Get geeky with these cocktail recipes inspired by your favorite fandoms.
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 modern cocktail made with barleywine ale, apple brandy, lemon juice, sage black tea syrup, aromatic bitters, and sage
An autumn cocktail made with white rum, lime juice, fig syrup, and black mission fig
A dessert cocktail made with mezcal, white crème de cacao, ancho chile liqueur, chocolate bitters, and orange
A St. Patrick’s Day cocktail made with whiskey, honey ginger syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and gold flakes
A tiki cocktail made with dark rum, orange juice, lime juice, cinnamon syrup, vanilla syrup, allspice liqueur, aromatic bitters, orange, and cinnamon
An autumn cocktail made with apple cider, bourbon, heavy cream, Licor 43, demerara syrup, and nutmeg
Welcome the warmth of spring with these fresh and flavorful cocktails.
Learn how to make homemade simple syrups, shrubs, and spreads to use in cocktails.
