my fair lady

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1 tsp Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
3 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Mondays ago, I found the My Fair Lady by Jesse Cyr at The Fog Room in Seattle from an Imbibe Magazine article in 2019. I most likely skipped over it when it was first published for I did not have Amaro Ciociaro on my shelves until early 2023. Jesse describes it as a Brooklyn variation "inspired by two of Holland's most treasured exports: Audrey Hepburn (who spent much of her childhood in Holland) and Genever." After stirring and straining, the My Fair Lady divulged an orange, malty, and hint of cherry aroma. Next, malt and caramel on the sip twirled into Genever and slightly bitter orange-cherry flavors on the swallow.

wooden ship

1 oz Tanqueray No. Ten Gin (regular Tanqueray)
1 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Bauchant)
1/2 tsp Cane Sugar Syrup (1/8 oz)
1 dash Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for my copy of Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book and searched out the Wooden Ship created by Thomas Waugh at Death & Co. in 2011. I became inspired after seeing that a friend posted about this on Instagram, and I realized that I skipped over this one after depleting my Grand Marnier bottle. Since Eastern Standard paired Bauchant with Anchor's American "Genever" in the Dutch Courage, I figured that particular alternative brandy-based orange liqueur could work here. Once mixed, the Wooden Ship sailed to the nose with a lemon, malty, and touch of cinnamon aroma. Next, malt and light, fruity, almost paw-paw notes on the sip dropped anchor into malty, herbal, pine, and orange flavors on the swallow with a cinnamon finish.

soul wandering

3/4 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

After making the City to City the day before that was related to the Transmigration, I was inspired to turn the two-Scotch and two-rum drinks, respectively, into a Genever-gin one. Genever and gin have worked in everything from stirred drinks like the Precursor to tropical ones like the Modern Prometheus. Moreover, Genever has paired well with Cynar and coffee liqueur such as in the Wild Card and the Hard Times, respectively, so I figured that the combination had a good chance to click. For a name, I ended up on Soul Wandering to stick with the migration theme. Once prepared, the Soul Wandering opened up with an orange, malty, caramel-roast, and herbal aroma. Next, roast and grape notes on the sip shifted into malty, coffee, and herbal flavors on the swallow. A day or two later, my Instagram friend Tim Kirkland made this drink and wrote in his own post, "Bold, complex, rich. Genever lovers, listen up! As a huge Genever fan, I'm always looking for creative ways to showcase this amazing spirit. This cocktail checks all boxes. Offering hints of juniper, malt, a little cola, coffee, black grapes, orange peel, and a very slightly bitter/malt/coffee finish, the Genever was perfect in this. The gin/Genever combo worked well to bring out the bitter notes from the Cynar, while accentuating the rich coffee notes. The orange oils sort of brought everything together in a wonderful way."

honey i'm home

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc (Servito)
1/4 oz Malört
1/4 oz TVH2 (Honey Syrup)
2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. The drink that I had prepared in advance while I was at the USBG Bar Summit in Philadelphia on Monday was the Honey I'm Home from Chicago's The Violet Hour for their Summer 2022 menu. I was able to source the spec through online recipe flashcards, and my cheatsheat from the bar defines TVH2 as honey or honey-ginger-cinnamon syrup (which makes perfect sense given the drink's name), so I went with the one that I had on hand. While I have not had a Genever-tequila cocktail before, there are four Genever-mezcal ones on the blog dating back to 2009 with Misty Kalkofen's 1820. Once prepared, the Honey I'm Home gave forth a lemon, malty, and vegetal bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and white grape notes on the sip delved into tequila, malty, honey, and bitter flavors on the swallow.

polite meeting

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-aged)
1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/4+ oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/8 oz Maple Syrup
13 drop Root Beer Bitters (1 dash Bitter Queens Sarsparilla)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays prior, I returned to online recipe flashcards for The Patterson House in Nashville, and I was drawn in by a Genever-rye whiskey Old Fashioned called the Polite Meeting for their Fall 2024 menu. The Genever-maple pairing drew my attention since it has worked in drinks like the Western Front and the Smokin' Bols, but Genever-banana is something that I have only seen in the This That & The Other which had other flavors going on. In the glass, the Polite Meeting launched off with lemon and malty aromas. Next, malt and caramel notes on the sip unfurled into Genever, root beer, maple, banana, and wormwood flavors on the swallow.

voorhees

1 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with cayenne pepper powder. Two Tuesdays prior, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and honed in on the Voorhees by D. Skinner. Overall, it appeared like a variation on the Holland Razor Blade with the Genever split with apple brandy and the simple syrup split with cinnamon. In the glass, the Voorhees donated an apple, cinnamon, and malty aroma. Next, a lemon-driven sip blossomed into apple, malty, cinnamon, and herbal flavors on the swallow that gained an increasing amount of hot pepper spice over time.

tammany hall

1 oz Redbreast Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, garnish with lemon oil from a twist and a cherry. Two Mondays ago after making the No Bye/No Aloha, I selected a nightcap from the KindredCocktails database called Tammany Hall. It was not the century's old Tammany that is a rye Manhattan with Yvette and noyaux accents, but a split base Irish whiskey-Genever Manhattan with Benedictine created by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles circa 2013. The combination of two spirits, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and bitters reminded me of Death & Taxes (and later Mergers & Acquisitions); therefore, I was curious to give this one a go. In the glass, Tammany Hall ruled on a lemon, malty, and grape aroma. Next, grape and malty notes on the sip passed an order for Irish whiskey, malty Genever, herbal, wormwood, and clove flavors on the swallow.

cocoyage

2 oz Bols Barrel-Aged Genever
1/2 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 Whole Egg

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a Sour glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Two Monday ago, I opened up my copy of the pre-Pandemic Eastern Standard bar bible and latched on to the Cocoyage. It was the bar's version of a drink vaguely described by Lafcadio Hearn in 1880 and communicated as a Genever, coconut water, and egg drink in Beachbum Berry's Potions of the Carribbean book. As for a time frame, a Yelp review in 2018 makes mention of the Cocoyage, and its coconut cream coupled with a whole egg reminded me of the bar's Root of All Evil. This Flip gave forth a woody spice and cinnamon bouquet to the nose. Next, a creamy and rich sip flowed into malty, coconut, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

howlin' at the moon

1 Lemon Peel
2 oz Bols Barreled-Aged Genever
2 tsp Marie Brizzard White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/2 tsp Cane Sugar Syrup (Sirop JM)
2 dash Bittercube Cherry Bark-Vanilla Bitters (2 dash King Floyd's Cherry-Cacao + 2 dash Savoy Society Orange-Vanilla)

Muddle the lemon twist, add the rest of the ingredients, stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I reached for the Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book, and I spotted the Howlin' at the Moon by Brad Farran at Manhattan's Death & Co. in 2012. Brad created this Old Fashioned based on how well barrel-aged Genever works with chocolate. Regardless of the barrel-aged aspect, I have enjoyed three Genever-cacao drinks before such as The Murder of Dutch Schultz and the Double Dutch. Since I had barrel-aged Bols on my shelves, I set to mixing. Here, the Howlin' at the Moon let out an orange, malty, and chocolate aroma. Next, a malty and semi-sweet sip opened up into malt, herbal, wormwood, chocolate, and cherry flavors on the swallow.

606

1 1/2 oz Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a reference on KindredCocktails to the 606, and I was able to track it down in my 2010 copy of the Left Coast Libations book. The drink was created by San Francisco bartender Neyah White, and the recipe was on the same page as his Old Bill that I made shortly after purchasing the book at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010. The idea of Genever, Fernet, and vermouth reminded me a little of the Central Carré with Punt e Mes at Rendezvous, but if the Genever was a stand-in for gin, I could visualize this as a riff on the 1920s Hanky Panky. Once stirred and strained, the 606 presented an orange, malty, and bitter herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, malty, grape, and caramel notes on the sip opened up into malty, bitter herbal, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.

lock & load

1 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Pineapple Gomme Syrup (Pineapple Syrup)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Tuesdays prior, I revisited the online recipe flashcards for Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and I selected the Lock & Load. Yelp has a mention of this drink as early as 2013, and a menu description read "earth & soft, with a tropical bounce." I have had Benedictine paired with pineapple syrup in the rum-based Rainmaker and the Cognac-sherry Burnished Brass, and I utilized it in The Phrasemaker after studying recipes of my #SecretSanté back in 2022. Once shaken and strained, the Lock & Load showcased a lime, pineapple, and woody spice bouquet. Next, lime and pineapple notes on the sip flowed into malty, herbal, pineapple, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

this that & the other

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 Paranubes Rum (Uruapan Charanda Blanco)
1 oz Pasubio Vino Amaro
1/4 oz Giffard Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Mondays ago, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcard set for the Patterson House in Nashville and came across the This That & the Other as a three-way split base bitter Manhattan of sorts. The name reminded me of the differently punctuated drink at the Independent back in 2011 by way of name only, and I was glad to find another use for my bottle of Pasubio. Once mixed, the This That & the Other opened up with lemon, malt, and blueberry aromas. Next, grape and dark fruit notes on the sip transfered to Cognac, malty Genever, and blueberry flavors on the swallow with a rum funk and banana finish.

milano's triumph

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
6 drop Salt Water (1:4 Saline)
2 Orange Peels

Express the two peels into the mixing glass, add the rest of the ingredients, stir with ice, and strain into a coupe glass without garnish.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards from Cook & Brown in Providence, Rhode Island. There, I was drawn in by the Milano's Triumph, a Genever-sherry Negroni of sorts from their Fall 2012 menu that reminded me of Genever Negroni-like drinks such as the Oude Negroni and the Onset. In the glass, the Milano's Triumph gave forth a malty, orange, and grape bouquet. Next, dried fruit notes on the sip transformed into malty, orange, and fig flavors on the swallow.

dutch lover

1 1/2 oz Barrel-Aged Bols Genever
1/2 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
3/4 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Cardamom Bitters (The Bitter Housewife)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Mondays ago, I uncovered a collection of online recipe flashcards from Hodges Bend in St. Paul, Minnesota. There, the Dutch Lover called out to me for it reminded me of a Genever-Abano version of the gin-Cynar Giuseppe's Lady, and I was able to find mentions of the drink in a 2018 Lavender Magazine article and also on a Yelp menu that same year. In the glass, the Dutch Lover welcomed the senses with dark red berry, malty, and lime aromas in the glass. Next, lime, caramel, and red fruit on the sip cruised into malty Genever, caramel, herbal, black pepper, and cardamom flavors on the swallow.

precursor

1 oz Bols Barrel-Aged Genever
1 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I found a collection of online recipe flashcards from the now closed Tiger Mama in Boston, and I decided to make the Precursor as a Martinez riff. I estimate the drink to have appeared on the menu circa 2015 given the other recipes in the deck such as the Long Eclipse and the time period of the bartender who posted the set. The Precursor started off with orange, cherry, and malty aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip flowed into malt, pine, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow with a bitter finish from the Genever.

double dutch

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Genever Barrel Aged)
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 oz Sombra Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/4 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Sundays ago, I was scanning through a collection of online recipe flashcards from the NoMad and spotted the Double Dutch. I was getting discouraged since I could not find the drink on any Yelp or GoogleMaps menu photo or review, but I later found it mentioned in a 2012 blog post about Eleven Madison Park which was in the same restaurant group as the NoMad. I have had Genever and mezcal in a trio of drinks before – the 1820, Smokey Hollander, and Smokey the Pear all with citrus – so I was curious to try this straight spirits number. Once prepared, the Double Dutch showcased a malty, floral, vegetal, and hint of smoke aroma. Next, a white grape sip transitioned to malty, smokey, vegetal, and chocolate-herbal flavors on the swallow.

hard times

1 1/2 oz Barrel-Aged Bols Genever
1 oz Borghetti Espresso Liqueur
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Angostura Bitters
1/4 oz Amaro Braulio

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora in an ashtray, and garnish with a flamed spritz of absinthe.Two Tuesdays ago, I ventured down to Backbar for their new Mixtape-themed menu. The drink which called out to me was the Hard Times by Kyle Marshall that was inspired by Ray Charles' 1961 lesser-known track "Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)". Backbar's Instagram later described, "It's bitter and a little intense like a good blues song should be. It also has Bols Genever and Caffè Borghetti because apparently Ray Charles required black coffee and a shot of Genever before ever gig as part of his contract." The one that bartender Peyton Ligon made for me began with anise, caramel, and clove aromas on the nose. Next, caramel and roast flavors on the sip slid into malty, coffee, pine, herbal, and roast flavors on the swallow. Overall, the combination was stunning, but it seemed to lose some cohesiveness as it warmed up. When I mentioned that to Peyton, he commented that they were toying with serving it on the rocks but ended up serving it up instead of having it diluted more over time.

night of joy

1 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Amaro Montenegro

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass (no mention of ice but I added a large cube), and garnish with an orange twist (lemon twist).Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a set of flashcards for a summer cocktail menu generated by Trevor LeBlanc who was a bartender at Stoddard's here in Boston who created The Welty and Palomino Sling that I have posted here. In the collection were drinks like the Murder of Dutch Schultz that I had there in 2014, and the Night of Joy was reminscent of bartender Tony Iamunno's work at that time, but there was no attribution provided. Overall, the combination read like a Genever for rum version of Erick Castro's Blood of My Enemies, so I was curious to give it a spin especially with how well Genever works with orange flavors. The Night of Joy launched to the senses with a lemon and malty bouquet. Next, grape and clementine notes on the sip fled into malt, orange, and bitter grape flavors on the swallow.

pretty woman

1 oz Blended Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Fridays ago, I found a collection of recipe from Standby in Detroit, and I was lured in by an amaro-passion fruit Sour called Pretty Woman. It was described on the menu as "tropical, smoky, & refreshing," and I was able to find a mention of it in a 2017 blog post. The base spirits of Scotch and Genever were ones that paired elegantly in Backbar's The Accent, so it was a no-brainer to give this one a whirl. In the glass, the Pretty Woman greeted the senses with floral, caramel, and tropical aromas. Next, lemon and passion fruit notes on the sip ventured into malty, smoky, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a passion fruit finish.

a bouquet of parentheses

3/4 oz Tanqueray Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Bols Barrel-Aged Genever
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Suze
1 dash Pernod (12 drop Pernod Absinthe)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube (coupe, no ice), and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted another recipe on Kindred Cocktails that utilized the Yellow Chartreuse-Suze combination I recently enjoyed with the Revenge called A Bouquet of Parentheses. This recipe created by user Bartender Kyle circa 2012 made reference to a J.D. Salinger quote, "I privately say to you, old friend... please accept from me this unpretentious bouquet of early-blooming parentheses: (((())))." I felt more in the mood to drink something up, so I eschewed the rocks glass with ice for the coupe. Here, I was greeted with an unpretentious bouquet of lemon, malty, and herbal aromas. Next, malt and honey notes on the sip flowed into malty, herbal, and licorice notes on the swallow.