Frederic D.

One of my favorite drinks I have made from Difford’s Guide recently. The taste is in fact reminiscent of a cigar, in the best possible way, from the richness of the rum and Benedictine up front to the smoky ash on the finish. Not an everyday drink but definitely delicious.

This is very tasty. I used Plymouth, Haymans, Dolin Genepy, and Braulio. Obviously very herbal, I would recommend letting the drink sit for a bit, as the immediate approach was a tad too Maraschino forward for me. Increased dilution and time in the glass helped the flavors meld and harmonize better.

Enjoyed this cocktail. Well balanced and much lighter than I expected. I did have to use a different amaro (Nonino) since I didn’t have Braulio. That might have contributed to its lighter profile. I wonder what a more bitter amaro would do…. Might have to try that next.

I highly recommend trying it with Braulio, or a close substitute, as the extra herbal and bitter elements really help balance out the Maraschino.

I actually decreased the ginger just a bit, as I was using Barrow's, which is rather potent, and used a single malt because I felt like it. Either way, a rather wonderful drink, and an inspired variation on the Rusty Nail. The Scotch came through clearly, the Drambuie's sweetness played support, and the ginger provided just the right amount of warmth, as well as complimenting the Drambuie's herbal components.

Peated Scotch tempered by amaro and vermouth, what's not to like? I used Lagavulin Distiller's Edition, and I found this quite pleasant. Punt e Mes and Lucano are sturdy enough to stand up to the Scotch, whose smokiness does indeed come through nicely.

Unlike a few Discerning Drinkers below, I definitely prefer to keep this drink equal parts. I really enjoyed how honey-forward it is, with the lemon to tame the sweetness and the herbal complexity to play against. Highly recommended.

This is quite good. The tequila definitely comes through (as it should, at a full 2 oz), as does the lime. Orgeat and ginger combine to provide balancing sweetness and a background of almond and spice, but this is very much a tequila and lime forward drink.

This was quite a solid drink, but I felt my Japanese whiskey (Kaiyo 5 Wood) was overwhelmed by the other ingredients.I might need to try a different base that has a more pronounced character, to avoid losing the nuance and complexity of the whiskey.

This is a classic for a reason. I prefer the newer, 3/4 Oz recipe personally, as I think it lets the flavors meld more harmoniously. I used Basil Hayden Dark Rye, not a great rye on its own but works really well in Manhattan style applications, along with a local brandy-based vermouth (same observation), and Remy Martin VSOP. Spicy, herbal, rich, and at least in my case sweeter than the 6 rating might suggest. A delicious drink.

This is really good! It starts off with cognac/vermouth richness (I used a local brandy-based vermouth from Mt. Defiance), briefly moves into grapefruit, before finishing with warm ginger and a whisper of chocolate from the bitters. Very nicely balanced with a great evolution, highly recommended.

Like many others I had to make substitutions, in my case 2 dashes of smoked cinnamon bitters in place of the syrup. I rather like this drink. I'm not sure I get any rosemary, but the cognac/PeM/Heering combo is really quite pleasant. The Scotch adds some interesting light smoke and an additional dimension to balance the roundness of the cognac. Overall quite pleasant, one I would gladly make again.

Like many others I had to make substitutions, in my case 2 dashes of smoked cinnamon bitters in place of the syrup. I rather like this drink. I'm not sure I get any rosemary, but the cognac/PeM/Heering combo is really quite pleasant. The Scotch adds some interesting light smoke and an additional dimension to balance the roundness of the cognac. Overall quite nice, one I would gladly make again.

Very nice drink. I agree with John Carr below that it is superior to the Preakness cocktail. The cognac adds a really interesting nuance that the other drink lacks.

Very nice drink. Tart and vanilla-forward, although I might bump the grapefruit up to 0.75 Oz, as I felt it was getting a bit lost. Bitters are essential to add character as well, and different options might work equally well.

Remade with Punt e Mes in place of the sweet vermouth and enjoyed it more, but I also feel it us quite a departure from the original. The interplay of grapefruit and PeM is delicious, but I still don't think this is quite it, I will have to keep experimenting

Very nice drink. For me closer to sour proportions than to the Paper Plane's equal parts, but with great herbal complexity thanks to its duo of liqueurs. Don't skip the saline.

Pretty solid drink. The Falernum is a rather unexpected addition, but actually works well, bringing just a hint of spice and lime oil. Very rounded flavors, the rye and Punt e Mes are smoothed out by the other ingredients in a nice, quite nuanced way.

This was indeed another great cocktail, as John said. It was perfectly balanced for me. I used Liber & Co Grapefruit cordial instead of the grapefruit syrup, which brought in just a bit more acidity. 1 Oz of Briland Afrohead: not the best rum, but quite unobtrusive, which worked great here, and 1/3 Oz Appleton Estate Signature to add just a slight undertone of funk and complexity. I love grapefruit bitterness, but the use of the cordial and liqueur here brought grapefruit flavor with much less bitterness, which was delightful in its own right. Really a lovely drink for a quiet late Saturday afternoon.

Very very good cocktail, refreshing and delicately balanced. I used Dashfire Lemon bitters and they helped keep the drink bright. Highly recommended.

I tried this with Aalborg aquavit as suggested by Mark below, and it resulted in a great drink, although I might drop the saline to 4 or so drops next time. Savory, herbal, and perfectly balanced between lemon tartness and sweet.

Very good drink. I agree with others that the cinnamon syrup needs to be controlled lest it takes over. A bit more restrained than the traditional Zombie, but all the better for it.

I often like my drinks a tad sweeter than Simon, but even for me this shouldn't be any sweeter. It's well balanced as is, but it wouldn't take much for the orgeat to take it into cloying territory. The 8:3:2 works well, resulting in a delicate botanical sour with almond hints.

I agree with Caspian's assessment below - interesting, tasty, but slightly too sweet. The hazelnut does not feel out of place, but I found myself missing the bracing bitterness I associate with a Negroni.