kissy-face

1 1/2 oz Tequila (Avion Blanco)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols White)
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)

Shake with ice and strain into a half salted-rimmed cocktail coupe.Two Thurdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed upon the Kissy-Face. This 2018 creation by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin at Lion Lion had the spirit, citrus, crème de cacao, and apricot of the Vava Voom, and it sort of reminded me of the 21st Century and the 17th Century as well. The Kissy-Face greeted the nose with an agave spirit-driven aroma. Next, lemon with a hint of orchard fruit on the sip flowed into tequila and apricot flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish. When drinking out of the salted side of the rim, the balance was intriguingly more fruity and less vegetal.

kilted flower

2 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
3/8 oz Amaro Ciociaro
3/8 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/8 oz Demerara Syrup
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Angostura Cocoa)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. After having the African Flower and the Maravilla, I decided to make a hybrid of them. I combined the amaro from each of them and dropped the crème de cacao, and for a spirit, I figured that somewhere between Bourbon and mezcal was Scotch. Scotch was also on my mind for it was Bobby Burns night besides it working rather well with Amaro Sfumato, and for a name, the Kilted Flower came to mind. Once prepared, it offered an orange oil, smoky, and roasty aroma. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip blossomed into Scotch, earthy bitter, and orange flavors on the swallow with a smoke and chocolate finish.

suffragette

2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I was scanning the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Suffragette by New York City bartender Rafa Garcia Febles circa 2015. The recipe reminded me of one of my favorite Martini variations, the Poet's Dream. Here, it had Cynar instead of orange bitters, and the combination of Cynar and Benedictine has prospered in drinks like the Filthy Rich and 100 Year Old Cigar; moreover, I have used the duo in recipes such as the Death on the Installment Plan and Chachita. In the glass, the Suffragette gave forth lemon, pine, and mint aromas. Next, a semi-dry caramel-tinged sip voted in a gin and herbal swallow with some darker notes. Overall, the combination reminded me of a darker Puritan.

rockwood

1 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Amaro Sfumato
1 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and came across a Negroni riff of sorts called the Rockwood. This recipe crafted by Parker Marvin at Attaboy in Manhattan circa 2018 reminded me of the Veneto Negroni which was the last time I paired gin and Sfumato together. With sherry in the mix instead of vermouth, it proffered an orange, roasty, and herbal aroma to the nose. Next, grape and roasted notes on the sip switched things up for gin, nutty, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with a smoky finish.

goldilocks

1 1/2 oz Hamilton's Jamaican Pot Still Gold Rum (1/4 oz Smith & Cross + 1 1/4 oz Appleton Signature)
1/2 oz Glen Grant 10 Year Scotch (16 Year)
1/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz Giffard Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 tsp Cane Sugar Syrup
1 dash Bitter Cube Jamaican Black Strap Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a big ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I reached for Death & Co.'s Welcome Home book and came across the Goldilocks by Jillian Vose circa 2014. The drink lured me in with the combination of Scotch and Jamaican rum that I last enjoyed in the New York in the Seventies, and I was finally able to make this recipe since I recently acquired a bottle of Amaro Ciociaro. Once prepared, it paraded an orange and rum funk aroma to the nose. Next, caramel and tropical notes on the sip flowed into funky rum, Scotch, and dark herbal flavors on the swallow with a caramelized banana finish.

cowboy killer

1 1/2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.Two Saturdays ago, bartender and bar owner Al Sotack posted a recipe for the Cowboy Killer that he just published in Epicurious. The drink was crafted by Colin Shearn in 2010 when Colin and Al were both working at the Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co. in Philadelphia. Colin crossed the Rob Roy with the Red Hook, and added Peychaud's Bitters to the mix. Al described how it was dubbed, "The Cowboy Killer's name is inspired; it tasted to its inventor like a Marlboro Red." On the nose, the Cowboy Killer shot forth with lemon oil, peat smoke, and cherry aromas. Next, a grape sip galloped into smoky whisky, bitter herbal, and cherry flavors on the swallow with a smoke and anise finish.

social animal

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane
1 bsp Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I spotted a drink published in Imbibe Magazine in 2020 on Kindred Cocktails called the Social Animal. The recipe was crafted by Tony Roehr at Raised by Wolves in San Diego, and I passed over the drink when it first came out for I had yet to add a walnut liqueur to my liquor shelves. This dessert-inspired Old Fashioned began with a lemon and banana bread bouquet. Next, a caramel-like sip ushered in Bourbon, walnut, banana, and clove flavors on the swallow.

african flower

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded>
3/8 oz Amaro Ciociaro
3/8 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I was reminded that I needed to make the African Flower after having enjoyed a drink inspired by it, namely the Maravilla, two days prior. Therefore, I sought out the recipe for this creation by Becky McFalls at Little Branch circa 2008 in the Bartender's Choice app. Once prepared, it proffered an orange and caramel aroma to the nose. Next, caramel on the sip blossomed into Bourbon, bitter, chocolate, and orange flavors on the swallow.

body shop

1 oz Fernet Branca
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup (*)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice, and float 1/8 oz Laphroaig Scotch.
(*) I made this by muddling 2 small coins of ginger in 1:1 honey syrup.On my second bar shift in Oaxaca, we had a trio of local bartenders sit at our bar who had attended our masterclasses two days prior. When one of the bartenders indicated that they preferred more bitter drinks, I began getting creative given the limited liqueur and syrup bottles. For one of the drinks, I ended up making a ginger for passion fruit riff on the Clown Car (using lime juice since we lacked lemon) that reminded me of a Ferrari crossed with a Penicillin. A few days after returning home, I recreated this flavor profile using the lemon juice that I lacked and ended up floating a smoky Scotch on top as an accent. Since the two drinks that it reminded me of were named after a car and a fix-it, I dubbed this the Body Shop. Here, it gave forth smoke, ginger, and menthol aromas to the nose. Next, the Body Shop presented lemon, honey, and caramel notes on the sip that were transformed into orange, menthol, and ginger flavors on the swallow.