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.

ross Island

3/4 oz Beefeater Gin (Tanqueray)
3/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
3/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a collins (highball) glass with soda water (2 oz), and garnish with a lemon wheel (lemon twist). Two Tuesdays ago, since I had a fresh bottle of soda water, I decided to make the Ross Island at the now shuttered La Moule in Portland, Oregon, that I uncovered through online recipe flashcards. A GoogleMaps menu photo dates this drink to 2021 around two years before it closed. While I thought that it could be named after the island off of Antarctica, one of my Instagram friends pointed out that there is a Ross Island in the Willamette River just south of La Moule's location. As for the recipe, the only instance of Swedish punsch and Ramazzotti being used together was in the Over the Yardarm but the amaro was used in a float over crushed ice there, so I was curious to try it in this elongated equal parts recipe. Once mixed, the Ross Island gave forth lemon, pine, and root beer aromas. Next, a carbonated lemon and caramel sip opened up into pine, citrus, herbal, cola, and black tea flavors on the swallow.

lost generation

1 1/2 oz Bacardi Ocho Rum (Angostura 7 Year)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with candied ginger.Two Tuesdays prior, I landed upon a set of online recipe flashcards for Bygone in Baltimore, and I was lured in by the Lost Generation on their Winter 2023 menu that I later spotted on a Yelp menu photo. At first glance, it appeared like a rum-apple brandy for Scotch Penicillin with Swedish punch in the mix. I remember that there was a mention of ginger on my Swedish punsch cheat sheet, and I cited the Haunted House as being a good example of how well the pairing works. With rum, Swedish punsch, and honey, this was similar to the D'yer Mak'er that I enjoyed a few weeks ago, and the trio is one that I utilized in the Reverend Wise back at Loyal Nine. Once mixed, the Lost Generation proffered caramel, honey, and ginger aromas. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip opened up into rum, apple, ginger, and black tea flavors on the swallow.

d'yer mak'er

1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 2:1 (2/3 oz 1:1)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into an old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an orange twist (orange peel snake). Two Wednesdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for Monkeypod Wailea in Hawaii, and I latched on to the D'yer Mak'er. The card mentioned to pronounce it like "Jamaica", and an Instagram friend commented that it comes from British slang for "did you make her" thus the pronunciation. This drink perhaps named after the Led Zeppelin song dates back to at least 2014 via a blog post with a drink photo. I utilized a similar rum, Swedish punsch, honey, and lime combination in the Reverend Wise at Loyal Nine back in 2017, so I was curious to try it with a more flavorful base spirit and a greater amount of Swedish punsch. In the glass, the D'yer Mak'er donated Jamaican funk, orange, and floral aromas to the nose. Next, caramel, honey, and lime notes on the sip sailed into funky rum, black tea, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

doctor's orders

1 1/2 oz Redemption Rye (Templeton)
3/4 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/8 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Sundays ago, I returned to the collection of Eastern Standard recipes that I was gifted, and I landed on the Doctor's Orders. This was different from the Dead Rabbit's Doctor's Orders and more akin to a Gold Rush with added flavor complexity of the Swedish punsch-apricot liqueur combination that I learned about in a Havana Cocktail variation and utilized in the Tainted Love at Loyal Nine. I was able to find a GoogleMaps menu photo from July 2019, and the subtitle was "Old world remedy". In the glass, the Doctor's Orders prescribed a rye, honey, and apricot aroma. Next, lemon, honey, and orchard fruit notes on the sip were followed up by rye, tea tannin, and dry spice flavors on the swallow.

dr. doctor

1 1/2 oz Planteray 5 Year Barbados Rum (RL Seale 10 Year)
1/2 oz Planteray Overproof Rum (OFTD)
1 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)

Dry shake (shake with one ice cube), pour over crushed ice in a double old fashioned glass, and add a straw.Two Mondays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Fall 2012 menu at the Dorrance in Providence, Rhode Island, where I decided that the Dr. Doctor would scratch that craving for a Daiquiri. The Dr. Doctor is a riff on the classic Doctor Cocktail via Ted Haigh who modified it from the one that first appeared in Harry McElhone's 1927 Barflies and Cocktails; the same combination as Ted's was published as the Waldorf Cocktail in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. Here, the concept was expanded with two rums and the addition of falernum. Once prepared, the Dr. Doctor offered up caramel, lime, and clove aromas. Next, lime and caramel on the sip prescribed a medley of rum notes including burly and slightly funky ones, dryness, and clove flavors on the swallow.

oh, sherrie

1 1/4 oz Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz D'Usse VSOP Cognac
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur
1/4 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a dehydrated piece of pear on a pick hanging off the glass.Two Tuesdays ago, I ventured down to Backbar to try another drink off of their Mix Tape menu. The one I selected was Oh, Sherrie by Sam Treadway in honor of the 1984 Steve Perry solo recording post departing Journey. A few moments after bartender Jesse Lane made my drink, I had a chance to talk to Sam about his creation; the most amusing part was how he latched on to the song lyric "holds on" and made the hanging garnish mirror that using a bamboo cocktail skewer. In the glass, the Oh, Sherry welcomed the nose with dried fruit and pear aromas. Next, grape, pineapple, and orchard fruit notes on the sip ventured into nutty sherry and herbal flavors on the swallow with a tart, tangy, and allspice finish.

burnisher

1 oz Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Hamilton Navy Strength Rum (1/2 oz Smith & Cross + 1/2 oz Hamilton 86° Demerara River)
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
1/2 oz Amer Picon (Torani Amer)
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Thursdays ago, I was perusing the KindredCocktails database when I came across the Burnisher created St. Paul cocktail enthusiast Craig Eliason a few days prior. It read like other burly drinks such as Chuck Taggart's Boulevard des Rêves and Colin Shearn's Transatlantic Giant, so it caught my eye. Moreover, its Picon-Swedish punsch pairing reminded me of the Rocket and other drinks, and the orange liqueur-Swedish punsch has prospered in the 1940s variation on the Corpse Reviver #2 and more modern ones like Dr. Rieux, so I was game to try this one. In the glass, the Burnisher proffered orange, caramel, and a hint of treacle on the nose. Next, the caramel and orange notes continued on into the sip, and the swallow opened up with dark rum, Bourbon, dark orange, and rum funk flavors. Overall, it was definitely intense and overproof, but it mellowed over time as the ice melted.

reverend wise

1 3/4 oz Privateer Gin (made here with Beefeater)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
6 drop Absinthe (St. George)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lime wheel.Two Saturdays ago, I needed to look up my old Hot Buttered Rum recipe (not the edited version but the one with the piccalilli spices) in my Loyal Nine recipe development notebook. Afterwards, I began flipping through and spotted the Reverend Wise that I created at Loyal Nine in early 2017. I named this spiced Gimlet of sorts after a politically active reverend who protested British taxation during the Colonial era which matched the restaurant name's theme. Wise lived up north in Ipswich which was a great tie-in with the Privateer Gin distilled there that I used for this drink of the day. Above is the photo from nearly 7 years ago, and below, is a photo from my recent revisitation.In the glass, the Reverend Wise preached a lime, cinnamon, pine, and anise aroma. Next, lime, honey, and caramel on the sip transitioned to gin, cinnamon, tea, and anise flavors on the swallow.

siege of havana

2 oz London Dry Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/8 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/8 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I was inspired by Ezra Star's Martini-like When the British Came to Spain with hints of two sweeteners and a citrus juice, and I mashed up a Martini with the classic Havana Cocktail of gin, apricot liqueur, Swedish punsch, and lemon in that style. For a name, I kept the names of the two source drinks in mind and dubbed this the Siege of Havana after the events of 1862 that were part of the Seven Years' War. Once prepared, the Siege of Havana attacked the nose with a lemon and apricot aroma. Next, white wine with caramel and orchard fruit notes on the sip sailed into gin, tea tannin, apricot, and orange flavors on the swallow.

new nails

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Monkey Shoulder)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop Kübler)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with orange oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago at Drink, I had a guest in an after-work crowd that was ordering Rusty Nails, and like a week prior when I crafted the Big Spender, it got me thinking. Another cocktail that I had made that night was the Modernista, and I decided to take that Scotch-Jamaican rum combination and fuse it with the Rusty Nail. I dropped the citrus from the equation and ended up opting for Angostura Bitters which provided more structure than the orange bitters from the Modernista. For a name, I dubbed this one the New Nails after the 1982 song from Boston band Mission of Burma. Here, it welcomed the nose with orange, caramel, and rum funk aromas. Next, honey and caramel mingled on the sip, and the swallow rounded things off with Scotch, honey, tea, rum funk, anise, and clove flavors.

havana 3 a.m.

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 oz Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Absinthe (20 drop Copper & Kings)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.One of the recipes that I make for Scotch-citrus requests at work is the Modernista recipe provided by Ted Haigh in his seminal Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book. I took a page from the Havana Cocktail as adapted in Jeff Masson and Greg Boehm's Big Bartender's Book and added in apricot liqueur in place of the orange bitters in Haigh's recipe. For a name, I dubbed this one Havana 3 A.M. after the mid-80s rock group which took its name from a 1956 album by Pérez Prado. In the glass, the Havana 3 A.M. proffered rum funk and smoke aromas. Next, lemon and caramel in the sip danced away to smoky Scotch, rum funk, apricot, black tea, and anise flavors.

havana lady

1 1/2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/8+ oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Saturdays ago, I pondered the egg white Lady series of drinks that includes the more famous White and Pink Ladies and wondered if I could take it in the direction of the Havana. The original Havana Cocktail was apricot eau de vie, Swedish punsch, gin, and lemon juice, and it was updated in the 2009 Big Bartender's Book to utilize the more common apricot liqueur instead of eau de vie along with a change in proportions. When adapted to the Lady structure, the Havana Lady sashayed in with pine, floral, and apricot aromas. Next, a creamy caramel and lemon sip flowed into gin, spice, tea, and apricot flavors on the swallow.

don't talk to strangers

3/4 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
3/4 oz Cachaça (Cuca Fresca)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/8 Cinnamon Syrup
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe or single old fashioned glass, and garnish with drops of Angostura Bitters.Two Sundays ago, I became intrigued by the Campari-Swedish punsch combination in the Sleeping With Strangers, and I decided to take it in the direction of the South American Honey Bee with pisco, cachaça, lime, and egg white. It needed a little more pizazz and a touch of sweetness to balance, so I added in some cinnamon syrup that worked well with Swedish punsch in the Oaxacan Punch. For a name, I took the original inspiration in the direction of a Rick Springfield song title. The Don't Talk to Strangers began with an allspice and orange aroma. Next, a creamy caramel, orange, and lime sip chatted with the earthy, grassy, funky, bitter orange, black tea, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

diki-diki

2/3 Calvados (2 oz Morin Selection)
1/6 Swedish Punsch (1/2 oz Kronan)
1/6 Grapefruit Juice (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass; I added a grapefruit twist.I had recently spotted a reference to the Diki-Diki, and I was surprised to discover that I had neither made one nor posted about it on the blog. To rectify that two Saturdays ago, I opened up my copy of the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book and made the recipe. I later traced the drink back to Robert Vermiere's 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them book where the ratio was a bit more Swedish punsch and grapefruit heavy (2:1:1 ratio instead of 4:1:1 in the Savoy). Vermiere described how he introduced this drink at the Embassy Club in London shortly before the publication of his book, and that "Diki-Diki is the chief monarch of the Island Ubian (Southern Philippines), who is now 37 years old, weighs 23 lb., and his height is 32 in." The Diki-Diki from the Savoy yielded a grapefruit, caramel, and rum aroma. Next, a semi-dry grapefruit and caramel sip transitioned into apple and tea flavors on the swallow. Overall, I felt that the flavor could be improved here, and perhaps Vermiere's ratio would fix that. Other recipe variations decrease the grapefruit and add simple syrup to balance the drink better and others add touches of dark rum and lemon juice into the mix.

gold medal

1/4 Seagram's Rye (3/4 oz Old Overholt)
1/4 Plymouth Gin (3/4 oz Bombay Dry)
1/4 Swedish Punsch (3/4 oz Kronan)
1/4 Lime Juice (3/4 oz)
1 dash Absinthe (20 drop St. George)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Fridays ago, I had spotted a reference to the book 1700 Drinks for the Man Behind the Bar and pulled up my copy. There, I noted the Gold Medal that reminded me a little of Crosby Gaige's Swedish punsch-containing Corpse Reviver variation as well as Gaige's Palliative Potion for Pomona. Here, instead of an aromatized wine, it was a split base spirit akin to the structure of the two spirits Between the Sheets as compared to the Lillet-containing Hoop La. Once prepared, the Gold Medal welcomed the senses with a lime, rye, and anise bouquet. Next, a lime and caramel sip entered into a rye, gin, tart lime, tea, and rum funk swallow.

dead ringer

1 1/2 oz Ron Zacapa Rum (Zaya)
1 oz Principe Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1 tsp Cane Sugar Simple

Stir with ice and strain into a old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with Sombra Mezcal (Mezcal Union).Two Saturdays ago, I was excited to crack open the new Death & Co.: Welcome Home book, and the first recipe that I spotted was the Dead Ringer that Eryn Reece crafted in 2014. The light touch of Swedish punsch here reminded me of her Mrs. Doyle, so I was curious to give this one a go. Once mixed, the mezcal rinse provided a vegetal smoke nose. Next, caramel, grape, and plum flavors on the sip flowed into rum, caramel, orange, and dry grape notes on the swallow with a rum funk finish.

dr. rieux

1 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1 oz Light Rum (Bacardi 4 Year)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe rimmed with demerara sugar, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Saturdays ago, I had spotted an interesting drink on a friend's Instagram account called the Dr. Rieux, and I tracked down the recipe on Difford's Guide. There, it was an adapted recipe from Vaucluse in Manhattan that was named after the doctor in Albert Camus' The Plague. Overall, the combination reminded me of Between the Sheets plus Swedish punsch with apple instead of grape brandy (or a Deauville plus Swedish punsch with rum instead of the Cognac).The Dr. Rieux conjured up lemon, orange, and apple aromas. Next, lemon and caramel notes on the sip flowed into apple, rum, orange, tea, and spice flavors on the swallow.

la savane

3/4 oz Rhum Agricole (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
3/4 oz Mezcal (Mezcal Union)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I recalled the Metexa from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book and decided to riff on it. Instead of the classic's tequila base, I kept the agave theme with some mezcal and split it with rhum agricole for that spirit paired well with Swedish punsch in the Sleeping with Strangers. I also adjusted the ratios to make it more of a cocktail instead of an aperitif. For a name, I dubbed this one the La Savane after a garden and park on Martinique. In the glass, La Savane conjured an orange, vegetal, caramel, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, apricot and grapefruit notes on the sip blossomed into grassy, smoky, tea, and vegetal flavors on the swallow.

captains' mile

3/4 oz Rhum Agricole Blanc (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
3/4 oz Funky Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Thursdays ago, I returned from an evening of visiting a bunch of accounts for my brand work, and I was in the mood for a Daiquiri instead of another whiskey drink. I had recently replaced my empty bottle of Cardamaro, and I then paired it with Swedish Punsch after recalling how well they worked together in the Mortimer Stump, Deck Hand, and Hearing Trumpet. For the rums, I went with a split of grassy rhum agricole and funky Jamaican rum, and for a name, I dubbed this one the Captains' Mile after a historic stretch of homes in Cape Cod.The Captains' Mile proffered a grassy, pineapple, and orange aroma to the nose. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip sailed into funky, grassy, pineapple, tea, and orange peel flavors on the swallow.