When I was plotting turning over the cocktail menu for Winter/Spring 2016 at Loyal Nine, I needed some new low proof drinks. For inspiration, I started to riff on Michael McIlroy's Rome With a View. Given that we had an abundance of Avèze gentian liqueur, I wanted to include that (instead of Rome With a View's Campari) especially after having tried the Vatican City riff of that neo-classic. Another drink that came to mind for a flavor combination was the Square Root in pairing Aperol, gentian, and citrus. Given how well passion fruit works with bitter liqueurs, I considered taking things in a tropical direction. Finally, the name Italian Stallion came up from thinking about Rome and Italian themes, and a kitchy movie title seemed apropos. In 2020, this drink was placed on the menu at the Paper Plane in San Jose, California, as part of their guest drink section.

For the Yacht Rock Sunday at Loyal Nine in 2015, I wondered if I could riff on the classic Chrysanthemum by replacing the dry vermouth with a dry Madeira. In wanting to add another touch to complement the switch, I considered Maraschino liqueur which works rather well with Madeira; moreover, it would work well with the absinthe to bring about a Jerry Thomas-era Improved Cocktail feel. Instead of taking a flower naming convention with a Chrysanthemum riff like the Calla Lily, I went to the Yacht Rock Sunday playlist and chose the Undercover Angel. I don't believe that it ever made the main menu but people did request it by name over a year later.

I was influenced by a 2010 Thomas Waugh whisky drink called the Prospector (pre-Death &Co.) to create this drink of the day during our bar's Rhum Barbancourt drinks week (theme for drink of the day). The name helped to sell this drink tremendously!

A Blood & Sand with a witchy (Strega) twist. Perhaps inspired by one too many Dresden Files books.

I just looked at a bunch of cocktails with gin + Campari -- they often call for a sweeter, fruity or floral addition like Saint Germain or some such. My homemade brandied cherries + bounce packs a fruity but not overly sweet punch, decided to try it, and it was pretty tasty. Voila!

For Yacht Rock Sundays at Loyal Nine in 2015, I crafted a tropical Negroni that I dubbed the Tarzan Boy for I was sourcing drink names from our playlist. The idea started with how passion fruit modulates Campari into something tropical and not incredibly bitter -- an idea I was first introduced to in Jamie Boudreau's Novara. Rhum agricole bolstered the tropical aspects of the mix, and I kept with white vermouths to allow the guava-like color to sing out. The Tarzan Boy was popular enough that it made the regular cocktail list once the Yacht Rock Sunday series concluded in the early Fall.