golden boy

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Thursday ago, I fired up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Golden Boy by Jon Nutter at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2024. I recognized the bartender's name as being the creator of Hamilton the Hipster when he was at Brooklyn's Grand Army in 2021, so I was curious about trying this one especially with the sherry-Cocchi Americano pairing. Moreover, the recipe itself reminded me of another drink on that app called the Brigantine with rye instead of Bourbon and no sherry element. Once prepared, the Golden Boy offered up lemon, grape, and orange aromas to the nose. Next, caramel and grape on the sip pivoted into Bourbon, nutty grape, orange, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

locksmith

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (3/4 oz Rittenhouse + 3/4 oz Old Overholt 86°)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Wednesdays prior, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book, and I landed on the Locksmith by Ingrid Archer and David Molyneux at The Everleigh in Melbourne circa 2018 in the book's Manhattan section. Scotch and either Lillet or Cocchi Americano seem to go rather well together in classics such as in the Prince Edward, and there is a very similar cocktail to the Locksmith in the NoMad Cocktail Book, the North Sea Oil, with aquavit instead of rye and a quarter of the Cocchi Americano swapped for orange liqueur. Once assembled, the Locksmith opened up the aroma with a lemon, peat smoke, and grapefruit bouquet. Next, white grape, orange, and malt notes on the sip unlocked rye, smoky Scotch, apricot, and grapefruit pith flavors on the swallow.

wingspan

1 3/4 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I spotted a recipe called the Wingspan on Difford's Guide that caught my eye. The drink was created at the Savoy Hotel Bar in London circa 2014 as a cross between the Aviation and the World War II-era Wings (recipe not found) created there. From the menu's ingredients list, Simon Difford interpreted the drink as above, and after making it, I thought that the recipe could be tweaked a little. The Lillet/Cocchi Americano-Punsch aspect reminded me of recipes like the Metexa and Happy Daze, so I gave it a go. In the glass, the Wingspan soared to the nose with orange, pine, and floral aromas. Next, caramel and pear notes on the sip glided into gin, grapefruit, black tea, and soapy floral flavors on the swallow. Overall, the violette was a little much, and perhaps the Cocchi Americano could be bolstered to be more like the Metexa. My proposed recipe:

Wingspan (Fred's suggestion)
• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1/2 oz Swedish Punsch
• 1/8 oz Crème de Violette
• 1 dash Orange Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.

bouchot

1 1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Suze Gentiane Liqueur

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I spotted a reference to a drink that Sother Teague created for the podcast Sauced called the Bouchot to complement the episode's mussels dish. This fruity White Negroni riff was named after the fence posts for farming intertidal mussels. Overall, the flavor concept reminded me a little of my Tin Can Telephone with apple brandy and gentian liqueur that utilized sweet vermouth and a touch of Benedictine instead of Cocchi Americano. Once prepared, the Bouchot gave forth a lemon and gentian herbal aroma. Next, pear notes on the sip opened up into apple, herbal, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

love in the time of covid

1 1/2 oz Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
1 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/4 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Giffard Menthe de Pastille (Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail (coupe) glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays ago, I selected my copy of Neil Ratliff's 2022 Seattle Cocktails book for the night's libation. There, I was lured in by Love in the Time of Covid at The Doctor's Office. Bar director Keith Waldbauer described how it was created as a one-off for a charity during lockdown, and it was so successful that it became the bar's first original on a menu of classics. The concept of apricot and mint accents was something that I was familiar with from the Leap Frog and that I utilized in my Derby Julep, so I was curious to see how it would work here with Japanese whisky. Once this updated Gabriel García Márquez tribute drink was mixed, lemon, apricot, and mint aromas jumped out to the nose. Next, pear and grapefruit notes on the sip broadened into whisky, grapefruit, apricot, and mint flavors on the swallow. As the drink warmed up, the Peychaud's cherry and anise aspects started to come out on the back palate.

cavendish corpse reviver

3/4 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist (include twist). Two Sundays prior, I grabbed my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book, and after having burned through my stash of limes, I sought out a lemon juice drink in the book's Daisy and Sidecar chapter. There, I was lured in by the Cavendish Corpse Reviver by the book's author, Michael Madrusan, at The Everleigh in 2023. The concept of a Bourbon-based Corpse Reviver #2 reminded me of how a bartender at Drink made me one in 2008 (I later heard it called the Kentucky Corpse Reviver), and how that drink did not seem out of place at the time knowing that Brian Miller had crafted the Bourbon-for-gin 20th Century Cocktail that he dubbed the 19th Century. Here, instead of orange liqueur or crème de cacao, the liqueur was banana, and Cavendish is the current banana varietal in markets after the Gros Michel banana got wiped out by a fungal disease that began in the 1950s. In the glass, the Cavendish Corpse Reviver unpealed a lemon, caramelized banana, and anise aroma. Next, lemon, melon, and caramel notes on the sip stepped aside for Bourbon, lemon pith, cooked banana, and anise flavors on the swallow.

perfectionist

2 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Lustau Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
2 dash Woodford Sassafras Sorgham Bitters (The Bitter Queens Sarsparilla)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe or rocks glass (coupe), and garnish with a lemon twist and a cherry. Two Tuesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for Cork & Cow in Franklin, Tennessee, and was lured in by the Perfectionist as a curious Manhattan riff. An article in Visit Franklin has the drink mentioned in 2017. The combination reminded me at first of the Hoots Mon from the Savoy Cocktail Book but that was sweet vermouth instead of sweet sherry not to mention Scotch instead of Bourbon. I later made the connection with the Manhattan Harbor Co. that Carlo Caroscio crafted for me at Backbar that utilized a semi-sweet cream sherry along with the Bourbon and Cocchi Americano (instead of Lillet). Once stirred and strained, the Perfectionist came forth to the nose with a lemon and raisin bouquet. Next, sweet raisin on the sip gave way to Bourbon, raisin, grapefruit, and root beer flavors on the swallow.

arrow through me

1 oz Gin (Tree House's Hildegard Von Bingen)
1 oz Amaro Pasubio
1 oz Cocchi Americano

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon (orange) twist. Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan, and there I landed upon the Arrow Through Me by Andrew Cordero at Seneca in San Diego circa 2022. I was drawn in by the lightly bitter and fruity Negroni style, and I am always looking for uses for my bottle of the blueberry vino amaro Pasubio. Here, the Arrow Through Me landed with a pine, woody spice, and blueberry aroma. Next, berry and grapefruit notes on the sip released pine, blueberry, herbal, and gentian flavors on the swallow.

mischief

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Tuesdays ago, I ventured back to the Instagram of Satan's Whiskers in London and spotted the Mischief that they posted in 2023. Overall, it read like a mezcal version of the classic rum-based Culross, and it was very similar to the Almost Famous at the Franklin Café in 2015 which had the addition of orange bitters. Once prepared, the Mischief conjured a smoke and apricot aroma. Next, lemon, apricot, and pear notes on the sip were chased by smoky, vegetal, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

williamsburg

1 1/2 oz Old Forester Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays ago, I began perusing the KindredCocktails database, and I came across the Williamsburg created in 2015 by user OldFashionedWhiskey who self-describes as Ray, a cocktail enthusiast from Philadelphia. Overall, it had the Ramazzotti-Maraschino combination of the Brooklyn Bridge and Front Street combined with the Ramazzotti-Cocchi Americano duo of the There is No Spoon, so I was curious to give it a try. In the glass, the Williamsburg donated a lemon, root beer, and nutty cherry aroma to the nose. Next, caramel and pear notes on the sip welcomed Bourbon, root beer, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

elixir soriano

2 oz Estesia Rye (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Amaro Lucano
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1 bsp (1/8 oz) Luxardo Maraschino

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays prior, I was perusing sets of online recipe flashcards when I came across a stack for Leon's in Manhattan. The Elixir Soriano that currently appears on their menu called out to me. Once mixed, it showcased an orange, herbal, and caramel aroma. Next, pear, caramel, and orange notes on the sip welcomed rye, nutty cherry, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow. Overall, this combination came across akin to the Brooklyn and White Collar.

mexican necromancer

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Aperol
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays prior, I had spotted an interesting drink on Kindred Cocktails called the Mexican Necromancer that bartender Joshua Perez had posted. He crafted this at Middle Branch in Manhattan back in 2014 as an agave riff on Joseph Schwartz's gin-based Mercy, Mercy at Little Branch. With the tequila and mezcal, it also reminded me of the Dry Season but with bitters and slightly different proportions. Once mixed, the Mexican Necromancer enacted a lemon, smoky, and vegetal aroma. Next, orange and apricot notes on the sip transformed into smoky agave, orange, chocolate, and clove flavors on the swallow.

roughneck manhattan

2 oz Wild Turkey 101° (Evan Williams Bonded Bourbon)
3/4 oz Zucca Rabarbaro (Sfumato)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dash Grapefruit Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. No garnish was mentioned, so I opted for a cherry.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the set of online recipe flashcards from the County Barbeque in Chicago and picked the circa 2015 creation called the Roughneck Manhattan. I was able to find the drink mentioned on one of their old menus, and the name may refer to the construction workers who built the skyscrapers in the 1920s. Since I enjoyed the restaurant's Malört-bomb, the Fireside, from that collection, I decided to give this one a go. Moreover, rabarbaro and Cocchi Americano have worked well in drinks like the Bark & Bite and A Good Man is Hard to Find, so I was curious to try it here. In the glass, the Roughneck Manhattan ascended to the nose with roast and Bourbon aromas. Next, roast and pear notes on the sip assembled Bourbon, char, bitter herbal, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

marigold

1 1/2 oz Gin (Treehouse Percy's Gin)
1 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dash Fernet Branca (1/8 oz)
2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured back to The Official Downtown Abbey Cocktail Book ghost written by Lou Bustamante and picked the Marigold. Lou named this Lady Edith-inspired riff on the Hanky Panky after Edith's daughter on the show. In the glass, the Marigold bloomed with orange, floral, pine, and grapefruit aromas. Next, pear and white grape notes on the sip attracted pine, apricot, menthol, and lavender flavors on the swallow.

flew the coop

1 oz Gin (Fords)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the menu-less speakeasy Idlewild in Charlotte, North Carolina, and landed on the Flew the Coop. On paper, it reminded me of Carlo Caroscio's White Light that used blanc vermouth instead of sweet, and the Cocchi Americano plus sweet vermouth reminded me of how elegantly it works in the 1930 Hoots Mon. In the glass, the Flew the Coop showcased lemon, pine, pear, and grapefruit aromas to the nose. Next, grape and pear notes on the sip roosted until juniper, herbal, and red fruit flavors came through on the swallow.

jaded sensibilities

2 1/4 oz Barrel-aged Gin (1 1/2 oz Barr Hill Tom Cat)
3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco (1/2 oz)
3 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Angostura Orange)
1 1/4 oz Water (4/5 oz)

Combine in a flask (build in an old fashioned glass and briefly stir to mix). Note: this is a room temperature cocktail.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to Sarah Baird's Flask book to find the recipe that called for Luxardo Bitter Bianco that I could now make. That one was the Jaded Sensibilities by Matt Jernigan at Henrietta Red in Nashville, and I was game to give this White Negroni riff a whirl. I scaled down the flask-sized version to a regular three ounce build before waterization, and it welcomed the nose with pine, rosemary, and orange aromas. Next, pear and orange notes on the sip developed into pine, rosemary, bitter orange, grapefruit, and wormwood flavors on the swallow.

a serious man

25 mL Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (1 oz Peloton de la Muerte)
25 mL Suze (1 oz)
25 mL Lillet Blanc (1 oz Cocchi Americano)
2.5 mL Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal (1/2 tsp)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays prior, I returned to the Instagram account for Satan's Whiskers in London and selected A Serious Man from a 2023 posting. The drink read like a mezcal White Negroni with a dose of herbaceousness, and it seemed like a good use of our Elixir Vegetal that we only used one other time in the Prodigal Son since we acquired it as a gift at the launch party in November 2023. If the Elixir Vegetal were a larger amount of Green Chartreuse, the drink would read like the pineapple rum-based Pirate Radio, so I was game to see it with mezcal. Once prepared, A Serious Man showboated an orange, vegetal, and smoke aroma. Next, a vaguely fruity sip opened up into mezcal and Suze's vegetalness that melded into herbaceousness and smoke notes on the swallow.

peat's dragon

1 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition Blended Scotch
1/2 oz Single Malt Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year)
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/4 oz Black Pepper Tincture (3 Peppercorns, muddled)

Stir with ice and strain (double strain) into a coupe.After I posted about Clover Club's Peat's Dragon on Instagram, one of my friends mentioned another Peat's Dragon created at the Up & Up in Manhattan. I was able to track it down first to Difford's Guide which led me to an unadapted version from Cheers Magazine in 2016 that attributed it to bartender Matt Piacentini. I decided to utilized muddled black peppercorns which worked in drinks like the Fresa Catrina and Bee Sting instead of making a black pepper tincture. When I posted this version on Instagram, a friend commented, "Good timing - will make this to raise a toast to the late Peter Yarrow RIP" for Yarrow passed on January 7th of this year. Once mixed, this Peat's Dragon showcased a smoky Scotch and orange bouquet. Next, peach and pear notes on the sip slid into smoky Scotch, orange, and black pepper flavors on the swallow. Overall, the Ardbeg's peat notes and the black pepper complemented each other rather deliciously.

instant crush

1 1/2 oz Patron Silver Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz Ilegal Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Crème de Cassis (Massenez)
1/8 oz Fernet Branca
2 dash Bitter Sling Moondog Latin Bitters (Bitter Cube Corazon)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a heart-shaped orange twist on a skull pick (if available).Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to CocktailWonk's release of Tomas Estes' The Tequila Ambassador, and I spotted the Instant Crush by Lauren Mote of Amsterdam. The combination of cassis and Fernet was one that I experienced in the Wells Cocktail from Louis' Mixed Drinks back in 1906, so I was curious to try it here as an accent in an agave-Cocchi Americano concept. Once stirred and strained, the Instant Crush greeted the nose with an orange, dark berry, and herbal bouquet. Next, dark fruit notes on the sip were requited by smoky agave, syrupy red and black fruit, and bitter menthol flavors on the swallow.

agave orchard

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Laird's Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/4 oz Becherovka
2 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.While researching the Orchard in Manhattan that I had two nights previous, I found this similar recipe by Sother Teague that I had not tried before. That one was the Agave Orchard that he created for Bergen Hill in Brooklyn and that was published in a 2014 Imbibe Magazine article. This variation had tequila and celery bitters instead of Cognac and apple bitters plus a different recipe structure. In the glass, the Agave Orchard bloomed with orange, cinnamon, and pear aromas. Next, pear and nectarine notes on the sip flowed into tequila, apple, clove, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow with a celery finish.