Frederic D.

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.

Not bad at all. This is a drink where using a reposado definitely makes a difference. The barrel notes give it a different character that to my mind works a lot better with the Nonino than the minerality of a Blanco would.

This is indeed quite delicious. The floral notes from the elderflower work beautifully with the grapefruit and the tequila (I used Ocho Blanco today). I cut down the lime a tad and the lower tartness really let the other ingredients shine. Adding it to the growing list of delicious grapefruit cocktails I have found here!

Since I am not the biggest fan of sours, I took inspiration from this, removed the lemon, and made a version with 1 Old Forester, 1 grapefruit juice, 3/4 Nonino, 3/4 Combier. This was actually quite tasty, but I might workshop different amaros - based on comments below, I think Averna is next on the list.

Definitely an unexpected ingredient ingredient combination, but I'm afraid it just didn't work that well for me. I found this drink to be just OK. It's fine, nothing wrong with it, but also not something I would want to make again. I think the Strega and Rosso Vermouth together is what is throwing me off a bit. It may be worth revisiting with a Bianco Vermouth, or even Cocchi Americano.

Very solid combination with the right rye - as others have mentioned, it is very spirit forward. This is a good use case for your softer, lower ABV eyes, rather than a Rare Breed or Pikesville.

Really good Last Word variation. I used Plymouth gin and Luxardo Del Santo. The mastiha is definitely present, and contributes to the overall result without overwhelming.

I also used China-China in place if Picon, and I used a 3/2 ratio of Vya to Cocchi for the vermouth. It all worked really well. Perfectly balanced, with just the right level of spice. I might have to try some orange bitters next time.

Very good cocktail. I dropped the lemon to 1/2 Oz. The brandy combination works really well, and the Chartreuse adds just enough herbal complexities without overpowering the other ingredients.

I made an ‘Irish Tartan’ using Irish Mist Liqueur and Irish Whiskey. I upped the Whiskey (standard Jameson’s) to 60 ml to give it a bit more punch…

Solid concept. I had the bad idea of trying it out with Drumshanbo Irish whiskey, which really didn't work out, but with the right base I'm sure it would have been quite good. Drumshanbo just has this weird off-note in the mid-palate that comes through just about anything. Shame, because their gin is really nice.

Made today with Barr Hill Gin and Vya rosso vermouth, quite a good drink. The honey in the Barr Hill balanced the Vya, which is spicier and a tad less sweet than more traditional rosso vermouth. I rather liked this.

A pretty solid Manhattan riff. The orange notes go quite well with the Averna and, as others have mentioned, the vermouth acts mostly as a bridge between the rye and the liqueurs.

If you want a Manhattan, make a Manhattan. If you want a very nice Manhattan riff that is still not that complicated, however, you should make this. It's a bit sweet, nutty from the Maraschino, and with just a hint of cherry sweetness underneath. Delightful.

Really, really like this one. I used Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye, and Bigallet China-China in lieu of Picon (I had bought a bottle last time I went back to Belgium, but my dad and I drank it there). Not too sweet but also other dry, nice spice from the rye, and the unmistakable Maraschino funk to tie it all together.

We made with Cointreau - and skipped the water
Brooklyn is in the same family - but much smother than a Manhattan
This is in out top 10 whiskey cocktail

I have to ask, Cointreau in addition to the existing specs, or instead of one of the ingredients? Probably delicious, probably veering into "different cocktail" territory.

I do love a good Mai Tai so this intrigued me.
Used a Kryo Finnish Rye Whisky (this is an excellent and personally superior alternative to American Rye's).
I was surprised how long it took for the rye to kick in - a really balanced and smooth drink.
A really good whisky alternative to a Mai Tai.

I am in no position to dispute your assertion, having never tried Kryo, but I find the claim that it is superior to all American rye whiskeys both bold and intriguing. What makes it so great, if I may ask?