Really well balanced; the smokiness of the mezcal just snakes through the cocktail beautifully.

I have to battle my antipathy towards cognac; which just tastes like bottled gout to me….. but the almost homeopathic amount here combined with my love of benedictine triumphs…I think it needs to settle in the glass a bit, it struck me as a real slow sipper

As other commentators noted, a really interesting mix of bitter and sour but with some depth from the Montenegro and bourbon…. It’s also a lovely colour; perfect for a NZ autumn

Very well rounded; especially if you use something other than Campari, which I find deeply one dimensional

I absolutely love how the mint sneaks through here; this lovely little undertone…..

I found this really elegant; the dryness of the sherry and the sweetness of the italicus play off each other really well; not the topermost taper of cocktails but a very pleasant gambol in the foothills of pleasantness.

I think the italicus gets buried a bit in this combo by the amaro… and, as others have noted, it’s sweeter than the dryness guide indicates.

A surprisingly radiant cocktail…. The condensed milk with the coconut water etc gives a lovely silky texture and the lime juice just zings it up …

I find this gorgeously balanced. For the red bitter liqueur, I used the lovely St Felix bitter citrus ( from Melbourne) which is less bitter and more floral than a Campari.

Very sweet for my tastes….

The fennel liqueur I was using was 100 proof which made this a pretty boozy number…. Nice though, and the vermouth almost held its own

I loved this, the grassiness of the rum paired really well with the basil. Just lovely for a summer evening

As noted by others, defintely on the sweeter side and I think the elderflower gets a bit lost ( I was using the gorgeous no8 distillery elderflower liqueur) but for all that, a pleasant drink.

I used a beautiful fragrant bitter red aperitivo from St Felix in Melbourne and it really elevated the drink from when I just used Campari….

Surprisingly well integrated….and a gorgeous colour…..

I recently bought this gin and love it. It’s definitely an unusual taste profile for a gin but its balance and mouthfeel are gorgeous. A favourite of this year together with the Papaiti Potager gin ( which has a beautiful understated rose note)