mai tai 3000

1 oz Empress 1908 Gin (Tree House Percy)
1/2 oz Rum Fire Overproof White Jamaican Rum
1/2 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Demerara 151° Proof Rum (Diamond Reserve)
1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Kahuna Kevin Aromatic Bitters (DeGroff Pimento)
1 spritz Tahitian Vanilla (1 dash Savoy Society Orange Vanilla)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Mai Tai or double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a spent lime shell. Two Tuesdays prior, I opened up my collection of Kahuna Kevin's Tiki Cocktails books and spotted Kahuna Kevin's 2018 creation, the Mai Tai 3000, in the fourth volume. There, it had the subtitle of "Voted best non-traditional Mai Tai of the near dystopian future," and I was up to the challenge of combining 11 ingredients, 2 garnishes, and a few handfuls of freshly crushed ice to see this through. While I have tried gin in a Mai Tai riff before in the Catamaran and the Blanche DuBois, I have not tasted a Mai Tai riff with a smoky Scotch aspect to it. After an epic build session, the Mai Tai 3000 commanded a mint and lime aroma over caramel and smoke. Next, a creamy lime and orange sip was displaced by juniper, rum funk, pineapple, and maple flavors with an allspice and smoke finish.

smoke julep

1 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Bonded Apple Brandy (Laird's)
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
6-8 leaf Mint

Muddle mint leaves in maple syrup. Add rest of the ingredients, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a bouquet of mint. Two Thursdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and turned to the Julep section where I found the Smoked Julep by Phil Ward at Death & Co. circa 2008. Scotch, apple brandy, and maple is a trio that I recently saw in the Blackjack and that I utilized six years ago in the Lumberjack Negroni, so I was curious to try it in a Julep. Moreover, Scotch and muddled mint is something that I had not experienced before, but only with the mint as a garnish. With my freshly picked garden mint, the Smoked Julep opened up with mint over hints of apple and smoke to the nose. Next, apple and maple notes on the sip grew into smoky Scotch, hint of apple, and maple flavors on the swallow.

courting disaster

1 oz Zacapa Rum (Privateer Navy Yard)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Pineapple Syrup
1/4 oz Maple Syrup (Pure BS Maple Shack)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a pineapple wedge (orange twist). Two Sundays ago, I returned to online recipe flashcards for Teardrop Lounge in Portland and became inspired by the Courting Disaster from the "Friends" section of their menu. The drink was mentioned in a Yelp review in 2013, but I was not able to identify what bar or bartender it originated from. The rum, pineapple syrup, curaçao, and citrus combination reminded me of my Daiquiri-like Painkiller riff Old Painless is Waiting, so I got to mixing. Here, the Courting Disaster gave forth an orange and aged rum aroma. Next, maple, lemon, and orange notes on the sip slid into rum, maple, and pineapple flavors on the swallow.

blackjack

1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse Scotch
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays prior, I selected a recipe from The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming, called the Blackjack that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards. The name could be an allusion to how gambling was made illegal in Wisconsin in 1901 yet Jackson was "so far removed from the eyes of any federal law enforcement, it happened in the basements of several downtown drinking establishments" until mid-century. The duo of maple and ginger syrups appeared in the Mountain Man with Bourbon and peach liqueur instead of Scotch and apple brandy. Once dealt, the Blackjack showed a lemon, maple, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Lemon and an amber note on the sip revealed Scotch, apple, maple, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

hustle & cuss

2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/4 oz Marie Brizard White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a grapefruit twist (omit). Two Tuesdays ago, I selected Death & Co.'s Welcome Home book off of the shelf and found the Hustle & Cuss by Jon Armstrong in 2016. There was no indication about why it was named that, but perhaps it was a tribute to the 2010 song by The Dead Weather. The grapefruit-maple-cinnamon trio appeared to be a driving force here; grapefruit-cinnamon is a proven duo in the Don's Mix as featured in the 1934 Zombie and grapefruit-maple is one that I learned to appreciate in Don's Volcano Bowl. In structure, the recipe vaguely reminded me of the Dead Rabbit's Doctor's Orders with the Bourbon, two citrus juices, cinnamon syrup, and modifiers, but the two take different paths. Here, the Hustle & Cuss donated a Bourbon, maple, and cinnamon aroma to the nose. Next, grapefruit and lemon on the sip flowed into Bourbon, maple, chocolate, cinnamon, and clove 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.

wagon train

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/8 oz Amaro Braulio
1 tsp Maple Syrup

Stir with ice, strain into an old fasioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I elected for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book to guide the drink of the night, and in the Old Fashioned section, I spotted the Wagon Train by Matt Clark at Dutch Kills. To get an approximate date on the recipe, I found a mention of the drink in an October 2019 review on Yelp. I was drawn in for Braulio and maple worked rather well in the Thieves in the Night, and I added some maple to my Braulio-Sfumato Dead Man's Alley with good results. In the glass, the Wagon Train approached the nose with orange, nutty grape, maple, and pine aromas. Next, grape and maple notes on the sip were followed by rye, bitter herbal, pine, and nutty grape flavors on the swallow with a dry maple finish.

colonial grog

1/2 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (1 oz Coruba)
1/2 oz Gold Virgin Island Rum (1 oz Privateer New England Reserve)
1/2 oz Lime Juice (1 oz)
1/2 oz Orange Juice (1 oz)
1/4 oz Maple Syrup (1/2 oz Deer Meadow Farm)
1/8 tsp Allspice Dram (1/4 tsp Hamilton's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters (2 dash)
1/2 oz Soda Water (1 oz)

Blend with 3 oz crushed ice for 5 seconds and fine strain into a glass with a thin ice shell (shake all but the soda water, and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice and the soda water). When I made was the Samoan Grog from the Mai-Kai, I learned that it was perhaps inspired by Don the Beachcomber's Colonial Grog. The circa 1944 Colonial Grog details were uncovered by Jeff Beachbum Berry in the notebooks of Mariano Licudine who worked for Don between 1939 and 1956. Berry published the recipe in his Potions of the Caribbean book and described it as a Tiki-fied Planter's Punch. Don's bartenders were some of the few using maple in tropical drinks before the cocktail revival with the most famous recipe being the Volcano Bowl from 1970 that showcased how well maple works with grapefruit (which inspired my Vagalume Bowl). Although I skipped the ice shell built into the inner circumference of the glass and doubled up the volumes, I kept true to the recipe save for using a local amber rum instead of a Caribbean one. In the glass, the Colonial Grog displayed dark rum, maple, and lime aromas. Next, maple, orange, and lime notes with a hint of carbonation on the sip unwound into dark rum, allspice, and lime flavors on the swallow.

buffalo soldier

1 1/2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila (Cimarron Blanco)
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Angostura Cocoa Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a big cube, and garnish with a cherry and orange twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I opened up the Spec app that I learned about on the Bardtenders' podcast and selected the podcast's recipe collection. There, I was lured in by the Buffalo Soldier from Nineteen at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Jon Mateer, one of the podcast's hosts, is the beverage manager at TPC Sawgrass, so he most likely entered the recipe, but there is no indication if he had a hand in its creation. The closest thing that I have tried to the Buffalo Solder was Mr. Hyde, a Bourbon Old Fashioned (albeit without a split base with tequila) with Ancho Reyes combined with amaretto instead of maple. Once mixed, the Buffalo Soldier rallied the senses for an orange, vegetal, Bourbon, and pepper aroma. Next, roast and maple notes on the sip led into whiskey, agave, and pepper spice flavors on the swallow with maple, chocolate, and allspice on the finish.

mirage

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Lustau Amontillado)
1/2 oz Aged Dark Rum (1/4 oz each Planteray's OFTD & Fiji)
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. After I landed back in Boston from my Portland adventure, I was in the mood for a nightcap so I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book by Michael and Zara Madrusan. There, I selected the Mirage by Joyce Chang at Bar Margaux in Melbourne circa 2024 from the book's Manhattan section. Since maple and sherry have been good bedmates in recipes ranging from the Mapplethorpe to the Midtown, I was game to give this one a go (when I was drinking it, Erick Castro's French Toast Flip came to mind, but the other examples in retrospect are more stripped down ingredient-wise). In the glass, the Mirage glimmered to the senses with rum funk, maple, and nutty grape aromas. Next, grape and amber notes on the sip opened up into Bourbon, nutty sherry, and maple flavors with rum undertones on the swallow.

queen anne's revenge

1 oz JM Rhum Agricole Blanc (JM 100°)
1 oz Amaro Montenegro
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Maple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Dutch Kills in Long Island City, and I selected the Queen Anne's Revenge by Jason Kilgore and Richard Boccato circa 2024. The drink was named after Blackbeard's most famous pirate frigate, and it was different in feel from the Queen Anne's Revenge that I created as a sherry riff on the Blackbeard's Ghost. Moreover, the rhum agricole, maple, and lime reminded me of the Miracles Take Longer but with Montenegro instead of mezcal and lime. Once prepared, the Queen Anne's Revenge proffered up cinnamon, funky rhum, orange, and lime aromas to the nose. Next, lime, maple, and clementine notes on the sip sailed towards funky rhum, orange, and peach flavors on the swallow.

man after midnight

1 1/2 oz Old Forester 100° Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/4 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1 tsp Giffard Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters)
1 dash Saline (4 drop 20%)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a dehydrated banana chip (omit). The instructions I found have this as a freezer pour over ice, but I did it à la minute as described.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to a set of online recipe flashcards for Death & Co. and landed on the Man After Midnight that is on the current Denver branch's menu. This Old Fashioned variation named perhaps after the subtitle of the ABBA song "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" had the unique trio of walnut, banana, and maple to accent a Bourbon and rum base. In the glass, the Man After Midnight gave forth maple, banana, and walnut aromas. Next, maple and roast notes on the sip opened up into Bourbon, rum funk, maple, walnut, clove, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

sidewinder

2 oz Applejack (Laird's Bonded)
3/4 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to an online collection of San Diego's Polite Provision recipes, and I spotted the Sidewinder that appeared like an interesting riff on the Rattlesnake from the Savoy Cocktail Book. Despite the overlapping ingredients of apple brandy and absinthe, it had nothing to do with Death & Co.'s Sidewinder riff on the Diamondback. While I was not able to find evidence of it in the Polite Provisions' Yelp menu photos, the idea of an apple brandy-maple syrup Rattlesnake was too tempting to pass up. Once assembled, the Sidewinder slithered to the nose with a lemon, apple, maple, and anise bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip with a caramel-like note from the maple led into apple, maple, and anise-herbal flavors on the swallow.

bobcat's tail

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/4 oz Smoky Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/2 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Tuesdays ago, I was inspired by the maple-allspice dram combination that I recently had in the Fireside Chat. The allspice dram component got me riffing on the Lion's Tail, and maple boils made me think of smoke, so a touch of Islay whisky fit the bill. Moreover, the maple syrup made me wonder what wildcats live in syrup producing areas, and naming this after a cat with little or no tail seemed ironic. Once prepared, the Bobcat's Tail pounced on the nose with peat smoke and allspice aromas. Next, a lime and maple sip landed on rye, maple, allspice, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

fireside chat

1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Peloton de la Muerte Mezcal
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch, add a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I spied an Old Fashioned variation in a set of online recipe flashcards called the Fireside Chat that seemed to complement the cold weather outside. The drink was created at Clyde's in Alexandria, Virginia, and it appeared on their Fall 2023 menu via both the information from the cards and an old online menu. While the Cognac-mezcal duo reminded me of the 1910 Cocktail, the maple-allspice dram combination has been enjoyed several times before in drinks like the French Toast Flip and Orchard. Moreover, the whole mix was similar to the Armagnac-containing Black Powder from the Death & Co. Welcome Home book. Once prepared, the Fireside Chat conjured up orange, peat smoke, and maple aromas to the nose. Next, a rich, caramelized sip flowed into Cognac, agave, maple, and allspice flavors on the swallow with a smoke and orange finish.

improved scotch cocktail

2 oz House Scotch Blend (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse Smoky Black + 3/4 oz Royal Brackla 12 Year)
1 tsp Luxardo Maraschino
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1 dash Fee's Black Wanut Bitters (3 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixirs Walnut Bitters)
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcard sets for Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and their Improved Scotch Cocktail called out to me. Here, they added in maple and walnut notes to the classic structure of the Improved Whiskey Cocktail which seemed like a delightful complement to the spirit. They featured this version in 2023 while on other years' menus, it was a honey-driven one as deduced from Yelp menu photos. In the glass, the Improved Scotch Cocktail offered up orange, Scotch, and nutty cherry aromas. Next, maple and cherry notes on the sip transitioned into Scotch, maple, cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.

autumn old fashioned

1/2 oz George Dickel Rye (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Tariquet VSOP Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Bank Note Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with lemon and orange twists.Two Mondays prior, I reached for Death & Co.'s Cocktail Codex book and landed on the Autumn Old Fashioned that Devon Tarby created in 2013 as a take on Brian Miller's 2007 four spirit Old Fashioned, the Conference. Once assembled, the Autumn Old Fashioned offered up lemon, orange, and maple aromas. Next, caramel and maple on the sip traipsed into brandy, Scotch, and caramel flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and allspice finish.

squid missile

1 1/2 oz Coruba Rum
1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1/4 oz Jagermeister
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
Shake with ice and strain into a Collins (Tiki mug) with ice.Two Saturdays ago, I had a grapefruit that had been shed of all its garnish peels and was ready for juicing. From my collection of to-make drinks, I selected the Squid Missile at Gilly's House of Cocktails in San Diego from their opening Fall 2023 menu that I sourced via online recipe flashcards. The maple-grapefruit duo was one I discovered in Don the Beachcomber's Volcano Bowl, and the Jägermeister Tiki aspect made me think of the Rough Seas, Escape Hatch, and Lost U-Boat. Later I realized that the whole combination reminded me of my Volcano Bowl riff with Jägermeister in the mix that had different spirit and lacked falernum that I dubbed the Vagalume Bowl. Once in the glass, the Squid Missile launched to the nose with caramel-maple and funky rum aromas. Next, maple, grapefruit, and lime on the sip guided towards rum, maple, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

mountain man

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Crème de Peche (Mathilde)

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a piece of candied ginger.Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a recipe for the Mountain Man and traced it back to an article in Punch. This drink created by Natasha David at Nightcap in Manhattan circa 2015 read like a maple for honey Democrat meets a Federal Buffalo Stamp. Once prepared, the Mountain Man offered up Bourbon, peach, and ginger aromas to the nose. Next, lemon and maple notes on the sip climbed towards Bourbon, peach, maple, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

gone hunting

1 1/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Apple Brandy (Laird's Bonded)
1/4 oz Nocino (Russo)
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist and grated cinnamon.Two Wednesdays prior, I returned to the recipe collection for Idlewild, a menu-less speakeasy in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spotted the Gone Hunting. The concept of an Old Fashioned with walnut liqueur and maple reminded me of the Bourbon-based Fall Back at Backbar but here with rye and apple brandy. Once mixed, the Gone Hunting welcomed the senses with orange, walnut, cinnamon, and maple aromas. Next, amber notes on the sip tracked down rye, apple, walnut, maple, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.