st. bernard pass

2 oz Cognac (Monnet VSOP)
3/4 oz Amaro Braulio
1/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry (El Maestro Sierra)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I was perusing one of the online recipe flashcard sets for Raines Law Room in Manhattan when I came across the St. Bernard Pass that I was able to spot on their Instagram in a January 2020 post. Overall, it was very similar to a cocktail of a similar name created by Jan Andrew Brown at Drink that he made for me at a guest shift at the Hawthorne back in 2015, but with here with sherry and less Braulio. Both drinks were probably named after a mountain landmark near the distillery where Braulio is crafted. In the glass, the St. Bernard's Pass offered up a lemon, Cognac, raisin, and pine bouquet. Next, caramel and date notes on the sip climbed towards Cognac, fig, and pine flavors on the swallow with an orange finish.

monkey wrench

2 oz Compass Box Artists Blend Scotch (Famous Grouse Smoky Black)
3/4 oz Giffard Banana Liqueur (Tempus Fugit)
2 dash (1/4 oz) Fernet Branca

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. The drawing of the drink on the menu posted on the bar's Instagram confirms that it is not served on the rocks.Two Fridays ago, I uncovered an online recipe flashcard set for The Old Pal in Athens, George. In the section of Winter 2024 drinks, the Monkey Wench called out to me, and it read like a Scotch version of the Away Colors given the Fernet and banana liqueur. I was able to find on their Instagram that the drink appeared the year prior as well via a December 2022 post showcasing their menu launch. Once mixed, the Monkey Wrench loosed up with a lemon, caramel, and menthol aroma. Next, malt and caramel on the sip spun into Scotch, smoke, and tropical bitter flavors on the swallow with a minty, smoke, and banana finish.

dtcc ii

2 oz Lot 40 Rye (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Amaro Ciociaro
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
2 bsp Simple Syrup (1/4 oz)
3 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Thursdays ago, I ventured back to the online recipe flashcaard set from Seventy7 Lounge in Culver City, California, where I had previously sourced the Funky Pirate. The one that stood out next was the DTCC II that perhaps stood for the bar's location in "Downtown Culver City" with the first DTCC being a citrus-containing drink the year prior to this 2017 creation. The combination of whiskey, Ciociaro, and Sfumato reminded me of my Scotch-based Kilted Flower that was inspired by a pair of New York City recipes, namely the African Flower and Maravilla. In the glass, the DTCC II offered up lemon, roast, and herbal aromas. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip slid into rye, bitter orange, and smoky char flavors on the swallow.

captain hook

1 1/2 oz Jamaican Rum (Appleton Signature)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Dry shake and pour into a Collins glass rinsed with absinthe (Butterfly), fill with crushed ice, and float Angostura Bitters (3 dash).Two Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Bartender's Choice app and came across the Captain Hook by Brandon Bramhall at Attaboy in Nashville circa 2018. The app did not identify the Jamaican rum, but I was able to uncover via online recipe flashcards that the bar uses Appleton. Given the name, it seems like a riff on the Captain's Blood from the 1947 Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide (1 1/2 oz Jamaican rum, 1/2 oz lime juice, 1 tsp Angostura Bitters, although generally adapted to contain a balancing sweetener) with a split of rums, crushed ice, absinthe rinse, and the bitters floated instead of incorporated. Once prepared, the Captain Hook's bitters float donated clove and allspice aromas to the nose. Next, a crisp lime sip with hints of caramel sailed into funky rum, caramel, licorice, and anise flavors on the swallow.

the rest is noise

1 oz Daron Fine Calvados (Morin Selection)
1 oz Linie Aquavit
>1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 pinch Salt (3 drop 20% Saline)

Stir with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass rinsed with Laphroaig Scotch.Two Tuesdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Chicago's The Violet Hour, and I stumbled onto the apple-herbal The Rest is Noise from their Summer 2022 menu. The flashcards described it as a "Scandanavian smoky Sazerac", and the photo I took reminded me of Pouring Ribbons' Parade of the Fairies despite Chartreuse being the only overlapping ingredient. Once prepared, The Rest is Noise started off with a peat smoke aroma from the Laphroaig rinse. Next, apple notes on the sip continued on into the swallow where they were joined by complementary herbaceous and caraway flavors.

black & red lumberjack

1 1/2 oz Russell's Reserve Rye (Old Overholt 86°)
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio
1/2 oz St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur (Mr. Black)
1/4 oz Giffard Pamplemousse (St.Elder)

No instructions were provided so I stirred and strained into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. A grapefruit twist would not be out of place here.Two Mondays ago, my searching uncovered a set of online recipe flashcards for Pammy's in Cambridge, and the Red & Black Lumberjack from the 2018 menu called out to me as coffee Boulevardier of sorts. In the glass, the Red & Black Lumberjack opened up with a caramel, coffee, herbal, and pine bouquet. Next, caramel and roast notes on the sip chopped into rye, bitter orange and coffee, and pine flavors on the swallow.

promises, promises

1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz Giffard Pamplemousse (St. Elder)
7 drop Bittermens Grapefruit Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Sundays ago, I reached for Neal Bodenheimer and Emily Timberlake's Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em book and landed on the Promises, Promises by Nicholas Jarrett. Jarrett was inspired by Julie Reiner's Gin Blossom and Phil Ward's Elder Fashion, and a blog post suggested that it was served at Cure as early as 2015. In the glass, the Promises, Promises gave forth an orange and orchard fruit bouquet. Next, pear notes on the sip slid into gin and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.

presidential suite

1 oz Old Overholt Rye (86°)
1 oz Old Forester 100° Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz @cruzanrum Black Strap Rum
1/4 oz Honey Syrup (3/8 oz 1:1)
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with an ice sphere (big cube), and garnish with an orange twist.Two Saturdays ago, I returned to the online recipe flashcard set for the Patterson House in Nashville and became intrigued by the 3-spirit Old Fashioned riff called the Presidential Suite. I was able to get an approximate date to its creation when I spotted it on a 2014 menu photo on Yelp. Once prepared, the Presidential Suite opened up with an orange and molasses aroma. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip transformed into American whiskey, dark rum, and orange flavors on the swallow.

the manhatta

2 oz New York Distilling Ragtime Rye (Templeton)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
2 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry and orange oil from a twist.Two Fridays ago, I unearthed an online recipe flashcard set for Danny Meyer's restaurant in Manhattan's financial district called Manhatta that opened in 2018. The drink that I started with was The Manhatta as the seasonal Manhattan variation that was put on the menu in Spring of 2019. For the vermouth element, it was a combination of Punt e Mes with Lustau's East India Solera Sherry which I have enjoyed before in Blossom Bar's Tito Puente and Death & Co.'s Night Owl. Once stirred and strained, the Manhatta showcased an orange and raisiny grape bouquet. Next, grape with a hint of creaminess on the sip flowed into rye, bitter herbal, oxidized sherry, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.