partisan

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Du Peyrat Selection)
1/2 oz Aged Rhum Agricole (JM Gold)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I began perusing the online flashcard set containing recipes from the Dutch Kills bar when I landed upon the Partisan that read like a Cognac-rhum agricole Liberal. The combination of Cognac and rhum agricole was one that I have enjoyed in the Wildflower, A Rum with a Vieux, and other recipes and that I utilized in my Prelude to a Broken Arm. Once prepared, the Partisan showcased an orange, caramel, and grassy bouquet. Next, grape and caramel on the sip turned towards Cognac melding into the caramel-orange of Ciociaro on the swallow with orange and a hint of grassy funk on the finish.

home drum

1 3/4 oz Cognac (Du Peyrat Selection)
1/4 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with absinthe (Kübler).

Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the Cynar-falernum combination in the Brooks, and my mind went to the Cognac Corn'n'Oil that Richard Seale described during a talk here in Boston for a base. Next, I mimicked the proportions of Maks Pazuniak's 100 Year Old Cigar as well as its smoky Scotch and absinthe accents. For a name, I kept the Corn'n'Oil heritage and dubbed this after the Bajan saying of "Home drum beats first" meaning that before taking on another's problems, look after your own family first.The Home Drum welcomed the senses with an anise and Cognac aroma. Next, caramel on the sip slid into Cognac melding into herbal flavors on the swallow with a smoke, clove, and anise finish. Overall, the combination was more intriguing and dynamic than the basic Cognac Corn'n'Oil.

dante's requiem

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1 bsp Campari (1/8 oz)
2 dash Fernet Branca (20 drops)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Tuesdays ago, I was perusing Kindred Cocktails when I came across Dante's Requiem again. This time, I had a bottle of Green Chartreuse on hand and was able to make it. The recipe was crafted by Seattle bartender Scott Diaz in 2012 as a riff on Ted Kilgore's Purgatory. Moreover, the light touch of Campari with the Green Chartreuse reminded me of the Tailspin, and both the name and medley of liqueurs made me think of Toby Maloney's Eeyore's Requiem. Once prepared, Dante's Requiem met the nose with an herbaceous aroma mostly from the Chartreuse. Next, a caramel-tinged sip recanted rye whiskey, herbal, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow with a bitter orange-menthol finish from the Campari and Fernet.

war horse

1 3/4 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/4 oz Laphroaig Scotch
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Crème de Cacao (Bols)
8 dash Angostura Bitters (I recommend 3-4 dashes)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Mondays ago nights ago, I spotted a curious Scotch recipe in a Raines Law Room online flashcard set called the War Horse. A 2012 Grub Street article placed the drink at Lantern's Keep in New York City to commemorate War Horse's Oscar nomination and Broadway production. The connection between the flashcard set and Lantern's Keep is that Meaghan Dorman was hired as a consultant in 2011 to open Lantern's Keep while still the head bartender of Raines Law Room. Once prepared, the War Horse confronted the senses with a smoke, clove, and chocolate aroma. Next, malt and chocolate on the sip charged into smoky Scotch, chocolate, and clove flavors on the swallow.

tito puente

1 oz Toasted Coconut Knob Creek Rye
1 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with two lime twists.For my birthday two Mondays ago, I met Andrea at Mahaniyom for a round of drinks and an appetizer before moving on to Blossom Bar for more vegetarian-friendly fare. For a drink, I asked the bartender for the Tito Puente for the combination of Lustau's East India Solera Sherry with Punt e Mes reminded me of Alex Day's Night Owl at Death & Co. I did not bother to ask for a recipe so I did not take tasting notes; however, a friend just sent me a collection of Blossom Bar recipes, and I was able to locate the Tito Puente. As for the toasted coconut-infused whiskey, Liquor.com proffered a recipe for their article on the Normandie Old Fashioned. I revised it as such:

Toasted Coconut-Infused Whiskey
Toast 2 oz by volume coconut flakes over medium heat for 5 minutes or until slightly golden. Add to a 750 mL bottle of whiskey and place in a hot water bath at 145°F for 2 hours or overnight at room temperature. Strain into a quart container, freeze overnight, remove all solids such as by passing through a coffee filter, and rebottle.

thumbs up!

1 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I came home after doing a brunch-dinner double at the bar and quickly sought out a nightcap from the Bartender's Choice app. There, the Thumbs Up! as a Last Word riff by Michael McIlroy at New York City's Milk & Honey circa 2009 seemed like a good way to wrap up a long day. In a way, it seemed like a Last Word mashed up with a Division Bell (minus the mezcal). The lemon oils from the twist joined pine, nutty cherry, and herbaceous aromas on the nose. Next, a lime and cherry sip concluded with pine, herbaceous, cherry, and orange flavors on the swallow. Overall, not too different from a Last Word save for the addition of orange notes from the Aperol and a degree of softness from the decreased Chartreuse and Maraschino amounts.

captain badass

1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Bonded Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1 heaping barspoon Apple-Cinnamon Jam (Homemade Crabapple Jelly + 1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters)
1 dash Orange Cream Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, double strain into a coupe, and garnish with an apple slice (omit garnish).While skimming through the online flashcard set for the Dram bar in Brooklyn, I spied the Captain Badass that called for an apple-cinnamon jam, and I wondered if the crabapple jelly I made plus some cinnamon-heavy Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters would work in a pinch. The apple brandy, rye whiskey, and apple components reminded me of the Keep the Doctor Away but that called for muddled apple and Aperol instead of apple jam and sherry. I was able to locate a mention of the drink in a 2015 Fodor's guidebook of Brooklyn, so that helps to confirm that it is Dram's recipe as well as to put a date to it. In the glass, the Captain Badass met the senses with an apple and hint of nutty-raisin aroma. Next, grape with a slightly luxurious mouthfeel from the jelly on the sip led into rye, apple, dried fruit, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

dirty blvd

1 1/2 oz Belle Meade Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
3/4 oz Aperol

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with Laphroaig Scotch, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online flashcard set for Atlanta's Paper Plane when I landed upon the Dirty Blvd. This Boulevardier riff likely named after the 1989 Lou Reed song reminded me of the bar's Bigmouth Strikes Again that I recently made, and it had the Punt e Mes-Aperol duo of several drinks including Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Bittersweet Symphony and Brian Summers' Chicago Typewriter. With the twist garnish and Scotch rinse, the Dirty Blvd greeted the nose with an orange and peat smoke aroma. Next, grape and tangerine notes on the sip wandered over to Bourbon, bitter herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow with a wisp of smoke on the finish.

prince edward

2 oz Scotch (*)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz Drambuie

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
(*) Since this was a William Grant event, I assume it was Monkey Shoulder.

Two Thursdays ago, I attended a Drambuie class at the Wig Shop downtown. For our first cocktail to sip on as we heard the talk, we were served the Prince Edward which is a recipe that I have alluded to such as in the tequila-based riff, the Principe Eduardo, but I have never written up the classic here despite having it before my time writing on the blog. The closest that I have come to the recipe is the Hundred Pipers that adds an absinthe accent to the original. The recipe above is the one that we did at Drink with the Wig Shop's choice of garnish; note that Drink's recipe called for an orange slice which is what is specified in Stan Jones' Barguide. Amusingly, during the talk, someone entered the space and was actually looking for wigs (see the bar's window display for the confusion not to mention that Wig World used to be located there); the speaker welcomed her to join, but general manager Kevin ushered her out since it was a private event. After, Kevin commented, "So you want to open a speakeasy – it's not as cool as you think!" In the glass, the Prince Edward offered up a lemon, hint of smoke, and honey bouquet to the nose. Next, malt, honey, and orchard fruit on the sip transformed into Scotch, herbal, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.