six-zero-bravo

1 1/2 oz Espolon Blanco Tequila (Olmeca Altos)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a spritz of lavender tincture (3 drop Scrappy's Lavender Bitters). Two Mondays ago, I sought out the night's drink in Atlanta's Paper Plane online flashcard set that I found, and I landed on the Six-Zero-Bravo that was an Aviation riff that reminded me of a tequila-based Refined Speech. Once prepared, the Six-Zero-Bravo perhaps named after the Damien Lewis book based on the Iraqi war showcased a vegetal, nutty cherry, and floral aroma. Next, lemon and a hint of cherry on the sip flew into tequila, herbal, nutty, and cherry flavors on the swallow.

quiet coast

1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire Premiere Cru Gin (Bombay Sapphire East)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Licor 43
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Cardamom Bitters (The Bitter House Wife)
1 dash Saline (1 pinch Salt)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an edible flower (ornamental pea plant blossom).Two Sundays ago, I revisited the July/August 2023 issue of Imbibe Magazine to make another recipe that I had spotted there – namely, the Quiet Coast by Meaghan Dorman of New York City's Raines Law Room and Dear Irving. This gin Sour conjured up a lemon, citrus, and pine aroma. Next, lemon, pear, and nectarine notes on the sip crept up on gin, vanilla, and cardamom flavors on the swallow.

the hundred pipers

2 oz Scotch (1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse + 1/2 oz Cutty Sark Prohibition)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and landed upon the Hundred Pipers by Michael Madrusan in 2012. What was described as something "inspired by a fleeting love affair with the Rusty Nail" reminded me of a classic called the Prince Edward of Scotch, Lillet, and Drambuie (2, 3/4, 1/4 oz, respectively, is my preferred recipe) but here with equal parts of Drambuie and Cocchi Americano plus a dash of absinthe. The name most likely refers to the Scottish song and jig attributed to Carolina Nairne circa 1850s based upon the Jacobite Rising of 1745. In the glass, the Hundred Pipers presented a peat smoke, honey, and anise bouquet to the nose. Next, a honey and orchard fruit sip marched towards Scotch, herbal, pear, and anise flavors on the swallow.

cliffhanger

1 1/2 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum (Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1 dash Grapefruit Bitters (Bittercube Jamaica #2)

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays ago, I delved back into the online flashcard set from the Paper Plane in Atlanta and landed upon the Cliffhanger that reminded me of the Avenue Davenport but with rum instead of American whiskey to support the trio of Cynar, Fernet, and Maraschino. In the glass, the Cliffhanger presented a lemon and nutty Maraschino aroma. Next, caramel and a hint of cherry on the sip clung to dark rum, cherry, bitter, menthol, and vegetal flavors on the swallow.

neptune's wrath

1 1/2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Absinthe (Kübler)
1 Egg White

Shake once with ice and once without ice. Pour 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse into a coupe glass, ignite the Chartreuse, and extinguish by straining the drink over it.Two Wednesdays ago, I was looking through the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across Neptune's Wrath by Toby Maloney at the Violet Hour in Chicago. The thought of a gin-based Rattlesnake Cocktail strained over flaming Green Chartreuse was alluring, so I began to research it. On Difford's Guide, I learned that it was created around 2007, and they poetically describe how "[t]he foaming surface, green hue of the absinthe, and flaming Chartreuse represents Neptune expressing his fury with a dangerously rough sea." In the glass, the Neptune's Wrath proffered an anise aroma from the absinthe. Next, a creamy lemon sip unfurled gin, anise, herbal, and black licorice flavors on the swallow.

as you wish

2 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Raspberry Syrup
1/2 oz Honey Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, my July/August 2023 issue of Imbibe Magazine arrived, and I decided to make the Bee's Knees riff As You Wish that was crafted by Adam LeBeau at Victoria in Portland, Oregon. After shaking and straining, the As You Wish approached the nose with a pine and raspberry bouquet. Next, lemon, berry, and honey notes on the sip buzzed into gin, honey, and raspberry flavors on the swallow with a floral and tart berry finish.

all bark, all bite

1 oz Copper Dog Speyside Blended Malt Scotch (The Glen Grant 16 Year)
1 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with 2 spritz Laphroaig Scotch (8 drops).Two Mondays ago, I returned to The Bartender's Manifesto by Toby Maloney with Emma Janzen and landed on the Toronto-like All Bark, All Bite by Levi Tyma at Chicago's Violet Hour circa 2018. With Scotch elements added in, the All Bark, All Bite launched with a peat smoke aroma. Next, malt notes on the sip slid into rye and sherry-tinged Scotch with light bitter menthol accents on the swallow. Overall, it came across a lot softer than a Toronto.

bourgeois guilt

2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac (Du Peyrat Selection)
1/4 oz Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/8 oz Bigallet China-China (1/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro)
2 dash Fee's Walnut Bitters (4 dash Strongwater Mountain Elixirs)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I was searching through the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Bourgeois Guilt created by Chicago home bartender Applejack. With Cognac, walnut liqueur, and Benedictine, it reminded me of my Pirate's Alley but here with the Amer Picon-like Bigallet China-China and without the split spirit base of Scotch that I included. Once prepared, the Bourgeois Guilt began with an orange and rich Cognac aroma bolsterd by caramel and walnut notes. Next, the caramel continued on into the sip where it got overwhelmed by Cognac, walnut, herbal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

classic mob movie

2 oz Glenlivet Founder's Reserve Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Amaretto (Disaronno)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with 2 cherries on a pick and with orange oil from a twist.

Two Saturdays ago, I opened up my new purchase of Gabriel Fernando Urrutia's Miami Cocktails book and came upon the Godfather riff called the Classic Mob Movie. The recipe was crafted by Dave Simmons at The Anderson, and its call for two cherries reminded me of the garnish lore of how two olives in a Martini has been considered a warning from the bartender that a mobster is out to get them. Audrey Saunders' Little Italy recipe has been frequently written as having two cherries as a garnish (although not the Robert Simonson recipe that I utilized on the blog earlier this year), so perhaps this was a nod to that modern classic or a similar aesthetic utilized. (* see post note below)The Classic Mob Movie began with an apricot-almond and orange oil aroma. Next, the vermouth's grape on the sip was a delightful addition to the classic, and this was pursued by Scotch, dried fruit, and almond flavors on the swallow with an allspice finish.

Postnote: After writing this out, I contacted Audrey on Twitter as to why she went with two. She replied that she "Always found the whole business of odd number garnish rubbish – instead prefer to go on drink by drink basis. Do we really need 3(!) sugar soaked cherries regardless of how delicious? I think not. Yet one would not suffice. So one for the 1st 1/2 of the drink & one more for the 2nd."