savannah slammer

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Peach (Mathilde Peche Liqueur)
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 splash Steen's Syrup (1/8+ oz Demerara)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint and freshly grated cinnamon. Two Fridays prior, I decided to make the Savannah Slammer created at Good Company in St. Louis from their Spring 2025 menu that I had uncovered in a set of online recipe flashcards. This drink that still resides on their current menu reads like a Georgia Julep crossed with a Cynar Julep in a mint as a garnish-only Smash. Once assembled, the Savannah Slammer awoke the senses with a mint and cinnamon aromas over peach. Next, lemon with a vague orchard fruit note on the sip blossomed into Bourbon, peach, and funky herbal flavors on the swallow.

malua

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Dry Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
8-10 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass (ceramic mug), and garnish with a lime wheel and mint bouquet. Two Saturdays ago, I was in the mood for something tropical, so I looked to my notes from my online recipe flashcard research and selected the Mālua at the Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Honolulu. A 2022 Yelp review made reference to it in the text and included a drink photo as well. Overall, the combination of mint, peach, and lime took the drink into Missionary's Downfall territory but with a tequila (and no pineapple and honey) spin on it. Here, the Mālua opened up with lime and mint aromas from the garnishes over peach and tropical ones. Next, lime, orange, and passion fruit notes on the sip were washed away by agave, peach, orange, and mint flavors on the swallow.

last one standing

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Jamaican Gold Rum (1/4 oz Smith & Cross + 1/4 oz Appleton 8 Year)
1 tsp Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint leaves in liqueurs. Add rest of ingredients, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a peach slice (omit) and a mint bouquet dusted with confectioner sugar (no sugar). Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and found the Last One Standing by Natasha David at Nitecap in 2014. My research uncovered a defunct Ask A New Yorker article from that year which mentioned that the bar used Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac and Hamilton Jamaican Rum as the spirits. The name made me think of the Last Man Standing from Brad Parson's Last Call book, but this one is an embittered Julep instead of a bitter bomb of an evening ender. In the silver cup, the Last One Standing gave forth a mint bouquet to the nose. Next, a caramel-driven sip from the amaro opened up into Cognac, minty, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with a mint and peach finish.

society street

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
>1/4 oz Peach Liqueur (1 tsp Mathilde)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays ago, Imbibe Magazine sent out an email of a recipe from their January 2026 issue called Society Street. The drink is a Southern take on a Manhattan by Jeremy Buck at Coterie in Charleston, and it reminded me of the Bourbon Belle at Boston's Citizen Public House minus the Cognac aspect. In the glass, the Society Street chauffeured a lemon and peach aroma to the nose. Next, a grape-driven sip opened up into whiskey, dark fruit, peach, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

mild sedative

1 1/2 oz Pusser's Rum (3/4 oz Hamilton's 86° Demerara + 3/4 oz Monymusk Gold)
1 1/2 oz House Coco Cordial (1 oz Coco Lopez)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Flash blend with crushed ice (whip shake), pour into a footed Fizz glass (Tiki mug), and top with crushed ice. Garnish with mint, orange twist, flower, and paper parasol with a cherry. Two Saturdays ago, I searched my list of cocktails to make for another use of my Coco Lopez stash, and I honed in on the Mild Sedative – a Painkiller riff at Raised by Wolves in San Diego that I found via online recipe flashcards. The menu description from 2021 read as follows, "We're walking the path paved by the classic Painkiller. Layers upon layers to be found in this tropical sipper that toes the line between decadence and crisp citrus refreshment." With peach, passion fruit, and lime added to the classic that I had experienced once before in the Nautilus (albeit with other fruit flavors in the mix), I was curious to taste Raised by Wolves' version. Fully garnished, it gave forth an orange and mint aroma. Next, a creamy orange and lime sip was smoothed off with rum, coconut, peach, and passion fruit 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.

juan jose cocktail

50% Dry Gin (1 1/4 oz Beefeater)
30% Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz Dolin)
10% Jamaican Rum (1/4 oz Smith & Cross)
10% Crème de Peche (1/4 oz Mathilde)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up my translated reprint of the 1000 Misture book from 1936 and decided to make the Juan José Cocktail. This Martini riff reminded me of another in that same book, namely the Portorico which is also accented with Jamaican rum, fruit liqueur, and aromatic bitters. Moreover, the combination of Jamaican rum and peach liqueur worked well in the Westward, so I was curious to try this one. In the glass, the Juan José proffered a cherry, peach, and pineapple aroma to the nose. Next, caramel and orchard fruit notes on the sip gave way to pine, peach, rum funk, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

orchard sour

2 oz Germain-Robin Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1/2 oz Apricot or Peach Liqueur (Mathilde Peche)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Tuesdays ago, I had just entered my Bobcat's Tail into the Kindred Cocktails, and the database suggested the Orchard Sour as a related recipe. That drink was created by Darren Crawford at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco as published by Camper English in Fine Cooking in 2011. The idea of a Sour sweetened by peach and cinnamon worked well in the Peachy Keen and the Probitas Swizzle and by apricot and cinnamon in the Southern Belle and Transatlantic Orbit, so I was hooked. With the Orchard Sour made with peach liqueur, it offered up peach and cinnamon aromas to the nose. Next, lemon and orchard fruit notes on the sip flowed into brandy, canned peach, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

rocky mountain revolver

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Creme de Peche (Mathilde)
3 dash Allspice (30 drop Hamilton's Allspice Dram)

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for the Baldwin Bar in Woburn and spotted the Rocky Mountain Revolver. Despite the name, it had less to do with the neoclassic Revolver and more in common with Joy Richard's Bourbon Belle. Perhaps the name is in reference to the Rocky Mountain Firearms company that makes beautiful historic recreations of old guns like 6-shot revolvers. The drink was served at the upstairs Baldwin & Sons Trading Company for their opening or very early menu in 2016. A menu photo on Yelp that year mentioned that it was made with a peach-infused Bourbon, but it seems that they make it now as Bourbon plus peach liqueur. In the glass, the Rocky Mountain Revolver offered up Bourbon, peach, and allspice aromas. Next, grape and orchard fruit on the sip took aim at Bourbon, bitter peach, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

mountain man

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Crème de Peche (Mathilde)

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a piece of candied ginger.Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a recipe for the Mountain Man and traced it back to an article in Punch. This drink created by Natasha David at Nightcap in Manhattan circa 2015 read like a maple for honey Democrat meets a Federal Buffalo Stamp. Once prepared, the Mountain Man offered up Bourbon, peach, and ginger aromas to the nose. Next, lemon and maple notes on the sip climbed towards Bourbon, peach, maple, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

chelsea hook

2 oz Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Orgeat
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays prior, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcards for Polite Provisions in San Diego, and the Chelsea Hook seemed like an interesting Sour. Yelp links the drink to 2021 via both photos and reviews, and the combination of complementary peach liqueur and orgeat elements balanced with citrus has appeared in a trio of drinks: the Henry Trotter, the Cowgirl in the Sand, and most recently for me in the Freydis. Once prepared, the Chelsea Hook opened up with a lemon, almond, floral, and peach aroma. Next, a creamy lemon and orchard fruit sip led into Cognac, almond, peach, and clove flavors on the swallow.

freydis

3/4 oz El Dorado 3 Year White Rum (Hamilton White Stache)
3/4 oz Krogstad Aquavit
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz L'Orgeat Almond Liqueur or Orgeat (Orgeat)
1/4 oz Orchard Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)

Whip shake, pour into a Hurricane or Pearl Diver glass (Collins), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig and orchid (ornamental pea blossom).As I was making my way through Amanda Schuster's Signature Cocktails book, one of the first drinks that seemed intriguing that I had not tried before and was also easy to make without crafting ingredients or utilizing time- and labor-intensive processes was the Freydis. The recipe was created by Selma Slabiak at Mother of Pearl in Manhattan circa 2018, and it was also meaningful to me for I got to meet Selma when we both attended the same session of Gaz Regan's Cocktails in the Country in 2015. Selma named her Nordic take on the Mai Tai after the sister of Leif Erikson and the first Scandinavian woman to make it to America. The combination reminded me a little of Death & Co.'s Mr. Wednesday but here in a peach instead of banana way. Once prepared, the Freydis landed with a mint and nutty bouquet. Next, a creamy lime sip sailed into rum, caraway, star anise, and nutty peach flavors on the swallow.

ghosts of graceland

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Giffard Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
2 dash Mephis BBQ Bitters (Bittercube Corazon)
1 pinch Sea Salt (3 drop 20% Saline)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist (orange twist).After a delayed flight returning from the USBG national meeting in Denver, I was in need of a drink. Therefore, I found the Ghosts of Graceland in online recipe flashcards for Polite Provisions in San Diego. The cocktail was mentioned in a Fall 2023 article on Halloween-appropriate cocktails around San Diego, and the combination of Punt e Mes and crème de peche were ones that worked well in Tony Iamunno's Movin' to the Country and my Barry's Corner. In the glass, the Ghosts of Graceland proffered orange, peach, and Cognac aromas. Next, grape and fruity notes on the sip were haunted by Cognac and bitter peach and pineapple flavors on the swallow.

continual risk

1 1/2 oz Bar Hill Tom Cat Old Tom Gin
1 oz Cardamaro
1 oz Bittermens Baska Snaps Malört (Jeppson's)
1/4 oz Merlet Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
6 drop Angostura Bitters
3 drop Absinthe (Copper & Kings)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.For a libation two Thursdays prior, I went back to the collection of online recipe flashcards for the Patterson House in Nashville. There, I selected the embittered gin drink called the Continual Risk that I was able to spot on a Yelp menu photo from October 2022. The combination of malört and peach liqueur reminded me of the Bjorn Supremacy, but this went in a somewhat different direction. Once prepared, the Continual Risk showcased an orange, peach, and herbal bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip welcomed gin, bitter, herbal, and peach flavors on the swallow with a lingering honey and wormwood finish.

amen corner

1 1/3 oz Bourbon (2 oz Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato (3/4 oz)
1/2 oz Crème de Peche (3/4 oz Mathilde)
1 tsp Cynar (1/4 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I was perusing an album of screen captures on my phone when I came across one that I bookmarked a year ago an Instagram post from the Cocktails by Roberts and June blog. The drink they showcased was the Amen Corner from Russell House Tavern in a Fall 2020 post. Some time after that point, their site disappeared, but luckily, it still remains on the Wayback Machine via Internet Archive -- Amen to that! After having a good moment with crème de peche with the Prodigal Son a few nights before, I was game to try this Black Manhattan of sorts. Through an an online set of server menu information cards, I learned that the drink was "named after famous bend in Masters tournament" which encompasses the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes of the Augusta National Course. Given the general manager listed on the server training cards, the drink is older than the post; that would place it sometime after I left Russell House in March of 2015 and before that general manager departed in December of 2016. In the glass, the Amen Corner proffered up orange, peach, roast, and root-herbal aromas to the nose. Next, orchard fruit notes on the sip soared into Bourbon, bitter peach, vegetal, and roasty-smoky flavors on the swallow.

Postnote 5/24/26: My old bar manager after Sam Gabrielli departed in early summer 2014, Ashish Mitra, just commented, "The Amen Corner was one my cocktails from the last year I was running the program at Russell House Tavern." This one joins the other recipes from Ashish on the blog including El Morro and Eye of the Storm.

prodigal son

2 oz Evan Williams 1783 Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1 tsp Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1 dash Elixir Vegetal de la Grande-Chartreuse

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.

Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set from Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and I selected the Prodigal Son from their Spring 2023 menu. I was able to ascertain that it is an older drink than that via a mention on Yelp dating back to Summer 2021. I was drawn in for it would give me a reason to crack open my bottle of Elixir Vegetal that I got at the launch party held at Atlantico last November; Elixir Vegetal is akin to bitters that taste like Green Chartreuse but are not a direct substitute for that hard-to-find liqueur. I first tried Elixir Vegetal dashed onto a sugar cube in a spoon circa 2010 at Eastern Standard back when the product was categorized as a medicine and not allowed to be legally imported into the country; recently, they changed its categorization to fill the gap in the market for things that taste like Chartreuse. In addition, since Chartreuse flavors worked well with crème de peche in the Foreward, I was keen on trying out the Prodigal Son.The Prodigal Son arrived with a caramel, peach, and herbaceous bouquet. Next, caramel on the sip gave way to Bourbon, peach, dark orange, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.

hell or high water

1 1/2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Egg White (1 whole Egg White)
1/4 oz Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist (photo I later found on Yelp appears to be an express and discard twist).Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, when I spotted the Hell or High Water from the Spring 2023 menu that would make good use of the bottle of Jameson that I was gifted for Christmas from my restaurant. While it was on a recent menu, it was a much older recipe that appeared in a Yelp photo from around 2016. Overall, it reminded me of a whiskey-based Clover Club with peach accents instead of raspberry, so I was curious to give it a go especially with the honey-Benedictine combination. Once prepared, the Hell or High Water welcomed the nose with orange, peach, and floral aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and orchard fruit sip rose to whiskey, peach, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

gentian's companion

1 oz Plymouth Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
3/4 oz Salers Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1/8 of Crème de Peche (Mathilde)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I purchased a new bottle of Dolin Blanc to make a drink from Raines Law Room called the Gentian's Companion. The name made me think of Charles H. Baker Jr.'s cocktail book titles, and I found the recipe via online flashcards from the bar and spotted it listed on their 2017 menu. The combination of gentian liqueur and allspice dram reminded me of the Sinnerman than inspired me to create the Sinnerman Swizzle, and the gin, aromatized wine, and gentian liqueur aspect was reminiscent of the White Negroni. Once prepared, the Gentian's Companion proffered a lemon and herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, white fruit notes on the sip flowed into gin, gentian, and peach flavors on the swallow with an allspice finish. Overall, the gentian-peach combination impressed me as a great one that I had never been exposed to before.

protect ya neck

1 1/2 oz Aged Rhum Agricole (JM Gold)
3/4 oz Cognac (Du Peyrat Selection)
1/2 oz Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe (old fashioned glass), and garnish with a lemon wheel (lemon twist).Two Mondays ago, I spotted Chad Austin's Everyone Has a F*cking Cocktail Book in the drink book shelves, and I began to flip through the pages to find something to make. There, I landed on the Protect Ya Neck (Killa Bees on the Set) that reminded me a little of the Missionary's Downfall with the rum, honey and peach liqueur in the mix. The combination of rhum agricole and Cognac is one that has worked in Her Majesty's Pearl and A Rum with a Vieux and I utilized in the Prelude to a Broken Arm, so I was curious to give it the recipe a try. In the glass, it conjured up lemon, peach, and grassy aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and orchard fruit sip launched into grassy, lemon, peach, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

townes van zandt

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Peach Liqueur (Mathilde)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago after my bar shift, I reached for Natalie Jacob's Mod Cocktails for a nightcap. There, I spotted the Townes Van Zandt that reminded me a little of the Bourbon Belle given the whiskey, vermouth, and peach liqueur combination. Natalie was inspired by the Martini variation called the Van Zandt consisting of gin, dry vermouth, and a hint of apricot liqueur that appeared in Jack's Manual, and she named her summery Manhattan riff after the musician. Once assembled, the Townes Van Zandt gave forth a lemon, peach, and whiskey aroma. Next, a semi-dry orchard fruit sip strummed into rye, peach, and clove flavors on the swallow.