Embrace the winter spirit with these cozy cold-weather recipes.
Salut! I’m Kendall, the cocktail historian and geeky drinks enthusiast behind Novel Nightcaps.
Over the years, I’ve been taste-testing my way through an ever-growing library of cocktail books—exploring everything from timeless classics to modern riffs and seasonal creations. Somewhere along the way, I found my niche in geeky drinks: the ones inspired by fandoms, literature, and pop culture that invite a bit of whimsy into the glass. Whether I’m recreating a fictional favorite or unearthing an old bartender’s oddball experiment, I enjoy diving into the history, ingredients, and stories that make these recipes worth revisiting.
Here on my website, you’ll find hundreds of cocktails I’ve tried (and some originals of my own), complete with notes, methods, and honest reviews—all aimed at making the craft cocktail world a little more fun and approachable for everyone.
Cheers,
Check out a few of my highest-rated cocktail recipes.
The Fangorn Forest is a gin and sherry-based cocktail recipe that was created by Kendall of Novel Nightcaps and Alex formerly of Sips From Scripts.
The French 75 is a brandy or gin and sparkling wine-based cocktail recipe that was created by Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in
A botanical spirit-based cocktail recipe created by H. Joseph Ehrmann in San Fransisco, California
A Star Wars cocktail inspired by Darth Vader that evokes the shadows and fire of the Sith Lord using a prickly pear syrup layered with
The Mai Tai is a rum-based tiki cocktail recipe that was created by Victor Bergeron in 1944 at Trader Vic’s in Oakland, California. This variation
The Hotel Nacional is a rum and brandy-based cocktail recipe that was created by Will P. Taylor in the early 1900s. This variation was adapted
Get geeky with these cocktail recipes inspired by fictional worlds.
Learn how to make homemade simple syrups, shrubs, and spreads to use in cocktails.
Find out what I thought of different cocktail recipe books as I tasted my way through them.
