Embrace the winter spirit with these cozy cold-weather recipes.
Salut! I’m Kendall, the cocktail connoisseur and geeky drinks enthusiast behind Novel Nightcaps.
Over the years, I’ve taste-tested 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, pop culture, and fantasy that invite a bit of magic into the glass. Now, whether I’m recreating an author’s fictional concoction 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 tasting notes, techniques, and honest reviews—all written for fellow imbibers who appreciate a well-crafted drink and the history behind it too.
Cheers,
Check out a few of my highest-rated cocktail recipes.
The Brandywine Sour is a brandy and dessert wine-based cocktail recipe that was created by Nick Mautone. This variation was adapted from his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails.
A mezcal-based cocktail recipe created in 2016 by M. Carrie Allan for the Washington Post
The Paloma is a tequila-based cocktail recipe that was created by Don Javier Delgado Corona at La Capilla in Tequila, Mexico. This variation was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
A gin-based cocktail recipe created by George Delgado at Libation in New York City, New York
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 was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
A tequila-based Halloween cocktail recipe created in 2022 by Tieghan Gerard
Get geeky with these cocktail recipes inspired by fictional worlds.
Learn how to make homemade simple syrups, shrubs, and spreads to use in cocktails.
