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 New York Sour is a whiskey and wine-based cocktail recipe that was created in the 1880s by a bartender in Chicago, Illinois. This variation
The Euphoric Stage is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts. It was inspired by the
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 Park Avenue is a sparkling wine and brandy-based cocktail recipe that was created by Nick Mautone. This variation was adapted from his book The
The Pompelmo Sour is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by Sarah Boisjoli at Estela in New York City, New York. This variation was
The Deep Cleanse is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created at FIG in Santa Monica, California. This variation was adapted from an issue of
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.
