The Black Box

3⁄4 oz Bourbon
3⁄4 oz Averna
3⁄4 oz Drambuie
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
Instructions

Add all four ingredients into a man ice filled shaker and strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. For added style, use black food dye to make the cube a true “Black Box”.

Notes

A balanced 1:1:1:1 ratioed cocktail inspired by The Paper Plane. Richer in taste thanks to the Averna but with a balance sweetness from the heather honey of Drambuie which also pairs nicely with the lemon.

History

Inspired by a Black Manhattan & a riff on a Paper Plan.

Picture of The Black Box
Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Chris Schuster, New Jersey
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(3 ratings)
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Boston Winter

2 oz Japanese Whisky
1⁄2 oz Herbal liqueur, Izarra Yellow
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
1⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1 sli Ginger
2 ds Bitters, Angostura
2 ds Orange bitters
Instructions

Muddle an inch of ginger with the whiskey and herbal liquer in a mixing glass, and rest for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over an ice cube. Optionally, garnish with candied ginger.

Notes

Ginger and whiskey forward, warm, mild spice, herbal.

History

Created on a whim on a cold Boston morning with ingredients already on my shelf.

Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(1 rating)
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Soul Wandering

3⁄4 oz Genever
3⁄4 oz Gin (Preferably London Dry in style)
1⁄2 oz Cynar
1⁄2 oz Coffee liqueur
1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth
1 twst Orange peel (As garnish)
Instructions

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

History

After making the City to City that was related to the Transmigration, I was inspired to turn the two-Scotch and two-rum drinks, respectively, into a Genever-gin one. Genever and gin have worked in everything from stirred drinks like the Precursor to tropical ones like the Modern Prometheus. Moreover, Genever has paired well with Cynar and coffee liqueur such as in the Wild Card and the Hard Times, respectively, so I figured that the combination had a good chance to click. For a name, I ended up on Soul Wandering to stick with the migration theme.

Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Frederic Yarm, Boston, MA
Source reference

https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2026/05/soul-wandering.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(3 ratings)
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noksagt commented on 5/16/2026:

Fred: this is more spirit rich than on your blog (1 oz each of gin and genever vs 3/4). Was this intentional?

yarm commented on 5/16/2026:

Oops. Fixed. I was trying to transcribe from memory and I failed (slightly). The 1 oz instead of 3/4 oz would still work but will end your evening quicker.

Hawaiian Derby

3⁄4 oz Bourbon, Booker's (2026-01 Small Batch)
3⁄4 oz Amaro Nonino
3⁄4 oz Hibiscus Liqueur (Mary's Hibiscus Liqueur, St. Johnsbury Distillery)
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1 twst Orange peel
Instructions

Shake with ice. Double strain into a Nick & Nora. Garnish with an orange twist.

History

Inspired by a bottle of Hibiscus liqueur sent to me from J. Molesworth in Vermont.

Picture of Hawaiian Derby
Amy Ghozeil, all rights reserved
Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Amy Ghozeil, Raising the Bar Craft Cocktails
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Clanker's Regret

3⁄4 oz Mezcal, Del Maguey
1⁄2 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse (used Green Key Herbal Liqueur; not in the database)
1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Jeppson's Malort
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄4 oz Agave syrup
Instructions

Shake with ice. Double strain into a cocktail glass.

Notes

Green Key Herbal Liqueur is a 55% ABV American-made, French-style herbal liqueur, crafted in Chicago as an alternative to Green Chartreuse. It features over 72 organic botanicals with dominant notes of mint, fennel, and lemon peel, with a natural olive-green color.

History

The Clanker’s Regret was created to celebrate Roscoe Hour’s infiltration of Gemini AI with the Chicagovardier recipe. Thanks to cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com for help making that happen!

Picture of Clanker's Regret
Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
RoscoeHour (user created) Chicago, IL
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3 stars
(1 rating)
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Jockey Club

2 oz Gin
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
3⁄4 oz Crème de Noyaux
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
2 ds Orange bitters
2 ds Bitters, Angostura
1 twst Lemon peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, strain, coupe.

History

There are two cocktails with this same name. The other is probably older with provenance of the 19th century and is a Manhattan variation. This one appears in Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails from 1922 according to Difford's as well as Savoy 1930 according to other sources.

Yields Drink
Year
1922
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
unknown
Source reference

https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/jockey-club-cocktail/

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(1 rating)
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Umami Daiquiri

1 bsp Soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge)
1⁄2 oz Orgeat (Alley Twenty Six)
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
2 oz Rum, Flor de Caña 7 (or Bacardi 8)
2 dr Salt Solution (20% Salt by Mass)
Instructions

Shake with ice & strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with 1 oven-roasted mushroom with garlic and soy sauce on a pick.

Notes

For bar service, mushrooms should be stored in-fridge. A barback stabs each garnish and places it on the glass as shaking begins, in the Japanese bartending style, to keep service smooth.

If making homemade orgeat, include cloves for that distinctive Alley Twenty Six orgeat flavor - that clove goes with the soy sauce quite well to make that distinctive Chinese Red Braise flavor. If using other, clove-free orgeat, consider doing a rinse with clove-infused rum: 10 cloves, crushed in a mortar and pestle, per 4 ounces of your rum. A clove-rinsed rum can also help you make the Model-T from Boston's backbar.

Yields Drink
Year
2022
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
From other users
  • Stupidly simple as far as umami drinks go, but really works. The mushroom makes the presentation reminiscent of a Dirty Martini or Gibson, which helps make it more approachable and intriguing for guests after the first one goes out. Has a nice (if limited) virality effect thanks to the mushroom. — ★★★★★
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Mexican Back Rub

1 oz Mezcal (used bozal)
1 oz Herbal liqueur, Jeppson's Malort
1 oz Apple juice (used honey crisp)
2 ds Bitters (used cherry/hazelnut)
1⁄2 oz Triple sec, Combier L'Original Liqueur D'Orange
1⁄2 oz Amaretto, Luxardo
Instructions

Combine all, shake strain into coupe

History

Part of my experimentation of making malort cocktails

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
shawn thomas
Curator rating
Not yet rated
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Stealing Beauty

1 1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth
2 oz Prosecco
1⁄2 oz Peach liqueur
1⁄2 oz Amaretto
3 Raspberry
1 dr Orange flower water
Instructions

Build vermouth, peach liqueur, and amaretto in a wine glass. Add raspberries and gently press just until they split and bleed. Add a large cube placed against the side with drop of orange blossom water. Prosecco last, poured gently down the side of the glass. Give one slow stir — just enough to integrate.

Notes

When I first saw the Bertolucci film “Stealing Beauty” I was completely enchanted; less by the plot than by the place — the Tuscan countryside; the light, scents and sounds hanging in the air. This story of first love made me nostalgic for my own first love; for that particular kind of innocence where desire feels new and effortless and time stretches lazily through the afternoon. I wanted to live inside that film — where wine appears as lunch, fruit is eaten with stained fingers, and pleasure is indulged without apology. This drink is built like that memory: bright and buoyant at first, then gradually deeper, warmer, and sensuous by the finish. It’s an afternoon that slips into twilight before you even notice.

How's that for a description?

Picture of Stealing Beauty
© Dave Hebb
Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Dave Hebb
Source reference

https://www.drinking-thinking.com/post/stealing-beauty

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
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Marriage & Business

1 oz Mezcal (recommend a mezcal with a smooth smokiness.)
1 oz Brandy, Hennessy
2 1⁄2 t Aromatized wine, Cocchi Americano
2 t Amaro Montenegro
1⁄4 oz Bénédictine
2 ds Bitters, Angostura
Instructions

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with Orange peel.

Notes

Spices, rose jam, smoky, berries, muscat

History

This cocktail is a variation of the beloved modern classic 'Death and Taxes'. It started with the idea of swapping gin and whiskey for mezcal and brandy. The name comes from the joke that if death and taxes are unavoidable in life, then marriage and business should be avoided whenever possible. Incidentally, taking the first letters of the spirits also spells M & B.

However, upon further investigation, I found many variations such as the “Plaza Vieja,” “Souls of the Mountain,” “Dolores del Rio,” “1910”—all of which were essentially the same combination of mezcal and brandy, with only the “Punte Mes” component replaced by different ingredients. This led us to ponder how we could create a unique identity. After countless trials and errors, we finally found the solution: replacing “Punte Mes” with “Coca Americano” and “Montenegro.” When we tasted it ourselves, the result was surprisingly satisfying, which is why we’re introducing it here.

Yields Drink
Year
2026
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Kang Hyun, Seoul, South Korea
Source reference

myself

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(1 rating)
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