Plum Stoker’s Chocula

• 1.5 oz. Transylvanian plum brandy (Palinca Zetea)
• 0.5 oz. Transylvanian plum liqueur (Zetea Silvoriu)
• 0.5 oz. lemon juice
• 0.25 oz. Copper and King’s Destillaire Chocolat
• 0.25 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 0.25 oz. honey liqueur (Barenjeger)

Shake with ice and strain over crushed ice. Top with healthy dashes of Peychaud’s.

First, I apologize for the name. It came to me right away and then I couldn’t get rid of it. And yes, it’s awful.

The drink, however, is not. I used a couple of plum liquors I got in Romania. I tempered the sweet with the bitter chocolate and lemon. But then needed to round out the plum with the cinnamon and honey.

But the name. Deserves a stake through the heart, it does.

50 Shades of Orange

• 2.0 oz. Saffron gin
• 0.25 oz. Crème de Noyaux (Tempus Fugit)
• 0.25 oz. Dry Curacao (Pierre Ferrand)
• 0.25 oz. salted honey syrup
• 0.25 oz. lemon juice
• dash of cardamom tincture

Shake with ice and strain into glass.

I’ve used the Boudin saffron gin in the past, but if I’m honest it’s not my favorite, so this last time I finished a bottle I decided I didn’t need to invest in another. However, I was still playing with this cocktail, so infused my own — Corsair with a few threads of saffron overnight — and quite liked the results.

The mix? Not sure. The almond (taste) of the noyaux with orange made sense, and I think I had the salted honey syrup made from another cocktail (honey, water, pinch of salt, reduced). Definitely needed the acid from the lemon. And saffron and cardamom? Sure.

Because of the saffron the drink has a beautiful orange hue. It’s one hue, but I liked the name anyway.