The Departed

• 1.5 oz. Irish Whiskey (Jameson)
• 0.5 oz. rye (Rittenhouse)
• 0.5 oz. crème de noyaux (Tempus Fugit)
• 0.5 oz. cranberry liqueur (Flag Hill)
• dash of Angostura bitters

Stir gently with ice and strain into old fashioned over ice.

I have been playing a bit with Flag Hill’s cranberry liqueur and thought I might do a play on the Godfather (Scotch and amaretto) that I find too sweet and in need of some brightness. Enter the cranberry. With that in hand, I thought I might go full Massachusetts (though Flag Hill is in New Hampshire, the cranberries come from the Cape) and swap in Irish whiskey for the Scotch. I wanted a bit more bite, so subbed in a little rye for the base and ended it with Angostura. The crème de noyaux has a similar taste to amaretto and is less cloying to my palate, so that was swapped in as well.

Since I was transplanting the Godfather to Boston I thought Scorsese’s film The Departed was a suitable name. I only saw it once so don’t have any clever quotes to throw out to you. Other than whatever you do don’t attempt a Boston accent after drinking this. On second thought, don’t attempt a Boston accent when sober either.

There Are No Monkeys in Hawaii

• 1.5 oz. Scarlet Ibis rum
• 0.5 oz. Clément V.S.O.P. Rhum Agricole Vieux
• 0.5 oz. crème de banane (Tempus Fugit)
• 0.5 oz. lemon juice
• 0.25 oz. lime juice
• 0.25 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 0.25 oz. honey syrup (1:1)
• 0.25 oz. allspice dram (Bitter Truth)
• 0.25 oz. Cruzan blackstrap rum
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into glass over crushed ice.

Ok, so I wanted to make another tiki drink with banana, and after a couple of iterations I developed the above. As I was writing this up I thought I might compare it with other banana drinks I might have made (there have only been a few). Turns out, I inadvertently replicated almost exactly a drink from a year ago, Daylight Come, except for the addition of honey syrup and blackstrap.

So enjoy a second round on me!

Old Dog / New Tricks

• 2.0 oz. New Western or London Dry gin
• 0.5 oz. birch liqueur (Wild Moon)
• 0.25 oz. Green Chartreuse
• 0.25 oz. lemon juice
• Dash of Dandelion & Burdock bitters

Shake with ice and strain into coupe.

Here’s a Last Word variant using the Wild Moon birch liqueur out of Connecticut. The ratio is very different being much more gin forward and swapping lemon for lime, plus the addition of some bitters.

Just when I think I’ve milked the Last Word for all it can offer I get another drink out of it, hence the name.

Orange Parrot

• 1.5 oz. Chesuncook Botanical Spirit
• 0.5 oz. turmeric liqueur (Tamworth)
• 0.5 oz. carrot juice
• 0.25 oz. ginger liqueur (The King’s Ginger)
• 0.25 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 0.25 oz. lime juice
• dash of Abbot’s bitters

Shake with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with lime.

I was making my wife and kids some non-alcoholic drinks using some carrot juice (different combinations and ratios of lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, ginger ale, orange bitters) and the carrot juice gave such a beautiful color. I wanted an alcoholic cocktail version.

The Chesuncook spirit is carrot-based, so that was the natural choice. The turmeric liqueur seemed a perfect complement for carrots. The ginger liqueur and cinnamon syrup added some spice and sugar, and the lime gave a bright acid. A cocktail needs bitters, so I reached for Abbot’s.

The name comes from the joke, “What’s orange and sounds like a parrot?”

I didn’t say it was a good joke.

Shishi

• 2.0 oz. bourbon (Bulleit)
• 0.5 oz. ginger liqueur (King’s Ginger)
• 0.5 oz. allspice dram (Cotton & Reed)
• 0.5 oz. lemon juice
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1/4 tsp soy sauce

Shake with ice and strain into Nick and Nora.

I haven’t used soy sauce in a cocktail in years, but I love it and am not sure why I don’t take advantage of it more. Well, it can overpower, that’s why. But when it’s up against bourbon and lemon and ginger with allspice thrown in for good measure, it fits in perfectly.

This one started as a riff on the Lion’s Tail and remains fairly close. Lemon is in for lime, and the ginger replaces the simple syrup. The soy is extra. Thus the name of the variant, after the Chinese imperial lions, or shishi.