection appeared in a Yelp review that praised it in November 2024 and confirmed the timeframe. With Ciociaro being very much like Amer Picon, the combination reminded me of the Manhattan-like Rock Island from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933. Cassis has also worked well paired with other amaro such as the Instant Crush with Fernet and the Under the Veil with Sfumato. Here with Irish whiskey and American rye, the Black Jewel Old Fashioned proffered an orange and dark fruit bouquet to the nose. Next, red and purple fruit coupled with caramel notes on the sip stepped aside for whiskey plus tannic and bitter dark fruit flavors on the swallow.

smoke signals

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (1 1/2 oz Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice and dirty dump into a single old fashioned glass (strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube). Two Saturdays ago, I decided to make the Smoke Signals from Alcove in Boston that I uncovered in a set of online recipe flashcards. Overall, the combination reminded me of Trader Vic's El Diablo with ginger syrup instead of ginger beer/ale as well as mezcal for tequila. There was also Ted Kilgore's Count Diablo that was a Diablo riff with ginger liqueur instead of ginger beer/ale as well, but that was also a mashup with Negroni. Once prepared, the Smoke Signals relayed to the senses a smoke and dark berry aroma. Next, lime and red fruit notes on the sip smoldered into smoky, agave, ginger, and tannic berry flavors on the swallow.

instant crush

1 1/2 oz Patron Silver Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Ilegal Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/8 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Bitter Sling Moondog Latin Bitters (Bitter Cube Corazon)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a heart-shaped orange twist on a skull pick (if available).Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to CocktailWonk's release of Tomas Estes' The Tequila Ambassador, and I spotted the Instant Crush by Lauren Mote of Amsterdam. The combination of cassis and Fernet was one that I experienced in the Wells Cocktail from Louis' Mixed Drinks back in 1906, so I was curious to try it here as an accent in an agave-Cocchi Americano concept. Once stirred and strained, the Instant Crush greeted the nose with an orange, dark berry, and herbal bouquet. Next, dark fruit notes on the sip were requited by smoky agave, syrupy red and black fruit, and bitter menthol flavors on the swallow.

under the veil

2 oz Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Cardamom Bitters (The Bitter House Wife)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up my new purchase of A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood by Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix for the evening's libation. While flipping through the pages, I stopped once I read the ingredients for the Under the Veil by Brooklyn bartender Alisha Neverson as her take on a Black Manhattan, for the combination of Sfumato and cassis worked rather well together in the Emotional Tailspin. Therefore, I decided to make the Under the Veil and reach for the bottle of cassis that I had not touched in a year since I made that other recipe. Once prepared, the Under the Veil showcased a char, roast, and cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, a dark fruit, roast, and caramel sip progressed into Cognac and bitter dark berry flavors on the swallow with a smoke and char finish.

emotional tailspin

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Sfumato
3/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays prior, I was skimming through the entries on the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Emotional Tailspin by Chicago homebartender Applejack. He was inspired by the Paper Plane and crafted this as part of his March 2020 quarantine creations. With two substitutions, it was distinct from a Paper Plane, and since Zucca and Sfumato Rabarbaros work well with berry flavors like strawberry in the King Vittorio's Cobbler and raspberry in the Hey Baby, Que Paso?, I figured that currant liqueur would be a win. Moreover, a light touch of cassis did prosper in the Dissenter's 50:50 Zucca and sweet vermouth combination. In the glass, the Emotional Tailspin gave forth a berry, roast, and smoke bouquet. Next, red berry, plum, and lemon notes on the sip flew into Bourbon, fruity, bitter, and smoky aromas on the swallow.

sharpshooter

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 2:1 (1/2 oz 1:1)
2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, swizzle to mix and chill, and garnish with mint sprigs (shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a mint tip).Two Saturdays ago, I delved into my new purchase of Neil Ratliff's Seattle Cocktails and landed upon the Sharpshooter. The recipe was crafted by Jesse Cyr at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, and the structure and cassis ingredient reminded me of Morgenthaler's Bourbon Renewal. In the end, I opted against doing a Swizzle and served it up for simplicity's sake. Once prepared, the Sharpshooter aimed at the nose mint, smoke, and dark berry aromas. Next, lemon and honey mingled on the sip, and the swallow hit the target with mezcal, dark berry, and lavender flavors with a smoky finish.

cut your tape

1 1/2 oz Privateer White Rum
1/2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Rum
1/2 oz Joseph Cartron Dark Crème de Cacao
1/2 oz Briottet Crème de Cassis
1 dash Legendre Herbsaint

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a spritz of regular Herbsaint.Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I attended a performance of Mr. Swindle's Traveling Peculiarium down near the Harpoon Brewery. Our travels afterwards led us to No. 9 Park where we stopped in for a drink. The cocktail that I selected from the menu was the Cut Your Tape, and bartender Brad Weidman set off to make this two rum number. Once prepared, it welcomed the nose with cassis' berry and Herbsaint's anise aromas. Next, a dark berry sip sailed into rum, dark berry, chocolate, and anise flavors on the swallow. While the combination was rather delightful, it did tend towards the sweeter side as the cocktail warmed up.

bourbon renewal

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with either a lemon wedge/wheel or berries in season (omit).

A few weeks ago, a guest at Drink requested a Bourbon and blackberries cocktail, and since we do not generally carry blackberries or blackberry brandy, my mind went to crème de cassis due to similar flavors. I immediately recalled Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Bourbon Renewal, and the recipe pleased them so much that I decided to make it at home. Previously, my only use for cassis at work was the El Diablo, but the recipe reminded me of drinks that we used to make at home circa 2006 like the Mississippi Mule of gin, lemon juice, and crème de cassis, so the concept felt very comforting. Jeffrey described the name in his blog post as, "This one was named after a band that my business partner, Tony Figoli, was in a long time ago. I thought the name was absolutely brilliant, so I decided to do up a drink to commemorate the band – and my favorite spirit at the time." Difford's Guide attributed the recipe to the BelAmi Lounge in Oregon in 2001, and when I posted on Instagram that the recipe was 21 and old enough to drink, Morgenthaler was amused.The way that I made it at home was the same save for the Lejay brand cassis and the Kold Draft ice cubes that we use at work. Here, the Bourbon Renewal proffered dark berry and Bourbon aromas. Next, lemon and blackberry notes on the sip flowed in to Bourbon, tart, dark berry, and clove flavors on the swallow.

zombie d'chambon

1 oz Daron Calvados (Boulard VSOP)
1 oz Plantation Rum (Plantation Original Dark)
1/2 oz Citadelle Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Mathilde Cassis (Massenez)
1/2 oz Mathilde Poire Liqueur
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Orange Juice
4 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with crushed ice, pour into a Tiki mug (Plantation Rum mug), and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and orange slices (omit orange slices).
Two Tuesdays ago, I fielded a question about Zombie variations on Reddit and had thus taken out David Montgomery's Zombie Horde to find the answer. Since it was already out, I utilized it for the drink of the night which was the Zombie d'Chambon. This Zombie riff was crafted in 2012 by Brian Dressel of Austin's Midnight Cowboy in honor of Hugo Chambon Rothlisberger who was the brand ambassador for Pierre Ferrand back then. I was able to match a good number of the calls for Pierre Ferrand products, but alas, I had to utilize other spirits and liqueurs for this tribute. Once prepared, the Zombie d'Chambon yielded a mint bouquet over a dark berry nose. Next, lime, dark berry, and orange notes on the sip lurched into rum and apple flavors on the swallow with an orange and clove spice finish. Unfortunately, the cassis seemed to overtake most of the other flavors in the mix (I am not sure if Mathilde brand is lighter than Massenez or if this was intended).

amour a la francaise

1 1/3 oz Brandy (Camus VS Cognac)
3/4 oz Ginger Liqueur (King's Ginger)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
4 dash Crème de Cassis (1/8 oz Massenez)
1 Egg White

Shake once without and once with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Thursdays ago, I delved into Doni Belau's Paris Cocktails and spotted the Amour à la Française created at Bar Le Forum in Paris. Once prepared, the egg white Sour shared lemon oil over a Cognac and fruity aroma. Next, a creamy lemon sip slid into Cognac, ginger, and hints of currant on the swallow.

innsmouth fogcutter no. 2

1 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/2 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1 1/2 oz Rumfire Overproof White Rum

Whip shake, pour into a Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. "Float" a chilled 1/2 oz Cherry Heering + 1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo), and garnish with mint.

On the BG Reynold's Tiki Bar group on Facebook, there was a discussion of what to put into a large Tiki mug, namely the Innsmouth Fog Cutter mug at 24 oz. I replied that a standard 14-16 oz mug is perfect for a 4-5 oz build before shaking and filling with crushed ice, so a 24 oz one would work well with a 6-7 oz build. One of the replies was to put the namesake Innsmouth Fogcutter in there which is a 7 oz build plus a 1 1/4 oz float (see below) that was created by the mug designer Jonathan Chaffin of Horrors in Clay. I was curious about that one for it utilized blackberry brandy that had appeared in a few classic Tiki drinks like the Don's Own Grog, the Kamehameha Rum Punch, and the Rum Runner. Later in the thread, someone posted a variation that was originally attributed to Jason Alexander, but alas Jason claimed it was not his creation after I had already posted it on Instagram. The second variation seemed guided by a professional bartender for most bars do not contain blackberry brandy but often do have crème de cassis (although I have a 12 year old bottle of Marie Brizard blackberry brandy in the back recesses of my collection).
Innsmouth is a fictional town in Massachusetts that was invented by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft for a 1936 story. Lovecraft considered his town "a considerably twisted version of Newburyport, [ Massachusetts]." I generally associate Lovecraft with Providence, Rhode Island, which is where his tomb is located, so a connection to Massachusetts albeit fictionally made me intrigued by the recipe. Once prepared, the riff on the Innsmouth Fogcutter shared a mint, cherry, and nutty Maraschino nose. Next, a dark berry note was countered by the crisp lemon on the sip, and the swallow began with funky rum, black currant, and nutty flavors that later gained a medicinal cherry element as the "float" cascaded down to the bottom where the straw end was. The "float" here was much more intense of a flavor shift than the cream sherry one in the classic Fog Cutter. Moreover, the citrus-alcohol heat to sugar ratio was closer to balanced before the liqueurs cascaded down here whereas the classic Fog Cutter is still lemon crisp even after the sweet sherry hits the straw.

Innsmouth Fogcutter #1
• 2 oz Light Rum
• 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin
• 1 oz Blackberry Brandy
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Orgeat
Whip shake, pour into a Tiki mug, and fill with crushed ice. Float of "Broken Heart": a chilled 1 oz Cherry Heering + 1/4 oz Maraschino mix.

hissy fit

1 1/2 oz Old Grand-Dad Bourbon (OGD Bonded)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with ice (cocktail coupe sans ice).
On Monday two weeks ago, I set forth on my drinking adventure by opening up the Brooklyn Bartender. There, I was drawn to the Hissy Fit by Josh Ropson of the Vanderbilt for the combination of the highs of elderflower liqueur and the lows of crème de cassis reminded me of the Lion Tamer from Beretta. Once in the glass, the Hissy Fit shared floral, red fruit, and Bourbon aromas. Next, dark fruit and lemon combined into an almost grapefruit flavor on the sip, and the swallow gave forth whiskey, currant, peach, and floral notes.

pleasant evening

3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
2 dash Peach Bitters (Fee's)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass with 3 oz dry sparkling wine (flute with 3 oz Willm Blanc de Blancs), and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Two Tuesdays ago, I was in the mood for something light, so I sought out The Art of the Shim by Dinah Sanders. There, I was lured in by Andrew Mitchell's Pleasant Evening that he created at San Francisco's Rickhouse in 2009. Once prepared, the drink shared a grapefruit oil aroma with a hint of dark berry from the cassis. Next, a crisp and carbonated grapefruit and white wine sip transitioned into a black currant swallow with a peach finish.

mackay

2/3 Brandy (1 1/2 oz Camus VS)
2 dash Dry Vermouth (1 oz La Quintinye)
1 dash Cassis (3/8 oz Massenez)
1 dash Absinthe (1/8 oz Butterfly)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
After my Sunday work shift two weeks ago, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for nightcap inspiration. In the brandy section, I happened upon the MacKay and I was reminded of how well cassis and absinthe pair such as in the Br'er Rabbit. Once prepared, the MacKay showcased a dark berry aroma with anise notes. Next, a dark fruit sip gave way to Cognac, tart berry, anise, and light herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, the pairing of a cassis and absinthe here reminded me of the Improved style of cocktail with the crème de cassis filling in somewhat for the Maraschino.

rock island

2/3 Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Sazerac)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Alessio)
1 dash Crème de Cassis (1/4 oz Massenez)
1 dash Picon Bitters (1/4 oz Amer Picon)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Sundays ago, I returned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 to find any gems that I had passed over. The Rock Island caught my eye as a Liberal Cocktail (essentially a Manhattan embittered with Picon) darkened by black currant liqueur, and that darkening effect worked well in the Sweet Martini dubbed the Marblehead from that same tome. My best guest as to what the drink is named after is the city in Illinois located the largest island on the Mississippi River; the most notable business there is the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing plant, the Rock Island Arsenal, that is famous for their 1911 series of handguns.
After stirring and straining, the Rock Island greeted the nose with dark berry and rye aromas. Next, caramel, malt, grape, and dark berry mingled in the sip, and the swallow was rye forward and accented by bitter orange and black currant notes.

under the gun

1 oz Olmeca Altos Tequila
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Falernum
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis
2 dash Chili Bitters (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
(*) A house-made habañero pepper in vodka infusion. A dash of hot sauce will work in a pinch.
A few Mondays ago, I popped into Brick & Mortar to get a nightcap on my way home from an event. There, I asked bartender Paul Yem for the Under the Gun which turned out to be his invention. I was drawn in for it reminded me of Trader Vic's Diablo with clove and chili instead of ginger as the spice element but kept short like a Count Diablo. Once built, the Under the Gun shared a tequila, cassis, and hint of pepper aroma. Next, lime and berry notes filled the sip, and agave, currant, and clove came through on the swallow along with a light heat aspect on the finish.

seventy first

2/3 Rye (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
1 dash Cassis (1/4 oz Massenez)
1 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters (2 dash)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Sundays ago after my bar shift, I came home and opened up Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Seventy First in the whiskey section which appeared like an interesting Brooklyn sort of drink. The drink name conjured up a military unit name; however, the 71st Infantry Division was not formed until mid-way into World War II and thus more than a decade late for this book. Regardless, a Manhattan variation seemed like a perfect way to end the evening. In the glass, the Seventy First shared a rye aroma with dark undercurrents from the cassis. Next, grape and dark cherry notes filled the sip, and the swallow offered whiskey, black currant, and nutty maraschino flavors with a dry and clean finish from the Peychaud's Bitters.

oahu gin sling

2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis (G.E. Massenez)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 tsp Sugar (omitted)

Shake with ice and strain into a Pilsner glass containing 3 oz soda water, a long wide lime spiral, and ice.

After making the Ginger-Lime Rum Daiquiri, I was still in a rum mood so I reached for Beachbum Berry's Remixed. Instead of getting lured in by another sugar-cane spirit-driven recipe, it was a gin one. The Oahu Gin Sling struck me as a cross between a Mississippi Mule (gin, cassis, lemon -- a combination that Misty Kalkofen used in her Temporary Fix) and a Straits Sling (gin, Benedictine, Cherry Heering, lemon, soda). Berry attributed the recipe to Thomas Mario, the food and drink editor of Playboy Magazine circa 1970.
The long horse's neck lime garnish added a bounty of lime oil notes to the dark fruity aroma from the cassis. Next, the sip was a carbonated lime and dark berry flavor that led into a gin and Benedictine herbal swallow with black currant to round off the drink with tart bass notes. Overall, the Oahu Gin Sling was rather gin forward with the Beefeater, and the cassis in place of cherry took the Singapore Sling-style drink in a novel direction.

marblehead

2/3 Dry Gin (1 oz Beefeater Summer)
2 dash Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Cocchi)
2 dash Creme de Cassis (1 bsp G.E. Massenez)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist.

After the Tequila Zoom, I stuck with the cocktail time era and reached for Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 to find another quirky original. There, I spotted the Marblehead which I envisioned as a Martinez with cassis instead of Maraschino as the liqueur. Thus, I opted for a Martinez-like structure and made it more sweet vermouth forward. In picking a gin, I wanted to focus on the black currant notes and selected Beefeater Summer since the fruit is in the botanical mix (despite it being anything close to summer here).
The Marblehead offered a grape aroma lightened by the orange oil. The grape flowed on into the sip where it was complemented by a bright berry note from the cassis. Next, the cassis continued on into the swallow along with the gin, but the cassis here was a darker currant flavor that added a tart and bitter component to the finish.

moi?

1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis
1/4 oz Anchor Junipero Gin
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass with ice. Top with 2-3 oz tonic water and add a straw.
Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured down to Straight Law for dinner after my day shift. For a drink, I asked bartender Sean Sullivan for the Moi? which seemed like a refreshing highball that fit quite nicely with their riffs on Spanish gin & tonic variations. I was able to locate the recipe in Gary Regan's The Bartender's Bible: 1001 Mixed Drinks but was not able to track it back any further. Perhaps the French aspect, besides the pair of French ingredients, could be attributed to the dry vermouth, cassis, and gin Parisian Cocktail that appears in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Once prepared, the Moi? offered a juniper aroma from the robustly accented gin. A tart lemon and dark berry-like currant sip led into a sweeter quinine and juniper-laden swallow with a tart lemon finish.