where eagles dare

1 1/2 oz Dewar's 12 Year Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Smith & Cross Rum. Two Wednesdays ago, I spotted on an online recipe site the Where Eagles Dare created at State Park in Cambridge that was named after either the 1968 Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton WWII action film or the 1979 song by The Misfits. The Punt e Mes-banana combination appears in a few drinks such as the Social Vampire and the Banana Manhattan, but none with Scotch muchless a funky Jamaican rum rinse. Scotch and banana though were last seen in the Cupid Deluxe (that post has links to two other Scotch-banana drinks on the blog), so I curious to give this one a try. In the glass, the Where Eagles Dare soared to the nose with a pineapple rum funk and banana aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip swooped into Scotch, bitter herbal, and banana flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

no further questions

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/8 oz Peated Whisky (Laphroaig 10 Year)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink created by Tim Kirkland called No Further Questions that he named after his friend Brian Collins' frequent replies to requests of a sip of the drink that he posted on Instagram. Whisky, Punt e Mes, and Ciociaro is a combination that worked well in my Jolly Jane, Rafa Garcia Febles' Stenton, and other recipes, so I was curious to try it here. In the glass, the No Further Questions proffered orange, peat smoke, and grape aromas to the nose. Next, grape and caramel on the sip soon hid behind rye, caramel orange, bitter herbal, and peat smoke flavors on the swallow.

where it all begins

1 1/2 oz Chattanooga High Malt Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Licor 43
1/4 oz Luxardo Amaro Abano
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

No instructions were provided, so I stirred with ice, strained into a cocktail coupe, and garnished with a cherry. Two Wednesdays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard set for Nashville's Pinewood Social and selected the Where It All Begins from a 2021 collection, and I was able to confirm the drink's ingredients in a GoogleMaps menu photo. This Manhattan variation launched off with a cherry and dark grape aroma. Next, grape and sweet citrus notes on the sip slipped into Bourbon, bitter, bright orange-lemon, vanilla, and peppery flavors on the swallow. If I were to make this again, I would decrease the Licor 43 amount or even swap the volumes with Amaro Abano, for the balance came across a bit sweet and bright for me; often a quarter ounce of Licor 43 in a stirred drink is plenty such as in the Signals, Calls, & Marches.

pigeon park

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass rinsed with Ardbeg Scotch (Ardbeg 10 Year), and garnish with orange oil from a flamed twist (unflamed, twist included). My rediscovery of Pimm's No. 1 led me to search the Kindred Cocktails database where I landed on the Pigeon Park by Martin Corriveau at La Pentola in Vancouver circa 2013. Martin created this as a variation on the the Vancouver which is a recipe that I made around 5 years ago from William Boothby's 1934 World Drinks & How to Mix Them with gin, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and orange bitters. Martin explained, "I wanted something slightly herbaceous to highlight the subtle herbal aroma of the mezcal, and Pimm's No.1 felt like the perfect choice because it wasn't very sweet, and being made from gin, it echoed the original Vancouver Cocktail, which was essentially a Martinez with Benedictine instead of Maraschino. Pigeon Park is a little square in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside where the homeless and junkies hang out or just take a nap. Still Vancouver, even though it doesn't look anything like a postcard photo, yet not without charm either." Once assembled, the Pigeon Park gave forth an orange, peat smoke, and red fruit aroma. Next, grape and berry notes on the sip slid into vegetal, smoke, bitter herbal, berry, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

long nights, hard times

1 oz Elijah Craig Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a cherry. Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a drink that I found through online recipe flashcards called the Long Nights, Hard Times. The recipe was created at Per Diem in Lilitz, Pennsylvania, and GoogleMaps confirmed the ingredients via a menu photo. Moreover, the bar's Instagram attributed the drink to beverage manager Dan Zeiders, and he perhaps named this after a Piebald song lyric. While the combination of American whiskey, Cynar, and Maraschino made me think of the Bensonhurst, there were closer recipes that I have tried such as the combination with sweet vermouth in the Five Keys, with aquavit in the Divine Wind, and with gin in the Grand Street. In the glass, the Long Nights, Hard Times offered up a caramel, sherry, and herbal aroma to the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip morphed into Bourbon, bitter herbal, and cherry flavors on the swallow.

guadalajara

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Averna
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry and an orange twist. Two Thursdays ago, I opened up my copy of Every Cocktail Has a Twist by Carey Jones and John McCarthy, and for the inaugural recipe, I selected the Guadalajara from the Manhattan variation section that was not one of the three other Guadalajaras already on this blog. The structure was reminiscent of the Bourbon-based Big Chief, and the combination of reposado tequila, Punt e Mes, and Averna have appeared in the Revelator with coffee beans and in the Modest Mousse with grapefruit liqueur. Once mixed, the Guadalajara opened up with orange, cherry, grape, and roasted vegetal aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip delved into vegetal and rounded bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

loose cannon

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Fernet-Vallet (Fernet Branca)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and found the Loose Cannon by Brandon Bramhall at Last Saint in Charleston via the Manhattan section. The recipe made me think of the Alcazer from Pioneer of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 (rye, Fernet, orange liqueur), and the combination of whisk(e)y, Punt e Mes, and those two liqueurs can be found in the Scotland the Brave. In the glass, the Loose Cannon shot off with orange, grape, and minty aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip stepped aside for Bourbon, herbal, bitter menthol, and orange flavors on the swallow.

dirk diggler

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1 tsp Fernet Branca
2 dash Peach Bitters (Fee Brothers)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I opened up my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted in the Manhattan section a recipe called the Dirk Diggler by Lorenzo Antinori at Bar Leone in Hong Kong circa 2023. Overall, it read like a Moto Guzzi (originally equal parts Booker's Bourbon and Punt e Mes) met a Toronto. In the glass, the Dirk Diggler gave forth an orange, peach, and minty aroma. Next, grape notes on the sip boogied on over to rye, bitter herbal, and menthol flavors on the swallow with a peach and clove finish.

night nurse

1 oz Aged Jamaican Rum (Appleton 8 Year)
1 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Overproof Jamaican Rum (Wray & Nephew)
1/4 oz Cynar
1 tsp Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
1 tsp Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I was perusing my copy of the January/February 2026 issue of Imbibe Magazine when I spotted the Night Nurse by Robby Dow at Bespoke in Wilmington, North Carolina. Overall, it was akin to the Coffee Negroni with different rum origin plus touches of Cynar and banana liqueur. Once mixed, the Night Nurse gave forth an orange, banana, rum funk, and coffee aroma. Next, grape, caramel, and roast notes on the sip transferred into funky rum, herbal, coffee, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with a coffee and banana finish.

luca brazi

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Campari
1/3 oz Cynar
5 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist. Two Tuesdays prior, I sought out my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and landed on the Luca Brazi in the Negroni section as crafted by Lorenzo Antinori at Bar Leone in Hong Kong circa 2023. I could not find any confirmation of the bar's spelling of the drink, but Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and the 1972 film based on it. Overall, the combination looked like a less intense version of The Last Mechanical Art, so I was intrigued. In the glass, the Luca Brazi ushered forth grapefruit, floral, vegetal, and peachy-orange aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip developed into vegetal, orange, and peach flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

2019

3/4 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum (Raising Glasses Moongazer 9 Year Guyana)
3/4 oz Santa Teresa Rum (Zaya)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Averna
1/8 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
1 dash Chili Tincture (my Hellfire Bitters)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for the Blossom Bar in Brookline, Massachusetts, and I spotted the 2019 that reminded me of their Palm Viper that I had there in 2018 with its two rums, vermouth, amaro, and bitters combination. For a time frame, I found a Yelp drink photo from February 2020, and the name reminded me of John Mayer's 2011 at Loyal 149 that he served me in 2013 (although he first called this the Acquired Taste before changing the name in 2012). Once prepared, the 2019 gave forth a lemon and caramel bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip switched into dark rum, herbal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow with a pepper spice and grape finish. Overall, Cynar's funkiness in the Palm Viper added more to the mix than Averna with crème de cacao did here (despite the Punt e Mes donating some depth over regular sweet vermouth in the Palm Viper).

verrazano

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Cynar
1 tsp Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Verrazano by Leo Robetscheck at Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan. This one is different from the other Manhattan variation Verrazano on here which is much less bitter and closer to Julie Reiner's Slope. Once prepared, this Verrazano showcased a lemon and dark grape aroma. Next, the grape continued on into the sip where it mingled with caramel notes from the Cynar, and the swallow followed up with Bourbon, herbal, vegetal, and smoky flavors.

stepwise improvement

1 1/4 oz Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. As I was sorting through the various months' posts to start on the year end wrap-up, I spotted Liholiho Yacht Club's Step into Liquid. Knowing how Maraschino can soften Campari – a trick that I learned at Eastern Standard with their Carnivale, I decided to modify their drink via the 1880s Improved Cocktail addition of Maraschino and absinthe. The drink that I dubbed Stepwise Improvement began with orange and nutty cherry aromas. Next, a dark grape sip flowed into rum, pineapple, bitter orange, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, the addition of Maraschino and absinthe took the combination into a more tropical realm.

double idemnity

1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.Two Tuesdays prior, I reached for my copy of T. Cole Newton's Cocktail Dive Bar and found the Double Indemnity as his inverted riff on the Vieux Carré perhaps at 12 Mile Limit in New Orleans (the book did not specify). All the ingredients were halved or doubled compared to his Vieux Carré recipe, plus the Cognac and rye were switched to Armagnac and Bourbon. The reverse Manhattan of sorts fronted by Punt e Mes reminded me of some of Maks Pazuniak's drinks like the Cease & Desist across town at Cure, so I was curious to try this one. In the glass, the Double Idemnity gave forth a grape and caramel bouquet to the nose. Next, a rich grape sip slid into grape, brandy, herbal, allspice, and anise flavors on the swallow. The switching from spicier rye to sweeter Bourbon at a reduced amount unfortunately minimized whiskey's presence in the flavor profile.

social vampire

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Brandy Sainte Louise (Courvoisier VS)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil (Tempus Fugit)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fasioned glass.Two Fridays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for the Chumley House in Fort Worth, Texas, and I was attracted to the Social Vampire that I was able to find on their March 2025 menu. The Social Vampire has the brandy-mezcal combination accented with Punt e Mes that the 1910 Cocktail does except with banana instead of Maraschino liqueur. Moreover, the banana liqueur-Punt e Mes duo worked excellently in the Banana Manhattan with rum as a base spirit, so I was excited to try it here. In the glass, the Social Vampire sought out the nose with vegetal, fruity, and smoke aromas. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip drained into Cognac richness, vegetal, bitter herbal, banana, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

rumscullion

2 oz Aged Demerara Rum (Hamilton's 86° Demerara River)
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 tsp Falernum (Velvet)
8 drop Herbsaint
1 dash Fee's Old Fashioned Bitters (Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a long orange twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for Beachbum Berry's Remixed book to uncover a glossed-over gem. There, I found Craig Hermann a/k/a Colonel Tiki's Rumscullion that he created in 2008 at the Thatch Tiki Bar in Portland, Oregon. The combination reminded me of the Zakim but with rum and absinthe instead of whiskey, so I was intrigued. While the book's recipe suggested El Dorado 12 Year, I used what I had. Craig mentioned on my Instagram post that, "The original used ED15, and I must add any aged Demerara or like full-bodied non-funky rum work plenty fine: I have used Foursquare Barbados vintage/named expressions to great success. At its heart, the drink is a rum Manhattan variation. The inspiration was to recreate and home in on the Chinotto sour orange flavors I grew to love so much in bitter sodas (notably the San Peregrino)." Once prepared, the Rumscullion gave forth an orange, caramel, grape, and anise aroma. Next, caramel and grape notes on the sip opened up into woody rum, bitter herbal, clove, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

step into liquid

1 1/2 oz Planteray Pineapple Rum
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Punt e Mes

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I returned the online recipe flashcards for the Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco that I utilized for the Pineapple Dance, and I landed on the Step into Liquid. As for a time estimate, I was able to spot the drink on a 2019 menu on Yelp, and it was perhaps named after the 2003 surfing documentary. While I have had other pineapple rum-Campari drinks in the Negroni ballpark, like the Pineapple Kingston Negroni, Best Fronds, and Jungle Boulevard, they all called for regular sweet vermouth instead of Punt e Mes. Once prepared, the Step into Liquid offered up orange, dark rum, pineapple, and herbal aromas to the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip gave way to rum, pineapple, bitter orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

mistah bittah hai

1 1/4 oz Batavia Arrack (Von Oosten)
3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Borghetti)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 pinch Salt (4 drop 20% Saline)

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into a Pilsner mug (Tiki mug), and garnish with mint sprigs, grapefruit slice (grapefruit twist), and a smoldering cinnamon stick.Two Thursdays, I returned to a 2024 Imbibe Magazine article for a Tiki drink called the Mistah Bittah Hai. The recipe was crafted by Jacoby Morciglio at Adrift Tiki Bar in Denver as a Mr. Bali Hai riff, and the magazine described how Jacoby "loves the combo of coffee and fruit in the tropical classic Mr. Bali Hai, but to play up the recipe's bittersweet notes, he swaps pineapple juice for grapefruit and brings in bitters and sweet vermouth. A touch of mezcal adds another dimension of flavor." Unlike the article's semi-vague recipe, the bar's Instagram specifies that the sweet vermouth mentioned is Punt e Mes and the Indonesian rum is Batavia Arrack (my recipe above is a hybrid of the magazine and the bar's social media post). Moreover, the article suggested Mexican rum or Rhum Agricole if Batavia Arrack is unavailable. Once prepared, the Mistah Bittah Hai gave forth a mint, grapefruit, and acrid cinnamon smoke aroma. Next, lime, grape, and roast notes on the sip developed into earthy, vegetal, bitter, grapefruit, coffee, and smoke flavors on the swallow.

dogstar

2 oz Brennivin (Linie Aquavit)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1 bsp Maraschino (1/8 oz Luxardo)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist and with a cherry.Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming, and selected the Dogstar from their Winter 2015-16 menu. On paper, it came across like an aquavit Angel of Tombstone or Brown Manhattan with a touch of Red Hook. Once mixed, the Dogstar guided the nose towards orange, cherry, caraway, and herbal aromas. Next, a grape and cherry sip flowed into caraway, bitter herbal, orange, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

rebellion

1 1/2 oz Banhez Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Campari
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 drop Saline

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays prior, I returned to my list of drinks spotted in online recipe flashcard sets and decided to make the Rebellion created at Miniboss in San Jose, California. The Rebellion was one of their offerings for Negroni Week 2022, and I was able to find that Negroni Week menu on their Instagram page. Overall, the recipe read like a more mezcal forward and less rounded Last Mechanical Art, so I was intrigued. In the glass, the Rebellion launched off with an orange, vegetal, smoke, and herbal bouquet. Next, a grape-driven sip was overcome by smoky agave, sharp bitter orange, rounded herbal bitterness, chocolate, and anise flavors on the swallow.