Powder Monkey

• 1.5 oz. Planteray Guyana rum
• 0.5 oz. Probitas rum
• 0.5 oz . chicory liqueur (Tamworth Blue Lion)
• 0.25 oz. crème de banane (Tempus Fugit)
• 0.25 oz. coffee liqueur (St. George NOLA)

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

I haven’t done a lot with the chicory, so this was a bit of play to see where I could utilize it. The coffee might have come first, as it brings me back to the chicory and coffee of NOLA. I think banana is a nice sweet pairing, and this all together screamed rum, so eventually I landed at this split between the Guyana and Probitas.

I don’t know how many more monkey names I have in me for banana drinks, but I’ll keep them coming. A powder monkey was a young boy hauling gunpowder to cannons on old sea vessels. And I’m sure they drank the rum as heartily as the old sea dogs.

Alchemical Romance

• 1.5 oz. Cognac
• 0.5 oz. rye whiskey
• 0.5 oz. turmeric liqueur (Von Humboldt’s)
• 0.25 oz. ginger liqueur (Giffard)
• 0.25 oz. honey liqueur (Barenjager)
• dash of Crude Attawanhood #37 bitters

Stir with ice and strain into glass.

I was building a drink around Cognac, of which I don’t have many. It might be a crutch I pull from the Vieux Carré, but I do like it better when it’s paired with rye. To this I added my mix of liqueurs. The turmeric brings some bitterness, but I wanted that strengthened with the Crude bitters, which add cherry and clove.

All this together sounded like some medicinal cure all. The name doesn’t really evoke that, but I do like the play on alchemy. And I just liked the name, so there it is. Hope it cures all that ails you.