Tenochtitlan

 

Story:

This surprisingly delightful drink features reposado tequila, which differs from blanco (silver) tequila in that it’s aged in oak barrels for up to a year to give it a subtle complexity.  The cocktail starts with a lovely burst of orange scent.  The sip is cool and you get the toasty, mellow flavor of the reposado tequila, smoothed by the vermouth.  Only then does the heat from the Ancho Reyes liqueur announce itself quietly, ramping up after you swallow and take a breath.  I waited after each sip for that pleasant burn to subside then  went back for more.  This cocktail was invented by Pilar Vree, a bartender in the Bay Area.  It's named after Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire that stood in the center of what is now Mexico City.  Here's how to pronounce it.

Recipe:

2 oz reposado tequila

0.5 oz sweet vermouth

0.5 oz Ancho Reyes chile liqueur

1 dash orange bitters

          1 dash chocolate bitters
           orange twist

-add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice; stir until chilled
-strain into a chilled coupe

-express orange twist over the drink, then use as a garnish.

Montgomery Smith

Story:

This cocktail is something of a journey flavor-wise.  The aroma is lemony at first, quickly followed by a note of menthol and mint.  A sip takes you through into caramel, then Benedictine-style honey and herbs, a bit of chocolate, and finally back out through the menthol.  It was invented by Nate Dumas, a bartender at PDT speakeasy bar in New York, in 2007.  I can’t find why the drink is named as it is other than a vague story that Dumas was challenged by a fellow bartender to make a drink with that name.    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Recipe:

2.0 oz Cognac (VSOP or VS)

0.5 oz Benedictine

0.25 oz Fernet Branca

          garnish: lemon twist

-add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice; stir until chilled
-strain into a chilled coupe or other cocktail glass

-express lemon twist over the drink, then use to garnish.

Precision Timepiece

 

Story:

Well this was indeed a surprise.  I didn’t have any experience with Jägermeister before buying a bottle a few weeks ago after learning that it’s an amaro.  I was also reminded that it’s made in Germany by the Mast family (no close relation that I’m aware of), so I had to try it out.  Once again it was my guy Sother Teague to the rescue.  You’ll recognize this as a version of the Waterproof Watch with Jägermeister instead of gin.  It’s got a ton of vanilla, orange, and root beer vibes.  You’ll also notice the pimento bitters in there.  When I hear “pimento” I think of those red things they stuff into olives, but in fact this use of the word pimento is another term for allspice.  

Recipe:

1.5 oz Jägermeister

0.75 oz Amaro Montenegro

0.75 oz Aperol

2 dashes Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters (4 shakes of the bottle)

          garnish: orangetwist

-add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice; stir until chilled
-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice

-express orange twist over the drink, then drop in or discard.

How Do I Compare?

 Story:

This drink is a Scaffa, which is a class of cocktails served at room temperature.  They've been around for some time, making an early appearance in Jerry Thomas's classic Bartender's Guide from the 1860's.  Apparently there is some debate about where the name came from -- some think it's based on the Italian word for "cupboard".  Scaffa cocktails were popular when ice was harder to come by, and lately made a bit of a comeback when bartenders were preparing shelf-stable cocktails for carryout during the COVID.
This drink surprised me initially, but I suppose it’s not much different than drinking a spirit neat.  The How Do I Compare has notes of both apples (from the brandy and bitters) and oranges (from the Cointreau and twist).  Our old friend Benedictine also makes an appearance, binding everything together with an herbal honey undercurrent.  It’s fun tasting the different layers of this cocktail. It comes as no surprise that it’s a strong drink, so take your time unpacking each sip.
This is another Sother Teague recipe, by the way.

Recipe:

0.75 oz bourbon

0.75 oz apple brandy

0.5 oz Benedictine

0.25 oz Cointreau

2 dashes apple bitters (4 shakes of the bottle)

          garnish: orange twist

-add all ingredients to a rocks glass without ice.  Stir briefly.

-express orange twist over the drink, then discard