Tasted at the shell cocktail bar, France, Paris, during winter cocktail week 2019

A cocktail of Rye Whiskey, Smoky Mezcal, Benedictine Liqueur and Chicory & Vanilla Bitters made for the perfect drink to capture Los Angeles in a glass. That was the goal of the LA distillery, Greenbar Collective. The contest took place back in the spring of 2014 and was their goal was to find a drink that would be to LA what the Manhattan was to New York.

I really wanted something where you could taste the sunny, sandy, smoggy, glitzy, palm-lined, paved chaparral, suburban-sprawl, melting pot of the Los Angeles Metro Area—known to newscasters as The Southland. More importantly, I wanted to use all-booze ingredients that were shelf-stable. I originally tried it with other bitters, but then a friend of mine, Michael Crane, gave me a sample of his newly minted Chicory & Vanilla bitters, which took it to the next level because they really helped punch up the Benedictine.

This is an original drink inspired by Game of Thrones. This liquid offering is named after the team of assassins called Faceless Men, who worship the Many-Faced God (aka the God of Death).

Aesthetically, the drink is hidden in plain sight and cannot be visually identified, much like the drink's namesake. It blends into its surroundings. The clear liquid doesn't give away what's in the glass. But the cocktail is complex, yet balanced, fruity, yet smokey and a smooth sipper.

It's important that all the components be clear. The Singani and White Vermouth should be no problem, but the Orange Liqueur and Mezcal sometimes come in other colors. For the Orange Liqueur, Cointreau is ideal, but if you have Combier or Luxardo Triplum or another clear Orange Liqueur, that will work.

Because it's so smooth, light and complex, The Faceless Man is a great companion to Game of Thrones. Be sure to mix one up before you sit down to watch the show...or curl up with the book. Cheers!

This is an original drink inspired by Eartha Kitt. The recipe started off as a riff on a Corpse Reviver #2, but through a lot of trial and error it ended up back closer to the starting line, only with components swapped out.

I originally wanted to come up with a pun that would act as a tip of the cap to the drink’s Corpse Reviver roots, but the name I privately used to refer to the drink was “Earthy Kitt” because the flavor profile was so earthy. The Eartha Kitt angle stuck with me. I was reading her first book, a memoir chronicling her childhood through young adulthood, which might of had something to do with it being on my mind. The book was called, Thursday’s Child.

Because this drink uses citrus juice, conventional wisdom dictates that it should be shaken, not stirred. But shaking it aerates the drink and I prefer the silky, sensuous texture you get when the drink is stirred. Which, for this drink, creates the purrfect mouthfeel. Enjoy!