I first tried this drink when we turned the clocks back in the Fall of 2020 to lament the ever-decreasing hours of sunlight as chillier temps took hold. The Sunflower was created by the legendary Sam Ross as a riff on the classic Corpse Reviver No. 2 on the opposite page. It highlights the woody notes of Ransom Old Tom gin, a label that recreates the gin of the mid-to-late 1800s, which spent a lot of time in oak barrels traversing the Atlantic as well as the trip to the burgeoning West Coast of the Gold Rush and beyond. The woody gin and its botanicals play in unique ways with the anise-flavored rinse. The drink may be a tad sweet given the two liqueurs, you might adjust the St- Germain and Cointreau down and the gin up by 1/4 oz. each.
I created my take on the classic margarita blend of sour, sweet and savory, and named it for my mom, Rita Trotz. Here I’m splitting the sour base using lime, orange, and lemon juices, and agave syrup. Using mixology mad-scientist Dave Arnold’s tip from his book, Liquid Intelligence, I add a touch of saline solution. Salt is a flavor enhancer – try it in pretty much any cocktail!
Built off the equal parts Last Word template, this drink was created in the late 2010s subbing some of the harsher components of the original with Lillet Blanc for Green Chartreuse and St. Germain elderflower for Luxardo Maraschino.
This is my favorite Negroni variant, featuring my favorite amaro, Nonino Quintessentia, a grappa- based liqueur with hints of caramel, vanilla, and orange.
