Stepwise Improvement

1 1⁄4 oz Pineapple rum
3⁄4 oz Campari
3⁄4 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Punt e Mes
1⁄4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
2 ds Absinthe (I used 20 drops)
1 twst Orange peel (As garnish)
Instructions

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.

History

I became inspired by Liholiho Yacht Club's tropical Negroni called Step into Liquid. Knowing how Maraschino can soften Campari – a trick that I learned at Eastern Standard with their Carnivale, I decided to modify their drink via the 1880s Improved Cocktail addition of Maraschino and absinthe and adjust the proportions a little. The dubbed the drink Stepwise Improvement.

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Frederic Yarm, Boston, MA
Source reference

https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2026/01/stepwise-improvement.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
5 stars
(2 ratings)
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Flight of Fantasy

1 1⁄2 oz Fino sherry
1⁄2 oz Pear eau de vie, Clear Creek
1⁄2 oz Dry vermouth, Dolin
1⁄2 oz Apricot liqueur
1 t Amaro Meletti
1 twst Orange peel (discard)
1 Brandied cherry (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, cocktail glass, express peel and discard, garnish.

Picture of Flight of Fantasy
Todd Brant
Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Todd Brant
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(1 rating)
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Atmospheric River

1 oz Brandy (strawberry preferred)
3⁄4 oz Amontillado Sherry
3⁄8 oz Herbal liqueur (Walcher Midsummer Spritz)
3⁄8 oz Orange Curaçao
2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
1 twst Orange peel (discard)
Instructions

Stir, strain, cocktail glass, express peel then discard.

Notes

Can use cognac in place of strawberry brandy. Could also garnish with a fresh strawberry.

Picture of Atmospheric River
Todd Brant
Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Todd Brant
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
5 stars
(1 rating)
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Giacomo Joyce

2 oz Irish whiskey (Such as John Powers or Black Bush)
1⁄2 oz Bianco Vermouth (Such as Carpano Bianco)
1⁄2 oz Coffee liqueur (Such as Varnelli Caffe Moka)
2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
1 Coffee bean (As garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, coupe, garnish.

Yields Drink
Year
ca. 2025
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
David Wondrich
Source reference

The Comic Book History of the Cocktail

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(1 rating)
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Reading Club Cocktail

1 1⁄2 oz Scotch
1 1⁄2 oz White port
1⁄2 bsp Curaçao
1⁄2 bsp Maraschino Liqueur
1 ds Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
1 Maraschino cherry (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, coupe, garnish.

Notes

Also known as Oporto Bianco cocktail

Yields Drink
Year
ca. 1910
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Buenos Aires
Source reference

"The Comic Book History of the Cocktail" by David Wondrich

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Salvador Sling

2 oz Cachaça, Leblon
2 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Açaí liqueur, Cedilla Açaí Liqueur
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Ginger liqueur
1 ds Bitters, Angostura (listed only as "bitters")
1⁄4 oz Bénédictine (optional)
1 wdg Pineapple (garnish)
Instructions

Shake with ice, double strain into ice filled highball or hurricane glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

Notes

The Cedilla Açaí is better and less sweet than Pataka's version. I used Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. To match the original recipe, omit the Benedictine.

History

Riff on the Singapore Sling using açaí liqueur. Creator is unknown. First reference I found to it is from 2013. I added 1/4 oz Benedictine to optimize sugar balance and provide a little more depth as in the Singapore Sling.

Yields Drink
Year
2013
Authenticity
Altered recipe
Creator
Unknown
Source reference

https://whereandwhatintheworld.com/2013/04/the-iconic-spirits-cachaca-a…

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
5 stars
(1 rating)
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The Missing

1 1⁄2 oz Mezcal
1⁄2 oz Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
1 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Passion fruit syrup
1⁄2 oz Falernum
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

History

After making Mai-Kai's updated Last Rites the night before, I was thinking about the flavor combinations there. Hearing "Last Rites" made me think of the 1988 Ministry song "The Missing" that has those as the lyrics, and I took the trio of citrus plus modifiers and was inspired to replace the rums with something appropriate for my new job at Gato Exotico. Indeed, I ended up using the 3:1 mezcal to Ancho Reyes ratio found in the Ancho Noir and Aztec Warrior.

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Frederic Yarm, Gato Exotico, Cambridge, MA
Source reference

https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-missing.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(3 ratings)
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Bastille

1 1⁄2 oz Calvados (domaine du manoir de montreui)
1⁄2 oz Pineau des Charentes (Jean-Luc Pasquet)
1⁄2 oz Suze
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
1 ds Bitters, Bitter Truth Celery
2 oz Sparkling white wine
Instructions

Shake, strain to chilled flute with sparkling wine.

Yields Drink
Year
2017
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Tyson Buhler, Death & Co
Source reference

Death & Co: Welcome Home

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
5 stars
(1 rating)
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Mondrian

1 oz Tequila, El Tesoro Platinum
3⁄4 oz Cappelletti Aperitivo
1⁄4 oz Dry Raspberry Brandy, St. George
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
3⁄4 oz Raspberry syrup
1 Egg white
2 oz Sparkling white wine
1 pn Raspberry (Freeze-dried, blitzed to powder, as garnish)
Instructions

Dry shake/shake/double strain to chilled fizz with the sparkling wine. Garnish.

Yields Drink
Year
2018
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Tyson Buhler, Death & Co, Denver, CO
Source reference

Death & Co: Welcome Home

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Craig E commented on 1/13/2026:

Is the powdered raspberry intended as a sprinkle atop the drink, or adhered to the rim?
(And in either event, is "oz." the correct unit there?)

noksagt commented on 1/13/2026:

It is a sprinkle. Auto-entered unit fixed.

Rum Raisin

1 oz Overproof rum, Wray & Nephew Overproof
2 oz Averna
1⁄2 oz Tamarind
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice
Instructions

Shake, double strain, rocks, lowball. If using fresh tamarind or solid tamarind paste, use less.

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Dan Chadwick, Kindred Cocktails
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(3 ratings)
From other users
  • Really has rum raisin flavor.
  • Complex. Raisin / pie spice flavors of the amaro blend with the funky overproof rum. Tamarind loiters in the background. 2:1:1 was too much tamarind. Try splitting with lemon next — ★★★★
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