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 Marmalade Gin Mule is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by Craft Gin Club. This variation was adapted from their book Gin O’Clock:
A Star Wars cocktail inspired by Obi-Wan Kenobi that channels the Jedi Master’s elegance and depth by layering rich Cognac with warm chai and baking
The Gandalf’s Smoke Ring is a brandy and whisky-based cocktail recipe that was created by Kendall of Novel Nightcaps and Alex Sukopp, former bartender of
The Florodora is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created in the early 1900s at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York.
A tequila-based Halloween cocktail recipe created in 2022 by Tieghan Gerard
The Brancolada is a rum-based tiki cocktail recipe that was created by Jeremy Oertel at Donna in New York City, New York. This variation was
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.
