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2 oz Añejo tequila
1⁄2 oz Aperol
1⁄4 oz Campari
1⁄4 oz Cynar
1 twst Orange peel
Instructions

Stir with cracked ice and served in a chilled coupe. Garnish with an Orange Twist.

History

I wanted to make a drink called the "Magic 8 Ball" but had no 8 year spirits. I came up with this instead.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Mike Alwill, Cocktail Democracy
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(14 ratings)
From other users
  • Surprisingly subtle! I added actual squeezed orange juice and orange bitters for a longer drink, but original was great too. Also tried Amaro Nonino for Cynar — ★★★★★
  • Possibly a little too sweet, but Campari present and under control.
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MOJO1229 commented on 3/08/2016:

Jim Beam Black  is aged 8 years. But it's a bourbon, so if you want to stay with a tequila, you'll have to continue looking around. I'm sure there's one out there with the ever increasing brands of añejo tequila hitting the market. And there's always Google, too, to aide your search! Good luck in your quest.

Foreign Key

1 1⁄2 oz Japanese Whisky, Yamazaki 12
3⁄4 oz Aromatized wine, Cocchi Americano
1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse
2 ds Bitters, Boker's
Instructions

Stir with cracked ice and strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Mike Alwill, Cocktail Democracy
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(8 ratings)
From other users
  • Don't have the bitters in question, improvised with a little orange and a bit of cardamom bitters. This is really nice.
  • Solid and surprisingly dry on the palette.
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CorpLaw commented on 10/17/2018:

Tastes like a more floral, less savory wet martini to me. 

Mixin In Ansley commented on 10/01/2023:

Unique in that the Cocchi on the approach set my palate up for a sweeter finish than the Suntori Toki, which I used, delivered- in a good way. Good spine.

Ginger Leaf

1 1⁄2 oz Gin, Plymouth
1⁄2 oz Campari
1⁄2 oz Ginger-Honey Syrup (*see notes)
3⁄4 oz Grapefruit juice (Ruby Red)
3⁄4 wdg Lime
Instructions

Add all ingredients shake well with cracked ice, strain in chilled martini glass, garnish with crystallized ginger stick
*I find = parts honey to water makes this syrup too sweet and overpowering for my taste. I did 1/2 cup honey to 1 cup water.

Notes

I made this again with Bombay London dry and it definitely overpowers the drink. Plymouth seems to be soft enough, I definitely recommend a Juniper light gin.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Your original creation
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
From other users
  • This is about to be included on my seasonal fall cocktail menu.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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  • Souls of the Mountain — Cognac, Mezcal, Amaro Meletti, Bénédictine, Bitters, Absinthe
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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. — ★★★★
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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.
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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)
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