save the last dance

3/4 oz Appleton 12 Year Jamaican Rum (Monymusk Gold)
3/4 oz Rhum JM Blanc (JM 100°)
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Averna
4 dash Angostura Bitters

Smoke an old fashioned glass over ignited cinnamon stick bits. Stir with ice, strain into said glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist and an orchid (omit).Two Saturdays ago, I had spotted a reference to the Save the Last Dance by Brian Maxwell, and I hunted down the recipe from his Shaker of Spirits blog. The drink was part of his 2020 Pandemic recipe series that included such hits as Ground Control to Major Donn and A Million Dreams, and he named this one after the 1960s The Drifters' song for his 68th entry. Overall, it read like a Right Hand with some rhum agricole, but with the Averna instead of sweet vermouth, it reminded me of the Guiding Light and The Departed. In the glass, the Save the Last Dance gave forth an orange, hint cinnamon smoke, and caramel aroma. Next, caramel notes on the sip waited up for grassy rum, bitter orange, caramel, herbal, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

balloon farm

1 1/2 oz Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Recently, a guest came into work and asked for a Paper Plane, and we began talking about ways to make the drink if Amaro Nonino is unavailable. After I mentioned that I have seen Averna and Montenegro used as substitutes, he declared that Cynar was surprisingly good as a fill-in; therefore, two weeks ago I riffed on it with Scotch at home. Cynar and Aperol are a duo that I have enjoyed in a variety of drinks like the Juan Bautista, Mad Max and Rucola Negroni, so I figured that it would turn out decent. I originally tried as an equal parts number and perhaps it would have worked better with a robust and smoky single malt, but with a blend, I found better success being spirit forward here. For a name, I dubbed this one after a 1960s performance space headed by Andy Warhol that I learned about in the St. Marks Is Dead book. In the glass, the Balloon Farm lifted to the nose with lemon, orange, and Scotch aromas. Next, lemon, caramel, and orange notes on the sip bounced into Scotch, vegetal, orange, and anise flavors on the swallow.

missed deadline

3/4 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Ward 8 in Boston and decided on the Missed Deadline. On paper, it read to me like an equal parts apple-lemon Periodista, and my blog searching showed that the closest with lemon has been the 1937 Canadian Glory with Canadian whisky. Once shaken and strained, the Missed Deadline found the nose with a lemon oil over orange and apricot bouquet. Next, lemon and orchard fruit notes on the sip stepped aside for apple, apricot, orange peel, and tart lemon flavors on the swallow.

d'yer mak'er

1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross
1/2 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 2:1 (2/3 oz 1:1)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Whip shake with crushed ice, pour into an old fashioned glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an orange twist (orange peel snake). Two Wednesdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for Monkeypod Wailea in Hawaii, and I latched on to the D'yer Mak'er. The card mentioned to pronounce it like "Jamaica", and an Instagram friend commented that it comes from British slang for "did you make her" thus the pronunciation. This drink perhaps named after the Led Zeppelin song dates back to at least 2014 via a blog post with a drink photo. I utilized a similar rum, Swedish punsch, honey, and lime combination in the Reverend Wise at Loyal Nine back in 2017, so I was curious to try it with a more flavorful base spirit and a greater amount of Swedish punsch. In the glass, the D'yer Mak'er donated Jamaican funk, orange, and floral aromas to the nose. Next, caramel, honey, and lime notes on the sip sailed into funky rum, black tea, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

(and) knobs is thirteen

1 1/2 oz Knob Creek Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Planteray OFTD Rum
1 1/4 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 dash Bitters (Angostura)
8 drop Herbsaint

Flash blend with 6 oz crushed ice and dump into a bucket glass (whip shake, dump, and fill with crushed ice). Garnish with an orange wheel (omit) and mint sprig.Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted on Reddit by Craig Herman a/k/a Colonel Tiki that I had been holding off on until my mint patch came back for the season. The recipe was (And) Knobs Is Thirteen which is his homage to the game Cribbage, a Fibonacci sequence, and an attempt to correct the Ward Eight. On paper, it reminds me of the Nui Nui with a split base driven by Bourbon (albeit supplemented by a more flavorful rum that the original's call for aged Virgin Island rum) and swapping the Nui Nui's lime for lemon. Moreover, this shares some aspects of his delightful tequila recipe, the Vendetta, so it was worth a go. Once prepared, the (And) Knobs is Thirteen opened up with mint, orange, cinnamon, and vanilla aromas. Next, an orange and lemon sip shuffled into Bourbon, funky rum, allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors on the swallow.

sharpen your teeth

2 oz Jim Beam Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1 1/2 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with 4 Kold Draft cubes (1 large cube), and garnish with a lemon twist.Continuing on with my successed with online recipe flashcard sets, I found a gem in one from The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming. The Sharpen Your Teeth on their Winter 2015-16 menu reminded me of my Continuum that I created at Our Fathers that utilized gin and sweet vermouth instead of rye and orange bitters. Moreover, the call for Jim Beam Rye reminded me that I had a few ounces of a rather old bottle that needed to be finished; I estimate that we bought that bottle around 2007 back before rye options exploded and pushed Beam's namesake rye off the shelves in favor of Beam's other whiskeys like Old Overholt and those from other brands. In the glass, the Sharpen Your Teeth sunk in with lemon, orange, and herbal aromas. Next, caramel and orange notes on the sip unfurled into rye, herbal, herbaceous, and orange flavors on the swallow.

dagwood

1 oz Tequila (Arette)
1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
3/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large cube, float dashes of Pechaud's Bitters, and garnish with a mint sprig.Two Sundays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard sets from The Violet Hour in Chicago. There, I was drawn in by the Dagwood from their Spring 2022 menu as a smoky Margarita of sorts sweetened with elderflower and Ramazzotti. While I have enjoyed recipes pairing amari with elderflower such as Cynar in the Alto Cucina and Averna in the Philadelphia Story, I have never tried one with Ramazzotti. In the glass, the Dagwood blossomed with mint, fruity, and anise aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes on the sip developed into smoky agave, grapefruit, floral, and root beer flavors on the swallow.

good pals

2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
3/8 oz Drambuie
3/8 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass rinsed with absinthe (Obsello), and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for Good Company in St. Louis, Missouri, and landed on the Good Pals from the opening menu in Spring 2024. On paper, it reminded me of Backbar's Confederation Bridge but with sweet vermouth and absinthe instead of blanc vermouth and Angostura. Moreover, I have had good luck pairing Drambuie and Cynar in the Madame Mustache and 3:20 in the Morning, and I have enjoyed it in two Rusty Nail riffs – namely, the Bitter Nail and Tooth & Nail. Once prepared, the Good Pals showcased a lemon and anise bouquet to the nose. Next, grape, honey, and caramel notes on the sip opened up into rye and herbal flavors on the swallow.

the clapless bell

2 oz Old Forester 100° Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/8 oz Ginger Syrup
3/8 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass rinsed with Laphroaig Scotch, add an ice sphere (large ice cube), and garnish with 7 drop La Muse Verte Absinthe (St. George).Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flash card sets for the Patterson House in Nashville and landed on the Clapless Bell. I found a mention on a menu that it was created by bartender Matt Tocco in 2010, and the recipe came across like a Bourbon Penicillin that reminded me of the Federal Buffalo Stamp with honey instead of maple. Once shaken, strained, and garnished, the Clapless Bell generated an anise and peat smoke aroma. Next, lemon and honey on the sip rang out into Bourbon, ginger, and anise flavors on the swallow.

mi amaro

2 oz El Tesoro Reposado Tequia (Espolon)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)
1/2 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a recipe from the Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails book that I had spotted on social media called the Mi Amaro. This 2009 creation by Joaquin Simo read like a floral tequila Liberal and reminded me of the Valkyrie with the touch of elderflower to balance the amaro (although the Valkyrie had a second amaro instead of vermouth). Once mixed, Mi Amaro gave forth a grapefruit, agave, and floral bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip opened up into tequila, grapefruit, caramel orange, and floral flavors on the swallow.

el tesoro de jerez

2 oz Aviation Gin (Tree House Von Bingen)
3/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur (Barrow's)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had spotted on KindredCocktails called the El Tesoro de Jerez. The recipe was attributed to Euclides Lopez at PDT in 2010 through the PDT Cocktails app, and given the name, I was expecting an agave-based drink with sherry instead of a gin one. In the glass, it proffered lemon, ginger, grape, and pine aromas. Next, the sherry's grape blossomed in the sip, and the swallow rounded things off with juniper, ginger, and nutty-raisiny grape flavors on the swallow.

souls of the mountain

1 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)
2 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.After writing up the Anyone's Shadow for the blog, I decided to riff on the recipe by extracting the Meletti-Benedictine element and replacing the rye-Jamaican rum for the Cognac-mezcal duo from the 1910 Cocktail. I dubbed this one the Souls of the Mountain after a 1938 painting by surrealist Remedios Varo to keep with the 1910's Mexican theme. Once prepared, the Souls of the Mountain called out to the nose with a caramel, vegetal, and smoke bouquet. Next, a caramel-driven sip released into rich, vegetal, herbal, and chocolate flavors on the swallow.

the cheerful charlies

1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.After someone at work requested a drink called The Final Say, a Last Word riff with crème de violette in place of the Chartreuse, I uncovered that it was a recipe from the Downtown Abbey Cocktail Book. When I learned that Lou Bustamante who penned The Complete Cocktail Manual had ghostwritten that book, I ordered a used copy off of eBay since it had a some decent sounding drinks in there. The one I started with was The Cheerful Charlies as an Old Pal riff with shades of the Lucien Gaudin Cocktail (via the Campari, orange liqueur, dry vermouth trio) that was named after the character Charles Grigg. In the glass, The Cheerful Charlies offered up Cognac and orange aromas. Next, a semi-dry orange sip led into rye, brandy, orange, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

sea legs

1 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lime Juice
2-3 dash Celery Bitters (Bitter Truth)

Shake with ice, strain into a salt-rimmed coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel (lime twist).Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a drink called Sea Legs that I had spotted a few instances of on Instagram and elsewhere. The drink created by Alejandro Olivares at Under Current in Salt Lake City was described as having "a nautical feel without the kitch," and it was first published in a 2019 Devour Utah article. With Scotch, orgeat, and citrus, it made me think of the Cameron's Kick, but here with lime instead of lemon plus mezcal and celery bitters instead of the Irish whiskey. In the glass, the Sea Legs donated peat smoke and almond aromas to the nose. Next, a creamy lime sip sailed into smoky Scotch, vegetal, and earthy almond flavors on the swallow with a celery finish.

dogstar

2 oz Brennivin (Linie Aquavit)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Amaro Nonino
1 bsp Maraschino (1/8 oz Luxardo)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with orange oil from a twist and with a cherry.Two Saturdays ago, I uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming, and selected the Dogstar from their Winter 2015-16 menu. On paper, it came across like an aquavit Angel of Tombstone or Brown Manhattan with a touch of Red Hook. Once mixed, the Dogstar guided the nose towards orange, cherry, caraway, and herbal aromas. Next, a grape and cherry sip flowed into caraway, bitter herbal, orange, and nutty cherry flavors on the swallow.

flew the coop

1 oz Gin (Ford's)
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Sperone)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for the menu-less speakeasy Idlewild in Charlotte, North Carolina, and landed on the Flew the Coop. On paper, it reminded me of Carlo Caroscio's White Light that used blanc vermouth instead of sweet, and the Cocchi Americano plus sweet vermouth reminded me of how elegantly it works in the 1930 Hoots Mon. In the glass, the Flew the Coop showcased lemon, pine, pear, and grapefruit aromas to the nose. Next, grape and pear notes on the sip roosted until juniper, herbal, and red fruit flavors came through on the swallow.

smoother than a horse on skates

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
3 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I came across another intriguing use of Luxardo Bitter Bianco in the Smoother than a Horse on Skates. I found the recipe in a 2019 Imbibe Magazine article attributing the drink to Jenner Cormier at Bar Kismet in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the glass, the Smoother than a Horse on Skates opened up with orange and Bourbon aromas. Next, light honey and caramel notes on the sip slid into Bourbon, honey, herbal, bitter, floral, and orange flavors on the swallow.

anyone's shadow

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Amaro Meletti
1/4 oz Benedictine
Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make an intriguing recipe that Daniel Zajik had posted on Instagram called Anyone's Shadow. Daniel cited the origin as the Rum Club in Portland, Oregon, and when I inquired where he got the recipe, he replied, "from a bartender at Rum Club while I was drinking it there. My hunch is that it was created by Michael Shea who owns Rum Club." Since rye, Meletti, and Benedictine appear in Sour format in the Counterfeit Rifle, I had a hunch that a stirred version would be great as well. Once prepared, Anyone's Shadow came forward with lemon, caramel, and rum funk aromas. Next, the caramel continued on into the sip where it was chased by rye, funky rum, herbal, pineapple, and floral flavors on the swallow.

jaguar

1 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz JM Rhum Agricole (JM 100° Blanc)
3/4 oz Honey Syrup (1/2 oz 1:1)
1/4 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned with ice (up glass, no ice), and garnish with a lime twist. Two Tuesdays prior, I found an interesting recipe on KindredCocktails called the Jaguar. It was not the Jaguar created by Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli at Eastern Standard, but one crafted by David Willhite who created the Doff Your Hat that I made years ago. David posted his drink he created at The Bristol in Chicago to the database in 2013, and the combination of mezcal and agricole reminded me of drinks that I have had like The Wilhelm Scream and Royal Peacock and have created like the Up Jumped the Devil and Miracles Take Longer. In the glass, this Jaguar proffered lime, smoke, vegetal, and floral aromas. Next, lime and honey notes on the sip pounced upon smoky, grassy, funky, lime, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.

vagabond

1 1/2 oz Oak-aged Cachaça (Cuca Fresca Gold)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Mondays ago, I began searching the Kindred Cocktails database when I found a 2024 entry for the Vagabond. This one was different from the Vagabond in Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 as well as from Leo Robitschek's Vagabond in The Nomad Cocktail Book, for this one was created by Leonardo Rezende at the Dandelion Cocktail Bar in Florianopolis, Brazil, who also crafted the Griselda. Once prepared, the Vagabond shuffled grassy funk, pineapple, and menthol aromas to the nose. Next, pineapple and lemon notes on the sip gave way to funky cachaça, bitter, minty, and allspice flavors on the swallow.

whiskey business

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Rich Cinnamon Syrup (1:1)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon wheel dusted with ancho chile powder (cayenne).Two Sundays ago, I decided to finally make the Whiskey Business by Meaghan Dorman at Dear Irving in Manhattan. While I have spotted this recipe in a number of places, I used the one published in Punch. In the glass, things began with red pepper and cinnamon aromas. Next, lemon and roast notes on the sip sold off to rye, vegetal, cinnamon, pepper spice, and clove flavors on the swallow.

paris is burning

1 oz Beefeater Gin
1 oz Sombra Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
1/4 oz Cane Syrup (Sirop JM)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with 1 dash Angostura Bitters (5 drop).Two Saturdays ago, I spotted a reference to a recipe on Kindred Cocktails and hunted it down in my copy of the The Nomad Cocktail Book. The drink Paris is Burning was created by Leo Robitschek and was perhaps named after a documentary that I watched years ago about the 1980s New York drag-ball scene and the birth of voguing. Once prepared, the Paris is Burning presented a floral, smoke, pineapple, and clove aroma. Next, lemon, pineapple, and grapefruit notes on the sip danced towards pine, pineapple, smoky, and vegetal flavors on the swallow.

turniquet

1 1/2 oz Olmeca Altos Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1/2 oz House Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Orange Liqueur (Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Fridays previous, I returned to a Toast Tab for a restaurant that has a bunch of Alcove recipes in the collection, and I was able to confirm that the Turniquet was created at Alcove by a 2019 cocktail menu. With the Aperol and falernum, it reminded me of the Spicy Dead Lady, and with orange liqueur and falernum, it made me think of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Alas, I have no clue why it was not spelled "tourniquet", but the result was tasty. Once prepared, the Turniquet began with an agave and orange bouquet. Next, lime and orange notes on the sip tightened into tequila, bitter orange, and clove flavors on the swallow.

man after midnight

1 1/2 oz Old Forester 100° Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/4 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur (Russo Nocino)
1 tsp Giffard Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters (Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters)
1 dash Saline (4 drop 20%)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a dehydrated banana chip (omit). The instructions I found have this as a freezer pour over ice, but I did it à la minute as described.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to a set of online recipe flashcards for Death & Co. and landed on the Man After Midnight that is on the current Denver branch's menu. This Old Fashioned variation named perhaps after the subtitle of the ABBA song "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" had the unique trio of walnut, banana, and maple to accent a Bourbon and rum base. In the glass, the Man After Midnight gave forth maple, banana, and walnut aromas. Next, maple and roast notes on the sip opened up into Bourbon, rum funk, maple, walnut, clove, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

lechuza

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Wednesdays ago, I was inspired by the Drambuie and banana liqueur combination in The Goodwill that I made the week before. I swapped its rye and lemon for mezcal and lime, and accented the drink with Peychaud's Bitters. For a name, I was inspired by Backbar's cryptid menu, and I dubbed this the Lechuza after the shapeshifting witch of Mexico – a person-sized bird with a human face. In the glass, the Lechuza flew to the nose with smoke on top of caramelized fruit and vegetable aromas. Next, lime and caramel notes transformed into smoky mezcal, honey, banana, and anise flavors on the swallow. The result ended up being a more complex, spirit forward, and fruity version of the Crush on a Bartender shooter that I crafted for a Thursday Drink Night on Mixoloseum back in 2012.

pineapple expressions

1 1/2 oz Altos Blanco Tequila (Arette)
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Crème de Banane (Tempus Fugit)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards for Juniper & Ivy in San Diego. The drink was the Pineapple Expressions by bartender Eric Johnson, and I located an article where Eric explained, "I wanted to make a tiki-style cocktail using tequila, and Pineapple Express was already taken by a bunch of stoner bartenders." It is unclear which Pineapple Express he was referring to, for I found one created by Freddie Sarkis at the Broken Shaker in Chicago published in the New York Times, and one crafted by bartender Caitlin Patterson via Punch Drinks. Overall, it seemed like a pineapple version of Death & Co.'s Gilda Cocktail and a good followup to Between the Cheats, so I was game to give it a whirl. In the glass, the Pineapple Expressions broadcasted a tequila, banana, and cinnamon aroma to the nose. Next, pineapple and lime on the sip gave way to tequila, pineapple, banana, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

between the cheats

3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Planteray 5 Year Barbados Rum (Doorly's 12 Year)
3/4 oz Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
1/2 oz Cinnamon Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice (3/4 oz)

Shake with ice, strain into a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and garnish with an orange rose (orange twist).With pineapple juice in hand, I searched through my to-make recipe list on Sunday night and spotted the Between the Cheats from the now closed Brick & Mortar in Cambridge, MA, via their ToastTab site. I was able to find it on a Yelp menu photo in January 2017. While it is most likely named after an Amy Winehouse song, I recall that it was once Between the Cheeks and that was supported by a Yelp menu photo as well (I remember ordering something else due to that name). Both names reminded me of the classic Between the Sheets although rum and a citrus juice are the only overlaps between the two recipes. Once prepared, the Between the Cheats proffered an orange, caramel, banana, and cinnamon aroma to the nose. Next, pineapple, lime, and caramel notes on the sip flipped into funky rum, caramelized banana, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.

seaport

1 1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 bsp Cane Syrup (1/8 oz Sirop JM)
Orange Bitters (2 dash Angostura Orange)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Sundays ago, I searched the Bartender's Choice for pineapple juice recipes that I had skipped over previously. There, I latched onto the Seaport by Brandon Bramhall at the Nashville branch of Attaboy in 2018 as an agave riff on the Downtown (gin, Yellow Chartreuse, pineapple, lemon). Once prepared, the Seaport gave forth a smoky, vegetal, pineapple, and herbaceous bouquet to the nose. Next, a lemon and pineapple sip drifted into smoky, herbal, vegetal, and tart pineapple flavors on the swallow. If I were to riff on this, I would swap out the cane syrup for something more flavorful such as a 1/4 oz of cinnamon syrup with Death & Co.'s Gilda in mind.

trash & vaudeville

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.After posting my Oaxacan Lady on Reddit during the day and making it for a guest later that night at the C-Side Bar, I decided to riff on the Montenegro-Benedictine combination when I got home from work. I crossed a Frisco (rye-Benedictine) with an M&M (mezcal-Montenegro) and named it after a store on St. Mark's Street in Manhattan that I was reminded of in the book St. Mark's is Dead. I used to buy clothes there in the 1990s back when the edgiest clothes in Boston could only be found at Allston Beat and a few other select places. I previously had mashed up the Frisco with the Alaska for the Call of the Wild which worked well, so I went ahead with the idea. I originally made this as equal parts rye & mezcal, but I think the 3:1 works better. In the glass, the Trash & Vaudeville came forth with orange, caramel, vegetal, and smoke aromas. Next, caramel and clementine notes on the sip were transformed into rye, smoky mezcal, vegetal, orange, and herbal flavors on the swallow.

oropa cocktail

60% Aged Cognac (1 3/4 oz Courvoisier VS)
20% Jamaican Rum (1/2 oz Monymusk Gold + 1/4 oz Smith & Cross)
10% Honey (1/2 oz Honey Syrup)
10% Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.Two Fridays ago, I reached for my translated reprint of the 1936 Italian book 1000 Misture, and I spotted the Oropa Cocktail that might have been named after the municipality in Piedmont. Overall, the recipe appeared like a mashup of three parts Louisiana Purchase (Milk & Honey's Cognac riff on a Bee's Knees) to one part Honey Bee from David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. In the glass, the Oropa Cocktail began with lemon, honey, and rum funk aromas. Next, lemon and honey on the sip gave way to Cognac, rum, honey, and funk flavors on the swallow.

the goodwill

1 1/2 oz Sagamore Rye (Old Overholt 86°)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Thursdays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard collection from The Bygone in Baltimore. There, I was lured in by The Goodwill that appeared on the bar's Facebook page in March 2022. At first I recalled having Drambuie and banana liqueur in the Omertà Cocktail, but I later realized that I had this same combination of Drambuie, banana liqueur, and lemon with Canadian whisky instead of American rye in the Regency from the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. In the glass, The Goodwill gave forth an orange, honey, caramel, and whiskey bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon, honey, and caramel notes on the sip shifted to rye, honey, Scotch, and caramelized banana flavors on the swallow.