wildflower

1 oz Aged Rhum Agricole (Depaz)
1 oz Cognac (Camus VS)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1 Orange Wedge

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a pinch of cinnamon (freshly grated cinnamon).

On Saturday night two weeks ago, I spied the Wildflower in Food & Wine: Cocktails 2011 that seemed like a curious Daiquiri of sorts with a Cognac component like the Boukman Daiquiri and a maple syrup one like the Volcano Bowl and Mr. Howell. Moreover, it was shaken with an orange wedge akin to Sam Ross' Too Soon?. This recipe was called the Wildflower crafted by New York City bartender Richard Boccato as his riff on the Night Flight from Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide.
The Wildflower proffered a cinnamon, orange, and grassy nose. Next, maple's richness countered the lime on the sip, and the swallow paired the Cognac and funky rhum followed by a maple and citrus finish. Moreover, as time went on, the cinnamon from the garnish began leaching into the flavor profile.

eye opener

1/2 jigger Brandy (1 1/2 oz Camus VS Cognac)
1/2 jigger French Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
2 dash Curaçao (1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry)
2 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Absinthe (1 bsp Butterfly)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry and a lemon twist.
Two Fridays ago, I pointed my night's drink search to the pages of Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up. There, I was lured in by the Eye Opener that seemed like a Metropole Cocktail with a combination of Fancy and Improved flourishes. Once prepared, the Eye Opener shared a lemon oil, Cognac, and orange peel aroma to the nose. Next, a semi-sweet white wine sip gave way to Cognac, nutty, orange, and absinthe flavors on the swallow. I later discovered that this recipe was rather similar to the Morning Cocktail from Boothby's 1934 World Drinks And How To Mix Them.

princeton

1 1/2 pony Tom Gin (1 1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom)
3 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)
1/2 pony Port (1/2 oz Sandeman Tawny)

Stir the gin and bitters with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Next, carefully add the port and let it settle to the bottom of the glass.
After making the Princeton Cocktail from Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933, I decided to make the older and relatively better known Princeton from George J. Kappeler's 1895 Modern America Drinks. Kappeler's recipe is a layered cocktail of a bone dry Old Tom Gin Martini floating on top of a port wine base. After carefully layering the drink, the nose offered a piny juniper aroma in an almost grapefruit-like way. Next, a semi-sweet sip transitioned into pine on the swallow, and as the port began to enter into the equation, the drink gained grape richness on both the sip and swallow. Moreover, towards the end, the balance shifted more to juniper-flavored port.

puerto rican racer

2 oz Ron del Barrilito 3 Star Rum (Don Q Añejo)
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
scant 1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 tsp Grenadine
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.

Two Wednesdays ago, I selected the Death & Co. Cocktail Book to guide me for the evening's nightcap. There, I spotted the Puerto Rican Racer which was one of their riffs on the Diamondback that called for Puerto Rican rum instead of rye whiskey and added a touch of grenadine and Peychaud's Bitters to the mix. Since I had enjoyed their brandy riff, the Sidewinder by Phil Ward, I was game to try Thomas Waugh's 2009 creation named after another poisonous snake.
The Puerto Rican Racer greeted the nose with an apple aroma accented by herbal notes. Next, caramel and honey with a hint of berry on the sip led into rum, apple, and minty-herbal flavors on the swallow.

the invitation

1 dash Gum (1/4 oz Simple Syrup)
1/2 small drink Sherry (1 1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado)
1/2 small drink Vino Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth)
1 dash Absinthe (1 bsp Kübler)

Stir with ice and strain into a fancy glass.
Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for William Schmidt's 1891 The Flowing Bowl in search of an elegant oddity. There, I selected the Invitation that came across like an absinthe-tinged Adonis which sounded rather delightful and seemed to suggest by both the name and the ingredients that it would make for a fine aperitif. In the glass, the Invitation reached the nose with nutty grape aromas brightened by minty herbal accents. Next, a semi-dry grape sip was followed by a sweeter and rounder grape flavor on the swallow that led into an anise-herbal finish.

roofgarden

1 dash Bitters (2 dash Angostura)
1 lump Sugar (1 small Demerara Sugar Cube)
1 jigger French Vermouth (2 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
Ice Cubes
1 bottle Ginger Ale (1/2  can (6 oz) Blue Sky Soda)

Dash bitters onto the sugar cube in a Collins glass, add vermouth followed by ice, and top with ginger ale.
I recently was reminded of the Roofgarden from the 1935 The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book and then realized that it was probably the inspiration for Brick & Mortar's Rooftop Cooler. Therefore, two Mondays ago I decided to make this recipe that reminded me of a low proof Champagne Cocktail given the bitters-dashed sugar sugar cube and carbonated component. Once assembled, the Roofgarden gave forth a ginger, cinnamon, and clove bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet carbonated sip led into a herbal, ginger, and spice swallow. With a sugar-sweetened (instead of corn syrup) and slightly drier ginger ale, the Roofgarden was an elegant low ABV refresher.

newton

1/2 Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Old Overholt)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Maurin)
2 dash Byrrh Grand Quinquina (1/2 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
On Sunday night after my work shift, I began perusing Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for a glossed-over gem. There, in the American whiskey section was the Newton that appeared like a Manhattan laced with Byrrh Quinquina which seemed like it had to be a winner. I upped the 2 dashes of Byrrh to a half ounce (one-sixth of the drink build) to allow the ingredient a chance to shine. Once prepared, the Newton offered a sweet herbal and grape bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and malt mingled on the sip, and rye and dry cherry and grape flavors rounded off the swallow with a bitter quinine and clove finish.

lucky bird

1 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 oz Angostura 7 Year Rum
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1 bsp Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3 dash Bittermens Molé Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a recipe on the Kronan Swedish Punsch Facebook page called the Lucky Bird that seemed delightful. Not only did the recipe sound alluring with its Swedish punsch-apricot liqueur combo that worked well in the Havana Cocktail and other drinks, it was made by Arthur Boothe whom I met on my 2016 USBG-sponsored excursion to the Patron distillery in Mexico. Arthur crafted this drink for the Spring menu at Bitters & Brass in Sanford, Florida.
The Lucky Bird greeted the senses with a caramel rum aroma with fruity and chocolate undertones. Next, caramel notes with hints of orchard fruit on the sip were chased by rum, apricot, tea, and funky Batavia Arrack flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

princeton

2/3 Brandy (2 oz Camus VS Cognac)
2 dash Sweet Vermouth (3/4 oz Maurin)
2 dash Pineapple Juice (3/4 oz)
1 dash Boker's or Picon Bitters (1/4 oz Torani Amer)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Fridays ago, I began perusing the Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 book for the evening's drink. There, I spotted the Princeton that seemed like a refreshing brandy libation. The better-known Princeton was first published in 1895 by George Kappeler in Modern American Drinks as a layered cocktail of 1 1/2 oz Old Tom gin and 3 dash orange bitters that were stirred and strained into a cocktail glass before a 1/2 oz port was carefully sunk to the bottom. Here, the Princeton was the brandy, sweet vermouth, and pineapple juice with bitters. Since Amer Picon works so well with pineapple, I took that route instead of Boker's. I initially was reminded of a brandy Algonquin of sorts, but the combination was a common one in Pioneers with the rye one appearing twice here in the blog as the Radio Call and the Franklin Square.
Once prepared, this Princeton offered up grape and dark fruit bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, caramel, and a tropical note on the sip transitioned into Cognac, pineapple, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.