torreador del diablo

1 1/4 oz Tequila (Cimarron Blanco)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1/8 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Fridays prior, I began perusing The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and happened upon the Torreador del Diablo by José Manuel Alvarez Gonzalez at London's Milk & Honey in 2013. The Campari, apricot liqueur, and lemon juice trio has worked well in the Juniper #3 and in my St. Botolph's Club, so I was curious to taste it with the ginger-honey-lemon of a Penicillin Cocktail. Once mixed, the Torreador del Diablo showcased a vegetal tequila, apricot, and ginger aroma. Next, lemon with a hint of honey on the sip stepped aside for tequila, bitter orchard fruit, and ginger flavors on the swallow.

shakedown street

2 oz Tequila (Fosforo)
1/2 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Agave Syrup
1 slice Cucumber

Muddle cucumber in syrup, add rest of ingredients, shake with ice, double strain into a cocktail glass (old fashioned glass with ice), and garnish with a cucumber slice. Two Tuesdays ago, I was looking through The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spotted the Shakedown Street by Rhiannon Enlil. Since Rhiannon was our first Cure bartender back in 2009, I followed my hunch and opened up the Cure: New Orleans Drinks And How to Mix'em book. There, it described how Rhiannon riffed on one of Maks Pazuniak's drinks called the Deadhead that was got its name from being herbaceous enough that it "tasted like some hippie shit," and perhaps that is why she named this one after a Grateful Dead song. Rhiannon kept the ratio but changed things around. "Cucumber and Aperol want to be together; cucumber and tequila want to go together... it came together naturally." The drink stood out due to the cucumber and Aperol combination; I first learned about how the two can conjure up watermelon flavors in the 3185, and I observed it in other drinks like the Sunday Service and Ghost Hardware. Once prepared, the Shakedown Street proffered a cucumber and watermelon bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and watermelon notes on the sip transitioned into tequila and orange flavors on the swallow. After I made the drink, I realized that I kept the serving style from The Madrusan Cocktail Companion without noticing that the Cure book calls for it to be strained into a coupe. 

malua

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/2 oz Dry Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand)
1 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
8-10 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass (ceramic mug), and garnish with a lime wheel and mint bouquet. Two Saturdays ago, I was in the mood for something tropical, so I looked to my notes from my online recipe flashcard research and selected the Mālua at the Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Honolulu. A 2022 Yelp review made reference to it in the text and included a drink photo as well. Overall, the combination of mint, peach, and lime took the drink into Missionary's Downfall territory but with a tequila (and no pineapple and honey) spin on it. Here, the Mālua opened up with lime and mint aromas from the garnishes over peach and tropical ones. Next, lime, orange, and passion fruit notes on the sip were washed away by agave, peach, orange, and mint flavors on the swallow.

towards the unknown

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George) (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

I became inspired to tinker by the reposado tequila-Pimm's aspect of the Primavera that I had just made, and I utilized the Pimm's-banana element in the Luxury from the 1953 UKBG Guide for Drinks as a direction. For a name, I dubbed this one Towards the Unknown after a 1950 painting by Mexican surrealist Gunther Gerzso. Once prepared, the Towards the Unknown wandered to the senses with a vegetal, caramel, banana, and anise aroma. Next, lime, red berry, and caramel notes on the sip uncovered roasted vegetal, fruity, banana, and anise flavors on the swallow. Overall, the absinthe did give this drink a lift and brought it out of the darker fruit direction that the Pimm's and banana liqueur took it in (Giffard's Crème de Banane should be a bit brighter than Tempus Fugit's).

second fiddle

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Sundays ago, I returned to the same online recipe flashcards for Dear Irving in Manhattan that I found the Slow Drift. There in the same "Island Hop" section of their 2026 menu, I selected the Second Fiddle that read like a split spirits Gilda Cocktail; tequila and Cognac have worked well together in the Lobo Saldado (mezcal and Cognac is a much more common pairing though such as in the 1910 Cocktail or my Bucking the Tiger). Once prepared, the Second Fiddle launched off with a pineapple and cinnamon nose. Next, lime and pineapple notes on the sip slid into Cognac, vegetal, pineapple, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

ink & fire

1 1/2 oz Tequila (Fosforo Blanco)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Agave Syrup
1/4 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/4 oz Aperol

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Two Tuesdays ago, I came across recipes from Riverbar in Somerville, MA, back when I worked there in 2018. From the Spring menu that I started off with, the Ink & Fire needed a revisit. Essentially the drink reads like a Tommy's Margarita with a hint of orange and chili pepper mixed in; Ancho Reyes and Aperol did work well together in the My Name Is Nobody. While there is a black metal band under that name, that group formed after the recipe was created; unfortunately, it obscures any web search-based attempt to figure out what the drink was named after. Once shaken and strained, the Ink & Fire opened up with an agave and a hint of dried fruit and pepper aroma on the nose. Next, lime notes on the sip evolved into tequila, orange, and roasted pepper spice on the swallow.

primavera

1 oz Espolon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Agave Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a snifter (double old fashioned) glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig (or 3). Two Mondays prior, I came across online recipe flashcards for the Spring 2026 menu at The Old Pal in Athens, Georgia, and the seasonally-appropriate Primavera stood out. Their website displays this drink on the current menu along with a drawing of it. The combination of tequila and Pimm's appeared in two drinks including the Indian Summer, and I utilized it in the Blind Hen as a mashup of the Metexa and Pimmeron from the 1930s. Once built, the Primavera gave forth mint aromas over caramelized vegetal ones from the tequila. Next, lemon and caramel on the sip blossomed into aged agave, red berry, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

baudouine

1 1/2 oz Siete Leguas Añejo Tequila (Cimarron Reposado)
3/4 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1 tsp Marie Brizard White Crème de Cacao (Bols)
3 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Two Mondays ago, I spotted a reference to the Baudouine at the NoMad bar in London, and I soon located the recipe in The NoMad Cocktail Book. The drink created by Gino Pellarin at the original Manhattan location was perhaps named after a historic building that was build in 1896 in the Classical Revival Style including a small Greco-Roman temple on the upper levels and that is located around the corner from the bar (until the New York City location closed in 2021). There are three reposado tequila-based drinks containing Amaro Nonino on the blog, and they are all from Death & Co. or their alumni: West of East India, Spaghetti Western, and Los Amargos, so I was interested to see NoMad's take on it. In the glass, the Baudouine ascended to the nose with a raisin and vegetal aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip developed into tequila, chocolate, orange, and dried fruit flavors on the swallow.

saddle up!

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
3/4 oz Amaro Averna
1/4 oz Passion Fruit (Passion Fruit Syrup)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Sundays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and became intrigued by the Saddle Up! by Kathryn "Pepper" Stashek at Manhattan's Attaboy in 2019. I was lured in by the Averna-passion fruit syrup combination that I enjoyed in the Permanent Holiday and as well as in the African Queen when I utilized passion fruit syrup instead of liqueur. Once mixed, the Saddle Up! gave forth an orange, smoke, and roasted vegetal aroma. Next, caramel and tropical notes on the sip rode into roast agave, smoke, herbal, and tangy orange flavors on the swallow. As the ice melted over time, the drink became more passion fruit driven.

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.

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.

que paso

1 1/2 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Amaro Braulio (*)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
1 Strawberry

Muddle the strawberry, add the rest of the ingredients, and shake without ice. Shake with ice, strain into a Delmonico (single old fashioned) glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
(*) Later made at the bar with Amaro Abano, see text. Two Sundays ago, I wanted to use the other half of my lemon, so I found the Que Paso from The Violet Hour's Winter 2022 menu through online recipe flashcards. While the flashcards had the amaro as Brauilo, their Instagram in late March 2022 had it as Abano. It is unclear when during the menu's progression that the liqueur switched, but I made it with Braulio, although strawberry-Abano has worked rather well in the Speaking In Tongues that was created across town at Sable in 2010. With Braulio, the Que Paso welcomed the senses with lemon, red berry, vegetal, and pine aromas. Next, creamy, lemon, fruity, and honey notes on the sip flowed into tequila, honey, pine, and strawberry flavors on the swallow.

honey i'm home

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Bols Genever (Bols Barrel-Aged)
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc (Servito)
1/4 oz Malört
1/4 oz TVH2 (Honey Syrup)
2 dash Lavender Bitters (Scrappy's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist. The drink that I had prepared in advance while I was at the USBG Bar Summit in Philadelphia on Monday was the Honey I'm Home from Chicago's The Violet Hour for their Summer 2022 menu. I was able to source the spec through online recipe flashcards, and my cheatsheat from the bar defines TVH2 as honey or honey-ginger-cinnamon syrup (which makes perfect sense given the drink's name), so I went with the one that I had on hand. While I have not had a Genever-tequila cocktail before, there are four Genever-mezcal ones on the blog dating back to 2009 with Misty Kalkofen's 1820. Once prepared, the Honey I'm Home gave forth a lemon, malty, and vegetal bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and white grape notes on the sip delved into tequila, malty, honey, and bitter flavors on the swallow.

as you were

1 oz Banhez Mezcal (Fosforo Ensemble)
1 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Valdespino Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora (coupe) glass, and garnish with a grapefruit disk and a cherry. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago, and from their Fall 2021 menu, I was drawn in to the As You Were that was described as an "End of the night agave Manhattan". The idea of agave spirits, sweet vermouth, and Pedro Ximenez sherry was one that I enjoyed in the Stage Dives & Fist Fights created at the Last Word in San Antonio, so it was time to mix this one up. In the glass, the As You Were began with grapefruit, raisin, cherry, and smoky vegetal aromas. Next, a semi-sweet grape sip flowed into smoky vegetal, raisin, herbal, orange, and chocolate 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.

10 gallon hattan

2 oz Corazon Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Casa d'Aristi Narano (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1/8 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Two Mondays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago, and I honed in on the 10 Gallon Hattan from Fall 2022 menu. The bar's Instagram post from October 2022 described how it was "A tequila-based twist on a classic Manhattan – boozy and forward featuring notes of allspice and bitter orange." While I did not have Casa d'Aristi's somewhat bitter orange liqueur, the similarities to the Sherpa with curaçao and allspice dram lured me in. When prepared with Pierre Ferrand's curaçao, the 10 Gallon Hattan rode high with roasted vegetal aromas and a hint of vanilla. Grape, orange, and caramelized notes on the sip slid into tequila, bitter herbal, allspice, and orange flavors on the swallow.

late for lunch

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz Aperol
1 Egg White

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a glass (coupe), and garnish with lime peel shavings. Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for The Violet Hour in Chicago and found the Late for Lunch as a dealer's choice option. The recipe reminded me of the Dead Man's Handle with egg white and different proportions, presentation, and garnish; since that one was delicious, I gave this one a go. In the glass, the Late for Lunch gave forth a lime, orange, and vegetal aroma. Next, a creamy lime and orange sip blossomed into tequila, almond, and orange flavors on the swallow.

shaken hands

1 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks or coupe glass. Two Wednesdays prior, I spotted the Shaken Hands in a recent Imbibe Magazine article. The drink was created by Aurele Berdoz at The Rhymer's Club in Manhattan as a tropical take on Audrey Saunder's Intro to Aperol. The gin and simple syrup from Audrey's recipe was swapped to tequila and ginger syrup with pineapple juice added, and perhaps one day I will get around to making the original. Here, the Shaken Hands gave forth an orange, agave, and clove aroma. Next, pineapple, lemon, and orange notes on the sip reached for vegetal, orange, ginger, and allspice 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.

the mental demands of modern life

1 1/2 oz Altos Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Lustau)
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
3/8 oz Fernet Branca
3/8 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Regan's Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Patterson House in Nashville, and The Mental Demands of Modern Life called out to me especially since I had just replaced my bottle of Pedro Ximenez. A 2022 StarChefs article attributed the drink to bartender Sam McCullough. While the aged spirit, banana, and Fernet trio makes me think of the Away Colors, the closest drink that I have tried is a mezcal with vermouth version called Dead in the Water, and I created a gin with vermouth Hanky Panky riff called Monkey Business. The Mental Demands of Modern Life in the glass evolved an orange, raisin, and menthol aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip unloaded vegetal agave, cooked banana, raisin, gentian bitter, and menthol flavors on the swallow.