The Cocktail Notebook

Whiskey Sour

Classic

Makes 2 cocktails

The benchmark sour—bourbon, lemon, and sugar shaken to a silky egg-white foam, bitters across the top.

Ingredients

• 4 oz Bourbon (preferably Four Roses)
• 1 ¼ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 ¼ oz Simple syrup
• 2 egg whites
• Dash Angostura Bitters

Method

1. Dry shaken (without ice) to emulsify the egg white, then shaken again with ice and strained into a chilled Sour glass

Blackberry Highlander

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A rye sour gone dark and fruity: Amaro Montenegro and blackberry purée over ginger and honey.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Rye bourbon (Bulleit 95 Rye, Rittenhouse, or similar)
• 1 oz Amaro Montenegro (Italian amaro/liqueur)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz ginger simple syrup
• ½ oz honey
• 1 oz blackberry purée (homemade, Monin Blackberry Purée, or similar)

Method

1. Add all ingredients to shaker
2. Dry shake (shake without ice) for 10 seconds
3. Add ice to fill shaker halfway
4. Shake vigorously for 20-25 seconds until well-chilled
5. Double strain into chilled coupe or whiskey sour glass
6. Garnish with skewered blackberries and/or expressed lemon twist

Huckleberry Highlander

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

The Blackberry Highlander rebuilt on wild mountain huckleberry—tart and jammy, a little herbal from the amaro.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Rye bourbon (Bulleit 95 Rye, Rittenhouse, or similar)
• 1 oz Amaro Montenegro (Italian amaro/liqueur)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz ginger simple syrup
• ½ oz honey
• 1 oz huckleberry purée (homemade)

Method

1. Add all ingredients to shaker
2. Dry shake (shake without ice) for 10 seconds
3. Add ice to fill shaker halfway
4. Shake vigorously for 20-25 seconds until well-chilled
5. Double strain into chilled coupe or whiskey sour glass
6. Garnish with skewered blackberries and/or expressed lemon twist

Note. The house Blackberry Highlander, made with huckleberry purée.

The Gloaming

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A rye sour built on Amaro Montenegro and nocino—walnut and ginger under blood orange, dusky and bittersweet.

Ingredients

• 3 oz rye whiskey (Bulleit 95)
• 1 ½ oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz ginger syrup
• 1 oz blood orange purée

Method

1. Dry shake about 10 seconds.
2. Add ice and shake 20–25 seconds; double strain into chilled coupes.
3. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

One Trick Pony

Le Farfalle Restaurant (bar)

Makes 2 cocktails

Rye and Amaro Montenegro brightened with blood orange and ginger—bittersweet and citrus-forward.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Rye bourbon (Bulleit 95 Rye, Rittenhouse, or similar)
• 1 oz Amaro Montenegro (Italian amaro/liqueur)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz ginger simple syrup
• ½ oz honey
• 1 oz Monin Blood Orange Purée, or similar

Method

1. Add all ingredients to shaker
2. Dry shake (shake without ice) for 10 seconds
3. Add ice to fill shaker halfway
4. Shake vigorously for 20-25 seconds until well-chilled
5. Double strain into chilled coupe or whiskey sour glass
6. Garnish with expressed orange peel

Jack Rose

Classic

Makes 2 cocktails

The Prohibition-era apple-brandy sour: tart, rosy, and dry, with homemade grenadine for color and sweetness.

Ingredients

For the homemade grenadine

• ½ oz POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• ¼ tsp pomegranate molasses

For the drink

• 4 oz Apple Brandy (Laird’s Bonded)
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Grenadine
• ½ oz Simple Syrup

Method

1. Make the homemade grenadine: combine the ingredients
2. Make the drink: in a shaker half-filled with ice, combine ingredients. Shake until chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.

Jack Rose (Brian Miller)

Brian Miller

Makes 2 cocktails

Brian Miller's take on the Jack Rose—apple brandy, citrus, and grenadine, tuned a touch drier.

Ingredients

For the homemade grenadine

• ½ oz POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• ¼ tsp pomegranate molasses

For the drink

• 2 oz Laird’s Bonded apple brandy
• 2 oz regular apple brandy
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• ½ oz Chambord
• 1 oz Grenadine

Method

1. Make the drink: in a shaker half-filled with ice, combine ingredients. Shake until chilled, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.

Pisco Sour

Makes 2 cocktails

Peru's national drink: pisco, lime, and sugar whipped with egg white to a cloud, finished with bitters.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ oz Pisco brandy, chilled (I used Mosto Verde)
• 1 oz lime juice, chilled
• 1 oz simple syrup, chilled (essentially 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar heated until sugar melts into the water)
• 1 large egg white
• 1 drop Angostura bitters

Method

1. Place the Pisco brandy in the freezer for at least 2 hours to chill.
2. Place the lime juice and simple sugar in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill.
3. Combine the Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg whites into the deep cup that comes with a hand blender. Blend on high for 15 seconds.
4. Pour into glasses, spooning the fluffy egg whites on top of each glass.
5. Finish with a drop of Angostura bitters, or use up to 3 drops according to preference. Drag the point of a knife through the drops to create a swirl. Serve cold with a slice of lime or key lime, if available.

thewimpyvegetarian.com ↗

Pisco Sour (Classic Peruvian)

Makes 2 cocktails

The classic Peruvian build—Mosto Verde pisco, fresh lime, and a thick egg-white cap.

Ingredients

• 2 oz pisco
• 1 oz simple syrup
• ¾ oz key lime juice
• 1 egg white
• 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Add the pisco, simple syrup, lime juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker.
3. Add ice to fill, and shake vigorously. Alternatively, you can use a blender if you don't have a shaker.
4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass or sour glass and sprinkle the bitters on top of the foam. Serve immediately and enjoy.

thespruceeats.com ↗

Smoke Show

Wicked Weed Restaurant - Asheville, NC

Makes 2 cocktails

Aged rum and mezcal over blood orange and lime—smoky, citrusy, and just sweet enough with honey.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Plantation Rum
• 1 oz Mezcal
• 2 oz Blood Orange Purée
• 1 ½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
• ½ oz Honey
• 4 dashes Orange Bitters

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker tin (no ice).
2. Dry shake (10 seconds) to blend the honey and puree.
3. Add ice and shake vigorously (10–15 seconds).
4. Double strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass over a large cube.
5. Garnish with a lime twist, blood orange wheel, or flamed citrus peel if you're feeling dramatic.

Paper Plane

Sam Ross

Makes 2 cocktails

Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Montenegro, and lemon—bittersweet, bright, and hard to get wrong.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz bourbon (Four Roses)
• 1 ½ oz Aperol
• 1 ½ oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Shake with ice and double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Note. An equal-parts modern classic—your Montenegro-sour habit at its most elegant.

The Hunter

Jack's Manual, 1908

Makes 2 cocktails

A pre-Prohibition bourbon drink sweetened only with cherry—Cherry Heering and maraschino over a big, high-proof bourbon, stirred cold and served up.

Ingredients

• 5 oz bourbon (Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, 110 proof)
• 1 oz Cherry Heering
• ½ oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
• 3 dashes orange bitters per drink

Method

1. Add the orange bitters, Luxardo Maraschino, Cherry Heering and bourbon to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and stir until the glass feels cold and frosty on the bottom—it's high-proof, so a few extra stirs won't hurt.
3. Strain into chilled coupes.
4. Garnish each with a single Luxardo cherry on a pick.

History. First appeared in print in Jack A. Grohusko's Jack's Manual (1908); who created it before that is unknown. It later faded into obscurity until master bartender Hidetsugu Ueno popularized it in Japan at Bar High Five in Tokyo.

Note. Use genuine Cherry Heering rather than a substitute. It's very booze-forward—to soften it, serve it in a rocks glass over a large cube, or use a lower-proof bourbon.

Espresso Martini

Makes 2 cocktails

Cold, sharp, and wide awake—coffee liqueur and fresh espresso shaken to a foamy cap.

Ingredients

• Ice
• 3 oz . vodka
• 2 oz . coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa or Mr. Black
• 2 oz . or 1 shot espresso or cold brew concentrate
• 1 oz . simple syrup or 1/2 oz. of Baileys
• Espresso powder or cocoa powder and coffee beans, for serving

Method

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso, and simple syrup. Cover and vigorously shake until outside of shaker is very frosty and foam forms, about 15 seconds.
2. Double strain into a coupe glass. Cover half of top of glass with a paper towel. Dust the exposed half with espresso or cocoa powder. Garnish plain side with coffee beans.

delish.com ↗

Monkeypod Mai Tai

Makes 2 cocktails

The Monkeypod tiki standard—two rums and macadamia orgeat under a bright lilikoi foam.

Ingredients

• 2 oz . Old Lahaina Light Rum
• 2 oz . Old Lahaina Dark Rum
• 1 oz . macadamia-nut orgeat
• 1 oz . Marie Brizard Orange Curaçao
• 1 ½ oz . fresh lime juice

Honey Liliko‘i Foam

• 1/2 oz. honey
• 1 oz. liliko‘i purée
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 oz. egg whites
• 1 1/2 oz. cold water

Method

1. Mix foam ingredients well and put in a nitrous-oxide (NO2) infuser* to half capacity. Use 4 charges for a liter-sized infuser. (Or blend ingredients on high speed till foamy.)
2. Add lime juice, orgeat, orange curaçao and Old Lahaina Light Rum to mixing glass. Shake with 1 cup cubed ice about 30 seconds and pour into highball glass. Float dark rum.
3. Top with honey-liliko‘i foam and garnish with pineapple half moon. * Available on Maui at Bargreen Ellingson Restaurant Supplies, 380 Ho‘okahi Street in Wailuku Industrial Park. Note: Recipe makes enough foam for 4 cocktails. Keeps for a couple of days in canister, refrigerated.

bigoven.com ↗

Irish Buck

Makes 2 cocktails

Irish whiskey lengthened with ginger beer and lemon—crisp, spicy, and easy, with a basil sprig.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Irish whiskey (Tullamore D.E.W.)
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz honey syrup
• 4 oz ginger beer, to top
• Basil sprig, to garnish

Method

1. Combine whiskey, lemon juice, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Place lid on shaker; shake vigorously.
2. Top with ginger beer, and stir briefly. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with a basil sprig tapped lightly against the hand first to release its essential oils.

foodandwine.com ↗

Black-Eyed Susan

Makes 2 cocktails

The Preakness cooler—citrusy, easy-drinking, and built for a crowd over plenty of ice.

Ingredients

• Ice
• 4 oz orange juice
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz bourbon
• 2 oz vodka
• 2 oz peach schnapps
• Orange slices and maraschino cherries, forgarnish

Method

1. Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add 2 ounces orange juice and 1 ounce each lemon juice, simple syrup, bourbon, vodka, and schnapps. Cover and shake until outside of shaker is frosted, about 30 seconds.
2. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Garnish each glass with orange slices and a cherry.

allrecipes.com ↗

Red Wine Sangria

Classic

Makes 8 servings

A make-ahead pitcher of red wine, brandy, and citrus—better the longer it sits.

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750 ml) of red wine
• ¼ cup brandy
• ¼ cup orange liqueur (like Triple Sec or Cointreau)
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 apple, chopped
• ½ cup strawberries, hulled and halved (optional)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup club soda or sparkling water
• Cinnamon stick (optional)

Method

1. Pour the wine, booze, and chopped fruit into a pitcher (or two) and give everything a good stir. Tuck it in the fridge and don't touch it for at least four hours—but hopefully longer (as long as overnight, even).
2. Don't even bother tasting it before you do this: you need to let the flavors of the fruit seep into the wine and for everything to get nice and cold before you'll know what your sangria will actually taste like.
3. Once this time has passed, go ahead and have a taste: if it's not quite sweet enough, add some fresh fruit juice or stir in some sugar or simple syrup.
4. Red wine: A 750ml bottle of a fruity, medium-bodied red wine like Spanish Rioja, Tempranillo, or Merlot is recommended. You can use an inexpensive bottle, as the other ingredients will add a lot of flavor.
5. Brandy or orange liqueur: A quarter cup or so of brandy, or an orange liqueur like triple sec or Cointreau, adds depth.
6. Juice: Orange juice and/or lemon juice can be used to balance the flavors.
7. Sparkling water: To top it off, add chilled club soda or sparkling water right before serving for a bubbly effect.

Holiday Eggnog

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 6 servings

Rich, custardy, and spiced—the from-scratch nog worth the effort at the holidays.

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (plus more for garnish)
• Small pinch of salt
• ½ cup bourbon
• ¼ cup dark rum

Method

1. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale, thick, and glossy.
2. Heat milk in a saucepan until just steaming—do not boil.
3. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg mixture to temper.
4. Return to saucepan and cook gently over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and it coats the back of a spoon (about 160°F).
5. Strain into a bowl for a silky texture.
6. Stir in cream, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, bourbon, and dark rum.
7. Chill at least 4 hours (overnight preferred).
8. Serve cold, garnished with freshly grated nutmeg.

Midsummer Sour

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A walnut whiskey sour: nocino brings clove, vanilla, and a tannic edge to the bourbon-and-lemon frame.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon (Four Roses) or rye whiskey (Bulleit 95)
• 1 ½ oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz honey syrup
• 2 large egg whites
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

1. Dry shake everything without ice about 15 seconds to emulsify the egg whites.
2. Add ice, shake hard about 20 seconds, and double strain into chilled coupes.
3. Garnish with grated nutmeg or shaved walnut and an expressed lemon twist.

Note. Nux Alpina is sweet and lightly tannic, so the honey is deliberately light—drop it entirely for a drier pour.

Walnut Jack

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Apple brandy and nocino read like pie in a glass—maple and lemon keep it from going sweet.

Ingredients

• 4 oz apple brandy (Laird's Tenth Generation)
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz cinnamon demerara syrup
• 2 large egg whites

Method

1. Dry shake about 15 seconds.
2. Add ice and shake about 20 seconds; double strain into coupes.
3. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top.

Note. Sub 1 oz homemade grenadine for the maple to lean closer to a true Jack Rose. Skip the egg whites for a leaner drink.

Smoke & Walnut

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Smoke, walnut, and citrus—mezcal and nocino under aged rum, with blood orange and lime.

Ingredients

• 3 oz aged rum (Planteray)
• 1 oz mezcal (Vago Espadín)
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz blood orange purée
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Method

1. Dry shake about 10 seconds to blend the purée.
2. Add ice and shake 10–15 seconds; double strain over large cubes.
3. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Tenth-Gen Sour

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Bonded apple brandy with the vanilla-citrus of Licor 43—apple pie with the foam on top.

Ingredients

• 4 oz apple brandy (Laird's Tenth Generation)
• 1 ½ oz Licor 43
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

1. Dry shake about 15 seconds.
2. Add ice and shake about 20 seconds; double strain into coupes.

Note. Tuaca substitutes cleanly for the Licor 43.

Indigo Sour

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A color-changing gin sour—butterfly-pea indigo turns violet-pink the moment the lemon hits.

Ingredients

• 4 oz butterfly-pea gin (Empress 1908)
• 1 oz Licor 43
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• soda water, to top

Method

1. Shake the gin and Licor 43 over ice; strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
2. Add the lemon juice last and watch the indigo shift to violet-pink; top with a splash of soda.

Note. A photographer's drink—shoot it mid-pour as the color turns.

Bearwallow Highlander

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

The walnut Highlander on wild huckleberry—tart mountain fruit under amaro and nocino.

Ingredients

• 3 oz rye whiskey (Bulleit 95)
• 1 ½ oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz ginger syrup
• 1 ½ oz huckleberry purée

Method

1. Dry shake about 10 seconds.
2. Add ice and shake 20–25 seconds; double strain into chilled coupes.
3. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Note. The walnut version of the house Highlander, with mountain huckleberry doing the fruit work under the amaro.

Penicillin

Sam Ross

Makes 2 cocktails

Honey, ginger, and lemon over Scotch with a mezcal float for the smoke—a modern classic.

Ingredients

• 4 oz port-finished Scotch (Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz honey syrup
• ½ oz ginger syrup
• ½ oz mezcal (Vago Espadín)

Method

1. Shake the scotch, lemon, honey, and ginger with ice.
2. Strain over a large rock, then float the mezcal across the top.
3. Garnish with candied ginger.

Note. The classic floats a peated Islay; the unpeated Bruichladdich won’t smoke, so the mezcal does that work.

Macchu Sour

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A pisco sour gone sunset-colored with blood orange—bright, tart, and foamy.

Ingredients

• 4 oz pisco (Macchu)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ oz blood orange purée
• ½ oz simple syrup
• 2 large egg whites
• 4 dashes aromatic bitters (Hella)

Method

1. Dry shake, then add ice and shake again; strain into coupes.
2. Dot the foam with the aromatic bitters.

Royal Sidecar

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Cognac and Licor 43 in place of triple sec, a Chambord drop for color—elegant and citrus-bright.

Ingredients

• 4 oz cognac (Rémy Martin 1738)
• 1 ½ oz Licor 43
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 barspoons Chambord

Method

1. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe (optional sugar rim).
2. Drop in the Chambord; it settles for color.

Note. Licor 43 stands in for the orange liqueur a Sidecar usually needs.

Sealander Daiquiri

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A nutty daiquiri—nocino under bright rum and lime, clean and not too sweet.

Ingredients

• 4 oz aged rum (Planteray Sealander)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• ½ oz simple syrup
• 2 dashes toasted almond bitters (Fee Brothers)

Method

1. Shake hard with ice and double strain into a coupe.

Note. Add ¼ oz Frangelico for a rounder, dessert-leaning version.

Bramble

Dick Bradsell

Makes 2 cocktails

A London classic—a gin sour drizzled with blackberry, tart and jammy over crushed ice.

Ingredients

• 4 oz London dry gin (Tanqueray)
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz blackberry purée (to drizzle)

Method

1. Shake the gin, lemon, and simple with ice.
2. Strain over crushed or cubed ice in a rocks glass.
3. Drizzle the blackberry purée over the top so it bleeds down. Lemon and berries to garnish.

New York Sour

Classic

Makes 2 cocktails

A whiskey sour with a red-wine float—Aura Teranino bleeds down through the foam for color and depth.

Ingredients

• 4 oz rye whiskey (Bulleit 95)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ oz simple syrup
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 dashes cherry bitters (Fee Brothers)
• 1 oz Aura Teranino (to float)

Method

1. Dry shake the rye, lemon, simple, and egg whites to build the foam.
2. Add ice, shake again, and strain over a large rock.
3. Float the Aura Teranino over the back of a spoon so it sits in a red layer.

Naked & Famous (Montenegro)

Joaquín Simó

Makes 2 cocktails

A riff on a modern classic—equal parts mezcal, Aperol, and Amaro Montenegro with fresh lime.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz mezcal (Vago Espadín)
• 1 ½ oz Aperol
• 1 ½ oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice

Method

1. Shake all four with ice.
2. Double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Note. A riff—Amaro Montenegro stands in for the original's yellow Chartreuse.

Blood Orange Brown Derby

Classic

Makes 2 cocktails

A riff on the 1930s Hollywood classic—bourbon, honey, and lemon, blood orange for the grapefruit.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
• 1 ½ oz blood orange juice
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz honey syrup

Method

1. Shake with ice.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe; express an orange twist.

Note. A riff on the 1930s Brown Derby—blood orange in place of the classic's grapefruit.

Tommy's Margarita

Julio Bermejo, Tommy's

Makes 2 cocktails

A San Francisco icon—just tequila, lime, and agave, no orange liqueur, all clean agave.

Ingredients

• 4 oz tequila (Casamigos Cristalino)
• 2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ oz agave nectar (or simple syrup)

Method

1. Shake with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice (salt rim optional); garnish with lime.

Marigold

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A sunset-colored agave sour—añejo tequila and vanilla-rich Licor 43 over lime and blood orange.

Ingredients

• 3 oz añejo tequila (Tequila Manía)
• 1 oz Licor 43
• 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ oz blood orange juice
• 2 large egg whites (optional)

Method

1. Dry shake if using the egg whites, then shake again with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice, or up into a coupe.
3. Garnish with an orange wheel.

Black Walnut Old Fashioned

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

An Old Fashioned where nocino replaces the sugar—walnut, clove, and orange over whiskey.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon or rye whiskey (Bulleit 95)
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Method

1. Stir with ice about 30 seconds.
2. Strain over a large cube in each rocks glass; express an orange peel.

Note. The established cocktail use of walnut liqueur: it replaces the sugar.

Quinta Walnut Old Fashioned

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Port-finished Scotch and nocino—dark fruit, walnut, and a whisper of chocolate.

Ingredients

• 4 oz port-finished Scotch (Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban)
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 barspoons chocolate liqueur (Godiva)

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large rock; express an orange peel.

Note. The Godiva is optional. Sub Willett or Four Roses if you’d rather not spend the single malt.

Oaxacan Smoke

Phil Ward (adapted)

Makes 2 cocktails

The Oaxaca Old Fashioned, your bottles—añejo for body, a measured pour of mezcal for smoke.

Ingredients

• 3 oz añejo tequila (Tequila Manía)
• 1 oz mezcal (Vago Espadín)
• ½ oz agave nectar
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large rock; flamed orange peel.

Ginger Snap Old Fashioned

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

An autumn Old Fashioned sweetened by ginger-snap spirit—molasses, baking spice, and walnut, no sugar.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
• 1 oz Art in the Age SNAP
• ½ oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 4 dashes black walnut bitters (Fee Brothers)
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters (Hella)

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large rock; express an orange peel.

Note. No added sugar—the SNAP sweetens it.

Double Walnut Old Fashioned

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A nightcap on two nut liqueurs—nocino and Frangelico carry it, no sugar needed.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
• ½ oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• ½ oz Frangelico
• 4 dashes black walnut bitters (Fee Brothers)
• 2 dashes toasted almond bitters (Fee Brothers)

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a rock; express an orange peel.

Note. A nightcap—the two nut liqueurs carry it, no sugar needed.

Sazerac

Chris McMillian, Library Lounge—Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

Makes 2 cocktails

New Orleans' definitive drink—rye stirred over a Herbsaint-rinsed glass with Peychaud's, lemon oil on top. Served with no ice.

Ingredients

• 4 oz rye whiskey (Bulleit 95)
• ½ oz simple syrup
• 6 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• Herbsaint, to rinse

Method

1. Chill an old fashioned glass with ice and water while you build the drink.
2. Stir the rye, simple syrup, and Peychaud's with ice until well-chilled.
3. Empty the chilled glass, rinse it with a little Herbsaint, and discard the excess.
4. Strain into the rinsed glass, no ice (traditional). Express a lemon peel over the top, rub the rim, and drop it in.

Note. Chris McMillian uses a sugar cube saturated with Peychaud’s and a little water in place of simple, so you can adjust sweetness without changing dilution.

Spiced Cherry Old Fashioned

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

An autumn Old Fashioned—bourbon and cinnamon demerara with a double hit of cherry bitters. Warm, spiced, deep.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
• ½ oz cinnamon demerara syrup
• 2 dashes cherry bitters (Fee Brothers)
• 2 dashes spiced cherry bitters (Woodford Reserve)

Method

1. Stir with ice until well-chilled.
2. Strain over a large cube.
3. Express an orange peel; a brandied cherry to garnish.

Pappy Barrel Old Fashioned

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A shortcut Old Fashioned—barrel-aged Pappy & Co mixer carries the sugar and bitters; just add bourbon and a cube.

Ingredients

• 4 oz bourbon (Weller)
• 1 oz Pappy & Co Old Fashioned mixer
• 1 dash spiced cherry bitters (Woodford Reserve)

Method

1. Stir the bourbon and mixer over ice, or build over a large cube.
2. Add the spiced cherry bitters; express an orange peel.

Note. The Pappy & Co mixer is pre-sweetened and bittered—adjust to taste.

Bologna Negroni

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A softer Negroni—Amaro Montenegro for the bitter backbone, Croatian red-wine liqueur for the sweet.

Ingredients

• 2 oz London dry gin (Tanqueray)
• 2 oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 ½ oz Aura Teranino
• 4 dashes orange bitters

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large cube; express an orange peel.

Note. Montenegro is the bitter backbone; the Croatian red-wine liqueur plays the sweet-vermouth role.

Bearwallow Negroni

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Your house Negroni—gin, Campari, and Aura Teranino standing in for sweet vermouth.

Ingredients

• 2 oz London dry gin (Tanqueray)
• 2 oz Campari
• 2 oz Aura Teranino

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large cube; express an orange peel.

Note. Teranino stands in for sweet vermouth—recalibrate with sweet vermouth once stocked.

Bearwallow Boulevardier

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

The whiskey Negroni—Four Roses against Campari, black walnut bitters for depth.

Ingredients

• 3 oz bourbon (Four Roses Single Barrel)
• 2 oz Campari
• 2 oz Aura Teranino
• 4 dashes black walnut bitters (Fee Brothers)
• 2 dashes spiced cherry bitters (Woodford Reserve)

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large rock; express an orange peel.

Oaxacan Negroni

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A smoldering Negroni—mezcal in the gin's place turns the whole thing smoky.

Ingredients

• 2 oz mezcal (Vago Espadín)
• 2 oz Campari
• 2 oz Aura Teranino

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain over a large cube; express an orange peel.

Note. The espadín turns the whole thing smoldering.

Indigo Martinez

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A color-shifting Martinez—butterfly-pea gin and dry vermouth, a barspoon of nocino, twist to watch it turn.

Ingredients

• 4 oz butterfly-pea gin (Empress 1908)
• 1 ½ oz dry vermouth (Noilly Prat)
• 2 barspoons nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 4 dashes orange bitters (Regan's No. 6)

Method

1. Stir with ice; strain into a coupe.
2. Add a lemon twist tableside and watch the color shift toward violet.

Saltmarsh

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A coastal, stirred Scotch drink—unpeated Islay malt rounded with dry vermouth and Amaro Montenegro, a pinch of salt lifting the brine.

Ingredients

• 4 oz single malt Scotch (Bruichladdich)
• 1 oz dry vermouth (Noilly Prat)
• 1 oz Amaro Montenegro
• 4 dashes orange bitters

Method

1. Stir the Scotch, vermouth, amaro, and bitters with ice until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe.
3. Express an orange peel over the top and add the barest pinch of sea salt to lift the malt.

Note. Built on unpeated Islay, so it reads briny and coastal rather than smoky.

Jungle Bird (Blood Orange)

Aviary Bar, Kuala Lumpur

Makes 2 cocktails

A riff on the tiki cult classic—Campari's bitterness against aged rum, blood orange for the pineapple.

Ingredients

• 3 oz aged rum (Planteray Sealander)
• 1 ½ oz Campari
• 3 oz blood orange juice
• 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz simple syrup

Method

1. Shake everything with ice.
2. Strain over crushed or cubed ice.
3. Garnish with an orange slice.

Note. A riff on the tiki classic—blood orange juice stands in for the usual pineapple.

Orchard Fizz

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

Apple brandy, nocino, and sparkling cider—pie in a tall glass for the porch.

Ingredients

• 3 oz apple brandy (Laird's Tenth Generation)
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz cinnamon demerara syrup
• sparkling cider (Nature's Nectar), to top

Method

1. Shake the brandy, walnut liqueur, lemon, and cinnamon demerara with ice.
2. Strain into a Collins glass over ice; top with sparkling cider.
3. Grate nutmeg over the top.

Garibaldi

Dante, NYC

Makes 2 cocktails

A two-ingredient wonder—Campari and 'fluffy' fresh orange juice, bittersweet and brunch-ready.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Campari
• 8 oz fresh orange juice, well chilled

Method

1. Build the Campari over ice in a tall glass.
2. "Fluff" the orange juice—blend a few seconds or hard-shake without ice until frothy.
3. Pour the foamy juice over the Campari. No garnish needed.

Suffering Bastard

Joe Scialom, 1942

Makes 2 cocktails

A 1942 Cairo hangover cure—gin and cognac over lime and ginger beer, with Angostura.

Ingredients

• 2 oz London dry gin (Tanqueray)
• 2 oz cognac (Rémy Martin 1738)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• Ginger beer, to top

Method

1. Shake the gin, cognac, lime, and bitters with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
3. Top with ginger beer; garnish with an orange slice and mint if you have it.

El Diablo (Huckleberry)

Classic

Makes 2 cocktails

A riff on the classic El Diablo—tequila and lime over ginger beer, huckleberry in place of cassis.

Ingredients

• 3 oz tequila (Casamigos Cristalino)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz huckleberry purée
• Ginger beer, to top

Method

1. Shake the tequila, lime, and huckleberry with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
3. Top with ginger beer; garnish with a lime wheel.

Note. A riff on the classic El Diablo—huckleberry purée replaces the traditional crème de cassis.

Golden Hour

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A back-porch invention—Tuaca's vanilla-citrus over fresh orange and lemon, an Aperol float for the sunset.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ oz Tuaca
• 3 oz fresh orange juice
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz Aperol (to float)

Method

1. Shake the Tuaca, orange juice, and lemon with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
3. Float the Aperol so it sinks into a sunset gradient; orange wheel to garnish.

Ember & Orange

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A wheat-whiskey buck—soft WhistlePig over blood orange and lemon, lengthened with ginger beer. Spicy, citrusy, easy.

Ingredients

• 3 oz wheat whiskey (WhistlePig)
• 3 oz blood orange juice
• 1 ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz honey syrup
• Ginger beer, to top

Method

1. Shake the whiskey, blood orange, lemon, and honey with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass.
3. Top with ginger beer; garnish with an orange wheel.

Ridge Walnut Espresso

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

An espresso martini with backbone—bourbon, Kahlúa, nocino, and fresh espresso.

Ingredients

• 3 oz bourbon (Four Roses)
• 1 ½ oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa)
• 1 oz nocino (Nux Alpina)
• 2 oz fresh espresso

Method

1. Shake hard with ice; double strain into a coupe.
2. Garnish with three coffee beans.

Note. Float a little Baileys Espresso Crème for a richer version.

Nightjar

Carl Amoth's Bar

Makes 2 cocktails

A creamy nightcap—marula cream and toasted-hazelnut Frangelico over fresh espresso. Dessert in a glass.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Amarula cream liqueur
• 2 oz fresh espresso, cooled
• 1 oz Frangelico

Method

1. Shake all three hard with ice until cold and frothy.
2. Double strain into chilled coupes.
3. Dust with grated nutmeg or coffee; three beans to garnish.

Note. A creamy nightcap—keep the espresso cooled so it doesn’t thin the foam.

Ginger Simple Syrup

Sharp, fresh ginger syrup for sours, mules, and anything that wants a little heat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup fresh ginger (peeled and thinly sliced)

Method

1. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the ginger.
3. Simmer 10–15 minutes to infuse.
4. Off heat, steep 30 minutes to 1 hour (longer for stronger flavor).
5. Fine strain and refrigerate in a sealed container.

Blackberry Purée

Bev Amoth

Bev's three-ingredient purée—blackberries, sugar, lemon—for the Highlander and beyond.

Ingredients

• 4 cups blackberries
• ¾ cup sugar, or to taste (berry-dependent—see note)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Combine the blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large pot (or, for a big batch, a wide, heavy-bottomed pan—more surface area cooks off water faster). Cook over low-medium heat until the berries are soft and burst easily, mashing them as they go to release the juice—heating pulls far more juice out of the berries than working them raw. About 15 minutes.
2. Strain out the seeds one of two ways: press the cooked berries through a wire-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon (reserve the liquid, discard the seeds and pulp), or run them through a deseeder.
3. Return the strained purée to the same pot or pan and simmer on low-medium, tasting and adding more sugar as needed, until it thickens and reduces by about a quarter to a third. Cool before using or freezing.

Sugar is berry-dependent. Wild or small, dense blackberries need only ¼–½ cup; large, water-heavy supermarket berries need about ¾ cup or more per 4 cups. Add the sugar while cooking rather than after, taste as it reduces, and don't be shy—under-sugared purée stays thin and won't thicken. A large batch reduces faster and more evenly in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan; a normal 4-cup batch is fine in any large pot. (Bev's batch of ~36 cups of water-heavy berries took 6–7 cups of sugar, cooked in a wide pan.)

Note. Freeze extra purée in a small silicone ice tray. Each cube is about 1 oz; thaw one before adding it to the shaker.

Huckleberry Purée

Bev Amoth

Bev's blackberry method on wild huckleberries, with a touch more sugar—for the Huckleberry Highlander.

Ingredients

• 4 cups huckleberries
• ⅓ cup sugar, or to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Add the huckleberries, ⅓ cup sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries soften, about 15 minutes—mash them as they cook to release the juices.
2. Since huckleberries have no real seeds, skip the sieve—transfer to a Vitamix and blend until smooth. Cool before using or freezing.

Note. Freeze the purée in a small silicone ice tray. Each cube is about 1 oz—one 2-serving pour for the Huckleberry Highlander—so thaw one cube per two servings before adding it to the shaker.