Existential Hero

3⁄4 oz Blanco tequila
3⁄4 oz Light rum
3⁄4 oz Orange liqueur, Grand Marnier
3⁄4 oz Becherovka
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1 t Amaretto
Instructions

Shake, strain, rocks, lowball

Notes

The original unnamed recipe lacked the lime juice. Without it, the drink is quite sweet.

History

Dan Chadwick named the cocktail for its creator and added the lime juice.

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Altered recipe
Creator
Based on a recipe by ExistentialHero, Chowhound
Source reference

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/489550#5423104

Curator rating
4 stars
Average rating
4 stars
(19 ratings)
From other users
  • I tried Vida Mezcal and Jamaican white rum — ★★★★
  • Good for batching
  • A Christmas Margarita. This cocktail is giant as written and nearly fills a lowball glass! Scale everything back to ½oz instead of ¾ and use a scant tsp of Amaretto for a more reasonable sized drink.
  • I used: Cimarron Blanco Cana Brava Bigallet China China Montenegro Amaro Giffard Orgeat
  • Made with curaçao. — ★★★★★
  • Interesting spice, slight bitter aftertaste (good), rather like a more interesting Margarita. Good balance of orange and almond. 3/2010: Alice & Stefan — ★★★★★
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existentialhero commented on 5/06/2011:

What a delicious drink! The creator should win a prize or something. (Full disclosure: I'm the creator. The name, however, is Dan's.)

Hisurfadvisory commented on 10/26/2014:

sensational! Fantastic hints of spice and orange, fresh lime juice definitely help to balance the sweet. Almost like having the holidays in a glass...

Dan commented on 10/28/2014:

Works nicely with Clement Creole Shrub for the orange liqueur.

Alaska Cocktail

2 1⁄4 oz Gin
3⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse
Instructions

Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail glass.

Notes

The ratios suggest for this cocktail vary from 2:1 to 8:1. I prefer a relatively dry 6:1. Serve very cold to avoid excess sweetness. Alternatively, use more Chartreuse and balance with lemon, dry sherry, or top with dry sparkling wine.

Yields Drink
Year
1930
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Harry Craddock (?), The Savoy Hotel
Source reference

https://euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz/1930-The-Savoy-Cocktail-Book…

Curator rating
4 stars
Average rating
4 stars
(31 ratings)
From other users
  • Linda really likes this one — ★★★★★
  • I originally tried it 2:1, with 2 dashes orange bitters and loved that.
  • A bit sweet — ★★★★
  • Maintained 6:1 with Vitae Gin
  • Made with Haymans, Strega, and Regan’s. Good Strega feature.
  • Used Haymans OT & a splash of Ransoms, to the amt of 2.25 gin, .75 Chartreuse, & 2 big dashes orange bitters...
  • An excellent cocktail. Simple but solid.
  • Class:drink like a monk
  • Made with 1.5 Sin Liquor's Hedgetrimmer gin and .75 chartreuse
  • Make with another recipe calling for 1 oz of chartreuse, which required lemon to balance it. Next time try this recipe with 3/8 oz lemon juice. — ★★★★
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Zachary Pearson commented on 7/18/2019:

Curated this - in the Savoy (cited at the link), it's a 3/4 gin, 1/4 Yellow Chartreuse drink with no bitters. Variations abound.... Thanks,  Zachary

Zachary Pearson commented on 10/16/2020:

A user noted that this drink is now 3:1 though Dan's original note (and the drink) were 6:1. I've left that there to preserve his (drier) preference. Thanks,  Zachary

danoman89 commented on 2/19/2025:

Made with a 3:1 gin:chartreuse ratio, a few drops of reagan's orange bitters, and a lemon peel expressed on top. Strong, but just as delicious of a strong martini variant as you could want/hope for

Peralta

3⁄4 oz Rye, Old Overholt
3⁄4 oz Cynar
3⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse
1⁄2 oz Grapefruit juice
1⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1 ds Bitters (Deep Elum house)
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, strain, coupe, straight up, garnish

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Evan Harrison, Deep Ellum, Boston, MA
Source reference

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2010/03/peralta.html

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(17 ratings)
From other users
  • Hard to go too wrong with a bunch of solid ingredients. Sweeter than I expected.
  • Used Peychaud's bitter instead and equal parts lemon and grapefruit juice
  • Made with Finger Lakes Distilling high-rye Bourbon and Fee WBA bittters. Very good, slightly bitter, complex, and interesting. Use regular Angostura next time to prevent the bitters from dominating. — ★★★★★
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christina in tacoma commented on 9/21/2011:

herbal, mildly bitter, and bright- like this a lot. Though the I didn't know what a dash of orange and grapefruit meant (bitters?), I assume a typo- so I had to skip that part.

Dan commented on 9/24/2011:

Apologies for the inaccuracies, now corrected. I'm not sure what Deep Elum's house aromatic bitters are like, but I think regular Angostura or similar would work well. Attribution corrected. Gratitude to Cocktail Virgin Slut's excellent blog.

laerm commented on 4/27/2022:

Re bitters, I dunno what the original calls for, but I actually thought this needed more verve than it has so I went generous with Bittercube Bolivar.

Appetizer a l'italienne (Revised)

2 oz Sweet vermouth, Boissiere
1⁄2 oz Fernet Branca (or 1/4 for the timid)
1⁄4 oz Pastis, Pernod (or absinthe)
1⁄4 oz Lemon
Instructions

Shake, Rocks, Lowball

Notes

Original was poorly designed -- Fernet overwhelmed the drink. New version is beautifully balanced. A great drink for the adventurous imbiber.

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Imbibe
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(18 ratings)
From other users
  • Bitter, herbal
  • Very, very nice to sip, but I felt some small embellishment was missing. Will try again with mint, or maybe bitters of some sort
  • Foodies dinner, 9/2010 — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
OldFashionedCock commented on 8/18/2024:

Subbed Absinthe. Anise forward. Get some mintiness on the finish. Vermouth takes a backseat, but shows up on the finish and lingers. Unique and greater than the sum of its parts.

Cara A commented on 11/14/2024:

Made this with Carpano Antica, Pernod, lemon, and 1/4 oz Fernet- deliciously complex but still approachable

Kumquat Daiquiri

1 oz Jamaican rum, Wray & Nephew Overproof (kumquat infused)
1 oz Dark rum
1 oz Orange juice
1 t Maraschino Liqueur
1 t Agave syrup
Instructions

Shake, Rocks, Cocktail

Notes

A bit sweet. Add lime next time, depending upon how sweet orange juice is. Made for Alice & Stefan. Only OK because I used 1 1/2 tsp Agave and no lime.

Yields Drink
Year
2010
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Dan Chadwick
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(2 ratings)
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  • Snoop Lion (or, Fo'Swizzle) — Jamaican rum, Batavia Arrack, Maraschino Liqueur, Grapefruit juice, Passion fruit syrup, Lime juice
  • Cannibal Cooler — Jamaican rum, Demerara Rum, Falernum, Allspice Dram, Herbal liqueur, Bitters, White grapefruit juice, Lemon juice, Honey syrup

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. — ★★★★
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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
(10 ratings)
From other users
  • Didn't do it for robin. A "-1"
  • Made with olive-y Serra Preta--didn't work out that well.
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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
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  • The Soother — Cognac, Jamaican rum, Orange Curaçao, Apple juice, Simple syrup, Lemon
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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
(44 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 — ★★★★★
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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. — ★★★★★
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mahastew commented on 4/22/2012:

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

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