Melissa Demian

This is an excellent alternative to a Boulevardier, a drink I love very much, so that is saying a lot. I used Ramazzotti in place of Montenegro, which I’m out of, and it works extremely well. Something about the sherry and amaro combination gives the drink an almost saline quality, and then that hint of coffee comes through. Really impressive!

A good shout. I only had bianco on hand to try this, and it's still a great martini, considering I normally take my martinis bone dry. Once I get some proper dry vermouth back in my bar, I'll try your version!

This is a beguiling little bite of a cocktail. Definitely important to keep the proportion of curaçao to 5ml or perhaps even less - a dash? - because it provides an integrating citrus background to the vermouths and whisky without overwhelming them with sweetness. I might even try it with orange bitters next, per one of those older recipes.

A very interesting Sidecar variation, that happily gives me something to do with my crème de cassis besides putting it in sparkling wine. I may also try this with some Aelder elderberry liqueur from Buck & Birch, which has a similar flavour profile to cassis.

One query about the origin of this cocktail. In my own academic field, it would hardly be considered adequate to credit a research collaborator as “so-and-so’s wife.” Presumably the estimable individual espoused to Mr Stevenson has a name. Did anyone try to find out what it is, so that she can be credited more appropriately for her contributions to mixology?