George Jetson

My variant is called "Your Father Smelt of Elderberries".

A variation of The Black Hawk cocktail; except made with an Elderberry Gin Liqueur in lieu of Sloe Gin. Kind of sweet and spicy with the bitters bringing chocolate and licorice. Reminiscent of a sweet Manhattan with a twist.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey 54%, North Shore Distillery Eldergin Liqueur, The Bitter Truth Bogart's Bitters.

Pretty much an autumnal riff on a Manhattan with a split base of Rye and Apple Brandy. Really nice mixture of flavors with the Rye leading the way. The amount of apple-yness you get is really going to depend on the Brandy/Applejack used. A great addition to add Strega, which gives it that minty, herbal, botanical back note.

I'd rank this higher on the booziness scale than the OG, but then again I used a barrel proof rye and BiB Apple Brandy. Taming it down with a splash of Laird's 7-1/2 Year Old Apple Brandy helped.


Ingredients I used: Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey 66.8%, Laird's Bottled in Bond Straight Apple Brandy 50% , Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, Liquore Strega, The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters.

Would a cinnamon extract (such as Watkin's) substitute for the "housemade tincture"? If so, how much? A drop or two? Its pretty powerful stuff...

Pretty much an autumnal riff on a Manhattan with a split base of Rye and Apple Brandy. Really nice mixture of flavors with the Rye leading the way. The amount of apple-yness you get is really going to depend on the Brandy/Applejack used. A great addition to add Strega, which gives it that minty, herbal, botanical back note.

I'd rank this higher on the booziness scale than the OG, but then again I used a barrel proof rye and BiB Apple Brandy. Taming it down with a splash of Laird's 7-1/2 Year Old Apple Brandy helped.


Ingredients I used: Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey 66.8%, Laird's Bottled in Bond Straight Apple Brandy 50% , Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, Liquore Strega, The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters.

Came off as a bit too sweet for my tastes, but I’m not that big of an Old Fashioned fan to begin with.
Using a barrel proof high rye whiskey helped and the Jerry Thomas and Lucano bitter elements hit late, but the initial sweet blast was a bit much for me.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey 54%, Lucano amaro, Combier Banane, Dolin Génépy le Chamois Liqueur, The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters .

Updated the recipe and published in the Community Section as "Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree". Split base of BiB and aged Apple Brandy with an extra hot homemade cinnamon syrup.
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/43230/apple-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree

A great autumn cocktail and what I'll be serving this Thanksgiving (US).

I used Laird's Bottled in Bond Straight Apple Brandy 50%, Raw Unfiltered Cold Pressed Apple Cider, Shaker&Spoon Cinnamon Demerara Syrup and The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters.
A delicious autumnal cocktail evoking trips to the cider mill on a clear brisk day. Mills have started to produce cider here in MI for the past few weeks, so it’s a great time to source some fresh, unadulterated cider.

Freshly poured you get the slightly sweet cider and a a hint of cinnamon spice nicely balancing the lemon brightness. After a few sips, as it warms, the apple brandy starts to make its presence known. Finishes tart and apple-y with some warm cinnamon top notes.

3 fresh Basil leaves
1 fl oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1⁄2 fl oz 7 (Siete) Leguas Blanco
1⁄3 fl oz. Green Chartreuse
1⁄4 fl oz. Combier Doppelt Kummel Extra Liqueur
1⁄3 fl oz Agave syrup (agave nectar)
2⁄3 fl oz. Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

A really good sipping cocktail. Citrus upfront. The longer between sips, the more the nuanced caraway and cumin flavors of the Kümmel synthesize with the herbal Chartreuse and Basil. Then a whiff of smoky agave. This is the only Kümmel available in my state and I think it worked admirably.

Such big flavors from these ingredients, but somehow each strong characteristic note plays harmoniously with the others.

A surprisingly good drink. I made it a second time with Cassis instead of Cherry Brandy and it was more interesting and slightly chocolatey. Yum.

Great suggestion. I made this variant and enjoyed it even more than the OG.

Delicious riff on a Champagne cocktail. I used The Bitter Truth Orange and also Bogart's bitters. The first time I overdid it, using a single eye droppers as dash equivalents. Still good, but not as balanced as a one eye dropper measure ( 1ml), which is closer to two dashes (1.25ml). Second try was much, much better.

I used Korbel Brut Californian sparkling wine, which is pretty dry and that along with the right amount of bitters, helped damper the Cherry Heering.

This is the aperitif I'll be serving before Thanksgiving Dinner this year.

1 fl oz Apple Brandy (Laird’s Old)

2⁄3 fl oz Straight rye whiskey (High West Midwinter Night's Dram)

2⁄3 fl oz Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino

1⁄6 fl oz Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur

2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

2 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into prechilled DOF glass over a large cube of block ice. Express lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

An autumnal twist on a Vieux Carré made with Apple Brandy. The port finish on the MND plays well with a lighter red vermouth to work with, but not cover up, the Apple Brandy.

The herbal mix from the Benedictine brings a kind of spiced apple rings flavor that appeals. Bitters with a bit more clove-forward character would also work well here.

The cocktail might also benefit by using a high proof BIB Apple Brandy. The apple flavor itself is more prevalent on the finish after the other components have faded. All in all a nice variation on the original.

Used a smidge more Del Maguey Chichicapa (1.25 oz); the rest as equal 1 oz parts. Seem to let it rise above just enough to bring that smoky, citrusy, chocolate minty hint at the end.

All the other components were there working in harmony. Dangerously drinkable indeed. Think I'll try the OTR version with Strega next.

Sunshine No.3

Used a smidge more Del Maguey Chichicapa (1.25 oz); the rest as equal 1 oz parts. Seem to let it rise above just enough to bring that smoky, citrusy, chocolate minty hint at the end.

All the other components were there working in harmony. Dangerously drinkable indeed. Think I'll try the OTR version with Strega next.

Rhubarb Negroni

1 fl oz Gin (Citadelle Rouge)

1 fl oz Campari

1⁄2 fl oz Red Vermouth (Storico VdT)

1⁄2 fl oz Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.Strain into a chilled DOF glass over a large cube of block ice. Express orange zest twist over cocktail and drop in as garnish.

The gin I used has rhubarb as an ingredient, but not a rhubarb-infused gin. It paired nicely with the amaro. The amaro also brings a unique rooty bitterness without overpowering the Campari and dials down the overall sweetness.

If I served this in the blind, you’d notice something subtly different without quite putting your finger on it. Very much a Negroni first with a slight smoky bitter twist.

1oz. High proof rye whiskey (Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye 68.6%)

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Blanco vermouth (Padro & Co. Blanco Reserva)

3drop Saline soln.

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled DOF glass over a block ice cube.

For an equal parts recipe, this is actually quite layered with different flavors. The key is the Blanco vermouth bridging the spice from the overproof rye and mellowing out the Campari.

This particular Blanco has a slight citrusy, fruity sweet taste along with the bitter wormwood and herbal character. Together, the components blend to create a unique taste with little flashes of the individual pieces coming through.

Great cocktail, best with a very herbal gin.

I made it with Vigilant Navy Strength and it was a perfect fit.

1 fl oz Gin (Vigilant Navy Strength)

1 fl oz Yellow Chartreuse

1 fl oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

1/2 fl oz Turbinado simple syrup

5-9 fresh Basil leaves

4 dash Fee Brothers Fee Foam cocktail foamer

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker. Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with 3 drops of aromatic bitters (Bogart's Bitters) and float basil leaf boat.

I used the Vigilant NS Gin since it is a more herbal, savory gin. It was perfect in this context. Bright citrus, blends wonderfully with the sweetness and aromatics from the basil. I used a lot of basil since we are overrun at the moment and it’s not muddled in this recipe. The YC does not overwhelm, but brings its sweet, herbal, minty touch to the party.

I wanted to stick as closely to the OG recipe as possible this first time. Next time, I would cut back on the simple and add a few dashes of VÉGÉTAL de la Grande-Chartreuse.

Harris on the Med:

1 fl oz Gin (Isle of Harris)
2/3 fl oz Italicus liqueur
4 fl oz Mediterranean tonic water (Fever tree)
2 dash. Cucumber bitters

Garnish: Basil sprig

I used IoH to bring more maritime elements and a bit of cucumber bitters to tamper the sweetness in the Italicus and bring out more of the herbal/Earl Grey elements.

Using a Mediterranean tonic I think is necessary for this cocktail to slightly evoke those flavors. Otherwise this is pretty much a tarted up G&T. Basil sprig because I’m still trying to tame that Triffid in my garden.