Get geeky with these cocktail recipes inspired by fictional worlds.
Hello there! I’m Kendall, the craft cocktail connoisseur and geeky drinks enthusiast behind Novel Nightcaps.
After several years of taste-testing my way through my library of cocktail books—exploring everything from timeless classics to modern riffs and seasonal creations—I found my niche in geeky drinks: the ones inspired by fandoms, literature, pop culture, and fantasy that invite a bit of magic into the glass. Now, whether I’m dreaming up a new concoction based on an author’s fictional world or unearthing a past bartender’s oddball experiment, my favorite part of bartending is diving into ingredient pairings with unique origin stories that make them fun to revisit again and again.
Here within my recipe archive, you’ll find hundreds of cocktails I’ve tried (and some originals I’ve developed myself), complete with histories, techniques, and tasting notes—all written for fellow imbibers who appreciate well-crafted drinks and the story behind them too.
Cheers,
If geeky drinks aren’t your thing, check out a few of the highest-rated vintage, modern, and seasonal cocktail recipes I’ve tried.
A tiki cocktail made with dark rum, hibiscus honey syrup, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and soda water
A vintage cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, cherry liqueur, crème de violette, and cherry
A modern cocktail made with bourbon, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, and rosemary & peppercorn bitters
A summer cocktail made with white rum, lime juice, simple syrup, toasted coconut, pineapple, & allspice bitters, and lime
A brunch cocktail made with sparkling wine, orange juice, cranberry juice, and lime
Embrace the winter spirit with these cozy cold-weather recipes.
Learn how to make homemade simple syrups, shrubs, and spreads to use in cocktails.
