race to the bottom

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/8 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I got home from work and opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Race to the Bottom by Chris Hughes at Manhattan's Attaboy circa 2021-22. Grenadine historically has paired well with amari such as with Fernet in the Jim Rose, Cynar in the Giuseppe's Lady, and Amer Picon in the Jayco, but I have never previously had it paired with Braulio. In the glass, the Race to the Bottom started with an orange, grape, and dark berry aroma. Next, grape and berry notes continued on into the sip where they were chased by rye, apple, pine, herbal, and red berry flavors on the swallow.

song of the siren

1 1/2 oz Aged Rum (Privateer New England Reserve) (*)
1/2 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a ceramic mug or Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs.
(*) Perhaps a rum blend (or second rum) with a little funky or grassy profile might elevate this drink. I became inspired by how the Kingston Campfire took the Hotel Nacional in a smoky Scotch and falernum direction, and I wondered if the Mary Pickford could make a similar style of riff. To that classic, I added those two ingredients plus lime and bitters to bring the drink into balance, and I turned it into a more tropical serving style instead of prepared up in a cocktail glass. For a name, since Mary Pickford was referred to as "Canada's Silent Siren," I dubbed this one the Song of the Siren as a modern tribute. Once mixed, the Song of the Siren greeted the nose with a mint, nutty cherry, pineapple, and peat smoke aroma. Next, pineapple, red berry, and lime notes on the sip advanced into rum, smoke, nutty cherry, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow. Perhaps a rum or rum blend with a little grassiness or funk might add some delightful complexity to the profile.

the man with the x-ray eyes

1 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Grenadine
2 dash Absinthe (16 drop St. George)
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint leaves in syrup and liqueur in a double old fashioned glass. Add rest of the ingredients, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a bouquet of mint. Two Fridays ago, I was inspired by the previous night's Smoke Julep and the recent Last One Standing to craft my own Julep variation. With the latter's Ciociaro element, I thought about the Picon/Ciociaro-grenadine combination in the Jayco and 8th Arrondissement that dates back to the classic Picon Punch, and I added it in to soften the amaro. For a name, I dubbed this one The Man with the X-Ray Eyes after the Bauhaus song that was a tribute to the 1963 movie of that name. Part of the impetus for the name was the desire not to have back-to-back posts with photos of drinks in Julep cups, so I imagined a see-through vessel instead. Once assembled, The Man with the X-Ray Eyes offered up mint over peat smoke and a touch of fruitiness on the nose. Next, caramel and berry notes on the sip widened into smoky Scotch and bitter orange-berry flavors on the swallow with a mint and anise finish.

short rib

2 oz Blanco Tequila (Fosforo)
3/4 oz Grenadine
3/4 oz Lime Juice
4 dash Hot Sauce (a nickel-sized squeeze of 3 Mien Sriracha)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Tuesdays ago, I opened up The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Short Rib by Phil Ward at Manhattan's Death & Co. in 2008. The recipe read like Drink's Bone Crusher also from 2008 but with grenadine and tequila instead of simple and mezcal. In the glass, the Short Rib released a briny, red fruit, and spicy red pepper aroma to the nose. Next, lime and berry notes on the sip transformed into tequila, strawberry, and spicy pepper flavors on the swallow.

Postnote 6/24/26: The recipe that appears in the Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails book is slightly different:

Short Rib
• 2 oz Jalapeño-Infused Siembra Azul Blanco Tequila
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Simple Syrup
• 3/4 tsp Pomegranate Molasses
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

attack cocktail

1/2 Calvados (1 1/2 oz Morin Selection)
1/4 Cognac (3/4 oz Courvoisier VS)
1/4 Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Amontillado)
3 dash Grenadine (1/4 oz)
1 dash Anis (10 drop St. George Absinthe)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist as a garnish. Two Fridays ago, I reached for my Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails book from 1996, and I became intrigued by the Attack Cocktail created at Johnny's Bar in Paris circa 1930. Its trio of sherry, grenadine, and bitters reminded me of the Red Riding Hood from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 but here with brandies and a touch of anise liqueur (given the era, either anisette or pastis, but I went with absinthe). Once served, the Attack Cocktail reached out with an orange, berry, apple, and anise aroma. Next, grape and red fruit notes on the sip opened up into apple, nutty, berry, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

johnny utah

2 oz Espolon Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass with 1 oz soda water, fill with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I began perusing the Kindred Cocktails database and landed on the Johnny Utah created by Carlo Caroscio at Volt in Baltimore circa 2014 around two years before he moved to Boston to work at Backbar. Carlo named the drink after Keanu Reaves' character in the movie Point Break. What drove me into making it was how well the Campari-grenadine combination works; in fact, the duo was dubbed "bittersweet" in the Freaky Tiki, and I utilized it in my Jungle Grog and Zombie Count. Moreover, the Campari-cinnamon pairing is also excellent in recipes like the Babbo's Toddy and Rum Firewalker, and I made use of in the Black Hand Society and Quetzal. Once prepared, the Johnny Utah proffered an orange, cinnamon, and agave aroma. Next, a carbonated lime and dark berry sip gave way to vegetal tequila, bitter red fruit, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

flamingo

1 oz Cuban Rum (2 oz Havana Club 7 Year)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice (1 oz)
1 dash Grenadine (1/2 oz)
Juice 1/2 Lime (1/2 oz)

Blend with fine ice, pour into a coupe, and serve with straws (shake with ice and strain into a coupe). Two Mondays ago, I decided to make the Flamingo that been making the rounds after being picked up by Madrusan's recent cocktail book. I turned to the source which was Ted Saucier's 1951 Bottoms Up book as provided by the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. While the Madrusan adaptation seemed a bit too sweet for my palate, the original as written was a bit too tart, so I split the difference. With the call for Cuban rum (and Madrusan asking for dark rum), I figured that this was a great way to use the second to last pour of my Havana Club 7 Year bottle I got in the Jalisco airport duty-free shop a decade ago. The bird name and color made its way into the 1939 Just Cocktails' Flamingo, but that one had gin and brandy instead of rum and pineapple juice. This Flamingo's combination appeared like the Santiago Julep from Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide if mint were added. Here, the Flamingo conjured up red berry, caramel, and pineapple aromas. Next, lime, pineapple, and dark caramel notes waded into dark rum, hint of molasses, pineapple, and red fruit flavors on the swallow.

dama rosa

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I uncovered a curious split base egg white recipe called the Dama Rosa at the now shuttered La Moule in Portland, Oregon, via online recipe flashcards. A Yelp menu photo places this drink around June 2021. Given the name and build, the Dama Rosa is a riff on the classic Pink Lady with tequila and lime for the original's gin and lemon. Tequila with apple brandy is a pairing that I first learned about in Island Creek's Spanish Caravan that inspired me to craft the Hasta Manzana riff on the Vieux Carré a few weeks later. In the glass, the Dama Rosa greeted the senses with a lemon, agave, and red berry aroma. Next, creamy lime and red fruit notes on the sip twirled into tequila, apple, and tart red berry flavors on the swallow.

honky-tonk

3/4 oz Bourbon (1 oz Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wedge (lime wheel). Two Sundays prior, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion, and in the Daisy section, I uncovered the Honky-Tonk by Angus Payne at The Everleigh in Melbourne circa 2022. The closest recipe that I have sampled was the rum and lemon Devil's Bargain from Raines Law Room. The Devil's Bargain was my first time trying Montenegro and grenadine together, and I later utilized it in my stirred drink, the Street of Crocodiles. Once prepared, the Honky-Tonk offered up lime, floral, and caramel aromas to the nose. Next, lime, berry, and caramel notes on the sip two-stepped into Bourbon, berry, orange, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

megalodon's fang

1 1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
3/4 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/4 oz Cointreau
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Lemon Juice (*)
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1 tsp Grenadine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, strain into a Megalodon Relic Tiki mug (Pirhana mug), and garnish with mint sprigs and a dehydrated grapefruit wheel (grapefruit twist only).
(*) My guess is that there will be no harm if the lemon juice is omitted and the lime is upped to 1 oz (I happened to have a sample of lemon superjuice on hand to save juicing 3 fruits for this recipe). For another recipe for my new Tiki mug acquisition, I opted for the Megalodon's Fang from a collection of Tikiland Trading Co.'s recipes that were posted on Reddit's Tiki forum. The Megalodon's Fang was perhaps a riff on Trader Vic's Shark's Tooth No. 1 from the 1940s and probably not the Cobra's Fang. It was created by Kelly Merrell at Trader Sam's at Disneyland and included as a recipe card to accompany Tikiland Trading's Megalodon Relic mug. Once prepared, the Megalodon's Fang siezed onto grapefruit and dark spice aromas. Next, a trio of grapefruit, lime, and lemon notes on the sip swam towards pineapple, pine, berry, and clove flavors on the swallow.

magician's downfall

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Demerara Rum (Hamilton 86° Demerara River)
1/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Juice (1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup (omit, see above)
1/2 oz Grenadine (Mulberry Syrup)
1 fistful Mint (12-14 leaves)

Spindle blend with crushed ice and pour into a Tiki mug (shake with ice and double strain into a Tiki mug). Top with crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs. Two Saturdays ago, I saw a reference to a drink called the Magician's Downfall by James Hoffman on the Reddit Tiki forum, and I tracked down the recipe to the creator's How To Drink YouTube channel. While this was most likely inspired by the Missionary's Downfall given the name, this one had the rum, mezcal, passion fruit, mint, and lime of my Lili'uokalani's Downfall albeit with different rums and modifiers. Once prepared, the Magician's Downfall enchanted the nose with a mint aroma. Next, berry, lime, and tropical flavors on the sip shapeshifted into funky rum, smoky, passion fruit, berry, and mint flavors on the swallow.

el chapo

2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Honey Syrup

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a pilsner glass (Tiki mug), and garnish with a piece of pineapple or a pineapple frond (chocolate mint sprigs). Two Tuesdays ago, I peered into Chad Austin's Everyone Has a F*cking Cocktail Book and spotted the El Chapo which was his first mezcal tropical drink. It was a different El Chapo from the one I made from the A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood book, and this one contained the honey, grenadine, lime, and spice core that I enjoyed in the South Seas Sleepwalker. In the mug with my alternative garnish, El Chapo proffered a mint bouquet to the nose. Next, lime, honey, and pineapple notes on the sip led into smoky mezcal, berry, vegetal, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow.

sunakora zombie

1 oz Demerara 151° Dark Rum (Diamond Reserve)
1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum (Coruba)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 tsp Grenadine
2 dash Angostura Bitters
4 drop Herbsaint

Flash blend (whip shake) with crushed ice, pour into a Zombie glass (Tiki mug), top with crushed ice, and garnish with mint. Two Tuesdays ago, I scanned the recipe section of The Atomic Grog blog, and I was inspired by the Sunakora Zombie by Don the Beachcomber. The Atomic Grog blog found the recipe in the Sunny Sund: The Woman Behind Don the Beachcomber, Inc. book and adapted it as such. The blog described it as, "A hybrid Zombie that manages to be equally sweet, spicy and strong. It features many of the hallmark ingredients of the 1934 original, plus the passion fruit of the 1950 version, ...but it's still a Zombie and should be approached with caution... and great anticipation." Overall, it had the passion fruit, grenadine, falernum, Angostura, and Herbsaint/absinthe aspect of the Cobra's Fang, so I was intrigued. Once assembled, the Sunakora Zombie arose with mint and passion fruit aromas. Next, lime, passion fruit, and caramel notes on the sip sauntered forward towards funky and woody rum, passion fruit, clove, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

ka lima lima hema

4 1/2 oz Four Roses Bourbon (3 oz Evan Williams Bonded)
1 1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum (1 oz)
1 1/2 oz Lemon Juice (1 oz)
1 1/2 oz Orange Juice (1 oz)
1 1/2 oz Passion Fruit Juice (1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup)
1 1/2 oz Luxardo Amaretto (1 oz)
3/4 oz Honey Syrup (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Grenadine (1/2 oz)

Flash blend (whip shake) with crushed ice, pour into a bowl, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with 2 orchids (2 stems ornamental pea blossoms) and a sparkler (omit). Serve with 4 straws (2 straws).

Two Thursdays ago, Andrea was in the mood for some liquid air conditioning, so I decided on a large format drink, the Ka Lima Lima Hema, that I had found in online recipe flashcards for Houston's Kanaloa. The drink appears in Houston's Chronicle article on sharable drinks around town in 2019, and I shrunk down this serving for four by a third. The amaretto stood out for I have only had that ingredient in tropical-like drinks twice: in the Mai Tai-like Arrack & A Hard Place and the classic Caribbean Punch, so I was curious to try it in this mix. Moreover, the Bourbon-OFTD Rum combination was one that I utilized in the Cobra's Tail and enjoyed in the (And) Knobs Is Thirteen. This large format item also allowed me to finally use the Munktiki Sea Mine bowl that I received years ago in a bartender Secret Santa (the shrunk down by a third build was still not big enough for its 40 ounce capacity). The Ka Lima Lima Hema conjured up a floral bouquet to the nose. Next, orange, lemon, caramel, and passion fruit notes on the sip transformed into Bourbon, rum, passion fruit, almond, and berry flavors on the swallow. Overall, it reminded me perhaps of a more complex Fiji Mermaid.

los muertos

2 oz Arette Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 bsp Grenadine (1/8 oz)
1 bsp Ginger Syrup (1/8 oz)

Build in a Hurricane glass (Collins), fill with crushed ice, swizzle to mix and chill, and garnish with mint sprigs.Two Sundays ago, I selected the bar bible for the Hawthorne that I acquired shortly after they closed the bar due to the Pandemic, and there I latched on to Los Muertos by bartender Jason Kilgore. I estimate that it was created circa 2014-2015 given that one of Jason's work bios listed his tenure there as January 2014-January 2016). Overall, it read like a Swizzle with tequila Zombie vibes (with ginger syrup instead of Angostura and Herbsaint), so I was sold. Once prepared, the Los Muertos greeted the senses with a mint bouquet. Next, a grapefruit, berry, and lime sip rose up into tequila, cinnamon, red berry, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

skull & crown

2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1 oz Kuleana Nanea Rum (1/2 oz Uruapan Charanda + 1/2 oz Monymusk Gold)
1 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum (Hamilton's 86° Demerara River)
1 1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Velvet Falernum
1/ oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine

Whip shake, pour into a skull Tiki mug (Tiki bowl), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with flaming half lime shell (ignited El Dorado 151°) and orchid (ornamental pea blossoms).Two Fridays ago, Andrea was in the mood for something tropical, so I decided to make this drink for two that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards for the Skull & Crown Trading Co. menu in Honolulu. The eponymously named Skull & Crown seemed like a winner for it read like a Zombie riff without bitters or absinthe. The flashcard recipe did not contain any garnish information, but I was able to glean that from a photo in a 2019 Honolulu Magazine article. The article also suggested that the flash card-specified Kuleana Nanea, a Central American and Caribbean molasses rum blend mixed with Hawaiian agricole, was originally Bacardi 8 Year back in 2019, and I utilized a Mexican agricole blend supplemented with some mild aged Jamaican rum. This delight once prepared greeted the senses with a lime, rum, and cinnamon aroma on top of the dazzling fireshow that we soon after extinguished. Next, caramel, berry, and lime notes on the sip were beseiged by funky rums, cinnamon, grapefruit peel, and clove flavors on the swallow.

space pilot

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz 151° Rum (Diamond 151° Demerara)
1/2 oz Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
3 dash Angostura Bitters (2 dash)
6 dash Absinthe (24 drop St. George)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Huricane glass (Tiki mug), and fill with crushed ice. Garnish instructions were "show stopper" and GoogleMaps and Yelp photos seemed to show mint sprigs, orchid, and citrus slices (mint sprigs only).Two Tuesdays prior, I ventured back to online recipe flashcards for Polite Provisions in San Diego and spotted the Space Pilot as a tasty-looking tropical drink. I soon found mentions of it on Yelp menu photos and reviews in 2022. With the mezcal and Jet Pilot structure (save for the grenadine in place of cinnamon syrup), it made me think of the Smoking Jet Pilot. Intriguingly, the duo of grenadine and falernum are two of the three sweeteners in the Zombie with the grenadine aspect missing in the Jet Pilot (see the "Change My Mind" meme that I created a few years ago down below). Once assembled, the Space Pilot launched to the nose with a mint bouquet. Next, berry, caramel, lime, and grapefruit notes on the sip orbited smoky, dark rum, vegetal, berry, and clove flavors on the swallow.

lion's mane

1 1/2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters (Bittercube Trinity)
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to my notes from a restaurant's recipe collection on their ToastTab that included several drinks from Alcove in Boston, and I decided on the Lion's Mane from Alcove. It read like a fruitier, creamier, and less spice-driven Lion's Tail riff that reminded me of the Tropical Lion's Tail that also cut the allspice dram with a fruity syrup – namely, pineapple – but without the Lion's Mane egg white addition. As for a date, I was able to find an Alcove menu from 2020 that had the Lion's Mane on it. Once prepared, the Lion's Mane welcomed the senses with a Bourbon and berry aroma. Next, a creamy lime and red berry sip pounced on Bourbon, tart berry, and allspice flavors on the swallow. Overall, the allspice was surprising rather subdued in the mix especially on the nose.

street of crocodiles

1 1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Banhez)
3/4 oz Amaro Meletti
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Grenadine

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.While writing up the Clever Visual Metaphor, I became inspired to craft a new drink using the spirit-amaro base supplemented by small amounts of Fernet and grenadine structure. Instead of the Bourbon in the Clever Visual Metaphor, I opted for a split of apple brandy and mezcal. And in place of the Ramazzotti, I went first with Averna since it paired well with grenadine in the Sicilian Message, but I was not satisfied. I repeated it with Cynar and Amaro Montenegro with similar results, and it was not until I landed on Meletti, that I was pleased. For what to call it, I went back to a list I copied over from my 2013-15 era Russell House Tavern notebook with possible drink names and chose the Street of Crocodiles; that made the list from reading Bruno Schulz's 1934 short story when I was on a surrealist kick in the late 1990s that was amplified when I watched the Brothers Quay stop-motion animation short years later. It seemed perfect since the Fernet mascot is a crocodile. With the Meletti, the Street of Crocodiles crawled to the nose with orange, caramel, fruity, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and berry notes on the sip snapped at apple, vegetal, minty-herbal, menthol, and smoky flavors on the swallow.

clever visual metaphor

1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Grenadine
1/8 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig)

Stir with ice, strain into a small cocktail or Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I opened up Shawn Soole's Great Northern Cocktails book and landed upon the Clever Visual Metaphor by Winnipeg bartender Nicole Cote. The combination of Amaro Ramazzotti with a lesser amount of Fernet Branca reminded me of the Scare Crow and Solomon Grundy that utilized Amaro Montenegro and Amaro Lucano, respectively, instead of Ramazzotti. Moreover, Fernet plus grenadine was one that has worked well since its inclusion in the Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 in the Noble and last written up here on the blog a year ago in the Cornerstone. Once prepared, the Clever Visual Metaphor began with lemon, peat smoke, caramel, and root beer aromas. Next, caramel and berry notes on the sip transitioned into Bourbon, herbal, bitter menthol, berry, and smoke flavors on the swallow.