Oh My Word!

 Story:

This is a variation of the Last Word cocktail.  The published recipe features green Chartreuse, an herbal liqueur which for a variety of reasons is currently tough to get in the U.S.  Instead, I made this version with DolinGènèpy le Chamois, one of the common substitutes that’s much easier to find (and more affordable).  It’s in the same ballpark as green Chartreuse, albeit with a slightly lower ABV and a little less assertive flavor.  The Oh My Word!  also omits the lime juice used in the Last Word in favor of the juice-like notes in Amaro Montenegro, bolstered by citrus bitters.  Messages are mixed as to whether lime bitters or orange bitters are best here.  I went with orange because I don’t have lime bitters.  All the components of this are shelf-stable, which is very nice for our purposes. Since it has no juice and features an amaro, you will not be stunned to learn that this is another Sother Teague cocktail.

Recipe:

0.75 oz Maraschino liqueur
0.75 oz green Chartreuse or Dolin Gènèpy le Chamois
0.75 oz Amaro Montenegro
0.75 oz Old Tom gin
2 dashes orange or lime bitters
-add all ingredients to mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled
-strain into a chilled glass

Downhill Daring

 Story:

The Downhill Daring features Punt e Mes, which is a cross between sweet vermouth and bitter herbal liqueur, aka amaro.  It’s made from a dry white wine base, dozens of herbs & spices, and quinine.  No malaria for this crowd!  This drink is a variant of the Reverse Manhattan (2 parts sweet vermouth, 1 part rye, bitters) which splits the vermouth duties between Punt e Mes and Cocchi Americano, adds a touch of Benedictine to balance all that bitterness, and uses bourbon instead of rye to avoid hogging the spotlight.  The Downhill Daring was invented by Brian Nixon of the Truxton Inn (which closed during COVID) and McClellan’s Retreat in D.C. with inspiration from other drinks dating from early in the 20^th century.  I find this one full-bodied, simultaneously sweet and bitter, with underlying hints of chocolate and root beer candy.  It’s best when cold, so don’t linger.

Recipe:

1.5 oz Punt e Mes

1.0 oz bourbon

0.5 oz Cocchi Americano apertivo 

0.25 oz Benedictine

          2 dashes Angostura bitters, 2 dashes orange 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.

Black Rock Chiller

 

Story:

This is another cocktail in the scaffa family, which are designed to be served at room temperature.  The recipe was created for the Burning Man festival because it was shelf stable and required no ice or refrigeration.  It was also intended to be cooling and refreshing despite all that.  The effect is accomplished by the Fernet Branca Menta.  For those whose Italian isn’t as good as mine, menta means “mint”.  Brenca Menta was made in the 1960’s in order to broaden the appeal of the legendarily aggressive Fernet Branca.  It’s more mild and refreshing than the original, but also too sweet on its own.  Here the Suze and tequila mellow things out and add depth to the drink.  I think of this as the polar opposite of the Tenochtitlan.  That one was cold but hot, whereas the Black Rock Chiller is room temperature but cool.

Recipe:

1 part Fernet Branca Menta

1 part Suze

1 part reposado tequila

-build the cocktail in a rocks glass and stir to mix

Bone Machine

 

Story:

This drink is kind of a trickster.  It comes at you like one of our usual bourbon cocktails – perfumed with orange and a sweet bourbon scent mixed with amaro.  The first taste keeps the charade going for a moment, then the flavor parts and you encounter the nutty, oaky, earthy flavor of the sherry.  (There is apparently a lot to know about sherry.) That foundation stays with you while the bourbon cocktail flavor makes another appearance, and long afterward.  The first taste surprised me before I knew what to expect.  I’d like another one right now. 

This drink was invented by Jeff Lyon at the Third Rail in San Francisco, which is a cocktail bar that also serves jerky.  (Here is a low-quality video of Jeff making a Bone Machine.)  I was mildly disappointed to learn that it’s just named after a Tom Waits album. 

Recipe:

1.5 oz dry sherry (the original was oloroso sherry; I used the similar amontillado sherry)

1.0 oz bourbon

0.25 oz Benedictine

0.5 oz Amaro Nonino

2 dashes orange bitters,  1 dash angostura bitters

-add all ingredients to mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled

-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice

-express orange twist over the drink and drop it in