bonatti & the jets

1 1/2 oz Nardini Aquavite Bassano Riserva Aged Grappa
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Twist a grapefruit peel over the top.

After the Blue Room, I crossed Cambridge to visit Brick & Mortar before meeting up with Andrea for dinner. There, Matthew Schrage and Phil MacLeod holding down the fort. For a libation, I asked Matt for the Bonatti & Jets, a new edition to their menu. He then explained (after singing the drink name à la Elton John) that the recipe was created by fellow bartender Cory Buono. Cory named it after Walter Bonatti, a famous Italian mountaineer who scaled K2, for he was inspired by the Italian Alpine qualities of many of the ingredients in the drink. The aged grappa was one that I fell in love with after trying Misty Kalkofen's Bullet for Fredo on one of Brick & Mortar's early menus.
At first the Bonatti & the Jets began with a grapefruit aroma, but as the citrus oils diminished, it became more chocolate-herbal on the nose; when I spoke to Schrage about it, he commented that he specifically got a chocolate-basil note. The sip was grape from the sweet vermouth and Cardamaro, and the swallow was chocolatey, bitter, and herbal. I surmise that the chocolate notes stem from the Benedictine and grappa especially given my tasting notes from the Bullet for Fredo.

mistaken for strangers

1 oz Nardini Grappa Bianca
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two Sundays ago, we stopped in at Brick & Mortar where Kenny Belanger and Cory Buono were bartending that night. For a first drink, I asked Kenny for the Mistaken for Strangers. Kenny explained that Misty Kalkofen had created this drink for the holiday menu and had called it The Grinch. After December was over, Misty decided that the name needed to be changed to something less seasonal. Since the combination of grappa and Green Chartreuse is one that is not expected, she renamed it Mistaken for Strangers. Overall, the drink shared a resemblance to the Green Ghost.
The Mistaken for Strangers greeted the nose with a Green Chartreuse aroma, and as things warmed up a bit, grappa joined the aroma. A herbal and lime sip was followed by the funky grappa, the Green Chartreuse, and an almost minty note on the swallow. Indeed, the drink was like a drier, less herbal, and more funky Silent Order. Moreover, the grappa and Chartreuse went well together perhaps akin to how grappa paired with the herbal and vegetal notes in the Piazza Vecchia.

[piazza vecchia]

1 oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
1 oz Nardini Bassano Grappa
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/3 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Scrappy's Celery Bitters
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two weeks ago, I was missing New Orleans since we opted not to go to Tales of the Cocktail this year. So when we were dining at Rendezvous, I asked bartender Scott Holliday to riff off of a classic New Orleans cocktail of his choosing. Moreover, I was motivated to do so since his Vieux Carré variation that I dubbed Central Carré (after Rendevous' Central Square location) was quite good. The direction Scott took was to riff once again off of the Vieux Carré but this time to make it a clear cocktail. In place of the Cognac, he used grappa. Instead of the whiskey, he changed gears and matched his grappa choice with blanco tequila.
The drink's bouquet offered up grappa's funkiness, tequila notes, and hints of chocolate. Next, the sip presented a dry grape paired with a vegetal note. Finally, the swallow contained tequila and grappa flavors along with herbal notes from the Yellow Chartreuse and celery bitters. Overall, I was impressed with Scott's insight of how grappa and tequila would play so well together in the glass. In addition, the dry vermouth and celery bitters pairing was also notable as it was in Drink's Farley Mowat.

flying headlock

1 1/2 oz Nardini Grappa Bianca
1 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

For stop number four on the Camper English bar crawl, we crossed the bridge into Cambridge. I recommended that we hit Brick and Mortar before it got crowded, and luckily we did for the seats at the bar all vanished within 20 minutes after we sat down. Tending bar that night were Evan Harrison and John Nugent, and the cocktail I requested from Evan was the second grappa drink on the menu, beside A Bullet for Fredo, called the Flying Headlock. While I did not inquire, the recipe had all the signs that it was a Misty Kalkofen recipe.
The Flying Headlock's aroma began with a lemon and sherry bouquet that became more Curaçao as the lemon oil faded. The grape and orange sip led into a funky grappa flavor that paired well with the nutty sherry on the swallow. Also on the swallow were the Angostura's allspice and other notes to round out the drink.

a murder of crows

1 1/2 oz Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett Wine
2 oz Bertagnolli Grappa di Amarone
1/4 oz Lebanese Arak
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top and discard.

The other drink that bartender Ted Kilpatrick wanted to make for me was another of his wine explorations. This one was using a German Riesling from a special part of the Mosel region called the Spice Garden of Ürziger. The region's steep, red-soiled vineyards impart a spicy, tropical fruit, and earthy flavor to the wines. To complement these spice notes, Ted added Lebanese Arak; once mixed, the spirit's mild louching reminded him of a foggy night in London which might be how the drink got its ominous name.
The Murder of Crows offered a light lemon oil on top of a floral-pollen aroma with vegetal notes. The white grape flavors filled the sip, and the swallow showcased the return of the funky pollen note along with an anise finish.

[latest buzz]

3/4 oz Grappa di Moscato
3/4 oz Cristinalda Brandymel Honey Liqueur
3/4 oz Vergano Americano Chinato
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and double strain into a wine glass.

Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I ventured over to Brookline Village to eat dinner at Pomodoro. For a drink, I was eyeing the house Margarita and bartender Stephen Shellenberger asked if I wanted something in a similar style but with funkier ingredients. The most intriguing one he used was a Portuguese honey liqueur flavored with herbs. For the liqueur's base spirit, a moonshine brandy from the arbutus (sometimes called the medronho or strawberry tree) fruit is made by the local farmers. The farmers either trade the spirit for the use of the land or sell it to the liqueur maker directly. With a grappa as a spirit, a chinato for complexity, and lime juice for crispness, the drink took form as a curious Daisy. The honey liqueur played an integral roll in the drink and it first appeared in the aroma along with some floral notes. The lime, grape, and honey flavors filled the sip, and the swallow offered up more robust grape notes with the Brandymel's honey funkiness.

a bullet for fredo

2 part Nardini Aquavite Bassano Riserva Aged Grappa
2 part Perucchi Vermouth Blanc
1 part Campari

Compound the mixture for bottling and refrigerate. Serve chilled and undiluted in a small cocktail glass. Twist a grapefruit peel over the top and discard.

For my second drink at Brick & Mortar, I narrowed down my choices to two, and bartender Evan Harrison's description of A Bullet for Fredo won me over. With two of the three ingredients being Italian, the drink being named after the Godfather movies seemed perfect. Part of what convinced me was that I became intrigued about it being undiluted; the other part was the mention of a curious chocolate note in the drink that Evan could not attribute. When I was shown the bottle of grappa, I was able to search on my phone to discover that it had spent 15 years in Slovenian oak and that one review declared hints of spice, vanilla, and tobacco from the aging process. With the grappa weighing in at 100 proof and no water added, I calculated the drink to be 64 proof in perhaps a 4 ounce glass; potent but not overly so. When I later praised Misty Kalkofen about the grappa in the drink, she commented that the bar's staff favored drinking this grappa over other spirits during training.
The drink began with the complementary pairing of grapefruit oil and Campari which has worked well in other drinks. The sip then offered up a funky grape flavor with almost citrussy notes; I initially attributed this from carrying over from the twist although the vermouth and the grappa could have also played a part. On the swallow, the Campari's bitterness accompanied that quirky note that Evan described. Indeed, this note started chocolate and ended tobacco. Perhaps in a pinch, taking an unaged grappa and adding a dash of chocolate bitters could substitute this effect. Overall, A Bullet for Fredo was very different from a Negroni, for it was less rich, grapey, and herbal in its balance.

the only edward

1 1/2 oz Redbreast 12 Year Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz Bertagnolli Grappa di Teraldgeo
3/4 oz Zucca Liqueur
2 dash Chamomile Extract

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

While enjoying my Northern Lights, Drink bartenders Tyler Wang and Will Thompson (*) were there along with No. 9 Park's Ted Kilpatrick on our side of the bar. The conversation drifted to William Schmidt (a/k/a the Only William) and our collective excitement over the recipes in his 1892 book The Flowing Bowl. When it came time for my second drink, bartender Ted Gallagher described a recipe he had been tinkering with that he wanted me to try. It lacked a name, and therefore, the discussion of the 19th century cocktail book flowed over, and the drink later got dubbed "The Only Edward."
The drink called for a grappa which gave me pause for many grappas are fierce and fiery spirits. When Ted reassured me by letting me have a taste of the Grappa di Teraldgeo, it was rather pleasant and had notes of freshly cut grass without any degree of harshness save for the proof. Thus, the Only Edward began with lemon oils from the twist, and the sip was malty from the Irish Whiskey and full of melon-citrus notes from the grappa interacting with the other ingredients. Next, the swallow contained floral and vegetal elements from the chamomile infusion and Zucca liqueur. Indeed, the Irish whiskey worked beautifully here for its softness allowed the other elements to shine in ways that an similar portion of Scotch or rye would obscure.

(*) Will Thompson uttered the quote of the night which was, "Fernet Branca: it tastes like a cough drop that is mad at you."

alfa sour

1 1/2 oz Macchu Pisco
3/4 oz Grappa
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Egg White
4 drop Fernet Branca

Shake all but the Fernet Branca with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Apply Fernet Branca drop-wise on top of drink.

Last night I went to Trina's Starlite Lounge in Somerville where the old Abbey Lounge used to be. To pay their respects to the previous establishment, the bar has the Abbey Cocktail -- the first recipe in the Savoy Cocktail Book -- on the menu. Sunday night seemed like a great chance to experience the bar without too much of a crowd, and several local bartenders and industry folk seemed to have the same idea last night. Before placing my order, I got to try the Z's Negroni that Lauren of DrinkBoston had ordered. This Negroni variant used the softer Aperol liqueur instead of Campari and bolstered the sharpness with a pink grapefruit peel-infused gin. Also of note is that Carpano Antica is their house vermouth which was in the Z's Negroni as well as the Alfa Sour I ordered from bartender Emma Hollander.

The Alfa Sour is a variant of a Pisco Sour with a few additions and substitutions. For one, the base spirit of Pisco was supplemented with another grape brandy, Grappa. I surmised that this blend was akin to the mixing of rums common in many Tiki drinks and other cocktails. The sweet vermouth in the Alfa Sour took the place of the sugar in the Pisco Sour as the sweetener; in addition, it donated an attractive hue to the drink. The float of Fernet Branca contributed greatly to the nose. Moreover, the Fernet Branca flavor complemented the pisco's smokiness and the lemon juice quite well. Over time, the lemon and pisco began to dominate the profile perhaps as the floated Fernet Branca was diminished with successive sips. And towards the end, the sweet vermouth really began to shine out in the drink. Overall, the Alfa Sour shared a lot with a traditional Pisco Sour but garnered a greater amount of complexity from the Fernet Branca, grappa, and sweet vermouth.

mint fizz

grappa
lemon juice
mint-infused simple syrup
egg white

Add a spray of soda water while pouring over ice. Drip orange blossom water onto the foam, garnish with a mint sprig.

This was... an interesting drink. I felt like I was having it two months early! It was a really awesome blend of flavors, apparently one of Tommy's originals. Really refreshing, and not so much lemon that this old lady couldn't enjoy it. It'll be a really lovely thing to enjoy on a sweltering August night.