rebennack

2 oz Bourbon (Four Roses)
3/4 oz Ramazzotti Amaro
1/4 oz Strega
2 dash Regan's Orange Bitters
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist draped over the rim of the glass.

Two Mondays ago, I spotted a collection of Chris Hannah recipes in Tom Sandham's World's Best Cocktails, and the Rebennack he created at French 75 in New Orleans seemed to appeal the most to Andrea. Chris named the drink after the singer and song writer Mac Rebennack who is better known as Dr. John. The drink was one that Chris used to make for his flask, and during Mardi Gras in 2010, he let Dr. John have a taste at a Krewe de Vieux event; soon after, Chris dubbed the drink after the musician. While researching the drink afterwards, it appears that the Rebennack is a fluid recipe as I was able to find a few significant variations. The most common and perhaps oldest one is a rye drink with Averna and Creole Shrubb, and I was able to find an intermediary Bourbon one with Averna and Strega.
The Rebennack made with Bourbon, Ramazzotti, and Strega offered up an orange oil aroma on top of darker notes. A malt and caramel sip was followed by Bourbon with orange peel bitterness and Strega's herbal flavors on the swallow. Surprisingly, even with an ounce of amari, the drink came across as somewhat dry especially on the swallow.

a slow dance with pedro infante

1 3/4 oz Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
3/4 oz Gran Classico
1/2 oz Averna

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.
The other cocktail I had at Brick & Mortar was another of Misty Kalkofen's creations called A Slow Dance with Pedro Infante. José Pedro Infante Cruz is one of the most famous actors and singers of the golden age of Mexican cinema, and he frequently sang slow, danceable songs during his movies. The drink itself greeted the nose with a smoky agave aroma. A caramel sip from the Averna led into a mezcal and herbal swallow and a Gran Classico bitter finish.

mistaken for strangers

1 oz Nardini Grappa Bianca
1 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two Sundays ago, we stopped in at Brick & Mortar where Kenny Belanger and Cory Buono were bartending that night. For a first drink, I asked Kenny for the Mistaken for Strangers. Kenny explained that Misty Kalkofen had created this drink for the holiday menu and had called it The Grinch. After December was over, Misty decided that the name needed to be changed to something less seasonal. Since the combination of grappa and Green Chartreuse is one that is not expected, she renamed it Mistaken for Strangers. Overall, the drink shared a resemblance to the Green Ghost.
The Mistaken for Strangers greeted the nose with a Green Chartreuse aroma, and as things warmed up a bit, grappa joined the aroma. A herbal and lime sip was followed by the funky grappa, the Green Chartreuse, and an almost minty note on the swallow. Indeed, the drink was like a drier, less herbal, and more funky Silent Order. Moreover, the grappa and Chartreuse went well together perhaps akin to how grappa paired with the herbal and vegetal notes in the Piazza Vecchia.

lion tamer

2 oz Vodka (Damrak Gin) (*)
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Crème de Cassis
1/2 oz Egg White (1 Egg White)

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with 5 drops of Angostura Bitters. Swirl the drops with a toothpick to resemble a flower (mine sort of looked like birds).
(*) This drink would have probably been better with tequila, but gin was a good first start.

After the Golden Dog, I picked up The Cocktail Hour's vodka booklet to see if there were any vodka recipes that could be converted into tasty gin ones. The one that seemed to have potential that night was the Lion Tamer from Vince Lund of Beretta in San Francisco. Vince first made the drink for a Leo guest of his, and the name Lion Tamer seemed to fit.
The drink's Angostura Bitters offered a spice aroma with additional notes that alternated between the St. Germain's floral and the cassis' berry. The sip was full of lime flavors that were joined by the fruit notes in the St. Germain. Finally, on the swallow, the gin, St. Germain's floral, and black currant rounded out the drink. While gin was as decent substitution, I felt that all the elements were calling out for agave, whether tequila or mezcal, as I was drinking it down.

golden dog

1 1/2 oz Talisker 10 Year Scotch (Caol Ila 12 Year)
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc or Bonal (Bonal)
1/2 oz Benedictine

Shake (no, it specifically says that stirring will not do here) and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Fridays ago, I picked up Gary Regan's Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011 and looked for anything to glean after a few passes at it. One that stood out was the Golden Dog by Matt Piacentini then of Inoteca Liquori Bar in New York City and now of The Beagle. I had skipped over it the first time for the combination with Lillet did not catch my eye; however, when I read the text this time where it suggested, "If you want to make it a little richer, say on a cold night, substitute the Lillet with Bonal," the Golden Dog seemed rather appealing given Bonal's bitter complexity.
The peaty whisky aroma mingled with that of the apricot liqueur. The malt sip contained a fruit note from either the liqueur's apricot or the Bonal's grape. Next, the swallow showcased the Scotch, Bonal and Benedictine's herbal notes, and a bitter apricot finish. With the Bonal instead of Lillet in the mix, perhaps it was a little more of a brown dog, but overall quite good.

temptation

2/3 Swedish Punsch (1 1/2 oz Kronan)
2 dash Dry Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat)
1 dash Yellow Chartreuse (1/4 oz)
1 dash Apricot Liqueur (1/4 oz Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Shir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added a lemon twist.
Two Wednesdays ago, I spied the Temptation in Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933, and I was lured in by this herbal and fruity Swedish Punsch libation. With an interpretation of the vague recipe to include a greater amount of dry vermouth, I hoped to tone down the vast amount of sweetness within. The Temptation once mixed proffered a lemon oil and tea nose. A sweet white wine sip contained a honey-like note perhaps from the Yellow Chartreuse. Next, the swallow showcased the Punsch's rum, an herbalness from the Yellow Chartreuse and the Punsch's tea, and an apricot finish. Overall, the Temptation was indeed sweet, but not as sweet as it was pre-dilution; perhaps serving it on the rocks to tone down the sugar content would not be a bad idea. Moreover, the Yellow Chartreuse notes could probably be increased for they were a bit hidden; however, they did appear once the drink warmed up.

tuesday

2 oz Gin (Knockabout)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Marasca)
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Tuesdays ago, I was flipping through Tom Sandham's World's Best Cocktails and spotted a perfectly named drink, the Tuesday by Nick Van Tiel. Essentially, the Tuesday was a Red Hook made with gin and orange bitters instead of rye. For the Maraschino component, I opted for Marasca over Luxardo for I wanted the balance to be less driven by the liqueur.
The Tuesday's lemon twist aroma joined a fruity note from either the Maraschino or the Punt e Mes' grape. The grape was definitely evident in the sip though, and as the drink warmed up, so was the orange from the bitters. On the swallow, the gin and the Punt e Mes' bitter notes transitioned into a Maraschino finish. Finally, as the drink approached room temperature, the Tuesday became less sharp in balance.

butchertown

2 oz Manzanilla Sherry
1/2 oz Bärenjäger Bourbon & Honey (*)
1/2 oz Kümmel

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe rimmed with dried olive powder (was not available at the bar that night). Twist a lemon peel over the top.
(*) Perhaps in a pinch a half ounce of Bourbon and a barspoon of honey syrup would work here.

For my last drink at Estragon, bartender Sahil Mehta wanted to showcase a cocktail that he crafted for a Bärenjäger competition using their Bourbon & Honey product. When I expressed curiosity over the name Bitchertown, Sahil explained that it is a neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, where German immigrants settled; thus, there was a tie in with the whiskey and the German origin of the liqueur. Normally, the drink is served with a dried olive powder rim like in the San Luca to bring out the brine and savory notes in the sherry, but the bar was all out of the olive powder. Moreover, the savory notes in the sherry are what made Sahil reach for the spice notes in the kümmel.
The Butchertown greeted the nose with a lemon oil, caraway, and sherry aroma. A honey and grape sip was followed by the wonderful pairing of the manzanilla sherry and kümmel spice. Indeed, Sahil was on the money with that pairing.

celery stalker

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Manzanilla Sherry
1/2 oz Falernum
1/4 oz Lime Juice

Muddle an one inch piece of celery. Add rest of ingredients and ice, stir, and strain into a rocks glass rimmed with celery salt and filled with ice. Top with 1-2 oz soda water, garnish with the leafy end of a celery stalk, and add straws.

After J.M. Curley, I crossed town to meet Andrea at Estragon for dinner. For a first drink, bartender Sahil Mehta made me one of his celery-inspired cocktails; I am not sure if Celery Stalker was the name assigned to this variation, but it was the most catchy of the bunch. The combination of agave, manzanilla sherry, and falernum sounded rather appealing especially when I recalled a Tequila Scaffa that Tyler Wang made for me at No. 9 Park on my birthday. And of course, the sherry fit in rather well with Estragon's Spanish theme.
The vegetalness of the muddled celery in the drink, celery salt rim, and the celery stalk garnish contributed greatly to the drink's aroma. The celery carried on into the flavor where it joined a dry grape and lime sip. Finally, the smoky mezcal led off the swallow that ended with clove spice notes and a vegetal finish.