sea air on sunday

1 1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Black Scotch (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/4 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with candied ginger on a pick. Since I had half a lime left over from the night before, I looked through my collection sourced from online recipe flashcards and landed on the Sea Air on Sunday from The Butcher Chef in Toronto via a 2021 set. I was able to find a menu photo on GoogleMaps from around that time period, but most of the photos from that restaurant were of the food not drink. The recipe came across like a Penicillin with Amaro Montenegro and ginger liqueur for the honey and ginger syrups, respectively. Moreover, the concept made sense as a Penicillin riff for sea air has been romanticized historically as a cure-all during the 18th and 19th centuries. Indeed, Jane Austen wrote in Sanditon that sea air and bathing could cure "every disorder of the stomach, the lungs, or the blood." Once prepared, the Sea Air on Sunday misted the nose with a spray of ginger, peat smoke, and caramel orange aromas. Next, lime and a hint of caramel on the sip receded into smoky Scotch, clementine, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

honey badger

1 1/2 oz Barr Hill Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel (lemon twist). Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Honey Badger that Bardtenders posted on their Instagram account earlier that day. I felt it was a good tribute for the folks from that site hosted me on their podcast two nights before for a recording to be broadcasted in late February. The combination reminded me of Michael Madrusan's Son of a Beesting at Milk & Honey that calls for ginger syrup instead of liqueur akin to a Bee's Knees crossed with a Penicillin. In the glass, the Honey Badger gave forth a lemon, ginger, and honey bouquet. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip gave way to pine, ginger, honey, and orange flavors on the swallow.

el tesoro de jerez

2 oz Aviation Gin (Tree House Von Bingen)
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur (Barrow's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted on KindredCocktails called the El Tesoro de Jerez. The recipe was attributed to Euclides Lopez at PDT in 2010 through the PDT Cocktails app, and given the name, I was expecting an agave-based drink with sherry instead of a gin one. In the glass, it proffered lemon, ginger, grape, and pine aromas. Next, the sherry's grape blossomed in the sip, and the swallow rounded things off with juniper, ginger, and nutty-raisiny grape flavors on the swallow.

thunderbolt

1 1/2 oz Powers John's Lane Irish Whiskey (Teeling Small Batch)
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur (Barrow's Intense)
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, my copy of Paddy Drinks: The World of Modern Irish Whiskey Cocktails arrived, and I opened it up to find my evening's libation. There, the first recipe I spotted was the Thunderbolt by Jack McGarry at the Dead Rabbit that reminded me of a fruitcake with the baked fruit notes and winter spices. In the glass, the Thunderbolt launched off with orange, caramelized fruit, and allspice aromas. Next, a caramel-driven sip flowed into whiskey, banana, allspice, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

orange moon

2 oz Brandy (Courvoisier VS Cognac)
1/2 oz Orange Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1/2 oz Ginger Liqueur (Barrow's)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with pastis (Pastis d'Autrefois), and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays prior, I reached for Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar book where I discovered Jeff Schwartz's Orange Moon. Jeff created this Sazerac riff at 12 Mile Limit in New Orleans in 2013, and Cole helped to name the drink after an album by a local indie folk duo Alexis & the Samurai. Once assembled, the Orange Moon rose with a lemon, anise, orange, and ginger bouquet. Next, the orange notes continued on into the sip where they entered the swallow as well along with brandy, ginger, and anise flavors.

panama papers

1 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Ginger Liqueur (King's Ginger)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/4 oz Orange Juice (Cara Cara)

Shake with ice, strain into a flute glass containing 2 oz champagne (La Burgondie Cremant de Bourgogne), and garnish with a lime twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I continued on with my search for sparkling wine recipes and recalled that there was one in T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar called the Panama Papers. This pineapple wonder was crafted by Megan Devine at New Orleans' 12 Mile Limit. Once assembled, the Panama Papers proffered a lime, ginger, and sparkling wine aroma to the nose. Next, a carbonated white wine and pineapple sip wrote off rum, pineapple, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

island breeze

1 1/2 oz Avua Prata Cachaça (Avua Balsamo)
3/4 oz Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1 dash Pimento Bitters (1/2 bsp Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1 dash Cardamom Bitters (1 Cardamom Pod muddled + 1 dash Bittercube Jamaican #2)

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with palm fronds (pea blossoms) and mint sprigs.

Two Tuesdays, the Tiki by the Sea crew did another virtual seminar as a substitute the event that normally happens at the Hotel Barcelona in Wildwood, NJ, every year. The guest was Boston's own Brother Cleve with the title "Tiki Time Machine" that traced the path between the first wave and current glory years with all the intriguing missteps and curious establishments along the way. For a drink to make at home, Cleve selected the sponsor's cachaça and highlighted it in a recipe that he created for the Breezers Ball one year called the Island Breeze. The Breezers Ball just hosted its seventh annual soiree in March a week or so before quarantine set in; a breezer is a person who lives in Waltham, MA, but was not born there, and it pokes fun at the gentrification taking place in that city.
The Island Breeze moved in with a mint aroma over ginger and cachaça notes. Next, a lime-driven sip led into woody cachaça, ginger, cardamom, and allspice flavors.

archipelago

250 mL Batavia Arrack van Oosten (2 1/2 oz)
100 mL Calvados (1 oz Morin Selection)
50 mL Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear Liqueur (1/2 oz)
125 mL Ginger Syrup (1 1/4 oz)
100 mL Lemon Juice (1 oz)

Combine in a Tiki bowl and stir with ice. Garnish with citrus wheels and flowers (citrus peel, mint sprigs, and flowers).
Two Saturdays, I was in the mood for something refreshing, so I selected Shannon Mustipher's Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails. There, I uncovered her Archipelago that was leaning more towards a punch than a Daiquiri like Eastern Standard's Archipelago. Its combination of Batavia Arrack and apple brandy made me recall the Prospector from Kask in Portland, and the ginger and pear liqueur had me thinking about the Naughty Nanny that Andrea created for a Mixology Monday years ago (it might be the only recipe that she created solo on here). Once built, the Archipelago welcomed the senses with a mint, apple-pear, and ginger bouquet. Next, lemon and pear notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow proffered Batavia Arrack's funky rum, apple, and ginger pear flavors.

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.

bohemian rhapsody

1/2 oz Plymouth Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Highball glass with crushed ice, and top with Pilsner Urquel (2 oz). Garnish with nutmeg, mint, and citrus (lemon wheel).

Two Wednesdays ago, I delved into the Queen (the band) cocktail biopic on the Alcohol Professor site that my King of the Impossible appeared in. The first recipe that called out to me was Johnny Swet's Bohemian Rhapsody that he crafted at the Grand Republic Cocktail Club in Brooklyn. Johnny's thinking was that utilizing British gin would be "a nod to the Queen (of England)" and the Pilsner was a tribute to the Bohemian people. The concept reminded me of some of the beer cocktails that we created for a Mixology Monday back in the day, so I was curious to try this one out.
The Bohemian Rhapsody welcomed the nose with woody spice, ginger, lemon, and mint aromas. Next, a carbonated sip offered citrus and malt notes, and the swallow showcased the gin's piny juniper and citrussy botanicals along with the liqueur's ginger and finished with a woody flavor perhaps from the beer interacting with the ginger.

laissez les bons temps rouler

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Michter's)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Ginger Liqueur (Barrow's)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass pre-rinsed with absinthe (Pernod Absinthe), and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I had just finished reading Gary Regan's newly revised and updated The Joy of Mixology, and one of the recipes caught my eye as drink of the night contender. That drink was the Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler created by Bob Brenner at Portland's Paragon Restaurant. The drink was named after the Cajun French slogan of "Let the good times roll," and likewise, the cocktail was a tribute to the city that adopted that slogan, New Orleans. The recipe appeared to be a riff on that city's Sazerac served up with Cherry Heering and ginger liqueur as the sweeteners (and orange bitters instead of Peychaud's); moreover, the whiskey, cherry liqueur, and absinthe reminded me of the Remember the Maine.
The Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler began with an anise, orange, and whiskey aroma that preceded a cherry and malt-laden sip. Next, the rye led off the swallow along with cherry and ginger flavors, and the swallow ended with a hint of absinthe's anise and herbal notes on the finish.

x marks the spot

1 1/2 oz Appleton Estate White Rum (Privateer Silver)
1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton (King's Ginger)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1 dash DeGroff Pimento Bitters (1 heavy bsp Hamilton's Allspice Dram)
1/2 Egg White (1 Egg White)

Shake once without and once with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a floated star anise pod.
After dinner two Wednesdays ago, I ventured into Frank Caiafa's 2016 Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book for something to wrap up the evening. There, I landed on the X Marks the Spot that seemed like a delightfully tropical egg white Sour. In the glass, the X Marks the Spot presented a banana and star anise aroma that preceded a creamy lime and orange sip. Next, rum, banana, ginger, and allspice flavors pleasantly mingled on the swallow to round out the drink.

lexington

1 1/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Ryan & Wood)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Maurin)
1/2 oz Ginger Liqueur (King's Ginger)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass rinsed with Herbsaint, and garnish with a lemon twist.
After work two Fridays ago, I was in the mood for a nightcap, so I turned to Sarah Baird's New Orleans Cocktails and selected the Lexington from T. Cole Newton of Twelve Mile Limit. I finally made a trip out to that bar last July during Tales (see below) but sadly the afternoon's light made me think more of beer than consulting their cocktail expertise. The Lexington is Cole's riff on the Sazerac that reminded me of my Sazerac-Manhattan hybrid the Merchants Exchange Manhattan but here with the added angle of ginger spice. Once prepared, the Lexington gave forth a familiar lemon and anise nose. Next, grape and malt held hands through the sip, and this was chased by rye spice, dry grape, ginger, cinnamon, and anise on the swallow.

analogue

1 oz Four Roses Bourbon
1 1/2 oz Dark Rum (Plantation Original Dark)
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/4 oz Domain de Canton (King's Ginger)
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with a large format ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Saturdays ago, I was seeking a nightcap after returning home from my shift at work, and I sought out one in New York Cocktails. There, the Analogue from the Manhattan bar Analogue seemed like it would fit the bill with its somewhat Old Fashioned-like structure. The book described how the bar staff was trying to develop a Bourbon drink for an Autumn menu, and when the winning result tasted like they thought the bar itself would taste, they named it after their establishment. Once in my glass, the Analogue presented a lemon, dark rum, and allspice bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel from the dark rum filled the sip, and rum, ginger, allspice, and clove rounded out the swallow. For a Bourbon drink, the drink as I made it did not come across much as a whiskey cocktail, but perhaps a less flavorful dark rum would allow the Four Roses to shine here.

poet & the peony

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz King's Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Tuesdays ago, Andrea and I made our way over to Estragon for dinner. For a first drink, Sahil mentioned that he had all of the ingredients this time to make a cocktail that I had previously desired called the Poet & the Peony. The drink name stems from Estragon's owner who is a published poet; despite her not being a fan of Fernet Branca, she rather enjoyed this combination. When I inquired about the peony aspect, Sahil alluded to the drink being rather aromatic and he relied on alliteration as his naming salvation.
The Poet & the Peony offered Fernet's menthol note to the nose. Next, tropical fruit and lime on the sip led into Fernet's sharp herbalness tempered by passion fruit flavors on the swallow with a ginger-menthol finish.

the last laph

3/4 oz Laphroaig Select (10 Year)
3/4 oz Ginger Liqueur (The King's Ginger)
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3 dash Absinthe Verte (1 bsp Kübler)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a mint sprig.

After my work shift two Fridays ago, I was more than ready to make a drink for myself for a change. From the recipes that I had bookmarked, the Last Laph that I had spotted in Imbibe Magazine seemed to match my mood. The recipe was crafted by Justin Lavenue of the Roosevelt Room in Austin, and his recipe reminded me of the Laphroaig Project riff called the Pineapple Project; moreover, the Scotch and absinthe also reminded me of the Morning Glory Fizz to complement the Last Laph's shared structure of another famous hangover cure, the Corpse Reviver #2.
The Last Laph proffered a mint and peaty smoke nose. Next, lemon and pineapple notes on the sip preceded smoky Scotch and ginger on the swallow that melded into an anise-herbal finish.

evergreen terrace

2 oz Johnny Drum Bourbon (Larceny)
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Strega
1/4 oz Ginger Liqueur (King's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Tuesdays ago, I turned to Food & Wine: Cocktails 2015 for recipe inspiration. There, I was lured in by the Evergreen Terrace by Ryan Casey of Edmund's Oast in Charleston, South Carolina, that he named for the street where the television family The Simpsons lives. I was drawn in for the combination of liqueurs reminded me of recipes by Chris Hannah such as the Rebennack, and the Campari and Strega pairing (along with a ginger element) made me think of the Count's Swizzle.
In the glass, the Evergreen Terrace shared a Bourbon and anise-minty herbal bouquet to the nose. Next, the malt and orange sip led into a Bourbon swallow accented by anise and bitter orange flavors and a ginger finish. Indeed, the Strega donated an evergreen pine-like note that seemed to support the drink's name.

the birth of liquid desires

1 oz Privateer Gin
1/2 oz King's Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Giffard Orgeat
1/2 oz Pineapple Shrub
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a Pilsner (or Highball) glass, fill with ice, garnish with 2 dash Angostura Bitters and a mint sprig, and add a straw.
For Andrea's first drink at Estragon, she requested bartender Sahil Mehta's drink of the day that utilized Privateer's Tiki Gin. For a name, I proposed a few Salvador Dali painting titles, and The Birth of Liquid Desires from 1932 won out. Once prepared, the drink generated a clove, mint, and pineapple bouquet. Next, a creamy lime sip gave way to a gin, ginger, and nutty swallow with pineapple finish that later gained clove notes from the floated bitters.

esplanade mezcal swizzle

1 oz Mezcal (Montelobos)
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup (Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur)

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Garnish with a mint sprig.
For a second Fourth of July libation, I turned to the new issue of Imbibe Magazine to a recipe-laden article on falernum. The winner of the bunch was a Swizzle created by Danny Shapiro at Chicago's Sink/Swim called the Esplanade Mezcal Swizzle. In my mind, Swizzles and falernum are an obvious pairing for both were created in the Caribbean. Once prepared, the Swizzle gave forth mint and lime notes to the nose. Next, the sip's lime and grape were followed by smoky mezcal, nutty sherry, ginger, and clove elements on the swallow.

[bruce's heart]

2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1/2 oz King's Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Tuesdays ago, I returned home from my work shift and received a recipe that Andrea had gotten from bartender Sahil Mehta at Estragon as his drink of the day earlier that evening. With nutty sherry and orgeat meeting up with Scotch and ginger in the roster, I was definitely intrigued. For a name, I dubbed it "Bruce's Heart" after Robert the Bruce's dying wish in 1329 to have his heart taken into battle against the Moors in Spain.
The drink began with a smoky aroma with almond notes poking through the peat. Next, a creamy lemon and grape sip transitioned into smoky Scotch and nutty grape and orgeat swallow with a ginger-spice finish.