mexican razor blade

2 slice Cucumber
2 oz Tequila or Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte Mezcal)
1 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz)
3/4 oz Simple Syrup (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice (muddle the cucumber slices first), strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a floated thin cucumber slice with cayenne powder sprinkled on top. When I was researching the Holland Razor Blade, I saw a comment on Kindred Cocktails that the "Mexican riff on this site is more interesting." I then uncovered the recipe for the Mexican Razor Blade on Punch Drinks created by Dan Greenbaum of Attaboy in New York City. Dan spoke about how the call for a spicy Margarita had overtaken the role of a fruity "Martini" from a few years ago, and he wanted to be able to be able to offer something a bit more advanced in that style. Besides the spirit and citrus change from Genever and lemon to tequila (or mezcal) and lime, he included muddled cucumbers in the mix as well as a floated cucumber slice in the garnish. He also commented that the recipe was very flexible, "You can swap in agave nectar or honey as the sweetener. If you have fresh chiles, you can throw them in there instead. Adding strawberries or other fruit can work well too." I have done this at work with muddled jalepeño slices in with the cucumber if folks want it on the spicier side, and I have tried the strawberry option once or twice (but it sends the drink away from the vegetal direction). Made with mezcal, the Mexican Razor Blade welcomed the nose with smoke and vegetal aromas especially from cucumber. Next, lime and more vegetal notes filled the sip, and the swallow cut through with smoky agave and fresh vegetal flavors on the swallow with increasing spice over time as the cayenne powder integrated into the liquid below.

negroni mezcalito

2 cL Mezcal (3/4 oz Peloton de la Muerte)
2 cL Campari (3/4 oz)
2 cL Cynar (3/4 oz)
2 cL Sweet Vermouth (3/4 oz Lacuesta Rojo)

Stir with ice, strain into a mug (double old fashioned glass) with ice, and garnish with a black salt rim (omit), cinnamon stick, and lime peel.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a Negroni variation that I had spotted on Mauro "King of Negroni" Mahjoub's Instagram called the Negroni Mezcalito. I was lured in due to its similarity to The Last Mechanical Art from Beta Cocktails; despite the lower complexity from the Negroni Mezcalito calling for sweet vermouth instead of Punt e Mes, its garnishes donated a lot of depth here. Indeed, once assembled, the garnishes welcomed the senses with a cinnamon and lime aroma. Next, caramel and grape on the sip charged into smoky mezcal, vegetal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

fernet about dre

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Meletti Amaro
2 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (Strongwater)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for Lou Bustamante's The Complete Cocktail Manual and came across the Fernet About Dre. This Dr. Dre song tribute drink was crafted by Philadelphia bartender Ryan Shipman, and it came across akin to the Down & Brown. In the glass, the Fernet's mint and menthol joined both amari's caramel notes on the nose. Next, the caramel continued into the sip, and the swallow flowed with rye, floral, bitter gentian, and menthol flavors.

catamaran

3/4 oz Appleton V/X Rum (Appleton Signature)
3/4 oz Beefeater Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Curaçao (Pierre Ferrand Dry)
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Whip shake, strain into a double old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with a pineapple slice (spent half lime shell).Two Mondays ago, I revisited the Cuban Cocktails Book from the Cienfuegos staff and spotted the Catamaran. The recipe came across like a standard Mai Tai with the original's rum split with gin; since the gin-based Blanche DuBois was so delightful, I gave this riff a spin. Once assembled, the Catamaran proffered a lime and caramel aroma especially with the spent lime shell garnish substitution. Next, a creamy lime and caramel sip sailed into rum, gin, orange, and earthy flavors on the swallow. Given that the Mai Tai often calls for a more funky Jamaican rum than Appleton, the additional notes from the gin's botanticals filled in for the lost flavor depth here.

broadway nights

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Lacuesta Rojo)
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1/4 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
1 dash Chocolate Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Sundays ago, I was inspired by the Green Chartreuse-Curaçao combination from the Knight to take it in a Manhattan direction. I opted for the rye-mezcal split spirit to not only bring in complexity, but I find that agave spirits work amazingly well with Green Chartreuse. My first attempt was with Punt e Mes akin to a Greenpoint or Redhook, but its added depth muddied up the flavors. I remade the drink with regular sweet vermouth and was quite pleased.For a name, I dubbed this one the Broadway Nights given the Knight and the Manhattan influences; Broadway Nights is the name of a 1927 movie featuring Barbara Stanwyck. In the glass, it shared an orange, smoke, and herbaceous bouquet to the nose. Next, a grape sip led into rye, vegetal, smoke, and herbal flavors on the swallow with a chocolate and orange finish.

knight

8 part Brandy (1 1/2 oz Du Peyrat Selection Cognac)
2 part Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1 part Cointreau & Chartreuse (1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao + 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Saturdays ago after my bar shift, I decided to make a drink that I had serving and riffing on for my guests call the Knight. The recipe first appeared in David Embury's 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks and reads like a Side Car with Green Chartreuse or perhaps a bitters-less Champs Elysée with orange liqueur. I was familiar with the drink from reading Embury's book as well as having Todd Maul's riff called Lasky Last Night at Clio. Moreover, I had tinkered with it as a gin drink akin to the Last Word in my Knight Fizz that I did on the fly for a guest at Loyal Nine. Besides the brandy original and gin variation, I have found this combination to work well with whiskey and agave spirits too (with the latter utilizing lime instead of lemon).Made the original way with an updated balance, the Knight met the nose with a Cognac and orange aroma. Next, lemon, orange, and caramel notes on the sip charged into Cognac and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.

clockmaker

3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Linie Aquavit (Aalborg)
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Bual Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year Verdelho)
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini

Stir with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora glass (cocktail coupe).Two Fridays ago, I sought out a nightcap after a busy shift bartending. In the newest Death & Co. book Welcome Home, I came across Tyson Buhler's 2019 Clockmaker, and I decided to give it a whirl despite having a different type of Madeira on hand. I was drawn in for it had the split base of rye and aquavit that I last enjoyed in the Miles Ahead and last tinkered with in the Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck in the Fall. In the glass, the Clockmaker proffered a grape and herbal bouquet to the senses. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip flowed into rye, caraway, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

honey bee

8 part Jamaican Rum (1 oz Smith & Cross + 1 oz Coruba)
2 part Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1 part Honey (1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.While writing up the post about the South American Bumble Bee, I made reference to the Honey Bee from David Embury's 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Beneath the Bee's Knees recipe were variations including "the same drink with Jamaican rum is the Honey Bee." I had previously written about Yvonne's Honey Bee that utilized Barbados rum, pear eau de vie, and egg white, but I had never covered the classic Jamaican rum version here. True to Embury form, he had his drink spec in 8:2:1 format; I recent learned that this structure is what inspired the recipe for the Fort Point at Drink. However, I adapted the recipe to my preferred Sour formula. Once prepared, the Honey Bee buzzed by the nose with honey and rum funk aromas. Next, lemon rounded out by the honey's richness on the sip led into funky rum and floral flavors on the swallow with a lemon finish.

holland razor blade

1 1/2 jigger Holand Gin (2 oz Bols Genever)
Juice 1/2 Lemon (1/2 oz Lemon Juice)
(1/2 oz Simple Syrup)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and dust with cayenne pepper.

Two Wednesdays ago, I guest came into Drink and requested the Holland Razor Blade. Despite never having had one, I recalled the recipe. I replied that we could get close to the recipe but we lacked cayenne pepper for the garnish at the bar; he was okay with our punt of muddling a few jalapeño slices into the mix and in fact ordered a second round with that modification. When I inquired where he had learned of such an obscure drink, he commented that he discovered it a bar in New York City. I was familiar with the drink after having read Charles H. Baker Jr.'s Jigger, Beaker, & Glass: Drinking Around the World book where he cites 1931 as his personal discovery date. I could swear that it was in other cocktail books, but I did not find it in Duffy, Trader Vic, or other mid-century collections. The recipe as written was pretty stark, and I think that I did the balance justice by adding in the sugar syrup; however, it would be so much more cutting of a Razor Blade if the citrus was left unbalanced. With a little of research, I discovered that my adaptation was close to how Eric Alperin modified the drink (he used 3/4 oz each lemon juice and simple syrup) and got it published in Food & Wine circa 2009. I also found an interview that year, where he lists the drink as one of his favorites alongside the Old Fashioned, Sazerac, and Ramos Gin Fizz, and how he put it on the menu at the Varnish earlier that year. When I got home, I decided to make this recipe the correct way since I had cayenne pepper at hand (I have since located a source at the kitchen's spice racks at work). Here, the aroma of the Holland Razor Blade was rather malty from the Genever. Next, lemon and malt notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow came through with malt, herbal, and spicy heat. When I had muddled the jalapeños at work, the heat was immediate and consistent throughout akin to the Bone Crusher; however, with the chili powder added to the surface, the heat integrated gradually such that over time, each sip was a touch spicier than the last.