Lua Bonita (Beautiful Moon)

1 oz Cachaça, Leblon
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet vermouth, Cinzano Rosso
Instructions

Orange peel, Stir, Straight Up, Cocktail

Notes

A Brazilian's take on a Negroni, perhaps.

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Unknown. Possibly Joy Richard, Franklin Southie, Boston, MA
Source reference

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2010/02/lua-bonita.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(7 ratings)
From other users
  • For me, the Campari overran the other ingredients. A bit of a metallic taste. Comte de Sureau (Morgenthaller) is a more accessible drink in the same vein.
  • Fabulous. — ★★★★
Similar cocktails
mahastew commented on 3/06/2012:

I don't think I've ever had another drink that brought out the "grapey-ness" of sweet vermouth so amazingly. Insanely delicious against the bitter Campari. I'm guessing the cachaca is is doing something to showcase the other flavors. 5/5.

Esmeralda

1 1⁄2 oz Cachaça, Armazen Viera Esmeralda
1⁄2 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
1 rinse Islay Scotch
Instructions

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail glass rinsed with a smoky scotch

Yields Drink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Ben Sandrof, Drink, Boston
Source reference

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2010/02/esmeralda.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(9 ratings)
From other users
  • Didn't do it for robin. A "-1"
  • Made with olive-y Serra Preta--didn't work out that well.
Similar cocktails
  • Cleopatra — Bison grass vodka, Cachaça, Crème de Banane, Lime cordial, Lime juice, Demerara syrup, McCormick Buko Pandan Extract
  • Manuia — Barbados Rum, Cachaça, Pastis, Bitters, Lime juice, Passion fruit syrup, Orgeat
  • Gilda — Blanco tequila, Pineapple juice, Lime juice, Cinnamon syrup, Lime
  • Pieces of Eight — Puerto Rican Rum, Crushed ice, Lemon juice, Passion fruit syrup, Lime juice
  • Un Poivron en Vacances (Mr Pepper on Holiday) — Barbados Rum, Allspice Dram, Bitters, Orange juice, Lime juice, Mango juice, Hellfire Habanero Shrub, Passion fruit syrup, Yellow bell pepper
tberaldi commented on 9/12/2022:

I had this drink at the bar where it was created and it is superb there and at home.

Atlas Cocktail

1 oz Calvados (or apple brandy)
1 oz Demerara Rum
1⁄2 oz Triple sec, Cointreau
1 ds Bitters, Angostura
Instructions

Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail glass

Yields Drink
Year
1948
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Bartending Guide, Trader Vic's
Source reference

http://looka.gumbopages.com/2005/12/02/the-atlas-cocktail/, http://egullet.org/p1592048

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(13 ratings)
From other users
  • I like the idea, but the drink itself is far too sweet
Similar cocktails
  • NATO Accord — Bourbon, Calvados, Rum, Swedish Punsch, Bitters, Mezcal, Lemon peel
  • Autumn Boyfriends — Calvados, Barbados Rum, Jägermeister, Allspice Dram, Lemon cordial, Nutmeg
  • The Soother — Cognac, Jamaican rum, Orange Curaçao, Apple juice, Simple syrup, Lemon
  • American Trilogy — Applejack, Rye, Orange bitters, Grade A dark color and robust taste maple syrup, Orange peel
  • Biloxi Deluxe #2 — Cognac, Swedish Punsch, Orange bitters, Absinthe, Water, Orange peel
Flintlock commented on 4/23/2023:

Made mine with Laird's Bonded and O.F.T.D. This thing is a velvet-covered sledgehammer. I read that the original Vic recipe called for 0.5 oz of overproof rum, not a full ounce. I believe it.

Intro to Aperol

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

Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail glass, garnish

Notes

Some may prefer this with less or no simple syrup.

Yields Drink
Year
2008
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Audrey Saunders, Pegu Club, New York, NY
Source reference

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2009/11/04/intro-aperol/, Beta Cocktails

Curator rating
5 stars
Average rating
4.5 stars
(43 ratings)
From other users
  • 50/50 gin & aperol Skip the simple syrup
  • Surprising! And surprisingly good!
  • Loose the simple syrup. Sweet enough without. — ★★★
  • Excellent and a great intro to aperol. Scrap the simple syrup. — ★★★★★
  • A bit sweet, the simple could probably be omitted. The name is fitting.
  • Made without the simple. Very good.
  • Very tasty. Like a sweetened grapefruit juice.
  • Delicious without the simple — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
  • Aid and Abet — Bigallet China-China, Gin, Lemon juice, Egg white, Simple syrup, Orange flower water
  • Gin And Chinotto — Gin, Chinotto, Orange

Expat

1 oz Dry vermouth, Dolin
1 oz Sweet vermouth, Dolin
1 oz Sloe gin, Plymouth
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice
1 ds Peychaud's Bitters
1 twst Lemon peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, strain, straight up, wine glass, garnish

Notes

Light, sweet, and tart.

Yields Drink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Derek Brown, The Atlantic
Source reference

http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2009/05/goldilocks-dread-of-mix…, e-mail from creator

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(17 ratings)
From other users
  • Light, tart, hardly bitter. Delightfully complex. Low alcohol. — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
  • San Francisco — Sloe gin, Sweet vermouth, Dry vermouth, Bitters, Orange bitters
  • Rosé Cobbler (Naren Young) — Rosato Vermouth, Aperol, Rhubarb bitters, Strawberry puree, Rhubarb Shrub, Lemon juice
  • This, That, The Other — Maurin Quina, Blanco tequila, Port, Lime bitters, Bitters, Lime peel
  • The Citadel — Amontillado Sherry, Maurin Quina, Bitters, Honey syrup
  • Plain Sailing — Gin, Bianco Vermouth, Manzanilla sherry, Sloe gin, Absinthe, Cane syrup, Salt Solution, Lemon peel
mahastew commented on 4/22/2012:

FYI, this one needs curating to change 1 oz Peychaud's to 1 dash.

Bookeroni

1 oz Bourbon, Booker's
1 oz Sweet vermouth
1 oz Campari
Instructions

Orange Zest, Stir, Rocks, Lowball

Notes

Very tasty, with significant Campari flavors. The Bookers keeps the alcohol mouth feel up. I garnished with a cherry, but the orange zest would be good too.

Yields Drink
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Gerber Mahle, Frankfurt
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(10 ratings)
From other users
  • I tried this using Basil Hayden's bourbon. I got a sense of Fernet?. Added a few dashes of Ango orange bitters based on the comment about an orange twist... really nice.
Similar cocktails
  • Boulevardier (Cure version) — Rye, Sweet vermouth, Campari, Orange peel
  • New Pal — Rye, Campari, Sweet vermouth, Absinthe, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange peel
  • The Adams — Bourbon, Campari, Sweet vermouth, Kummel, Bitters
  • 1795 — Rye, Campari, Aperol, Sweet vermouth, Bitters
  • Oxblood — Rye, Sweet vermouth, Campari, Cardamaro, Bitters, Orange peel

Gunshop Fizz

2 oz Peychaud's Bitters
1 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
3 sli Cucumber
2 Strawberry
3 twst Orange peel (wide swaths)
3 twst Grapefruit peel (wide swaths)
1 oz Sanbitter (or Campari & soda)
1 sli Cucumber (as garnish)
Instructions

Muddle all but Sanbitter for 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add ice, shake, strain, collins glass. Garnish.

Notes

Substitute Campari and a bit of soda for the hard-to-find San Pellegrino Sanbitter.

Yields Drink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Kirk Estopinal and Maks Pazuniak, Beta Cocktails
Source reference

http://betacocktails.com/archives/159

Quickstart
Innovative and challenging
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(7 ratings)
From other users
  • Mindblowing. Worth making at least once. — ★★★
Similar cocktails
Zachary Pearson commented on 3/05/2011:

A little bit of work, but a gorgeous color. I subbed Campari + Soda for the Sanbitter, which is impossible to find where I live. It's got nice balance, and interesting flavors, but there's a serious "Strawberry-Banana Jello" character here, and while the cucumber adds some freshness and complexity, the whallop of Peychaud's leaves sort of a metallic/phenolic bitterness. I think I admire this more than I love it.

bza commented on 8/29/2011:

I've made this drink both ways, and it's actually a pretty different drink with the sanbitter, which has less bitterness up front and more of a kind of weird bubblegum taste.

However, I agree with your basic assessment - this is a must try drink, but once you've had it I don't know how many times you'll go back to it. There are probably 10-15 drinks in Rogue and/or Beta that I would pick over this one for my go to drink.

Also, while I generally love drinks with a ton of bitters, I'm a bit wary of drinking 2 whole ounces of peychaud's at once, as it kind of seems like the most processed (i.e. least potable) of the major bitters.

Dan commented on 2/07/2013:

I realized that I had all the ingredients, including Sanbitter, to make this. That doesn't happen often! I have to admit that I didn't love it as much as I did before. I found it surprisingly flat. The strawberry takes a little mental control to suppress the mundane connotations. With all the muddling, it didn't have much alcohol. I added an ounce of J Wray & Newphew overproof rum, which helped considerably. A juniper-forward gin might work well, too.

I still stand by my belief that this is a mind-blowing drink -- worth making at least once.

The Magnolia Tree

1 oz Gin, Tanqueray
3⁄4 oz Orange Curaçao
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Campari (shy)
1 rinse Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
Instructions

Rinse iced rocks glass with Chartreuse. Shake and strain rest

Yields Drink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Beta Cocktails
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(12 ratings)
From other users
  • The rinse is nice. I feel like that grapefruity gin-Campari combo is used to better effect in other drinks (like the Bitter Elder). — ★★★
  • Substitution of slightly bitter Creole Shrubb doesn't seem to hurt anything. Rinse is just right -- I tried more and it wasn't an improvement. — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
  • Crop Top — Gin, Amaro Montenegro, Crème de Pamplemousse, Lemon juice
  • High Five — Gin, Aperol, Grapefruit juice, Lime juice, Simple syrup
  • Big Cut — Gin, Pamplemousse Rose, Cynar 70, Aztec Chocolate bitters, Lemon juice
  • Dusty Tail — Gin, Pimm's No. 1 Cup, Bitters, Orange juice, Lemon juice, Simple syrup
  • Marquee Cocktail — Gin, Aperol, Lemon juice, Simple syrup, Sage, Salt

Cherry Blossom

2 oz Gin, Hendrick's
1 oz Maraschino Liqueur, Stock
1 oz Lemon juice
2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
Instructions

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail glass

Notes

Nice pink color. Fred Yarm on Cocktail Virgin suggests that Luxardo is more vibrant than Stock. Using a bit less lemon and liqueur when substituting might be appropriate.

Yields Drink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Eastern Standard, Boston, MA
Source reference

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2010/02/cherry-blossom.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(15 ratings)
From other users
  • Went with 2 dr cherry bitters. Next time, 1 dr cherry, 1 dr Peychaud's.
  • Plum bitters
  • I think subbing a dash of cherry bitters would improve the flavour and bring it more in line with the theme while retaining the beautiful pink hue.
  • Gin- sweet, sour
Similar cocktails
  • Cherry Crush — Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon juice, Cherry
  • Sensation — Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Lime juice, Mint
  • The 114 — Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Grapefruit juice, Lime juice, Sea salt
  • (the) Dumpster — Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Anisette, Absinthe, Peychaud's Bitters, Bitters, Lime juice
  • Sandstorm — Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Crème de Violette, Grapefruit juice, Lemon juice, Maraschino cherry
hoyodewilkerson commented on 2/29/2012:

Sweet-tart flavored. We used Luxardo and Bulldog Gin. Stirred, not shaken (sorry, Mr. Bond!). A nice drink with a pretty pinkish-red hue. It definitely looks like the cherry blossoms that will pop out soon here in the Washington, DC, area.

Dan commented on 3/01/2012:

I found my source reference and added it. You can read the comparison between Luxardo and Stock. I've never tried Stock, so I can't comment, but using a bit less of both Lemon and Luxardo might be a good idea. I did raise an eyebrow at a full ounce of Maraschino! I plan to try this myself soon. With that much lemon, I think it might be best shaken.

hays.kelly@gmail.com commented on 2/20/2016:

A nice looking sour with the machino flavour. Used slightly less Luxardo and slightly less lemon juice, but still could have gone less still, or added syrup.

Bourbon Belle

3 oz Bourbon
1⁄2 oz Peach liqueur, Mathilde Pêche
1⁄2 oz Sweet vermouth
2 ds Bitters, Angostura
1 Maraschino cherry (brandied, as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail glass, garnish

Notes

Consider 2oz bourbon for a more reasonably sized drink. Cocktail Virgin Slut recommends Carpano Antica.

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Joy Richard, LUPEC, Boston, MA
Source reference

https://web.archive.org/web/20110820090553/http://lupecboston.com/2008/…

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(4 ratings)
From other users
  • Used Jim Beam Peach bourbon.
  • A lot like a Manhattan, but with the nose of peach. Subtle.
Similar cocktails
  • The City Hall — Rye, Apple brandy, Bual Madeira, Cynar, Ramazzotti, Lemon peel
  • Sunday Drive — Bourbon, Dry vermouth, Allspice Dram, Peach liqueur, Bitters
  • Western Paradise — Bourbon, Apple brandy, Drambuie, Bianco Vermouth, Bitters
  • Pompeii — Bourbon, Brandy, Madeira, Lime bitters, Cardamom bitters, Rich simple syrup 2:1
  • Uncle Neil — Bourbon, Brandy, Dry vermouth, Sweet vermouth, Campari, Orange bitters, Bitters
Biff Malibu commented on 4/28/2023:

Concur with 2 oz bourbon. Bump up peach to 0.75 oz.

Subscribe to