Cocktail Experiments 2018

We always record cocktail experiments we would make again. Here are the ones from 2018 we deem delectable. Some of the ingredients may be hard to find in your area, in which case substitutions may be made. We always encourage messing around with ingredients.

Farewell, 2018. We are not sorry to see you go.

Cocktail Recipes for You to Ponder (and Make) This Thanksgiving

The Biscotti Manhattan offers a hint of the famous Italian cookie, with notes of cocoa and cherries. Perfect with Bacon-wrapped Apricots.

We are the proud yet ashamed owners of cocktail recipes scribbled across stacks of mismatched scratch papers, napkins, business cards, index cards, menus, and the ubiquitous Post-Its. We call them strays. As Thanksgiving approaches, we decided to shed ourselves of things that do not or no longer give us joy. Scraps of paper are those things. So before tossing them into the wastebasket of thwarted dreams, we decided to publish a few recipes that actually sounded good. Invite one of these strays over for Thanksgiving. Feel free to substitute whatever you see fit, or better fits with what you have on your shelf. Don’t have Dubonnet rouge, then substitute a sweet vermouth or another quinquina. Try them all up or on the rocks with a splash of soda. We hope you enjoy experimenting behind the bar (and in the kitchen) as much as we do. Here’s to you and all the fun you bring to flavor.

Fall Pear Manhattan
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce bourbon
1/2 ounce pear liqueur
1/2 ounce Dubonnet rouge
dash whiskey bitters
1/4 teaspoon Velvet Falernum
pear slice, as garnish

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Add garnish.

Biscotti Manhattan
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce Faretti Biscotti Famosi liqueur
1 dash mole bitters
maraschino or brandied cherry, as garnish

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Add garnish.

The Biscotti Manhattan pairs perfectly with Bacon-wrapped apricots with fresh sage. So easy to make, yet the rewards are infinite.

Bacon-wrapped Apricots with Sage
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
package quality bacon
package unsulfured dried apricots
bunch fresh sage

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking tray completely with parchment paper, so that it hangs a little over the sides. If apricots do not seem bite-size, cut in half. Cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap bacon slice around apricot piece and place on parchment, seam-side down. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon has reached desired doneness.

Pair them with any of the cocktails on this page, or with a William Tell All cocktail or a ’69 cocktail for a “Perfect Pairing.”

Maple–Rye Highball
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/4 ounces rye
1/2 ounce Sortilège maple liqueur
2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6
maple water, carbonated

Method
Shake for 15 seconds in ice. Strain into chilled glasses and top with maple water.

Dutch Negroni
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce genever gin (we used Bols)
1 ounce Aperol
1 ounce sweet vermouth (we used Martini & Rossi)
dash camomile tincture
orange peel, expressed and rubbed around rim

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Add garnish.

Gin and Aperol
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces G’Vine Floraison gin
1 ounce Aperol
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce Galliano l’Autentico
1 dash Boker’s bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Add garnish.

Golden Bees
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce bourbon
1/ ounce Berentzen Bushel & Barrel
1/2 ounce goldwasser
dash Boker’s bitters

Method
Stir in ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Add garnish.

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Even if you never make any of these tantalizing concoctions or nibbles, we hope they inspired some of your own ideas. Share them with us.

photos © Cocktail Buzz

Brunch Cocktails Redefined

Sometimes at brunch, a cocktail is necessary. Your obligations for the rest of the day are insignificant compared to the importance of imbibing with your French Toast or Shirred Eggs. But the thought of tippling one more ho-hum Mimosa and Bloody Mary has got you teetotalling most Sundays. Try one of our new brunch cocktails (you can have them before dinner as well).


The Benedict shares the flavors of the famous egg dish it emulates.

The Benedict is a subtle and savory combination of tarragon, egg cream, clove, and bacon. It will definitely stimulate your appetite for more sweet and savory breakfast treats such as the above-mentioned french toast, or perhaps a stack of pancakes drowned in butter and pure maple syrup.

The Benedict
(created by Paul Zablocki, Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 ounce cognac
1 ounce tarragon-infused vodka*
1/4 ounce advocaat
bacon-dust rim**
dash of ground clove, as garnish

Method
Rim a chilled coupe with bacon dust (wet the rim first with some cognac). Add first three ingredients to an ice-filled shaker and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a dash of ground clove.

* To make the tarragon-infused vodka, infuse about a tablespoon of fresh tarragon leaves with about 2 cups of vodka in an airtight container. If you use a fifth of vodka, you can double the tarragon. (The measurements do not have to be precise.) Let sit for up to four days, shaking occasionally. Taste daily. When the vodkas tastes good and tarragony, strain the vodka into a clean bottle or jar that has a lid.

** To make the bacon-dust rim, microwave a strip or two of bacon on high for about 2 minutes. It should get very dark and crispy. Grind the bacon in a spice or coffee mill and empty onto a saucer. Wet rim of glass with a bit of cognac and dip into the mix so that it sticks to the rim.

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The Suzette will remind you of the flavors of the crêpe that shares its name.

And speaking of maple syrup, why not try the Suzette, a slightly sweet and boozy blend of the unique and beguiling Hudson Four Grain bourbon, Sortilège maple liqueur, and the amazing triple sec L’Original Combier Liqueur d’Orange. Together, the drink will remind you of the first time you tried a Crêpe Suzette. (The only thing missing is the powdered sugar.)

Suzette
(created by Paul Zablocki, Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Hudson Four Grain bourbon
1/2 ounce Sortilège maple liqueur
1/4 ounce Combier orange liqueur
1 dash Bitter Truth orange bitters
orange peel, as garnish

Method
Stir in mixing glass half filled with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

If you fancy your drinks on the rocks, the Suzette is quite the accommodating gal. We suggest you bump up the maple and orange liqueurs by a 1/4 oz. each.

Suzette on the Rocks
(created by Paul Zablocki and Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Hudson Four Grain bourbon
3/4 ounce Sortilège maple liqueur
1/2 ounce Combier orange liqueur
1 dash Bitter Truth orange bitters
orange peel, as garnish

Method
Stir in mixing glass half filled with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Add garnish.

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Up for some Monkey Business? Cognac & banana puree, topped with champagne!

Well, if those two are not getting your taste buds to perk up, then perhaps some Monkey Business will do it for you. It’s essentially a champagne cocktail with lots of very ripe banana mixed with delectable cognac and a hint of Velvet Falernum. You can either strain the chunky bananas through a sieve to make them super smooth, or if you like the chunky texture, just mash it up or use an immersion blender. Just remember to use the ripest of bananas or the drink will not work. Enjoy fueling your inner monkey!

Monkey Business
(created by Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces cognac or brandy
1/2 ounces Velvet Falernum
1/4 ounce ripe banana puree
3 ounces champagne or prosecco

Method
Shake first 3 ingredients in ice for 30 seconds. Pour into chilled goblet. Top with champagne. Give it a little stir.

photos © Steve Schul and Paul Zablocki, Cocktail Buzz