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Herbal, bracing, and worthy of its classic cocktail status. The Last Word is a gin-based prohibition-era cocktail originally developed at the Detroit Athletic Club. It seems like a mix that almost shouldn’t work: pungent London Dry gin mixed with two powerful, complex liqueurs and a punch of lime. Yet those four bold ingredients come together to create something different. “The sum is greater than the parts themselves.”
The cocktail has a pale greenish color, primarily due to the Chartreuse.
Variations utilize Absinthe, Mezcal, or Scotch.
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The Paper Plane is a modern variation on the Last Word—this time made with equal parts bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and lemon juice. Supposedly inspired by M.I.A.’s smash hit “Paper Plane” (which was also released in 2007), the cocktail strikes a beautiful balance between bitter, sour and herbal notes.
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Bitter and dry, but very tasty. This no namby-pamby drink is traditionally assembled and mixed directly in the glass. There is something about a Negroni that does not suit fussing about with mixing glasses and strainers. To garnish with a lemon slice is a heinous crime but we are quite partial to a fat orange wedge.
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The Sazerac is a local New Orleans variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient. The drink is most traditionally a combination of cognac or rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud’s Bitters, and sugar, although bourbon whiskey is sometimes substituted for the rye and Herbsaint is sometimes substituted for the absinthe. Some claim it is the oldest known American cocktail, with origins in pre-Civil War New Orleans,
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A previously forgotten classic. Its earliest written incarnation is as the “Fernet Cocktail” in Robert Vermeire’s 1922 Cocktails – How to Mix Them. Although Vermeire titles the drink the “Fernet Cocktail”, under the recipe he finishes, “This cocktail is much appreciated by the Canadians of Toronto”.
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Subtle citrus and herbal notes complete with a flaming presentation.
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Tequila and lavender are a match made in heaven, made more complex with herbal wine notes from the vermouth, aromatised by delicately fruity maraschino cherry.
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Roald Dahl’s literary work “The Witches” is set in Norway and features the experiences of a young British boy and his Norwegian grandmother in a world where child-hating societies of witches secretly exist in every country. This fall cocktail highlights locally sourced aquavit alongside other fragrant and herbaceous notes.
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Aside from the fact that the Green Ghost is a delicious cocktail, with a lovely appearance and a killer name, not much is known about it. It closely resembles that of a Last Word although the proportions are slightly altered and the maraschino is left out. It’s heavier on the gin leaving the herbal Green Chartreuse to sing in the background whilst vibrant and acidic lime juice brings it altogether.
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Suitably autumnal in colour. The vermouths and brandies are presented in harmony.
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A twist of the classic Vieux Carre with scotch substituting rye whiskey and cherry wine in place of vermouth. The bitter balance is provided by aromatised wine.
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~ Sometimes I drink water to surprise my liver ~