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Tropiques

1 1⁄2 oz Rhum Agricole, Trois Rivieres (VO)
1⁄2 oz Cognac, Martell (VS)
1⁄4 oz Coffee liqueur, Mr. Black
1⁄4 oz Passion fruit liqueur, Giffard
1 twst Orange peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled tumbler containing one large ice cube. Express the orange twist and drop it in the dirnk.

Notes

Big roasted pineapple note.

History

Named for the Martinique literary magazine founded by Aimé and Suzanne Césaire.

Yields Drink
Year
2024
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Benjamin Talbot
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Dead Man's Alley

1 1⁄2 oz Rye (Rittenhouse if you have it.)
1⁄2 oz Mezcal
1⁄2 oz Braulio
1⁄2 oz Amaro, Cappelletti Sfumato Rabarbaro
1⁄8 oz Maple syrup
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

Recently, I was inspired by a local drink I spotted with rye, Braulio, maple syrup, and walnut bitters to tinker. The Amaro Daiquiri made me think of the Braulio-Sfumato combination, and I split the rye 3:1 with mezcal that has worked in a number of drinks. I named this Black Manhattan with a touch of maple after a sketchy alley in 19th century San Francisco mentioned in Herbert Asbury's The Barbary Coast book.

Yields Drink
Year
2024
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Frederic Yarm, Boston, MA
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(8 ratings)
From other users
  • Rich, smokey, and sweet. — ★★★★★
  • Just used rye and 3 dashes black walnut bitters. — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
  • Devil's Disciple — Rye, Mezcal, Amaro, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, Bitters, Grapefruit peel
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  • Devils Soul — Rye, Mezcal, Averna, Aperol, Elderflower liqueur
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Celerity

2 oz Blanco tequila (Olmeca Altos)
3⁄4 oz Aromatized wine, Cocchi Americano
1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
1 rinse Absinthe
Instructions

Rinse a Nick & Nora glass with absinthe. Stir remaining ingredients with ice and strain into the glass. No garnish.

History

A tribute to Phil Ward, my first cocktail hero.

Yields Drink
Year
2020
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Benjamin Talbot
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Hornet's Nest

1 1⁄2 oz Gin, Plymouth
3⁄4 oz Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Honey syrup
1 Chili pepper (flakes)
Instructions

Rim half a coupe with chilli flakes. Shake the remaining ingredients with ice and strain into the coupe.

History

Riff on a classic Bee's Knees.

Yields Drink
Year
2020
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Benjamin Talbot
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Between the Seas

1 oz Pisco, Barsol (Acholado)
1 oz Rhum Agricole, Saint James Ambre
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Pineapple liqueur, Giffard (Caribbean)
1⁄4 oz Orgeat
1 ds Absinthe (on garnish)
1 sli Pineapple (dehydrated, as garnish)
Instructions

Mist the dehydrated pineapple with absinthe. Stir the remaining ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with the pineapple.

History

Riff on a classic Between the Sheets.

Yields Drink
Year
2021
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Benjamin Talbot
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Finger Guns

1 1⁄2 oz Bourbon, Buffalo Trace
1⁄2 oz Amaro Nonino
1 oz Grapefruit juice (white)
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Cinnamon syrup (1:1)
Instructions

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with finger guns.

History

A riff on a High Five from Alex Day/Death & Co., via Alex Taylor/Pennyroyal's riff (Big Tens: brandy and simple instead of bourbon and cinnamon).

Yields Drink
Year
2021
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Benjamin Talbot
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
5 stars
(4 ratings)
From other users
  • I find this to be strictly speaking the best of the High Five riffs. White grapefruit juice is a must; think of this as an exclusively seasonal cocktail. Cinnamon + white grapefruit juice is an amazing combination, and this shows the combination off well. Check out the Big Tens if you're a brandy fan. — ★★★★★
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Jojiro commented on 1/24/2025:

Try out the High Five, the Big Tens, the Fist Bump, and this all together. Really good selection of cocktails built around the same template.


drinkingandthinking commented on 2/28/2025:

This is really good with ruby red grapefruit which is all I can get right now, but I can see how it would be even better with white. I'll keep my eyes open for some!


Colosseum Undergound

1 oz Coffee liqueur, Mr. Black
5 oz Tonic water, London Essence
1 wdg Grapefruit
Instructions

Build the ingredients in a highball glass filed with ice. Stir gently to mix, garnish, and serve with a straw.

Yields Drink
Year
2024
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Benjamin Talbot
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
Similar cocktails
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Rhub Goldberg Machine

1 3⁄4 oz Blanco tequila
1 oz Rhubarb Shrub
1⁄4 oz Campari (fat 1/4 oz.)
1⁄4 oz Ancho Reyes Verde chile liqueur (scant 1/4 oz.)
1⁄4 oz Simple syrup
1 1⁄2 oz Club soda (to top)
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir (or shake); strain; rocks; top and brief stir; garnish.

Notes

For rhubarb shrub: macerate equal parts sugar and chopped rhubarb stalks over a few days in the fridge, stirring occasionally; stir in an equal part apple cider vinegar; strain.

Picture of Rhub Goldberg Machine
Craig Eliason
Yields Drink
Year
2024
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Craig Eliason, Saint Paul, Minnesota (USA)
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
From other users
  • I used Milagro. Works well to batch and carbonate the whole thing too.
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Baby Turtle

3⁄4 oz Lime juice
3⁄4 oz Egg white
1⁄2 oz Cinnamon syrup
1⁄4 oz Campari
1 pn Cinnamon (grated, as garnish)
Instructions

Dry shake; shake; double strain; DOF with ice; garnish.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Trick Dog, San Francisco, California (USA)
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(1 rating)
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Devil's Kitchen

1 oz Mezcal
1⁄2 oz Cynar
1⁄4 oz Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
1 twst Grapefruit peel (As garnish)
Instructions

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Notes

I originally made this in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. While there was a nice progression of flavors over time, it started to die when diluted too much. When I mentioned this on Instagram, folks tried it up and replied that they enjoyed it served that way, so I am going with my hunch.

History

I recently looked over various recipes for ingredients that worked well with Ancho Reyes and decided to create a cocktail. Of the 10 Ancho Reyes drinks on the blog, 7 contain mezcal, 2 with Cynar, 2 with mole bitters, and 1 with banana liqueur; moreover, I figured that pineapple rum would bolster the tropical notes of the banana despite it not having previously been paired with Ancho Reyes in my tasting history. Finally, I dubbed this the Devil's Kitchen after a neighborhood described in the 1933 book The Barbary Coast as a rough one in San Francisco during the latter half of the 19th century.

Yields Drink
Year
2024
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Frederic Yarm, Boston, MA
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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