anderson punch

1 3/4 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the day before's Amaro Rusty Nail, and I took the idea in Malört direction after recalling how well it worked with Drambuie in the Bukowski. The combination ended up a bit too bright, but a dash of Angostura not only gave depth but complementary spice notes to the mix. For a name, I dubbed this one the Anderson Punch, the Chicken Man of Chicago, who was born in 1870 and became a legendary street performer that trained chickens to dance to his accordion and harmonica music. Punch was performing until the age of 101 before passing away in 1974. In the glass, the tribute to this colorful character of the Windy City gave forth grapefruit, honey, and Scotch aromas. Next, honey and malt notes on the sip welcomed in Scotch, honey, and grapefruit pith bitter flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Drambuie softened the Malört rather well.

amaro rusty nail

1 oz Scotch (3/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Drambuie
1 oz Amaro Sfumato

At the bar, served from the freezer into a shot glass (served with a Budweiser for $10). Here, I stirred with ice, strained into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnished with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I was listening to the Speakeasy podcast where the hosts were interviewing Robby Dow of Bespoke in Wilmington, North Carolina. On the episode, Robby provided the recipe for the Amaro Rusty Nail which they serve undiluted from the freezer into a shot glass in a boilermaker pairing with a Budweiser. The concept fell into the class of bitter liqueur-tinged Rusty Nail riffs like the Tooth & Nail and the Bitter Nail, so I was intrigrued. Instead of building in a rocks glass and sticking it in the freezer for an hour, I decided to stir with ice and strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. With my addition of a lemon twist garnish, the Amaro Rusty Nail ushered in a lemon, roasty char, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and roast notes on the sip emptied out into smoky Scotch and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

los saicos

3/4 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
3/4 oz Planteray 3 Star White Rum (Hamilton White 'Stache)
1/4 oz Planterayrum OFTD Rum
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Orgeat
5 drop St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (Hamilton)

Whip shake with ice, pour into a ceramic mug, and fill with crushed ice. Two Tuesdays ago, I searched for online recipe flashcard sets that included drinks with Planteray OFTD Rum and found Los Saicos at Cvi.che 105 in Miami. I soon found a Yelp review mentioning the drink in November 2018 and menu photos from May 2019 and March 2021, so it has been successful enough to survive a few menu turns. Matching the Peruvian restaurant theme, the drink was named after a band formed in Lima in 1964 that is considered one of the first garage rock bands and one of the pioneers of punk music. In the mug, the Los Saicos strummed aromas of pineapple and almond to the nose. Next, creamy lime and pineapple notes on the sip led into rum, pineapple, almond, and spice flavors on the swallow.

rusty compass

1 1/2 oz Compass Box Peat Monster Scotch (1 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition + 1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Cherry Heering

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I had spotted an online reference to the Rusty Compass and tracked it down to a Liquor-dot-com article. The recipe was created by Meaghan Dorman as a Rusty Nail meets a Blood and Sand. To my Instagram post, Meaghan replied, "Oooo vintage! This was for the Peat Monster launch." Various Scotch articles point to the Scotch being introduced in 2003 which was the year that Meaghan moved from being a bartender in New Haven, Connecticut, to working in Manhattan (although the launch party could have been a year or so later). In the glass, the Rusty Compass pointed towards orange and peat smoke aromas. Next, honey and dark fruit notes on the sip turned towards smoky Scotch, honey, and cherry flavors on the swallow.

clavo oxidado

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensamble)
1 bsp Drambuie (1 tsp)
1 bsp Cinnamon Syrup (1 tsp)
2 dash Scrappy's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the entries on Kindred Cocktails uploaded by bartender Joshua Perez, and I was lured in by the Clavo Oxidado that he created at Featherweight in Brooklyn circa 2016 as a Rusty Nail riff. I was game to try it considering how well Drambuie pairs with tequila such as in the Last Letter and Principe Eduardo and with mezcal in the Farewell & Adieu. Once prepared, the Clavo Oxidado gave forth a lemon, cinnamon, smoky, and vegetal bouquet to the nose. Next, a semi-sweet sip opened up into vegetal, honey, herbal, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

rusty ringo

1 3/4 oz Boulard VSOP Calvados
1/4 oz Talisker 10 Year Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Drambuie

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a gold leaf (omit).

Two Wednesdays ago, I had spotted a drink called the Rusty Ringo on a friend's Instagram post early that day, and I soon found this drink served at Bar Goto in New York City in a 2022 Punch article. Forbes published the recipe the recipe a year earlier in 2021 and attributed the recipe to bar director Kenta Goto who explained, "I'm always a big fan of Scotch. And if you really like it, you have also probably heard of a Rusty Nail, which is traditionally made with Scotch and Drambuie. In this riff on the classic that we're serving on our new winter menu at Bar Goto's Brooklyn outpost, Bar Goto Niban, we add Calvados. The apple brandy adds a beautiful aroma that works very well with Drambuie, which is made from Scotch and honey. The resulting cocktail is velvety and luxurious and is perfect to sip after a big holiday meal." Indeed, the Calvados-Drambuie duo is one that I appreciated in Death & Co.'s Widow's Laurel and Trina's Starlite Lounge's Bonita Applebum. Moreover, the Scotch-apple brandy-Drambuie trio is one that I utilized in my Lost in the Supermarket and the 3:20 in the Morning, so I was curious to give this drink a try. Once built, the Rusty Ringo gave forth apple, honey, and smoke aromas to the nose. Next, honey and apple notes continued on into the sip where they were joined by apple, peat smoke, and herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, I wish that I had tried a different smoky Scotch such as Caol Ila or Ardbeg for Laphroaig's more medicinal notes that I usually enjoy came across as slightly off in this combination.

good pals

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/8 oz Drambuie
3/8 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass rinsed with absinthe (Obsello), and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for Good Company in St. Louis, Missouri, and landed on the Good Pals from the opening menu in Spring 2024. On paper, it reminded me of Backbar's Confederation Bridge but with sweet vermouth and absinthe instead of blanc vermouth and Angostura. Moreover, I have had good luck pairing Drambuie and Cynar in the Madame Mustache and 3:20 in the Morning, and I have enjoyed it in two Rusty Nail riffs – namely, the Bitter Nail and Tooth & Nail. Once prepared, the Good Pals showcased a lemon and anise bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, honey, and caramel notes on the sip opened up into rye and herbal flavors on the swallow.

lechuza

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the Drambuie and banana liqueur combination in The Goodwill that I made the week before. I swapped its rye and lemon for mezcal and lime, and accented the drink with Peychaud's Bitters. For a name, I was inspired by Backbar's cryptid menu, and I dubbed this the Lechuza after the shapeshifting witch of Mexico – a person-sized bird with a human face. In the glass, the Lechuza flew to the nose with smoke on top of caramelized fruit and vegetable aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes transformed into smoky mezcal, honey, banana, and anise flavors on the swallow. The result ended up being a more complex, spirit forward, and fruity version of the Crush on a Bartender shooter that I crafted for a Thursday Drink Night on Mixoloseum back in 2012.

the goodwill

1 1/2 oz Sagamore Rye (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard collection from The Bygone in Baltimore. There, I was lured in by The Goodwill that appeared on the bar's Facebook page in March 2022. At first I recalled having Drambuie and banana liqueur in the Omertà Cocktail, but I later realized that I had this same combination of Drambuie, banana liqueur, and lemon with Canadian whisky instead of American rye in the Regency from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. In the glass, The Goodwill gave forth an orange, honey, caramel, and whiskey bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon, honey, and caramel notes on the sip shifted to rye, honey, Scotch, and caramelized banana flavors on the swallow.

tabard cocktail

1 1/2 oz Milagro Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a thyme sprig and an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, Chantal Tseng mentioned on Threads that the New York Times republished a story with her Tabard Cocktail recipe for the holidays. Chantal created this drink at Washington D.C.'s Tabard Inn, and I found the recipe as early as 2010 in an Imbibe Magazine article. Overall, the drink reminds me of a tequila riff on the Scotch-based Prince Edward that Misty Kalkofen made me at Drink once but here with a dry sherry instead of Lillet. Once prepared, the Tabard Cocktail showcased an orange and herbal aroma. Next, a semi-dry honey and grape sip became tequila, herbal, hint nutty, and honey flavors on the swallow.

towser the mouser

1 1/2 oz Power's Gold Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Method Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Balvenie 14 Year Scotch (Glen Grant 16 Year)
1/4 oz Drambuie
1 tsp Nocino (Russo)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe), and garnish with orange oil from a twist (include the peel).Two Wednesdays ago, I looked to my to-make list and decided on the Towser the Mouser by Ally Marone as a Bobby Burns riff at Grand Army Bar in Brooklyn circa 2021. I sourced the recipe from Robert Simonson's Substack, and the bar's Facebook mentioned that it was named after the long-lived tortoise shell cat at the Glenturret Distillery that is believed to have killed close to 29,000 mice in her 24 year lifespan or approximately 3 per day. Once stirred and strained, the drink gave forth an orange, whiskey, and nutty aroma. Next, honey and grape on the sip led to whiskey, chocolate, walnut, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

the bukowski

1 1/2 oz Jeppson's Malört
1/2 oz Drambuie
3/4 oz Orange Juice (*)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Honey Syrup 1:1 (*)
3-5 leaf Basil

Shake with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
(*) Robert Simonson reported having a more recent version of this drink (with the newer and softer Malört) where these two measures were 1/2 oz. See below.

Two Fridays ago, I had just finished Josh Noel's Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit book, and one of the chapters reminded me of the 2009 Chicago Reader article about a Malört challenge across town. From that article, I had previously made Paul McGee's Golden Eel, Toby Maloney's Ukranian Negroni, and Brad Bolt's Hard Sell. The recipe that stood out to make next was Charles Joly's The Bukowski from the Counting Room especially since I still had leaves on my basil plant outside. The article described how "The working name for this drink was the Dirty Old Man named after the column Charles Bukowski wrote for an underground newspaper in Los Angeles. Joly says there's no garnish because the writer would have just thrown it back at the bartender." My brother bought me a copy of Notes of a Dirty Old Man that was a collection of those columns for my birthday years ago, and it was my entry into Bukowski. I was already planning to make this one when Robert Simonson wrote on his Substack that afternoon about trying this drink. Robert got the recipe from Joly at a book launch event except this version had a 1/2 oz each of orange juice and honey syrup instead of 3/4 oz. Perhaps this was due to the new Chicago version of Malört being slightly softer and less bitter; however, I still had an old bottle of Florida-made liqueur, so I went with the 2009 recipe. Once prepared the original way, The Bukowski launched off with basil, honey, and minty-bitter herbal aromas. Next, a honey, lemon, and orange sip caroused with bitter herbal, honey, and basil flavors on the swallow. Overall, the combination reminded me of the midcentury Duke with Drambuie, orange, and lemon but taken in a bitter and herbal direction. One of my Instagram friends inquired, "I think of all things, the orange juice and basil combo was throwing me off the most" to which I responded that "the orange juice sooths rough edges, and the basil adds depth to the single botanical liqueur."

omertà cocktail

1 1/2 oz Frapin Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
1/4 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane
1/4 oz Cocchi Extra Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/8 oz Drambuie
8 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters
8 drop Regan's Orange Bitters
1 drop Saline Solution

Stir with ice, strain into a double fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Mondays ago, I returned to the set of online recipe flashcards for Cure in New Orleans and spotted the Omertà Cocktail. This recipe from their Spring 2023 menu was attributed on their Instagram post from a year ago to bartender Scott Hicks with the description of "This spirited take on the Louisiane marries Cognac with banana and dry cacao." Omertà is a code of silence originating in Southern Italian organized crime families such that members are forbidden to reveal details of any activity to authorities even if it means going to prison or worse; I have no clue why that name pertains here, but the combination seemed curiously tempting. In the glass, the Omertà began with lemon, Cognac, and banana aromas. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip fled into Cognac, chocolate, and banana flavors on the swallow.

burrows in disguise

1 oz Campari
1 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Dry Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange horse's neck (orange twist).Two Wednesdays ago, I uncovered an online collection of recipe flashcards from Blyth & Burrows in Portland, Maine. The Burrows in Disguise from around 2017 was one that called out to me that utilized all off the shelf ingredients, and the Scotch, Drambuie, and Campari trio is one that has worked recently in the Plausible Deniability, in the past in the Bitter Nail, and in drinks I have crafted with the Lost in the Supermarket. Moreover, the combination looked like an abstraction of the Smoking Hand, so I was game to give it a whirl. Here, the Burrows in Disguise launched off with an orange and peat smoke bouquet. Next, honey, malt, and grape notes on the sip slid into smoky Scotch, orange, and bitter flavors on the swallow.

hastings

1 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse Black)
1 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 tsp Drambuie

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, I spotted the Hastings on the KindredCocktails database that caught my attention. The recipe was created by Adam Manning of the Tartines to Tikis blog for the Mixology Monday apple-themed event that I led in 2014, so I had already read his blog post albeit nine years prior. Here, Adam made a Scotch variation of Erik Lorincz's Norman Conquest and perhaps of Sam Ross' Grandfather, and the result shared a similarity to Erick Castro's Full Windsor. Once prepared, the Hastings launched off with an orange, apple, and Scotch aroma. Next, grape and honey notes on the sip marched into Scotch, apple, honey, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a hint of smoke on the finish.

plausible deniability

1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse Scotch (Famous Grouse Black)
3/4 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lime wedge (omit garnish).Two Saturdays ago, I discovered a drink called Plausible Deniability via a set of online recipe flashcards. I was able to trace it back to 2013 article in Punch which described how it was created by Alex Waldman, a California ex-pat living in Turkey and running Alex's Place in Instanbul. The name derived from how the owner thought that the first proto-type with Bourbon had a youthful feel to it, and Alex later dubbed it with a more abstract name than the owner's suggestion. Once mixed, the Plausible Deniability opened up with lime, orange, honey, and Scotch aromas. Next, honey and lime notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow rounded things up with whisky, bitter orange, and honey flavors.

drawing board

1 1/2 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition Scotch
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
1 Lemon Peel

Squeeze the lemon peel into the mixing glass and drop in, add the rest of the ingredients, stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned rinsed with Laphroaig Scotch, and add a large ice cube.Two Wednesdays ago, I began flipping through an online flashcard set for Dead Rabbit for their Summer 2015 menu change. The recipe that grabbed me was the Drawing Board by Jillian Vose as perhaps a Rusty Nail meets a Highlander. I have had the duo of Benedictine and Drambuie before in the rum-mezcal Farewell & Adieu and Cognac-based Rusty Bene, so I wanted to see what the French liqueur could do to the classic Rusty Nail. Here, the Drawing Board led off with peat smoke, herbal, and allspice aromas. Next, honey and caramel on the sip transformed into smoky Scotch, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

bonnie prince charlie

2 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Drambuie
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I returned home from my bar shift in need of a nightcap. Therefore, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed upon the Bonnie Prince Charlie by Brandon Bramhall at Attaboy in Manhattan circa 2018. While the name reminded me of the Bonnie Prince Charles, instead of a Cognac-Drambuie Sour, it was described as "Rusty Nail-esque. Slightly less intense with the addition of sherry." As a Scotch, Amontillado sherry, and Drambuie stirred drink, it reminded me of the Carpenter's Hand and Camino Del Ray that utilized Armagnac and añejo tequila, respectively. Once prepared, the Bonnie Prince Charlie showed off a lemon, honey, and smoke aroma. Next, grape and honey on the sip led into smoky Scotch, dried fruit, honey, herbal, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

prince edward

2 oz Scotch (*)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz Drambuie

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
(*) Since this was a William Grant event, I assume it was Monkey Shoulder.

Two Thursdays ago, I attended a Drambuie class at the Wig Shop downtown. For our first cocktail to sip on as we heard the talk, we were served the Prince Edward which is a recipe that I have alluded to such as in the tequila-based riff, the Principe Eduardo, but I have never written up the classic here despite having it before my time writing on the blog. The closest that I have come to the recipe is the Hundred Pipers that adds an absinthe accent to the original. The recipe above is the one that we did at Drink with the Wig Shop's choice of garnish; note that Drink's recipe called for an orange slice which is what is specified in Stan Jones' Barguide. Amusingly, during the talk, someone entered the space and was actually looking for wigs (see the bar's window display for the confusion not to mention that Wig World used to be located there); the speaker welcomed her to join, but general manager Kevin ushered her out since it was a private event. After, Kevin commented, "So you want to open a speakeasy – it's not as cool as you think!" In the glass, the Prince Edward offered up a lemon, hint of smoke, and honey bouquet to the nose. Next, malt, honey, and orchard fruit on the sip transformed into Scotch, herbal, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

the hundred pipers

2 oz Scotch (1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse + 1/2 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed upon the Hundred Pipers by Michael Madrusan in 2012. What was described as something "inspired by a fleeting love affair with the Rusty Nail" reminded me of a classic called the Prince Edward of Scotch, Lillet, and Drambuie (2, 3/4, 1/4 oz, respectively, is my preferred recipe) but here with equal parts of Drambuie and Cocchi Americano plus a dash of absinthe. The name most likely refers to the Scottish song and jig attributed to Carolina Nairne circa 1850s based upon the Jacobite Rising of 1745. In the glass, the Hundred Pipers presented a peat smoke, honey, and anise bouquet to the nose. Next, a honey and orchard fruit sip marched towards Scotch, herbal, pear, and anise flavors on the swallow.