Nimble Penny

2 oz Gin, Plymouth
3⁄4 oz Kummel, Combier (any Kummel should work, including Gilka Kummel)
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
2 t Demerara syrup
1 ds Celery bitters, Bitter Truth Celery
1 oz Soda water
1 twst Lemon peel
Instructions

Add ingredients to tumbler.
Add Ice.
Shake.
Strain into collins glass with stacked solid ice cubes.
Top with soda water.
Garnish with Lemon twist.

History

After having a couple of Vowel cocktails the conversation was about childhood memories of caraway-flavored lemonade, Nimbu Paani (lemon water), drunk in India. We created a drink to reflect that & the white guy deemed the Indian name appropriate, but only if corrupted to something thoroughly screwed up...

Yields Drink
Year
2013
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
John DeMicco & Akash Shah
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(5 ratings)
Similar cocktails
  • Bitter Tom — Gin, Campari, Bénédictine, Soda water, Lemon juice, Simple syrup, Pomegranate molasses, Grapefruit peel
  • Singapore Punch (Shelter) — Gin, Cherry Liqueur, Aperol, Bénédictine, Soda water, Lime juice
  • Cucumber Lime Swizzle — Gin, Aromatized wine, Elderflower liqueur, Lime juice, Soda water, Simple syrup, Cucumber
  • Ms. Fizz — Gin, Sambuca, Soda water, Lime juice, Cinnamon syrup
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Knuckleduster

1 1⁄2 oz Overproof rum, Lemon Hart 151
1 oz Sweet vermouth, Martini & Rossi
1⁄2 oz Averna
2 ds Orange bitters, Regans' orange bitters
1 bsp Mezcal, Del Maguey Vida
Instructions

Stir/strain/up/mosh

Notes

Also good with Punt E Mes and Cherry Heering in place of the M&R and Averna.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(2 ratings)
Similar cocktails
  • Devil's Own Mistress — Overproof rum, Sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Fernet Branca, Crème de Banane, Absinthe

Ramona Flowers

1 1⁄2 oz Rye
3⁄4 oz Campari
3⁄4 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 t Crème de Violette (See Notes)
Instructions

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with 7 evil exes.

Notes

As a nod to the namesake character's constantly changing hair color, other flower-based liquids can/should be substituted for the Crème de Violette at the drinker's discretion. A couple dashes of Rose Water (which amps up the floral aspect) or Orange Flower Water (which severely tames the bitterness) both work nicely. Crème Yvette, Hum, Lavender Liqueur or Bitters, etc. might also be worth trying.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Christopher Bevins
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(40 ratings)
From other users
  • Out of St Germain, used Canton and a lemon instead. Very good. As others noted nice grapefruit flavor
  • Need to play around with ratios but I like it! I'm trying to use up a bottle of soho lychee so i subbed that in for the elderflower on the second try. Better with the elderflower.
  • pretty high grapefruit vibes but I'm not opposed to that
  • Don't substitute with curasao and pomegranate liquor. — ★★★★★
  • Strong blood orange and grapefruit flavors coming through. Kind of like a hefty version of an Americano. My kind of drink!
  • Lovely looking and nice tasting. The floral notes didn't come through that strongly for me, but the sweet/bitter flavors are balanced well.
Similar cocktails
  • Lost in Translation — Rye, Falernum, Amaro Montenegro, Fernet Branca, Bitters, Lime juice, Demerara syrup
  • Dead Letter Office — Bourbon, Curaçao, Falernum, Bitters, Grapefruit juice, Lemon juice, Grapefruit peel
  • Not So Good — Whiskey, Ginger liqueur, Campari, Pineapple juice, Lime juice, Sea salt
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Bevx commented on 2/05/2013:

I love the comic and the movie, and have wanted to use this as a drink name for a while... After a few tries, I found the best success with proportions matching the character herself: equal parts bitter, tart & floral, with a double dose of rye (wry) and a splash of purple!

Sakas commented on 2/18/2013:

Made with Templeton Rye and Rothman & Winter Creme De Violette. Subbed lemon for lime juice, and added 1dsh Miracle Mile Yuzu Bitters. Really enjoying this a lot. Going to try 2oz rye next time. A cocktail I will definitely make again. Love the Scott Pilgrim reference too.

Bevx commented on 2/25/2013:

Thanks! I like it a lot with lemon too, but I was trying to stay away from the "accidental grapefruit" flavors to let the florals shine through a bit more... Also, jealous! Those Yuzu Bitters are pretty high on my wish list.

Bevx commented on 3/11/2013:

Out of curiosity, I subbed in 1scant tsp rose water for the violette tonight. Really good. I'll have to try it again when I'm not so low on rye, but I think I might prefer it this way.

Bevx commented on 3/14/2013:

Self-curated to include new ingredient options.

bartenderkyle commented on 7/14/2013:

Finally got around to making this. Wow. Even my Campari hating wife loves this. Definitely going in my rotation.

Bevx commented on 7/16/2013:

Awesome, I'm glad you both liked it! I've been surprised at how much positive feedback I've gotten on this one... A couple months ago, I was teaching it to my favorite bartender. The 2 guys next to me were intrigued and ordered a round for themselves. They liked it so much they paid for mine and begged me for the recipe!

DrunkLab commented on 7/17/2013:

It'd be great to float the violette (or other floral liqueur) after the rest of the drink has been prepared and served, so Ramona's hair changes colors before the customer's eyes. Alternately, it'd be great if Mary Elizabeth Winstead could serve me this drink.

Bevx commented on 7/19/2013:

I like both of those ideas. Mostly the second one.

Last Stand

1 oz Reposado Tequila
1 oz Aperol
1 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Punt e Mes
Instructions

Stir with ice. Strain into a lowball with large single cube. Garnish with an orange peel.

Yields Drink
Year
2012
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(11 ratings)
From other users
  • A little sweet, but smooth.
  • Used Vya sweet vermouth instead of Punt e Mes and Bittercube Orange Bitters. Very tasty.
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Hunter

1 1⁄2 oz Overproof bourbon
1⁄2 oz Cherry Liqueur, Cherry Heering
Instructions

Fill a pint glass with cracked ice. Add the bourbon and cherry Heering and stir well. Strain the drink into a chilled coupe.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Unknown
Source reference

Food & Wine Cocktails 2010

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
2.5 stars
(3 ratings)
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Dan commented on 2/07/2013:

I tried this and didn't find it particularly interesting. Yes, Cherry Heering is a complex, interesting cherry liqueur, but the drink cried out for something. I added a 1/4 oz of Campari and a dash of pie-spice bitters (I used Angostura, but a clove-forward bitters would work well too, as would chocolate or mole). At that point, it wasn't really the same drink, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Anyone else like this as written?

Zachary Pearson commented on 2/07/2013:

Dan,

Frankly, I don't think this is a cocktail - it certainly needs something to make it interesting, and to get the volume of the drink to something more appropriate.

Fransos commented on 8/08/2016:

Haven't tasted this, but I agree that it seems like it's missing something. That said, I must say that there's quite a few classic cocktails  and their variants having this formula(although most of them has a dash or two of bitters). Like Eric Alperins Highlander, calling for 2 oz Scotch, 1/2 oz Cherry Heering and a lemonpeel. So a dash of bitters and a complementary spray of citrus oils might do the trick. Now I have to try this drink, I guess...

Midnight in Manhattan

2 oz Rye, Rittenhouse
1⁄2 oz Averna
1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Antica Formula
2 ds Bitters, Fee Brothers Black Walnut
Instructions

Stir over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

This is my first try at a cocktail variation on a classic. Open to suggestions and input.

History

Variation on a Manhattan

Yields Drink
Year
2012
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(19 ratings)
From other users
  • Went with 0.25 oz Nocino.
  • I used Angostura bitters and garnished with orange peel.
  • Used 0.5 oz of Walnut Liqueur instead of the bitters
  • solid, variation on Manhattan
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  • Big Chief — Bourbon, Averna, Sweet vermouth, Orange peel
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The Deaf

1 1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
1 1⁄4 oz Cynar
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄3 oz Rich simple syrup 2:1 (turbinado or demerara)
Instructions

Shake and strain.

Picture of The Deaf
2011 Kindred Cocktails
Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Stew Ellington
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(12 ratings)
From other users
  • Too sweet. The Industry Sour is a very similar and slightly better. — ★★★
Similar cocktails
  • Growing Envy — Cynar, Herbal liqueur, Lime juice, Simple syrup, Cucumber, Green bell pepper
bkemp1984 commented on 9/11/2015:

Good lord, Stew, you've done it again. Delicious. Looking at it on paper, it looked good.....but I never would have guessed it would taste like this.

Rio Grande

1 oz Bourbon, Old Forester 100 (something over 90 proof)
1 oz Tequila, Siete Leguas Reposado
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup (evaporated cane sugar (2:1))
1⁄4 oz Ginger syrup
Instructions

Shake all ingredients and strain into sugar/chili rimmed coupe. Garnish with a lemon/lime wheel.

Notes

For rim: Kosher salt, organic evaporated cane sugar, chipotle powder, ancho chile powder, regular Spanish paprika. Sugar/salt ratio is one-to-one. Spice to taste.

Yields Drink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Scott Baird, 15 Romolo San Francisco
Source reference

http://sfist.com/2009/07/03/sfist_drinks_the_rio_grande_cocktai.php

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(16 ratings)
From other users
  • Whiskey sour margarita combo. Tasty.
  • Almost 4.5. Ginger shines.
  • Excellent! Also tried with jalapeno - added to alcohol for about 5-7 min before shaking.
  • Made with blanco tequila, Four Roses, and ginger liqueur. Tasty. — ★★★★
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Zachary Pearson commented on 2/02/2013:

Removed "fresh" from the modifiers - we assume that you're going to use fresh juices, etc... as per the Style Guidelines.

North Meadow

2 1⁄4 oz Whiskey
3⁄4 oz Ramazzotti
1 ds Bitters
1 ds Orange bitters
Instructions

Stir. Serve up. Express oils from and orange peel and discard peel (flame if you like). Smile.

Notes

Changed from "Bourbon" to "Whiskey" as it tastes marvelous with a straight rye.

Yields Drink
Year
2013
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Baron A. Stout
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3 stars
(3 ratings)
Similar cocktails

Smoking Jacket

1 1⁄2 oz Blended Scotch, Grant and Sons
3⁄4 oz Cynar
3⁄4 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Punt e Mes
1 ds Orange bitters
Instructions

Stir, strain, low ball, big cube

Yields Drink
Year
2012
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Paul Manzelli, Craigie and Bergamot, Boston, MA
Source reference

901 Very Good Cocktails, Stew Ellington

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(29 ratings)
From other users
  • This was more complex than it at first appeared. It came together very easily. I tasted coffee. And chocolate. Weirdly. Plus the cynar came through. — ★★★★★
  • In this case, I favor the sweet vermouth version. I believe the Punt e Mes submerged the Cynar. Also, it works with reducing the Cynar to 0.5 oz. Using Antica emphasizes its IPA characteristics - not worth repeating.
  • Delicious. Made with bank note. — ★★★★
  • Double scotch and do 1/2 ea Cynar and vermouth
  • Bitter and sophisticated. Good even with my modest Famous Grouse. In the ballpark of the excellent Search for Delicious, which I think I'd prefer when a lemon is at hand. — ★★★★
  • let it melt a bit - caramel of macallen gold comes thru real nicely — ★★★★
  • Used Teachers as blended scotch.predinner
  • Excellent. I backed off the ratio for Robin to 1:1:1 and added a half part of dry vermouth. — ★★★★★
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Peyton commented on 3/08/2013:

Great drink and a nice Scotch spin on a Little Italy, but 1-2 dashes of orange bitters does the trick.

Dan commented on 3/08/2013:

Corrected: 1oz orange bitters -> 1 DASH orange bitters. Yikes!

mahastew commented on 3/13/2013:

Had to check the book to see if I made the error there. -Whew!-

lesliec commented on 4/16/2025:

A good drink, enhanced by some orange zest expressed over (which Fred's post mentions but Stew's seems not to). Flamed optional.

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