King's Calling

2 oz Rye
6 lf Basil
1 1⁄2 oz Ginger beer
3 ds Peychaud's Bitters
Instructions

Muddle basil, add rest of ingredients and stir well, for at least 30 seconds to ensure basil essence is well incorporated. Pour over large ice cube.

Notes

I personally prefer this on rocks, however, I have made this as a martini but would recommend double straining if you were to do so. I have also used several Rye's (Old Overholdt is my favorite) with similarly pleasing results.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(11 ratings)
From other users
  • Not bad. I liked the spiciness - in fact after I made it, I added a few dashes of black pepper tincture to give it even more spice.
  • Spicy, with the basil and Peychaud’s lending an herbal balance.
  • The basil smelled so nice at the muddle but got lost in the drink, overpowered by Rittenhouse and Peychaud's. I like the idea here, though, leaving out the citrus.
  • This was included on my seasonal summer cocktail menu
Similar cocktails

Tucson Tonic

2 oz Blanco tequila
6 oz Cucumber soda, Dry Soda
1 sli English cucumber
Instructions

Fill a highball with ice. Add tequila. Top with the Dry cucumber soda. Garnish with a thin slice of English cucumber.

Yields Drink
Year
2012
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Carole K.
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
Similar cocktails
No similar cocktails found.

Directorial Debut

1 1⁄2 oz Old Tom Gin
1⁄2 oz Fernet Branca
1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth
1⁄2 oz Honey syrup
1⁄4 oz Lime juice
Instructions

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Stew Ellington
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(5 ratings)
From other users
  • Try with lemon instead of lime. Almost tea like.
Similar cocktails

Coup De Grâce

1 oz Tequila (Amate Reposado)
1⁄2 oz Mezcal
1⁄2 oz Averna
1⁄2 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
4 ds Cardamom bitters
1 twst Lemon zest
Instructions

Stir over ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Discard lemon zest.

Notes

Smokey Mezcal.

Yields Drink
Year
2012
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Sandy De Almeida, Reposado, Toronto
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(15 ratings)
From other users
  • Nice but a bit sweeter than I anticipated. Next time I'll add a bit more tequila :)
  • Tried with Cobardes mezcal and May have benefited from something more smoky
  • Mezcal, green chartreuse, and Cardamom did not work at all for me. Only bitter is recognizable from Averna - other flavors are lost beneath the high decibel stuff.
  • Prefer with 3 dashes bitters (at least with Scrappy's cardamom) -- 4.5 stars with that modification.
  • Bitter & sweet, w/ strong anise palate. Maybe would keep the lemon twist.
Similar cocktails
HallA commented on 1/15/2024:

Not quite balanced... Aroma is nice. Averna / cardamon / chartreuse bitterness is very heavy together and kind of muddy, seems like it needs something to brighten it.

A Simple Quandary

1 oz Aquavit, North Shore
1 oz Gin, Uncle Val's Botanical
1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Punt e Mes
1⁄2 oz Bénédictine
2 ds Orange bitters, Regans' orange bitters
Instructions

Stir, strain, chilled cocktail glass.

Notes

For a less spice driven flavor, use a more traditional Aquavit. Very complex with multiple layers or flavors and aromas.

History

This recipe lead me to being a finalist for the 2013 Uncle Val's Best Botanical Gin Contest held at the Night Club & Bar Show in Las Vegas.
Also just named one of Gaz Regan's 101 Best New Cocktails of 2014.

Picture of A Simple Quandary
2011 Kindred Cocktails
Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Scott Diaz, Seattle, WA
Source reference

http://www.gazregan.com/category/101-best-new-cocktails/101-best-new-co…

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(32 ratings)
From other users
  • Trying this in 2024. Delightful. Made with Brecon Botanicals gin and O.P. Anderson Eko Aquavit. Bitter and earthy, enough sweetness to balance.
  • A solid stirred offering, as expected. Made with Brenevín. I'd like to try again with an aquavit with more spice/intensity.
  • Sweet, but the herbal flavors keep it from being too cloying. — ★★★★
Similar cocktails
  • Carré Blanc — Rye Genever, Aquavit, Dry vermouth, Genepy, Orange bitters, Peychaud's Bitters, Lemon peel
  • May Fair — Gin, Sweet vermouth, Aquavit, Bénédictine, Bitters, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange peel
  • Food for Thought — Aquavit, Gin, Aromatized wine, Jasmine Liqueur, Maraschino Liqueur
  • One, One, One — Aquavit, Gin, Bianco Vermouth, Orange bitters
Kindred Cocktails commented on 3/03/2015:

Congratulations, Scott, on Gaz's 101 Best New Cocktails 2014. I just got the newsletter from Gaz, read the recipe, and thought, "Hey, that sounds familiar...."

sjdiaz21 commented on 5/01/2015:

Thanks very much, it was neat to be added a second time in 2 years.  I recommend trying this with other more "traditional" aquavit as well.  Cheers!

MOJO1229 commented on 7/04/2016:

A very, very nice cocktail. Aquavit can often overpower other ingredients in a cocktail, resulting in a drink with a somewhat unpleasant taste. This recipe overcame that problem with the use of a botanical gin (my two favorites being The Botanist and St. George Terroir Gin; each has a different taste, but both are spectacular) Tonight I used St. George and I also used Blood Orange bitters instead of Regan's No. 6; I also used a grapefruit twist (my twist--no pun intended--as an additional garnish) This cocktail deserves all of the accolades it has received.
P.S. One user found A Simple Quandary "sweet." If a botanical gin is used, there is no way this cocktail can be sweet; in fact, with the combination of Aquavit and Benedictine, there is no way A Simple Quandary can be "sweet," regardless of the gin used.

sjdiaz21 commented on 7/07/2016:

Thanks for the compliment Michael.  This is definitely one of my favorite cocktails I've done over the years.  As for the sweetness, originally I used North Shore which has a heavy cumin spice notes to it, so it wasn't intended to be a sweet cocktail, but more savory spiced one.  Since then, I've adapted the recipe to use more balanced Aquavit such as Linie or even Krostad which make it far more accessible to most peoples palates.  Cheers.

Hungarian Like The Wolf

1 oz Zwack liqueur
1 oz Tequila, Lunazul Reposado
3⁄4 oz Pimm's No. 1 Cup
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1⁄4 oz Agave syrup
9 dr Bitters, Fee Brothers Old Fashion
Instructions

Put all ingredients into a shaker and shake with ice. Strain over large cube or sphere of ice. Garnish with the peel of an orange.

Notes

The drink has herbal notes from the Zwack and Tequila. The agave and old fashioned bitters are natural compliments to the Tequila. The Pimms gives a bit of a fruit note. Complex yet approachable.

Yields Drink
Year
2011
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Doug Monroe, The Patterson House, Nashville, TN, US
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(7 ratings)
From other users
  • Margarita-like. The Zwack gets a bit lost underneath the sweetness, tequila, and agave. Might try to increase the Zwack if I made again.
  • A relaxing, sippable drink. Suggest 0.50-0.65 oz lemon juice, which otherwise can overwhelm other ingredients. I found no need for the ice ball.
Similar cocktails
  • 5 Spot — Martinique Rum, Bitters, Lime juice, Maple syrup, Water, Ginger syrup, Basil
  • Sur del Sol — Pisco, Blanco tequila, Aperol, Bitters, Grapefruit bitters, Lemon juice, Agave syrup, Cucumber, Salt
  • Oddfellows Local 151 — Demerara Rum, Bigallet China-China, Jamaican rum, Pimento bitters, Lime juice, Honey syrup
  • Anchor Scar — Blanco tequila, Amaro Meletti, Grapefruit bitters, Allspice Dram, PInk grapefruit juice, Lime juice, Orgeat
  • Bitter About My Hot Friend — Reposado Tequila, Campari, Pepper tincture, Lemon juice, Agave syrup, Lemon peel

Birch Booze

2 oz Root liqueur
1⁄2 oz Fernet Branca
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
3⁄4 oz Simple syrup
Instructions

Shake on ice, strain into old fashioned glass with ice

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(2 ratings)
Similar cocktails
  • Fears and Failures — Becherovka, Walnut Liqueur, Lemon juice, Honey syrup
  • Metamorphosis — Becherovka, Lemon juice, Honey syrup, Lemon zest
  • Letoslav — Becherovka, Simple syrup, Lemon juice
  • Bech & Gall — Becherovka, Galliano, Bourbon, Lemon juice, Demerara syrup
  • Parlay — Spiced Rum, Hum, Lime juice, Orgeat, Demerara syrup, Ginger ale, Ginger juice

Stick and Carrot

2 oz Gin, Leopold Brothers
3⁄4 oz Ginger liqueur, King's
1⁄2 oz Carrot juice
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice
4 ds Bitters, Angostura
Instructions

Shake all ingredients with ice, double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.

Stick and Carrot
2012 The Venture Mixologist
Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Source reference

http://theventuremixologist.blogspot.com/2012/03/hail-king.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(2 ratings)
Similar cocktails
  • Gin Hound — Gin, Celery juice, Lime juice, Honey syrup
  • Norma Jean — Gin, Cynar, Lemon juice, Simple syrup, Mint
  • Juliet & Romeo — Gin, Bitters, Lime juice, Simple syrup, Rose water, Cucumber, Mint, Salt
  • Kachumber Kooler — Gin, Lime juice, Simple syrup, Cucumber, Green chile, Cilantro
  • Respect your Elderflowers — Gin, Elderflower liqueur, Lemon juice, Simple syrup, Cucumber

Double-Barrel Cocktail

1⁄3 jig Sweet vermouth (Suggest Carpano Antica Formula)
1⁄3 jig Dry vermouth (Suggest Dolin)
1⁄3 jig Whiskey (Rye most likely was used in 1900)
2 ds Bitters, Angostura
2 ds Orange bitters (Suggest Regan's)
Instructions

Mixing-glass half-full fine ice, two dashes Angostura bitters, two dashes orange bitters, one- third jigger French vermouth, one-third jigger Italian vermouth, one-third jigger whiskey. Mix and strain into cocktail-glass.

Notes

One-third of a jigger is only 1 Tablespoon. Cocktails at the end of the 19th century were smaller than today's so instead of using 1/3 of a jigger one can use 1 ounce each of sweet vermouth, dry vermouth and whiskey and increase the bitters to 4 dashes each for a contemporary size cocktail (i.e., 3 ounce)

History

The original recipe does not identify the brand of vermouth or the type of whiskey. Based on the date of publication, rye whiskey was most likely used.

Yields Drink
Year
1900
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
George J. Kappeler
Source reference

"Modern American Drinks"
by George J Kappeler
Akron, Ohio: Saalfield Publishing Co., 1900

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(9 ratings)
From other users
  • Very good. I follwed the directions in comments to change to 1oz and 4 dashes. I might try 1oz rye and .75 each of the vermouth.
Similar cocktails

The Pretender

1 oz Old Tom Gin, Ransom
1 oz Rye
3⁄4 oz Sweet vermouth, Carpano Punt e Mes
1⁄4 oz Crème de mure
1 ds Bitters, Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanter
1 twst Lemon peel (Garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, chilled Old Fashioned with a large ice cube. Garnish with expressed lemon peel.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Scott Diaz, Seattle, WA
Source reference

http://shakestrainandsip.blogspot.com/#!/2012/07/old-tom-has-new-pair-o…

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(6 ratings)
From other users
  • More like a 3.5. Used Old Overholt and Massenez CDM
Similar cocktails
  • Ampersand Cocktail — Cognac, Old Tom Gin, Sweet vermouth, Orange bitters
  • 221b — Cognac, Gin, Ruby Port, Bénédictine, Bitters, Tea
  • Death & Taxes (Michael Madrusan) — Blended Scotch, Gin, Sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Orange bitters, Lemon peel
  • Tammany Hall — Irish whiskey, Genever, Sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Bitters, Cherry, Lemon peel
  • The Phrasemaker — Dry vermouth, Rye, Old Tom Gin, Bénédictine, Bitters, Pineapple syrup
Subscribe to