in the bond

2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 oz King's Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
4 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in a rocks glass, add ice, and stir. Garnish with a lemon twist and add straws.
Two Mondays ago, I stopped in at J.M. Curley, and for a drink, I asked bartender Daren Palacios for the In the Bond. The lemon twist's aroma brightened that of the apple brandy. A sweet, vaguely fruit and spice sip was a foreshadowing of the swallow which contained most of the apple, ginger, and cinnamon flavors. Moreover, the apple notes lingered pleasantly on the swallow, and as the ice melted, the In the Bond gained allspice and clove elements.

throw the horns

1 oz Rye (Rittenhouse 100)
3/4 oz Madeira (Blandy 5 Year Verdelho)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur
2 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters (Angostura)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Saturdays ago, right after making the Third Man for Mixology Monday: Fortified Wines, I made another fortified wine drink called Throw the Horns. I found the recipe on the Imbibe Magazine website, and it was attributed to Jeff Baumann of Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, VT. In the end, I decided to feature the Third Man for Mixology Monday for Pineau des Charentes needed to be represented in that event over Madeira which I felt was sure to receive some attention in other participating blogs.
The Throw the Horns' Maraschino seemed to dominate the drink's bouquet. A grape and grapefruit sip was followed by a swallow containing rye and a Maraschino flavor that was softened by the grapefruit juice. Overall, the grapefruit-Maraschino pairing worked rather well here as it does in the Hemingway Daiquiri. Moreover, the combination of Madeira and Maraschino reminded me of the Creole Contentment from Charles H. Baker's Jigger, Beaker and Glass.

jarabe tapatío

1 1/2 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
3/4 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Campari
1 oz Lime Juice
3 dash Day of the Dead Bitters (sub Boston Bittahs)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with black pepper.

For a final cocktail at Sichuan Garden II in Woburn, bartender Ran Duan mentioned that he had a mezcal cocktail featuring the Day of the Dead Bitters that I had given him last time we were there. The bitters contain Calendula marigold petals which are tied to the Day of the Dead celebration and donate great floral notes to drinks (I can publish the recipe if people would like). As a substitute, a floral bitters like the Bittermens Boston Bittahs would work rather well here. Ran had dubbed this drink the Jarabe Tapatío which translates to the infamous Mexican Hat Dance.
The black pepper garnish worked well with the floral aroma notes from the bitters. A lime and pomegranate sip led into a smoky mezcal, Campari, and floral swallow.

gianopulos

1 1/2 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
3 dash Smoking Ban Bitters (sub Angostura)

Stir with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a cherry.

For a second drink at Sichuan Garden II, bartender Ran Duan described the Gianopulos, an intriguing aged rum and bitter liqueur cocktail named after one of his friends. His friend's favorite amaro, namely Nardini, is in the mix along with his love of cigars in the tobacco bitters.
The aged Demerara rum and Punt e Mes' grape contributed to the Gianopulos' aroma, and as the drink warmed up, the nose gained clove notes. A caramel and grape sip contained some rather complementary vanilla notes, and the swallow showcased the rum, Campari, clove, and other spice notes. As the drink acclimated to the room's temperature, the bitters' tobacco tannic spice became more evident on the finish.

soul patch

1 1/2 oz Weller 12 Year Bourbon
1/2 oz St. George Agricole Rum
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Cherry Shrub (*)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.
(*) Equal parts syrup from a Luxardo cherry jar and vinegar.

Two Wednesdays ago, we ventured up to Woburn for dinner to pay a visit to bartender Ran Duan at Sichuan Garden II. For a first cocktail, Ran recommended the Soul Patch that he created for an Ugly Sweater Party they held a few weeks before on Christmas Day. The Soul Patch had the quirky combination of a whiskey with an agricole-style rum that I had not seen since the Start of a New Road and before that the Two Worlds Sour. With the balance seeming like it would be on the drier side, I gave Ran the thumbs up.
The Soul Patch proffered an orange oil nose that later shifted to a cherry-Bourbon one. A grassy sip shared dry wine and malt notes, and the funky rum continued on into the swallow where it stood out more than the Bourbon. In addition, a dry cherry came through on the swallow along with a spice-laden finish.

corpse reviver #6

3/4 oz Beefeater Gin
3/4 oz Becherovka
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and add straws.
Two Tuesdays ago, Andrea and I decided to get dinner at the Citizen Public House. For a drink, I asked bartender Andrea Novak for the Corpse Reviver #6 which was a honey and spice variation on the citrus and absinthe classic. The cocktail's lemon twist filled the aroma and prepared the mouth for the lemon juice and citrus wine sip. Next, a gin, clove, cinnamon, and honey swallow gained more spice notes over time as the ice melted.

sid & nancy

3/4 oz Plantation 5 Year Barbados Rum
3/4 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
3/4 oz Spiced Syrup (*)

Build in a pre-warmed glass cup. Top with ~4 oz steamed half and half. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
(*) Contains star anise, clove, and cinnamon.

Two Mondays ago, we had dinner at Eastern Standard after I my DJ set. The drink that Andrea had was one that I had read about in Josh Childs' Boston.com column a few weeks ago. Josh described how the hot drink was created by Eastern's Bobby McCoy as a riff on the Tom & Jerry. Instead of taking a Christmas carol angle, Bobby went punk rock with a tribute to Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Andrea's that night was made by bartender Seth Freidus.
Once made, the nutmeg spice complemented the aroma of the hot milk. A creamy sip offered up the aged rum's caramel notes, and the rum along with the Cognac flavors filled the swallow. Finally, the spiced syrup began to increase on the finish over successive sips.

sloe ryed

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
1 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
>1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur
7 Mint Leaves

Stir with ice and double strain into a cocktail glass.

The other drink bartender Tyler Wang wanted to make for me was one he created for a regular named Brian. Brian had asked for a drink to match the name Slow Ride, and Tyler formulated a sloe gin and rye whiskey cocktail to fit. When I heard the ingredients, the classic feel of it appealed to me as the mint with fruit notes reminded me of the Derby and the sloe gin and apricot made me think of the Millionaire.
The apricot appeared in the Sloe Ryed's nose and preceded a wine sip that had hints of sloe gin and the mint's greenness. Next, the whiskey began the swallow followed by apricot notes and a sloe and mint finish.

l'année du mexique

2 oz Siete Leguas Reposado Tequila
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry
1/2 oz Salers Gentiane Liqueur
1+ barspoon Crème de Mûre (*)
1 dash Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.
(*) Perhaps crème de cassis would work in a pinch.

Two Sundays ago, I ventured down to No. 9 Park where Tyler Wang was tending bar. For a first drink, Tyler recommended the L'Année du Mexique that he had created. The drink's name refers to a year long celebration honoring Mexican culture planned in France that was unfortunately canceled. Regardless, the drink brings together a combination of French and Mexican spirits without any political discord. When I heard the ingredients, it made me think of Scott Holliday's Br'er Rabbit, so I gave Tyler the thumbs up on the idea.
The L'Année du Mexique presented an orange oil and agave aroma with hints of berry on the nose. Next, a grape sip was followed by a tequila swallow chased by the gentian's bitter notes. Finally, the drink finished with blackberry and lingering agave flavors.