Affinity

 2oz Scotch -Blended or Highland Single Malt

.5oz Sweet Vermouth

.5oz Dry Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine ingredients over ice and mix. Strain into a coup. Garnish with a cherry and/or citrus twist.

Whiskey Highball

I've ordered many a whiskey & soda at my favorite dive bar. This ain't that. 

The difference is in the details. It starts with the glass. A highball glass should be tall, slender and hold a mere 8-12oz. Ice cubes should be large. The soda water chilled. The whiskey should hit the sweet spot between everyday and birthday. The citrus I leave to you, just use sparingly.

2oz Whiskey -Japanese Whisky, Blended Scotch or Bourbon.

Chilled Sparkling or Soda Water

Citrus Peel or Wedge

Add ice to highball glass, stir until the glass begins to chill. Drain water. Add whiskey, gently stir. Add soda water. Garnish with citrus.

Penicillin

The first time I had this lovely concoction it was 2 am, yet still 95 degrees outside. I was at Gramps in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami with a couple of colleagues, blowing off steam from a conference. The first sip was a revelation -- refreshing and bracing at the same time. The perfect drink for 2 am Miami in May. The night continued on for many hours, with at least one more Penicillin, and lots of talk about psychedelics -if that tells you anything.

2oz Blended Scotch 

.75oz Islay Scotch -I go with a full ounce if I'm feeling frisky.

.75oz Lemon Juice

.25oz Honey Ginger Syrup

To make the honey ginger syrup combine .5 cup honey, .5 cup water, 1 inch piece of freshly peeled and thinly sliced ginger. Bring to a boil. Let steep over night. Strain. Cool.

Build the drink in the glass. Add a large cube. Garnish with a slice of ginger. Enjoy. 

Wanderlust

In this time of isolation and social distancing, this drink conjures up a recent trip to Iceland with dear friends. Brennivin wraps around the cognac, brandy and scotch to give this liquor forward drink a lovely herbaceous essence that the Bittermen's burlesque bitters accentuates.

The perfect drink for after you get home from taking your dog on an evening stroll in Reykjavik where you had to walk backwards in full rain gear to make it through the elements.

1oz Auchentoshan Three Wood Scotch Whisky 

1oz Park ‘Fin Bois’ Cognac

.75oz Harvey’s Bristol Cream

.25oz Brennívin Aquavit

3 Dashes Bittermen’s Burlesque Bitters 

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir until thoroughly chilled then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel. 

Toronto

Hello darkness, my old friend. March returned to Seattle today, so it's time to experiment with one of my favorite cocktails for the dark months. The first cocktail I learned to order and then make was a Manhattan (I have a lot of Manhattan stories, one that starts at the Playboy Club in Vegas and ends with my wallet a lot lighter after and ill-advised stop at the Black Jack table). Manhattans can be sweet, so one day I went in search of something different. Murray Stinson, the legendary Seattle bartender introduced me to the Toronto. It's great. It makes you wish you had a fireplace to sit near while drinking. The simple syrup rounds out the drink, keeping the herbal bitterness of the Fernet from taking over. 

About the Fernet -- the Fernet Branca is great, but can be a bitter bomb -- Jaeger without the sugar. I've been trying different Fernets and love Townshend Fernet. It's still bitter and weird, but more complex, more drinkable. So I've been using that. 

2oz Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch -The standard recipe calls for Canadian Whiskey or Rye, but the maltiness of the Scotch is quite nice here.

.75oz Fernet -I like the bitter so I went with 1oz for this drink.

.25oz Simple Syrup

2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters -I used Basement Bitters aromatic.

2 Dashes Orange Bitters -I used Regan's No. 6.

Chill a coupe. Add the ingredients to your mixing glass. Stir with ice. Serve up, with a twist of lemon.

Find a fireplace. Sit. Drink.

Smokey Indulgence

1.75oz Kahlua 
.75oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
.5oz Kraken Black Spiced Rum
3 Dashes Chocolate Bitters

Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Infinity Bottle

A little of this, a little of that...

Johnnie Walker Green

Hibiki Harmony

Lagavulin 16

Compass Box Peat Monster

Glenlivet 15

Glenfiddich 12

Talisker 10

Johnnie Walker Black

Togouchi Premium

Ardbeg Uigeadail

Glenlivet 12

Glenlivet 12

Johnnie Walker White Walker

Lagavulin 8

Twin Alps Japanese

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Laphroig 10

Singleton 15-Glendullan

Famous Grouse Smoky Black

Suntory Whisky Toki

Johnnie Walker Green

Laphroig Select Cask

Hibiki Harmony

Oban Distiller's Edition

Ardbeg 10

Ardbeg Uigeadail

Bowmore 12

Glenlivet 12 Double Oak

Port Charlotte 10

Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky

Hibiki Harmony

Aberfeldy 12

Glenmorangie Original 10 Year

Octomore 11.1

SMWS Smoked Seaweed Smoothie 66.184

Glengoyne 10

Benriach The Smoky Twelve

SMWS Turn Me Inside Out 46.104

SMWS The Tar Pit

Port Charlotte 10

SMWS Delightfully Silky 39.205

Ardbeg An Oa

Dalmore 12