THE ORIGINAL RECIPE
1.5 oz Citrus Vodka
1/2 oz Black Raspberry Liqueur (Chambord will do just fine!)
Fill with Orange Juice
Splash of Cranberry Juice

TASTING NOTES AND INFO
+ This is a punch drink, meant to cover the alcohol and bring out the sweet.
+ Citrus Vodka is highly complimentary to cranberry and orange juices, elevating their sweet strength, while hiding the alcohol.
+ If you're feeling spicy, add more cranberry and a splash of Yukon Jack to up the strength and add a little bite.

After about 4 you'll be all set and won't even notice the impending tidal wave of daddy Dagon.  Swim well!
-Adamus

Today I come to thee with three potions for your tasting pleasure; two from the books of old, and one from my strange brain.  Let's get into it!

The Zipper is a curious recipe that I took a double take on, mainly for its use of milk and tequila.  Yeah, I know.

THE RECIPE
1 oz Tequila
1 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Milk, Almond Milk, or Cream (I highly recommend the cream)

TASTING NOTES
+ Orange Milk
+ Almond milk is a bit too thin, but still smooth over ice
+ Definitely weird...but pleasantly surprising
+ I highly recommend the cream version...
+ ...Or if you're a savage like me, use IRISH CREAM instead
***I'm actually very curious what my readers think of this one.  Good luck!

THE RECIPE
1.5 oz Brandy
1/4 Honey
1/2 oz Cream
Shake and serve.

Still blanketing cream as a base layer, the Zoom seeks to pair Brandy and straight honey.  New to Brandy, the pairing is quite delicious, which inspires me for the next exploration.

The Zap is a spin on the Zoom.  The Zipper makes an appearance, but if you really want to zap your zoom with a zipper, you'll find yourself on the floor all zapped out.

THE RECIPE
1/2 oz Brandy
1/4 oz Honey Liqueur
1 oz Irish Cream
1/4 oz Dry Curacao

TASTING NOTES
+ Very creamy
+ Always subtle, the honey notes continue to ebb and flow through the experience long after you swallow.
+ The Curacao is a great compliment to the Brandy.  Slight bitter orange spun into the fruity base of the Brandy.
+ Irish Cream provides that lovely, silky mouth feel, with a bite at back...
+ ...sweetened with more honey!
+ Just lovely.

So whatever zap got your zipper stuck before your Zoom...make sure your camera's off.  Have some decency, mortals!
​-Adamus

There is a scenario type in my games called the Bar Of Fate.  It is a custom character creation experience meant to be played over about 6 hours, and is split up into Acts, with a Prologue and an Epilogue.  With each section, a themed shot is presented to both flavor the experience, and provide not only an interesting drink, but a feeling of progression.
  The prologue brings the players to the table, and opens the door to a particularly unique experience involving questions of morality, luck, and character, so I want to obliterate whatever pregaming those idiots have coated their palettes with.  The Volition - an act of willpower to bring you to this voluntary character creation - will DEFINITELY help you transcend, no matter where you came from before.  

THE VOLITION SHOT
1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Lady Bligh Spiced Rum

TASTING NOTES
+ Gin blasts you in the face.
+ Numb tongue, for a second or two
+ Bourbon keeps you warm and ready for the next step.
+ Oddly, it's such a shock to your system it was actually invigorating.
+ ...but no need to go back for more.

One of my players shot this down and, with a yell, exclaimed: "Now THAT'S a wake up shot!"  And thus my mind was opened.
  Makes sense, really, considering the broad spectrum of intention behind imbibement.  There are so many experiences you can seek and flavors to explore, of course there would a whole category of drinks that blast your mind and cleanse your palette, preparing you for whatever comes next.  Like a bucket of ice water to your senses.

Always a fan of odd pairings, I was seeking the viability of Gin and Scotch, and came across an old classic called the Silver Bullet.  
  It was: 3/4 oz Gin + 3/4 oz of Scotch.  
  I tried it.  It was...alarming.
  Turns out, there are MANY versions of the Silver Bullet, and NONE of them are the same.  Let me just share a few for you.

SILVER BULLET (what I found MOST of the time)
3/4 oz Gin
3/4 Scotch

TASTING NOTES:
+ Back throat burn
+ Bite of scotch mingles with gin to create a new sensation
+ Sweeter than I thought
+ Oddly, the scotch mellows the gin
+ Still makes me cough, but just once.  ;)
+ Notes of citrus spice at the back.
+ Lingering "gin-y" taste afterwards.
There's potential here, but something's missing for me.

SILVER BULLET? (shooter)
1.5 oz Gin
1 oz Herbal Liqueur (I'll use Jaegermeister)
Splash of Lemon Juice

TASTING NOTES: 
+ Herbal notes immediately
+ Hard to avoid the tang of the lemon
+ Gin takes a backseat oddly
+ Burn is still present
+ Lingering sour (lemon)
+ Undoubtedly strong

SILVER BULLET!
1.5 oz Tequila
1/2 oz White Creme de Menthe

TASTING NOTES: 
+ Initial paint thinner gives way too...
+ Liquid celery taste.
+ Tequila and mint isn't new, but there's something very jarring about this mixture.
+ ...and I desire no more.

In case you can't tell, I'm not really a big fan of any of these.  But I've grown to love Gin, and I've discovered I'm quite the Scotch man, AND, I'm not one to give up easily on alchemy.  For all the iterations, I'm more intrigued by the "?" version, and it has to do with the herbal approach.  
  I've procured a number of neat little "wood and flower" liqueurs over the many months, and I enjoy muddling drinks that normally punch you in the face with a sweet oak or birch as a finish.  Like a surprising spring breeze with warm sun at your back.  If we stick with our usual fantasy themes, then I can think of no other warm yet surprisingly playful fey as the Summer Lady - Verenestra.  It is this idea and its formative fancy that informs this next recipe.

THE VERENESTRA
1/4 oz Gin
1/2 oz Scotch
1/2 oz Wild Moon Birch Liqueur
1/4 oz Wild Moon Rose Liqueur

TASTING NOTES
+ Birch is sweet and smooth
+ Birch elevates the Scotch bite
+ Find the Gin on the back end after a touch of Rose
+ Flowery
+ Sweeter than expected
+ Less punchy
+ Goes down smooth, with a slight bite of licorice (the birch does that)


In game, our Prologue began with the Volition, to prepare the players for the transformative experience.  The Verenestra was the gatekeeper to a capstone ability - try this transcendent shot to unlock your superpower, the earlier the better (both for buzz and ability).  We'll just say that the players didn't waste any time.  They were ALERT.  ...for about ten minutes, then the gin hit them.  Good times had by all, always.

Imbibe responsibly and safely, for the Fates are watching.
-Adamus

For anyone that can have a simple shot one night and feel nothing, and a similar shot another and fall prone to life, the universe, and everything...knows my pain.
  True, there are many factors at play during absorption.  This is why you don't drink on an empty stomach; you need carbs and content to both absorb and slow down the effects of putting alcohol in your system.  
  But as I mix more drinks - some touted as "strong", only to experience them as disappointingly as weak, with others spoken simply only to knock me sideways - I have developed a dread fascination with the math and science of Proof.

While messing around with a B-52 shot, I decided to omit the Grand Marnier in the layering process for Amaretto...and fell head first into a new favorite.  
To mix this lovely thing, just pour equal parts into a shot glass in this order: Kahlua, Irish Cream, and Amaretto.  So, if you're mathing right, that's 1/2 oz each.

...

After six shots of this delicious mess, I'm finally feeling something, and I want to know WHY.  So we're using my "Zeppelin" concoction for our measurements today.

Let's get to know our components.
Amaretto - 21% alcohol content = 42 Proof
Irish Cream - 17% alcohol = 34 Proof
Kahlua - 20% = 40 Proof

Amaretto: .21 x .5 = 0.105
Irish Cream: .17 x .5 = 0.085
Kahlua: .2 x .5 = 0.1

0.29 / 1.5 = about .19, or 19%, or 38 Proof.  

​Okay.

So what is "strong" in comparison to most cocktails?  Because everyone's tolerance is different, so I'm sure there's a gradient of some kind...

I guess I'll use one of "strongest" drinks we know, The Long Island Iced Tea, as a gauge?
1/2 oz each of the following, and they're all the same strength:
Vodka = .4 x .5 = 0.2, Rum, Gin, Tequila, Cointreau = 1 in total
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 oz Cola
1 / 5 = 20% or 40 Proof

Huh.  And here I was expecting more like a 50, but I guess that makes sense.  Maybe it's more like this:
Weak: 0-10%
Medium: 11-19%
Strong: 20 - 30%
Heroic: 31-40%
Stupid: 50% or more

I'll go with that rating system for now, until I learn more.  :)
See you at the Bar.
-Adamus

I've been experimenting with reasons to drink Irish Whiskey.

To be honest, though my palette is refining and I tend to lean hard toward whiskey nowadays, some versions lack a certain sense of depth.  
  Now, a lot of that comes down to the overall quality of a mash.  The process through which a liquor is cultivated DOES make a difference; something I am beginning to alight myself with.  Whereas before I would just pull a spiced something from the rack and pair it with soda, my inner alchemist has been seeking to fill in the gaps of knowledge left barren by years of self-imposed sobriety; a strict avoidance of the ever-expanding world of imbibement.

To be clear, I was never a drinking snob.  Anyone that has been reading this for awhile understands my plight; I lack a gall bladder and I have GERD.  Controlled by medication and mitigated by consistent exercise and weight training, I have to be careful about what I put in my body.  So beer?  That's six hours of pain and discomfort for a pretty low payoff.  For a long time, I would avoid all alcohol, believing that to be my life, and the few instances where I was pushed toward (what I now understood to be) Bourbon, didn't help.  The burn became everything I associated hard liquor with, which was also wrong.

So, when I hit up Irish Whiskey, there is a strange memory lapse.  
First, there's a short circuit in my brain.  It smells like a weaker bourbon.
Second, the taste hits like water with a numbing agent.  The spice is light; not what I expected.
Third, and this might just be me, ...there isn't a lot of flavor.  It takes like water and burning.

And it is this process that I think reveals the quality of the mash.  There MUST be subtle nuances barrel to barrel and bottle to bottle, otherwise, why would anyone drink this dirty water?

This is about the time when the comment section explodes, so I'll give you a little more context to my thought process.

Aha!  Who is this dapper skeleton man in fine gentlemen's wear and a prestigious top hat?  Some dread carriage driver from beyond, summoned by the necromancy of necessity, to serve the shadow lords and ladies resting at the edges of civilization?  Or am I the poor seduced schmuck lulled into thine carriage by nifty bronze lettering and a stellar presentation?
  Spoiler alert.  It's the latter.

This is the barrel that prompted the questions above.  A quarter shot and a sip was...not pleasant.
  Now, I don't tend to drink any liquor straight.  Maybe I should start, a la Skyrim, to gain the working knowledge of the subtleties elevated in the malt alone.  But it's hard to escape the disconnect of smelling rubbing alcohol, and then drinking it without dilution.
  The first thing that hits is a burn on my tongue.  The spice is IMMEDIATE, and unfortunately, there isn't much else happening.  I've had Irish Mist before, and even that has a bit more earth to it after the burn.  Maybe this is why I prefer a honey additive to this kind of whiskey, at least for now.  Still, I am thankful for the information; it's all feedback.  

Now.  I paid for this bottle, and I'm not some savage that'll dump it out.  If I can't enjoy it straight, it goes in the "for mixing" pile.
  So what goes well with Irish Whiskey?

Short answer: most things that go well with any whiskey.  
  If you are mixing whiskey, you are seeking to both elevate and muddle the gentle bite and varying levels of burning associated with the striated liquor.  This will bring me to a recipe I had earlier abandoned because of my distaste for Bourbon early on in this career.

SEXTON OLD-FASHIONED
1.5 oz Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey
1/2 oz Orgeat
4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
3 oz Ginger Ale
Pour into a glass with ice and swirl with a bar spoon.

Old Fashioneds tend toward using sugar cubes, and variations swing with club soda.  Wanting to swing toward sweet and interesting pulls me toward the Orgeat and Ginger to do both.

TASTING NOTES
+ Earthy with a sweet finish.
+ Tingle pulses through.
+ Burn at the front, but muddled
+ Sweetness at the end prepares another sip.

It's that last note that sells this for me.  When I uncork the Sexton and smell it, there's an earthiness to it that got lost when I drank it straight.  Even agitating it with ice begins to coax those notes out, and this mix, though sweeter than what others will be used to, continues to cultivate that overall idea.

Enjoy.
​-Adamus

If you want to mix up this iconic beast, you'll need a plethora of ingredients including the surprisingly powerful Cherry Heering (some renditions rocking 100 proof alone) and Benedictine, Gin, Grand Marnier, Angostura Bitters, with a sweet bomb of Lime, Grenadine, and Pineapple.

The Classic Singapore Sling
1.5 oz Gin
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/4 oz Grand Marnier
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1/2 oz Lime Juice (unsweetened)
1/2 oz Grenadine
4 oz Pineapple Juice
Shake with ice and pour into a lovely tall glass.

TASTING NOTES
+ Frothy
+ Sweet, and fruity...to be expected
+ Hard to trace the gin.  That's kind of the point.
+ Booze is hidden.
+ Hmm.  Let's talk about it.

My trouble with this particular classification of drink is that its core purpose is to HIDE the alcohol under juice.  This also cuts the strength, mind you, but to my particular tastes that have now evolved beyond the backwoods grain alcohol bathtub punch drunk masses knee deep in the frat houses of yore...the drink falls remarkably flat for me.
With hints of orange, and grenadine, the star is the Pineapple.  It can't not be, as is the nature of its volume.  The lime cuts the palette well, but the Gin and the Heering are barely there.  There's no subtlety to this taste.  No personality.  
  And as is par for most drinks of this caliber, this is one strong drink.  And, unfortunately, it tastes about the same as any Hurricane or Zombie.
Which, to me, is just a tad...boring.

There's a part 2 in here somewhere, but for now, I'll go make something that has something to say.

See you at the Bar,
​-Adamus  

1/2 oz Kahlua
1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapps
1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
Shake with ice in a beautiful shaker and strain into a glass.

TASTING NOTES
+ Trippy Chocolate Milk
+ Hard to go wrong with these flavors.
​+ Really delicious.

1 oz Apricot Brandy
1 oz Curacao
1.5 oz Lime Juice

TASTING NOTES
​+ Coming from a guy who really can't stand Brandy...
+ ...THIS IS FREAKING DELICIOUS
+ No joke.  That is one tasty little drink.
+ It's the Lime that's the star here.
+ Usually the Brandy burns too long, and here the Lime juice obliterates that problem.
+ the Curacao only elevates the experience.
+ ...time to pour another...

1/2 oz Kahlua
1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 oz White Creme de Menthe
Shake in a lovely shaker with ice and strain into a glass.

TASTING NOTES
+ Lingering burn from the Creme de Menthe White
+ Sweet, but doesn't last long.
+ Oddly enough...I'm getting a strange aftertaste of CELERY.  WTH.

Enjoy your time at the end of watch.  Whenever it suits you.
​-Adamus

Tonight's special comes to you in the form of a simple request.
  "I'd like a Red-Headed, but without the Red-Headed."

To that, you'd probably first check your blades, then the other patrons.  An assassination attempt is certainly imminent.
  And then the barkeep sighs, and pushes your way a familiar red potion.  

This is known to the worlds forgotten as a ZONKER.  Strong, sweet, and terribly tasty.
To mix a Zonker, you'll need some Vodka, fruity liqueur, Amaretto, and Cranberry Juice.
1 oz each of Vodka, Triple Sec, Amaretto, and the Cranberry Juice get tossed into a shaker with ice, and a few shakes later, strained into a glass to enjoy.

TASTING NOTES
+ It's certainly fruity, but...
+ The triple sec overpowers like nobody's business.
+ Miraculously, this isn't fruity ENOUGH.
+ There's too much of that weird cough medicine vibe.

This is when The Lady interjects with her own rendition.  Consider instead the following:
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
1 oz Amaretto
2 oz Cranberry Juice

And suddenly, this is pretty lovely.  Add in 1 oz of Peach Schnapps, and you're good to go.  For my Lady, one shot's worth is enough here, as it is effectively a dessert at this point.  You'll sip down six before you notice the buzz, or suck down a high ball glass of the stuff and feel it for hours.  
It's simple, sweet, and terribly fruity.

Imbibe Responsibly at my table.
​-Adamus

Today we visit two monsters.  The first is the bane of every Chinese restaurant.  A beast of liquor and a powerhouse of hidden flavors, perfect for knocking you on your butt and doing little else.  This is, of course, the Zombie.
  A cornucopia of rums and juices, most complimentary pairings are covered by the sweet and sour, making the effect insidious and arresting.

THE ZOMBIE
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Dark Rum
1/2 oz Triple Sec
Dash of Grenadine
2 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Sour Mix
Shake, then top with 1/2 oz of 151 Rum

TASTING NOTES
+ As expected, this is smooth and sweet.
+ And it will knock you right on your butt.
+ Fruity flavors blend well with the two rums.
+ ...but something is missing.

I propose another approach.  Something to augment and deepen those fruity flavors.  The effect is just as powerful, and way more yummy.

THE SKELETON GUARD
1 oz Black Rum
1 oz White Rum
1/2 oz Triple Sec
Splash of Simple Syrup
4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 oz Sweet and Sour Mix
1 oz Jaegermeister
1 oz Apple Mango juice

TASTING NOTES 
+ So smooth and sweet.
+ ...which is dangerous, because I want to guzzle it down.
+ This will mess you up for a long while.
+ Simple over grenadine works really well.
+ The bitters provide just enough difference to keep us from spilling over into too much sweet.

...This drink will mess you up.  I mean it.  One and done.  Take a swig, drink it down, then snuggle up with your favorite pet and bad anime and enjoy for the next 3-5 hours.  Woof.

Imbibe responsibly.  And be careful about what necromancy brings you back from the dead.
​-Adamus

The story of this drink isn't long.  
  My wife handed me two books with a beautiful grin on her face.  Bartending books.  FULL of alphabetized recipes collected from the far corners of the world.  Strange brews, curious concoctions, and plenty of things to try out and mess with.

After a few quick flips through the tall pages, I had to pause at the D's.  We've got our usuals: Dirty Martini, Desert Sunrise, Dark and Stormy....and then, Designer Jeans?
  Yup.  It's a fun little shot.  

DESIGNER JEANS
1/2 oz Dark Rum (I recommend Bacardi Black Rum)
1/2 oz Irish Cream
1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
*Pour into a shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into a shooter glass.

TASTING NOTES
+ Sweet with a bite, as expected.
+ Shaking is key here, as the chill is needed.  This warm...is not pleasant.
+ Shaking is also the best way to mix the Irish Cream with the rest, as a stir tends to separate.
+ Pleasant shot
+ Surprising and lovely
+ Meant to be shot, not sipped.

More to come.  Happy New Year.
​-Adamus