pirate's revenge

3/4 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
3/4 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Pimm's #1
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 barspoon Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

For my next cocktail at Island Creek Oyster Bar, I asked bartender Vikram Hedge for the Pirate's Revenge. Vik explained how he and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli were playing around with St. Germain one night, and the result was a happy accident they dubbed the Pirate's Revenge.
The Pirate's Revenge greeted the senses with a nutmeg bouquet. The lemon coupled with the fruit flavors in the Pimm's on the sip, and the swallow was filled with the rum along with cinnamon, floral, and other spice notes.

spanish union

3/4 oz Milagro Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to Island Creek Oyster Bar. There, we found seats in front of bar manager Vikram Hedge. For a first drink, I requested the Spanish Union for the combination of tequila and sherry has often been a winner. Vik explained how he wanted to go heavier on the tequila, but general manager Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli's recommendation of keeping it on the lighter side won out.
The sherry and lime aromas filled the nose, and similarly, the grape and citrus continued on into the sip. The swallow offered the tequila and cinnamon flavors that were rounded out by the sherry and chocolate notes.

rum scaffa

1/2 Rum (1 oz Diplomatico Reserva)
1/2 Benedictine (1 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a glass without ice and serve. Note: this is a room temperature cocktail.

After the M. and St. L., I was in the mood for another drink, so I began perusing Frank Meier's 1934 The Artistry Of Mixing Drinks. There, I was tempted by a room temperature drink -- a Rum Scaffa which was different than Scott Holliday's Rum Scaffa, Deep Ellum's Franklin Mortgage Co., or my Madame Mustache that I served at the Blue Room. Instead, Meier's Scaffas are equal parts spirit and Benedictine with a dash of Angostura Bitters. For a rum, I wanted a rich, aged one and opted for Diplomatico.
The caramel notes of the aged rum contributed greatly to both the Scaffa's aroma and the flavors in the sip. Next, on the swallow, the rum's grassiness meshed with the Benedictine and Angostura's herbalness, and the finish highlighted the liqueur's minty notes.

m. and st. l.

1 jigger Old Bourbon (1 oz Fighting Cock)
1 jigger Applejack (1 oz Laird's)
Juice 1/2 Lemon (1/2 oz)
1 barspoon Cointreau (1/2 oz)
(1/4 oz Simple Syrup)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Saturdays ago, we began the cocktail hour with a drink, the M. and St. L., from Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up. The recipe was attributed to Lucian C. Sprague who was the chairman of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway. I had probably skipped over the drink before because the recipe comes off as rather tart; however, I have gotten used to tweaking recipes from my forays into Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933. Therefore, I upped the Cointreau from an eighth of an ounce to a half an ounce. Even with equal parts of lemon juice and orange liqueur, it was still rather tart; perhaps, the aggressive Fighting Cock Bourbon played a roll here. To each drink, I added a quarter ounce of simple syrup which seemed to get the balance in the right ball park.
The M. and St. L.'s orange twist's aroma joined that of the Bourbon. A fruity sip from the apple, lemon, and orange elements was followed by the whiskey with a slightly tart finish. Perhaps, a less aggressive Bourbon and a more assertive apple brandy would have made for a more interesting drink, but it was still an enjoyable Daisy.

amertinez

1 1/4 oz Gin (Martin Miller Westbourne)
2/3 oz Amer or Amaro (one with Averna, another with Cynar)
2/3 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

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

Two Fridays ago, I was flipping through World's Best Cocktails when I spotted the Amertinez. The recipe was created by Chris Hannah at Arnaud's French 75 bar in New Orleans as a Martinez created with an amer or amaro. The amaro was not in place of the classic's gin but in place of half of the sweet vermouth (in an equal parts recipe) or perhaps in addition to the sweet vermouth (in a 2:1 recipe). As I bandied about bitter liqueurs to use with Andrea, I decided to make two -- one with Averna and one with Cynar.
The Cynar one was my favorite and it greeted me with orange oil and Maraschino notes on the nose. A caramel and sweet vermouth sip led into a gin swallow. After the gin came the Cynar which worked well with the Maraschino funkiness here. Meanwhile, the Averna one was Andrea's favorite for she found it more complex and possessing a prettier color. The drink greeted me with an orange and caramel aroma. The caramel continued on into the sip where it mingled with the sweet vermouth's grape. Next, the gin began the swallow that ended with the Averna dominating the Maraschino notes. Overall, the Cynar Amertinez had a thinner mouthfeel but a more earthy and quirky nature, and the Averna one was more balanced and had a less domineering Maraschino presence.

rum club daiquiri

2 oz Baccardi 8 Rum (Don Q Añejo)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup 2:1
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
6-8 drop Absinthe (Obsello)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After the Dunhill, I reached for the rum booklet of The Cocktail Hour series. There, I spotted the Rum Club Daiquiri created by Michael Shea. I regret not making it the Rum Club when we were in Portland, Oregon, last October, especially since we were close -- we made it to Beaker & Flask next door, but our timing did not allow for it. Apparently, it is one of the industry hangouts for the Portland bartending scene.
The Rum Club Daiquiri appeared like a Hemingway Daiquiri with bitters and absinthe but without the grapefruit juice. On the nose, the rum's richness and the bitters' spice began the drink. A lime sip contained some of the Maraschino liqueur's cherry flavors, and the swallow showcased the rum, nutty Maraschino, and spice notes.

dunhill

1/4 jigger Gin (1 oz Hayman's Navy Strength)
1/4 jigger Sherry (1 oz Lustau East India Solera)
1/4 jigger Dry Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat + Dolin)
2 drop Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand)
1 dash Absinthe (1 barspoon Obsello)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive (omitted).
Two Thursdays ago, we began the cocktail hour with the Dunhill, a drink from the 1934 reprint of William Boothby's World Drinks and How to Mix Them. The recipe enticed me since it appeared like a 19th century Perfect Martini variation. Once mixed, it began with an anise and herbal-filled bouquet from the absinthe. Next, a grape sip led into a swallow that began with gin followed by a raisiny orange flavor, and finished with absinthe notes. Overall, it felt like the sherry and dry vermouth combination donated more body than if it were a double part of sweet vermouth here instead.

netherlands

2/3 Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (3/4 oz Cocchi)
1 dash Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand)
1 dash Picon (1/4 oz Ramazzotti)
1 dash Pineapple Juice (1/4 oz)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After the Brown Trout, I reached for Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933. There, I found the Netherlands, and I was somewhat surprised that it is not a Genever drink but a rye whiskey one roughly based off of a Manhattan. I guess that I should not be too surprised since the book also has the Martinique which is not a rhum cocktail but another rye one with a Manhattan-like base. While we do have both Amer Picon and Torani Amer, I decided to see how this recipe would work with the more available Ramazzotti amaro which packs a similar dark, bitter orange flavor.
Like a Manhattan, the rye whiskey filled the Netherland's aroma. An orange and grape sip was chased by rye followed by a bitter herbal flavor that was well complemented by the pineapple on the swallow. Over all, it was a bit more fruity-bitter than a Manhattan and just as enjoyable as the Martinique.

brown trout

1 1/2 oz Hendrick's Gin (Tanqueray Malacca)
1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Black Scotch (Pig's Nose)
3/4 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
1/2 oz Aperol
1/4 oz St. Germain

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.

Two Tuesdays ago, we began the cocktail hour with a drink I had spotted on Alcademics called the Brown Trout. There, Camper English describes how he had this drink during Hawaii Cocktail Week and how it was created by Dave Newman of Pint and Jigger in Honolulu.
The Brown Trout began with an orange aroma coupled with a sweet note. An Aperol and grape sip led into gin and Scotch at the beginning of the swallow. The swallow then offered gentian flavors followed by a bitter and floral finish. Indeed, I was impressed at how well the Aperol seemed to work with the Bonal in this drink, and I am guessing that they would work even better if this drink were quaffed in Hawaii...