Swallowtail Sour

2 oz Bourbon
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Honey syrup
1⁄2 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain
Instructions

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Lemon twist or edible flower (optional)

Notes

A floral twist on a whiskey sour, inspired by the graceful Swallowtail butterfly. Created for a pollinator-themed wedding at Colorado’s Butterfly Pavilion—my first attempt at cocktail design, and somehow no one cried.

History

Created in 2025 as part of the Wings & Wonders wedding cocktail menu at Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado. This was the first cocktail I ever designed—meant to balance bourbon’s strength with floral lift, inspired by the Swallowtail butterfly’s elegance and bold color.

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Brandon Brokate
Source reference

Created by Brandon Brokate for the Wings & Wonders wedding cocktail menu at Butterfly Pavilion (2025), Northglenn, Colorado.

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Monarch Magic

1 1⁄2 oz Vodka
1⁄2 oz Blood Orange Liqueur
1⁄2 oz Honey syrup
1 oz Club soda
Instructions

Shake all but soda with ice. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with soda and stir gently.

Glass: Highball
Garnish: Orange wheel (optional)

Notes

Citrusy and clean, this cocktail honors the Monarch butterfly’s epic migration. A key part of our pollinator-themed Wings & Wonders wedding bar—bright, balanced, and easy to batch.

History

Designed for our upcoming pollinator-themed wedding at Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado (August 2025). This drink reflects the Monarch’s journey and the celebratory tone of the day with citrus, honey, and sparkle.

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Brandon Brokate
Source reference

Created by Brandon Brokate for the Wings & Wonders wedding cocktail menu at Butterfly Pavilion (2025), Northglenn, Colorado.

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Not yet rated
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Bee Fly Bliss

1 1⁄2 oz Gin
1⁄2 oz Elderflower liqueur, St. Germain
1⁄2 oz Honey syrup
1 1⁄2 oz Grapefruit soda, Izze
Instructions

Build in a Collins glass over ice. Stir gently.

Glass: Collins
Garnish: Grapefruit wedge or edible flower (optional)

Notes

Floral, citrusy, and lightly sparkling—this cocktail honors the bee fly, a fuzzy pollinator mimic with style and no sting.

History

Created for our upcoming pollinator-themed wedding at Butterfly Pavilion in Colorado (August 2025). Designed as a fizzy, floral option that celebrates the quieter pollinators doing important work in the background.

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Brandon Brokate
Source reference

Created by Brandon Brokate for the Wings & Wonders wedding cocktail menu at Butterfly Pavilion (2025), Northglenn, Colorado.

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Not yet rated
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Black Forest Flip

1 1⁄2 oz Cognac VSOP
1⁄2 oz Cinnamon Schnapps liqueur, Goldschlager
1⁄2 oz Cherry Liqueur (Leroux cherry brandy)
5 Bing Cherry
3 ds Chocolate bitters
1 Whole egg
1 pn Nutmeg
1 pn Chocolate (dark chocalate grated as garnish)
Instructions

Muddle cherries with bitters and cherry brandy. Then add the rest, dry shake until foamy. Add ice and shake briefly to chill. Fine strain into coupe. Garnish with fresh cherry and grated nutmeg and dark chocolate.

Picture of Black Forest Flip
© Dave Hebb
Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Dave Hebb
Source reference

https://www.drinking-thinking.com/post/black-forest-flip

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Gorjo

1 3⁄4 oz Virgin Islands Rum, Cruzan Blackstrap
1⁄4 oz Overproof rum, Plantation O.F.T.D.
1⁄2 oz Averna
1⁄2 oz Coffee liqueur
3 Coffee bean
Instructions

Stir, strain, up, garnish with coffee beans

Notes

You want a coffee liqueur that leans dark and bitter; the blackstrap and Averna provide all the sweetness you need.

Yields Drink
Year
2024
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Natalie Weizenbaum
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
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The Stetson

1⁄4 oz Aromatized wine, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
1⁄4 oz Honey syrup
1⁄2 oz Grapefruit juice
1 1⁄2 oz Rye
2 ds Bitters, Bittermens Xocolatl Mole
Instructions

Stir over ice & garnish with a knot of grapefruit peel

Notes

This cocktail was design for Milam & Green Straight Rye Whiskey, from Blanco, TX

History

Origin: Bonfire Grill in Tomball, Texas by Joel

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Joel at Bonfire Grill, Tomball Texas
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
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Kentucky Lemon

2 oz Bourbon
1 1⁄2 oz Limoncello
2 ds Orange bitters
Instructions

Stir in mixing glass with ice. Strain into rocks glass with large ice cube, no garnish.

History

Leo's Italian Social used to serve this drink in Charlotte NC. I liked it so much I tried to recreate it, and I think I did a pretty good job at it. The restaurant has since eliminated it from their menu, so I can't confirm their recipe, only mine. Cheers!

Yields Drink
Year
2023
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Leo's Italian Social, Charlotte, NC - recreated by The Cat and Lizard
Curator rating
Not yet rated
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The Cotton Tail

2 oz Vodka, Belvedere
1 oz Blue Curaçao, Bols
1⁄2 oz Vanilla syrup
1⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1 oz Cream of coconut
Instructions

Build ingredients,
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe glass,
Garnish with a cotton candy puff

Notes

The story is beautifully balanced with its rise and fall of structure, beginning and ending with the quiet comfort of home and mother. The cocktail too, is balanced with a chalky, clean and delicate mouthfeel and a malt-like finish that compliments Belvedere/Chopin Vodka’s classic subtle and creamy tasting notes.

History

I was inspired by a recent telling of the timeless children’s classic, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”. My son enjoyed the mix of mischief and adventure with an underlying moral message. The classic tale brings about personal feelings of nostalgia, a sense of place and a moment in time. For me, this was truly the summer of my youth as I was first introduced to Peter Rabbit, and the carnival came to my sleepy New England town for 2 weeks. The tents, trailers, majors, spectaculars and games were otherworldly and remain some of my fondest childhood memories.

Picture of The Cotton Tail
Parlin
Yields Drink
Year
2023
Authenticity
Your original creation
Creator
Daniel Parlin, We All Scream, Las Vegas NV USA
Source reference

Self

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Not yet rated
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4 stars
(1 rating)
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Old Leesi

2 oz Cognac, Pierre Ferrand (Ambré or 1840 preferred)
1⁄4 oz Grade A dark color and robust taste maple syrup (scant)
2 ds Bitters, Angostura
1 part Maraschino cherry, Luxardo
Instructions

Stir, strain, rocks glass, garnish. Bitters should be added after straining for potency.

Notes

Fruitier cognacs are preferred for the Old Leesi

Yields Drink
Year
2025
Authenticity
Altered recipe
Creator
Anitagarten, Maryland, United States
Curator rating
Not yet rated
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