the dry season

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz El Tesoro Platinum Tequila (Olmeca Altos)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
>1/2 oz Aperol (3/8 oz)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Saturdays ago, I was scanning the KindredCocktails database when I came across The Dry Season by Kyle Davidson at Chicago's Violet Hour circa 2010. The combination reminded me of an agave version of Charlotte Voisey's Unusual Negroni (equal parts Hendrick's Gin, Lillet, Aperol) which I later tried in Johnny Appleseed with applejack, Vita Brevis with rye, and a few other examples. Here with agave, it began with vegetal, smoke, and orchard fruit aromas. Next, orange, pear, and a hint of grapefruit peel on the sip transferred to smoky agave and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

rodriguez

1 oz El Tesoro Blanco Tequila (Olmeca Altos)
1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Grapefruit Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for Teardrop Lounge in Portland, and I spotted the Rodriguez from the "friends" section of the menu. The Rodriguez was crafted by bartender Ryan Fitzgerald at Beretta in San Francisco, and the combination of agave, Cocchi Americano (or Lillet), and Benedictine in that ratio reminded me of Trina's Starlite Lounge's Unicorn Blood and San Francisco's Jonny Raglin's Nouveau Carré that appeared in the PDT Cocktail Book. Here, the Rodriguez opened up with grapefruit and agave aromas along with a hint of smoke. Next, orchard fruit notes on the sip gave way to vegetal and herbal flavors on the swallow with a grapefruit and smoke finish.

testadura

1 1/2 oz Planation 5 Year Rum (R.L. Seale 10 Year)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
Chocolate Bitters (2 dash Bittermens Mole)
Build in a rocks glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I ventured back to an online recipe flashcard set which yielded the Testadura by Richard Boccato at Dutch Kills; I later found it on the Wm. Farmer & Son's menu attributed to the bar with a 2017 date. Perhaps the drink is named after the Italian phrase "testa dura" that translates to "hard head" and is an idiomatic expression meaning stubborn. The cinnamon syrup and Cynar modifying an aged rum base did not seem like an unusual combination; however, I have only tried it in the Broken Flower and Poison Dart and utilized it in an on-the-fly Manhattan riff Shadows & Tall Trees at Russell House Tavern back in 2013. In the glass, the Testadura welcomed the nose with an orange, cinnamon, and caramel bouquet. Next, the caramel notes continued on into the sip where they were chased by rum, herbal, cinnamon, and chocolate flavors.

hell or high water

1 1/2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Egg White (1 whole Egg White)
1/4 oz Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Shake one round without ice and one round with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist (photo I later found on Yelp appears to be an express and discard twist).Two Wednesdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, when I spotted the Hell or High Water from the Spring 2023 menu that would make good use of the bottle of Jameson that I was gifted for Christmas from my restaurant. While it was on a recent menu, it was a much older recipe that appeared in a Yelp photo from around 2016. Overall, it reminded me of a whiskey-based Clover Club with peach accents instead of raspberry, so I was curious to give it a go especially with the honey-Benedictine combination. Once prepared, the Hell or High Water welcomed the nose with orange, peach, and floral aromas. Next, a creamy lemon and orchard fruit sip rose to whiskey, peach, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

fedora 2.1

1 oz Equiano Original Rum
1/2 oz Uncle Nearest 1856 Tennessee Whiskey
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
3 dash Chocolate Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass, and garnish with an orange twist and a cherry.Two Tuesdays ago, I attended an Uncle Nearest Whiskey and Equiano Rum event at Shore Leave entitled "Cocktails & Stories." For the Equiano part, rum ambassador Ian Burrell was inspired by Tom Bullock's 1917 The Ideal Bartender as the first cocktail book written by a black bartender, and it was a perfect tie in to Black History Month. Ian began by sharing Tom's dedication and part of the introduction in the book that read, "This cocktail will be for those men and women who enjoy to drink in snug club rooms... And if for some reason we are not able to travel, then may they find this recipe and learn the art of preparing for themselves what is good." For a recipe, Ian found the Fedora which I learned as a three ingredient Sidecar (brandy, Bourbon, Jamaican rum). The original in Harry Johnson's 1882 New and Improved Bartender's Manual has a lemon slice included in the shake, and Stan Jones' 1977 Complete Barguide has it as a full ounce of lemon juice; however, Bullock left the lemon aspect out. To the 1917 recipe, Ian utilized Grand Marnier to take the place of both the Curaçao and brandy elements and rounded out the recipe with vanilla and chocolate accents. This Fedora 2.1 began with orange, caramel, and cherry aromas. Next, a caramel sip gave way to rum, whiskey, spice, orange, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

pale rider

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Cointreau
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice. The recipe lacked serving style or garnish, but the bar's website's menu has a rocks glass symbol next to it, and I added a large ice cube and a grapefruit twist.Two Mondays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for Erick Castro's new project in San Diego, namely Gilly's House of Cocktails. There, the Pale Rider called out to me as an agave Joy Division without absinthe or perhaps an agave Lucien Gaudin minus the Campari, so I was intrigued with this stirred number. Once prepared, the Pale Rider galloped to the nose with a grapefruit and agave aroma. Next, a semi-sweet sip rode into smoky agave, orange peel, and clove flavors on the swallow.

bear skin rug

1 1/2 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ragged Mountain Rum (Privateer New England Reserve)
1/2 oz Arkansas Black Apple Brandy (Morin Calvados Selection)
1/4 oz Averna
1/4 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
1/4 oz Maple Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Sundays ago, I uncovered an online flashcard set for Ward 8 in Boston and spied the split base rum-apple brandy Manhattan riff. I was able to date the drink to around 2017 from when the bartender who posted the recipe set worked there, and the combination of Averna, Amontillado, and maple seemed intriguing as modifiers. In the glass, the Bear Skin Rug showcased a caramel, maple, and nutty aroma. Next, grape notes on the sip led into rum, apple, raisin, maple, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

salted rye

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Zucca (Sfumato)
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
5 drop Saline (1:4)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcards for the Fall 2012 menu at the Dorrance in Providence, Rhode Island, where I became tempted by the bitter Manhattan variation called the Salted Rye. While the flashcards had the rye as Redemption, the restaurant's current website has it as Rittenhouse and attributes it to bartender Jonathan Dille. Indeed, the combination of Rittenhouse, Montenegro, and Zucca reminded me of the Mint Julep variation I created at Loyal Nine in 2015 called the Heat of the Moment, so it was time to try this one out. Once prepared, the Salted Rye welcomed the nose with orange and roast aromas. Next, a caramel-driven sip transformed into rye, smoky, clementine, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.

mortal coil

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin (Beefeater 44%)
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Nocino (Russo)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Cinnamon Bitters (Fee's Whiskey Barrel-Aged)

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon pigtail twist.Two Fridays ago, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcard sets for Pouring Ribbons, and I found the curious Martini riff called the Mortal Coil that appeared on their Fall 2014 menu. After making it, I was unsure if I had tried any gin and walnut liqueur drinks, and it turned out that I have had two before with an unnamed one by John Gertsen at Drink in late 2008 being the closest to Pouring Ribbons' (the other was the Bamboozled at Backbar which was more sherry driven). In the glass, the Mortal Coil lifted off with lemon, walnut, and cinnamon aromas. Next, grape and a dark note from the nocino on the sip sprung into gin, grape-herbal, dark nutty, allspice, cinnamon, and clove flavors on the swallow.