famous american novelist

2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Amaro Averna
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/4 oz Campari
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a cherry-orange slice on a pick (cherry only). Two Sundays ago, I was perusing online recipe flashcards when I came across the Famous American Novelist from the cocktail bar at Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in Manhattan from Spring 2024. I found a discussion of the drinks for the performance mentioning this one on Reddit's Broadway forum circa June 2024. The name is most like a reference to the play's Herr Clifford Bradshaw and perhaps a nod to the Boulevardier – a drink of Bourbon, vermouth, and Campari named after an American-founded literary magazine in Paris. Overall, the recipe was rather similar to the Finishing School by Carlo Caroscio at Backbar as his riff on his Smoking Section, and somewhat similar to the NoMad's Brunswick. In the glass, the Famous American Novelist penned a Bourbon, cherry, and caramel bouquet for the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip concluded with Bourbon, herbal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with clove on the finish.

dead man's hand

1 1/2 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 drop Bittermens Mole Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Saturdays ago, I opened up The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and spotted the Dead Man's Hand by Greg Keese at the Nashville branch of Attaboy circa 2022. This is the second drink here to reference this card game lore of the bad luck associated with a pair of black aces plus a pair of black eights that were in Wild Bill Hickok's hand when he was shot down; that other recipe is the Aces & Eights from Death & Co. On paper, the Dead Man's Hand reads like a Green Point meets a Left Hand, so perhaps the latter drink gave the inspiration for the name. Moreover, on the blog, there are only three other recipes with both Campari and Yellow Chartreuse with the only stirred one being the Trans-Europe Express from Beta Cocktails. Once prepared, the Dead Man's Hand dealt both bright orange oil and dark orange aromas along with piny notes from the Yellow Chartreuse. Next, a grape-driven sip folded into Bourbon, chocolate, herbal, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow.

honey badger

1 1/2 oz Barr Hill Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Domaine de Canton (Barrow's Intense)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel (lemon twist). Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a drink called the Honey Badger that Bardtenders posted on their Instagram account earlier that day. I felt it was a good tribute for the folks from that site hosted me on their podcast two nights before for a recording to be broadcasted in late February. The combination reminded me of Michael Madrusan's Son of a Beesting at Milk & Honey that calls for ginger syrup instead of liqueur akin to a Bee's Knees crossed with a Penicillin. In the glass, the Honey Badger gave forth a lemon, ginger, and honey bouquet. Next, lemon and honey notes on the sip gave way to pine, ginger, honey, and orange flavors on the swallow.

save the robots

1 1/4 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into an old fashioned glass. Two Wednesday prior, I became inspired by the Nautical Mile with London Dry Gin and Calvados that I had the night before. I soon mashed up those spirits with the modifiers of Ce Soir, and I dubbed it Save the Robots after an after-hours club in New York City's East Village that I rediscovered in the book St. Marks is Dead and recalled from my time living in Manhattan in the early 90s. Here, pine and herbal aromas purchased entrance to the senses at the door. Next, caramel and honey notes on the sip danced their way into juniper, apple, vegetal, and herbal flavors on the swallow. I wondered if equal parts Calvados and gin would have worked better such that its richness would be closer the Cognac in the Ce Soir to balance the brighter herbaceous notes in the Yellow Chartreuse; however, I enjoyed the result enough not to retry it.

nautical mile

1 1/4 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/4 oz Pisco (Macchu Pisco)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Honey Syrup
1 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. From the most recent issue of Imbibe Magazine in the article on Calvados drinks, I got lured in by the Nautical Mile by Chris Kiyuna at Holy Water in San Francisco. The gin and apple brandy in a Sour reminded me of the Pink Lady but with orgeat and honey instead of that classic's grenadine and egg white. Furthermore, the orgeat-honey duo was one that I last saw in Backbar's Platform Lime and 3/4 as well as some older drinks like Army Navy Grog. In the glass, the Nautical Mile reached out with a pine, apple, and almond bouquet. Next, a creamy lemon sip unfurled into juniper, almond, and apple flavors on the swallow with a honey and chocolate finish.

the capricorn

1 1/2 oz Aged Dark Rum (Planteray Original Dark)
1/2 oz Batavia Arrack (von Oosten)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Falernum (Velvet)
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with lime oil (lime twist). Two Tuesdays ago, I reached for The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and spied an Erick Castro recipe that I had never made before – namely, the Capricorn that he created at Rickhouse in San Francisco circa 2009. It was reminescent of the Wray of Light with Jamaican rum instead of the dark rum and Batavia Arrack here, and with Becherovka as the clove source instead of falernum, it reminded me of Hop, Skip, and Jump. Once prepared, the Capricorn galloped to the nose with floral pineapple-lime melding into Batavia Arrack funk aromas. Next, lime with a hint of pineapple on the sip ushered in dark rum, Batavia Arrack's earthy funk, pineapple, and clove flavors on the swallow.

tuxedo no. 3

2 oz Probitas Rum (1 3/4 oz Hamilton's White 'Shache + 1/4 oz Wray & Nephew)
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Lazzaroni Maraschino Liqueur (Maraska)
1 tsp Pineapple Oleo Saccharum (Pineapple Syrup)
21 drop Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal
3 drop Salt Solution

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe. Two Mondays ago, my Instagram friend Darren Marks posted a recipe called the Tuxedo No. 3 that he created in 2025. It is also what he made for writer Robert Simonson when Robert visited Ruby's Lagoon Bar, Darren's home bar in Kansas City. Darren took the gin and absinthe of the Tuxedo No. 2 and replaced it with rum and Elixir Vegetal, and he added pineapple oleo akin to the Velvet Tuxedo No. 2 adding sloe gin. Once prepared, the Tuxedo No. 3 addressed the senses with a cherry and white rum with a hint of funk aroma. Next, white wine with a touch of pineapple and cherry on the sip opened up into rum with a little Jamaican funk, nutty cherry, pineapple, and herbaceous flavors on the swallow.

radio cocktail

50% Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Tanqueray)
30% Dry Vermouth (1 oz Dolin)
10% Lemon Juice (1/4 oz)
10% Honey (1/4 oz Honey Syrup)
1 bsp Vanilla Syrup (1/8 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

I shook but I do not feel that stirring would be out of place here. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays, I opened up the 1936 book 1000 Misture and became curious about the Radio Cocktail. It appeared like a Martini with a touch of lemon and sweetener structure previously seen in the Journalist and Cat's Eye and that I utilized in my Siege of Havana. Once prepared, the Radio Cocktail broadcast a lemon, allspice, pine, and vanilla bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and lemon notes on the sip flowed into gin, clove, honey, and vanilla flavors on the swallow. Overall, the citrus and vanilla aspects here reminded me of Licor 43.

gringo peligroso

1 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
1 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with candied ginger. Two Saturdays ago, I reached for my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion and landed on the Gringo Peligroso by Lewis Caputa at the Rosina Cocktail Lounge. It reminded me of an M&M mashed up with the ginger-citrus Smoke Signals and Dragonfly that I had recently made. In the glass, the Gringo Peligroso offered up vegetal, smoke, orange and ginger aromas. Next, lime and clementine notes on the sip retired into smoky mezcal and ginger flavors on the swallow.