Blue Run Sling (Death & Co. Recipe)

This bittersweet Sling is a little less exotic than the Singapore Sling, keeping its ingredients more or less grounded in apple pie notes rather than citrus. And you don't see bourbon Slings everyday. I think of this as a fall cocktail for those who need to keep things on the light and refreshing side. And it's great: you don't feel bogged down with sweetness or pumpkin spice. 

I don't have Amaro Averna, but I know that it has a bitter orange peel flavor that I tried to replicate with a mix of Don Ciccio & Figili Ambrosia and my homemade Amer Picon (which has Ramazzotti with its orange flavors in it as well). The rest was made simply by combining ingredients and preparing the orange flag with the cherry target center. 

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 1/4 oz. Amaro Averna (Ambrosia and Amer Picon used)
• 3/4 oz. fuji apple juice
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. vanilla syrup
• 1 dash orange bitters (Hella used)
• 1 orange flag with cherry  and barrel-aged bitters dashed on it as garnish
  

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of ice cubes. Garnish with the orange flag and dash bitters on it.

 

Village To Village (Death & Co. Recipe)

There's villages and boroughs in New York, where Death & Co. began its mission to bring about craft cocktails. Tequila and rum comes from villages, too. And look how pretty, how relaxed this cocktail is. It's the balm from the tropics that salves that weary city dweller. 

I've made my own ingredients in this cocktail as usual. This is my allspice dram, a rum based and brown sugar liqueur, and my own ginger brandy that I used to flavor my syrup for this drink. 

The overall effect is kind of a fall or winter drink with apple and allspice and ginger. Angostura bitters lift the scent and add more allspice and cinnamon to the nose and the first sips.

• 1 1/2 oz. blanco tequila (El Jimador used)
• 1/2 tsp. allspice dram (homemade used)
• 1 1/2 oz. fuji apple juice
• 12 oz. acacia honey syrup
• 1/2 oz. teaspoon ginger syrup (simple and ginger brandy used)
• garnsih 2 dashes Angostura bitters and mint sprig

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with three ice cubes. Shake to combine and strain into a pilsner (rocks glass used) Garnsih with bitters and the mint sprig. 

 

Castle To Castle (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

So much of this cocktail has been done before in one way or another, but it's never been done quite this good. A twist on the classic Whiskey with a splash of juice--a staple of St. Patrick's Day in American bars--shows up again with the good stuff. Knappogue Castle is one of the maltiest Irish whiskies. It stands out a little more than most Irish whiskies when mixed with juice and soda. Additionally, fresh-squeezed Fuji apple juice is brighter and fresher than juice you can buy in the store. Together, these flavors balance and make for a wonderful long drink.

Unpeated malt whiskies take on an apple or pear-like aroma at 12 years of age. Using a honey syrup as a sweetener instead of sugar plays right to this drink's strong suit. I juiced the Fuji apple for this cocktail by hand, which was no picnic and I don't recommend doing it. I wonder how the bartender's at Death & Co. did it with their juicers.

• 1 1/2 oz. Knappogue Castle 12-year Irish whiskey
• 1 1/2 oz. Fuji apple juice
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. acacia honey syrup
• basil sprig garnish

Short shake all the ingredients except garnishes with only 3 ice cubes) Strain into a Pilsner glass with crushed ice. Garnish with the basil sprig.