The Art of Choke

1 1⁄4 oz Cynar
1 oz Rum, Flor de Caña (4yr or other white rum)
1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse (Fat quarter)
1⁄8 oz Lime juice
2 spg Mint (one as garnish)
Instructions

Combine liquids in mixing glass, add mint and gently muddle. Let sit 1 min. Stir, then strain into rocks glass over large ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

YieldsDrink
Year
2007
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Kyle Davidson, The Violet Hour, Chicago
Curator rating
5 stars
Average rating
4.5 stars
(61 ratings)
From other users
  • Whoa. Intensely herbacious.
  • A touch too much sweetness for me, but not egregiously. Like the minty element and could maybe do with some extra help in that area (add more fresh mint, or add fernet branca or creme de menthe). Bitterness is just right.
  • Original recipe calls for 1 oz of Cynar. Minty, bitter, and quite delightful, although the rum is completely lost under the rest.
  • Very good. Bitter. Slow drinking. Added 1/2 tsp Menta Branca to simulate the missing mint. Good (but not as good as when made with fresh mint). Doesn't need the syrup. — ★★★★★
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I like this. I made it side by side with the Art of Choke since they look pretty similar and I wanted to compare. I prefer this rum choice ( I did sub Clement VSOP since I don't have- and have not tried- the Canne), and the slightly larger quantity of lime and syrup balances the bitterness of the Cynar more to my taste.


Dan commented on 9/16/2011:

This cocktail is so similar to the Art of Choke that I wonder if we need both. I tried it with Clement VSOP and like it, but found it too sweet as written. I have not tried Clement Premier Canne, but I wonder if an agricole with more hogo, like Rhum JM might give it added character.


I think it would make sense to merge them with the quantity differences given as options, and a couple rum suggestions with notes on the different flavors they would contribute. In any case, that would help a rum newbie like myself. I need to check out this Rhum JM I keep seeing noted around here...


Dan commented on 9/17/2011:

The cocktail "Reckless Abandom" was merged into "The Art of Choke." While they were created by entirely different people, they have nearly the same ingredients and have the same overall idea.

Reckless Abandon was created by Justin James Noel, Empire Rooftop Lounge & Contemporary Cocktails Inc., NYC and was posted by user endless_optimism. Reference: http://meerkatproductsltd.typepad.com/embury/2010/08/cynar-cocktail-con….

It contained
1oz Rhum Agricole (Clement Premier Canne)
1oz Cynar
1/4 oz Lime juice
1/4 oz Rich demerara syrup
1/4oz Green Chartreuse
1spg mint as garnish


jaba commented on 3/24/2014:

Made this with Depaz Agricole before I learned not all rums are interchangeable and had to pour it down the sink.
2 months later I made it with Wray and Nephew and it was lovely.


Made one the other night for the first time in a while and it was even better than I remembered.  This is a truly outstanding cocktail.

I've been making this with Niessen Agricole Blanc and think its grassy funkiness amps up the herbaceous qualities of the Art of Choke.  I've never had the Depaz so I can't say what may have set off the previous commenter.  I recently got a bottle of the Wray & Nephew and will try that the next time I make one.

Edit: Tonight I tried one made with Wray & Nephew Overproof. Didn't really like it at all. The W&N added nothing but alcohol heat and the balance seemed lost. I felt it was necessary to be positive so in the interest of the greater good I made a second with the Niessen and it was much better!


Drink Lab #1

1 oz Pastis, Herbsaint
1 oz Orgeat
1 ds Orange flower water (if you're using commercial orgeat)
Instructions

Shake, strain, up

Notes

I was drinking a tweak of a Momisette (Herbsaint + Orgeat + Lemon, with club soda), and I noticed a lot of similarity to the 20th century cocktail. Anyone want to help me tweak this?

YieldsDrink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
zpearson
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
Similar cocktails
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Dan commented on 12/22/2010:

I love the idea of a group cocktail-making experience. I don't have the Creme de Cacao and truthfully I don't want to buy a bottle unless it's good enough to use in larger quantities. I read about an unreleased cocoa nip liqueur from Bittercube, but I'm not sure it is available yet. I also read about Mozart dry chocolate spirit. This sounds like a really cool product -- unsweetened, bitter chocolate flavor. It could presumably be used with simple syrup as needed.

I have also substituted Meletti for creme de cacao, as I find it's flavor very reminiscent of chocolate. Maybe I could experiment with that.


Too sweet for me. I found a 1/2 oz. of orgeat plenty. Admittedly I used Dekuyper cocoa. Don't judge me!


i can taste how sweet this is in my brain!!
i'd say drop some of the pastis and add a good apple eaux de vie like clear creek or st george... with more booze the balance will shift allowin you to use far less citrus making it a balancing act rather that tart sweet... floral notes from a well made unaged fruit spirit will bring a complexity with the herbal backbone of the pastis... that is my tweak. .75 .75 .75, drop the lemon to .5 and drop the orange flower because you should always, always, always make your own orgeat. it is way worth it and not as difficult as it seems. with all that sugar in it it lasts like a month n the frigde, too. splash of soda wont hurt this a bit.. and for my taste id use solerno or some kind of triple sec in lieu of cacao...

i guess instead of a tweak this is something completely different, now...


Dan commented on 6/03/2013:

There is a new Creme de Cacao from Tempus Fuget. If I were to buy another (possibly lifetime supply) bottle, that's the brand I'd pick. I suspect the sugar balance of this is heavily influenced by the particular orgeat. The original was probably made with homemade, which might be less sweet than commercial brands.

I haven't tried this recipe. It scares me.


Autumn Leaves Under Winter Snow

1 1⁄2 oz Vodka
1⁄4 oz Strega
1⁄4 oz Simple syrup
4 Black peppercorns (cracked)
3 sli Ginger
1 sli Pear
Instructions

If using whole black peppercorns, crack them in a mortar and pestle, or by crushing them between a cutting board and the bottom of a heavy skillet or pan. Add 3 or 4 slices of fresh ginger to a pint glass and muddle. Add pepper, and liquid ingredients. Shake with ice until very cold, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of pear.

Notes

I created this drink for winter Holiday parties where a crisp and bracing cocktail, evocative of a cold winter, was required. It was featured at The Soiree, a charity VIP event in Buffalo.

YieldsDrink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Jerry Ciesielski, Buffalo
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Punch in the Head

1 1⁄2 oz Coconut rum
1 oz Dark rum
1⁄2 oz Grenadine
Instructions

Shake with ice. Pour into a large tiki head. Optionally garnish with orange and cherry.

Notes

Homemade grenadine: heat 32oz pure pomegranate juice; simmer until reduced by half. Add 1.5 cups sugar while stirring until completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Keep refrigerated until use.

YieldsDrink
Authenticity
Unknown
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(13 ratings)
From other users
  • Good, refreshing. Made with pineapple & blackstrap rims with a splash of coconut cream
  • Easy to make drink, a little sweet, but definitely not overly so, and a great summer drink (but great the other months, as well)
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Branca Menta Alexander (Homage a Plinio)

Instructions

Dry shake. Add ice to tin, shake until tin is frosted. Strain into rocks glass full of crushed ice.

YieldsDrink
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Plinio Sandalio, Anvil, Houston Texas
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
Not yet rated
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Pago Pago Cocktail

1 1⁄2 oz Gold rum
3 cube Pineapple
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
1⁄4 oz Crème de Cacao
Instructions

Muddle fruit w juice and liqueurs. Add rum and ice and shake, strain. Martini/coupe

Notes

DO NOT use pineapple juice.

YieldsDrink
Year
1940
Authenticity
Unknown
Source reference

Beachbum Berry Remixed, via cocktailchronicles.com

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
2 stars
(1 rating)
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Chartreuse Swizzle

1 1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Falernum
Instructions

Combine in a Collins glass, fill w crushed ice, swizzle.

YieldsDrink
Year
2002
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Marco Dionysos, Smuggler's Cove and Rye, San Francisco, CA
Source reference
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(26 ratings)
From other users
  • Found a variation here https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftcocktailclub/permalink/2359945517511888 1.5 oz. Green Chartreusex 0.5 oz. Velvet Falernum 1.5 oz pineapple juice 0.75 oz. lime juice
  • Superb. Have it outside in the summer.
  • Garnish with mint.
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  • Ashby Swizzle — Herbal liqueur, Mezcal, Falernum, Bitters, Pineapple juice, Lime juice, Mint
Dan commented on 12/11/2010:

Marco contacted Kindred Cocktails with the history of his creation.



Rick at Kaiser Penguin suggests adding a quarter ounce of Wray & Nephew White Overproof.


sgls commented on 7/16/2020:

Drinking the Devil's Acre (Cocktail #23, p. 220–221) suggests a lime wheel as garnish. The Chartreuse is very well balanced.


Unbelievably good! And I'm not a fan of Chartreuse but the pineapple pairs really well with it.


Lemon Drop

1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
1 wdg Lemon (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, strain, straight up, sugar-rimmed cocktail glass.

Notes

Gary Regan suggests using Triple Sec in lieu of sugar for a more "hard lemon candy" taste.

YieldsDrink
Authenticity
Unknown
Source reference

Joy of Mixology, Gary Regan

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(8 ratings)
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The Music Orange

1 1⁄2 oz Gin, Beefeater
1 1⁄2 oz Orange juice
1⁄2 oz Falernum, Velvet Falernum (John D. Taylor's)
1⁄4 oz Egg white
Instructions

Place all ingredients in a mixing glass, and shake for approximately 10 seconds. Add ice, and shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Music Orange
©2010 Michael Lande
YieldsDrink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Michael Lande
Source reference

original cocktail

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(11 ratings)
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bwian commented on 2/16/2015:

Enjoyed this one much more than I expected to. I'm generally very wary of orange juice in cocktails, and 1.5 oz sounds like a LOT of OJ here, but the lemon and falernum provide enough oomph to keep it from falling flat. Used B.G. Reynolds' falernum and mandarin oranges because that's what I had on hand.


Metamorphosis

1 oz Honey syrup (clover, 1:1)
1 twst Lemon zest (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail

Notes

Those preferring a more sour version might reduce the honey syrup to 3/4 oz.

YieldsDrink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Eastern Standard, Boston, MA
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(15 ratings)
From other users
  • First sips were great but that much Becherovka (and little else) is hard to sustain. As nice a Becherovka cocktail as I've ever had.
  • Rich with cinnamon, honey, and lemon flavors, a refreshing, easy-to-drink cocktail. Tiny bitter aftertaste. — ★★★★
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I chose this as my first cocktail with which to sample my brand new bottle of Becherovka. Even if I only make this over and over again, I will be happy. Delicious, thank you.


Dan commented on 9/12/2011:

Yes, it's good stuff. I sometimes use it as a sub for Cinnamon Syrup in recipes, perhaps adjusting the acid a bit. Becherovka is also a nice surprising ingredient -- fun to spring on guests.


I came up with nearly the same recipe (exact proportions even!), though I used simple syrup instead of the honey syrup. (Named it the "Letoslav".) I'm going to bet that this version--with the honey--is better, though. Maybe using different honeys will prove interesting. Buckwheat, for example, seems promising. I used to get pine honey when I lived in France, but I've never seen it this side of the pond. Thanks for the recipe!