Crescendo

• 1.5 oz. Hayman’s Exotic Citrus gin
• 0.5 oz. Junipero Smoked Rosemary gin
• 0.5 oz. St. George Aqua Perfecta basil liqueur
• 0.5 oz. Cocchi Americano
• 0.25 oz. limoncello
• dash of Crude “Rizzo” bitters
• 6 drops of lactart

Stir with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with toasted rosemary.

Although it appears secondary, this began as me exploring the Junipero rosemary offering, which I really like, but found overpowering if I stuck to that as a base. Thus I reached for the Hayman’s for a bright citrus base, enhanced by the Junipero. Lemon, basil, some sweet and bitter herbaceousness from the Cocchi — all added nicely to the drink. “Rizzo” features notes of rosemary, grapefruit and peppercorn, which paired well. I felt it lacked some acid, but didn’t want the more dominating presence of a lemon or lime, so dropped in some lactart. And there it was.

The name is a musical theater deep cut. There’s a character in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying named Rosemary. The song sung about her features the line:

Just imagine if we kissed.
What a crescendo not to be missed!

So don’t miss it.

A Little Bit o’ Seoul

• 1 5 oz. Yuzu gin
• 1.0 oz. Yobo Kish Seoul
• 0.5 oz. yuzu liqueur (Yuzuri)
• 0.25 oz. ginger liqueur (Giffard)
• 0.25 oz. honey liqueur (Barenjager)
• Regan’s orange bitters
• The Japanese Shiso bitters

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

I think this is my fourth and last focus on a Kish liqueur (until they come out with more or I do another riff). Seoul has a hibiscus, lemon, and honey profile. I paired that with a yuzu gin, then yuzu, ginger, and honey liqueurs in small portions to reinforce. The bitters tamed the sweetness.

Nothing super creative with the name. Here is one pop song. Or I could have gone with Billy Joel’s “It’s All About Soul.” Or “Soul Man.” Put them all on and raise a glass.

Conundrum

• 1.5 oz. Nordés gin
• 0.5 oz. Linton Hill strawberry gin
• 0.5 oz. Cocchi Americano
• 0.5 oz. yuzu liqueur
• 0.25 oz. Kümmel
• 0.25 oz. cinnamon syrup
• dash of Bokers bitters

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

This started in the Mediterranean with two Spanish gins, and quickly took detours to who knows where. Cinnamon, yuzu and anise/fennel all worked well together, with Bokers and Cocchi adding some bitterness and additional herbaceousness.

As the theme was all over the map, literally, I had a difficult time coming up with a name for this one. Conundrum had been bouncing around a bit in my noggin, so I thought now was a good time to apply it. Problem solved.

Route 101

• 2.0 oz. Gray Whale gin
• 0.5 oz. dry vermouth
• 0.25 oz. Benedictine
• barspoon of Ferrand Dry Curacao
• barspoon of Tempus Fugit mint liqueur
• barspoon of Clear Creek fir brandy
• dash of Owl & Whale eucalyptus bitters

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

Another gin-specific Martini variant, though this one more a Caprice variant, really. Starting with California’s Gray Whale gin and the vermouth and Benedictine standard (though a bit less of the latter), I then added little dashes of supporting ingredients to highlight the underlying botanicals and flavors of the gin.

The name is for the famous Pacific coastal highway running through all the flora. Though if you’re sipping this, maybe call an Uber.

An Orient Expession

• 2.0 oz. Opihr gin
• 1.0 oz. dry vermouth
• barspoon of yuzu liqueur
• barspoon of cinnamon syrup
• dash of Fee’s Brothers West Indies Orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

I wanted to do a series of martini-like gin drinks that focused on specific gins, adding a touch of ingredients to highlight the gin. This one focused on Opihr and its spice road flavors. With just a tiny dash of cinnamon, yuzu and orange bitters (sure, WEST Indies, but still), and you have a delicate tipple with a little more punch than your standard martini.

I felt the Agatha Christie / transportation route was a nice nod to the range of region and spices (plus I love my Christie). Poirot would be upset it doesn’t have cassis, but he would be hard to please in any case.