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 Third Wave Swizzle is a gin-based tiki cocktail recipe that was created by Ryan Lotz at Shore Leave in Boston, Massachusetts. This variation was
The Lonesome Catacombs is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts. It was inspired by the
The Carrot Colada is a gin-based tiki cocktail recipe that was created by Christine Wiseman at Broken Shaker in Los Angeles, California. This variation was
A rum-based cocktail recipe created in 2023 by John Langner at Helix Wine, Craft Bar, & Cafe in Altoona, Wisconsin
The Tequila Honeysuckle is a tequila-based cocktail recipe that was created at The Ranstead Room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This variation was adapted from an issue
The Poison Apple is a whiskey-based Halloween cocktail recipe that was created by Lena Abraham of Delish, an online food and beverage blog. This variation
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.
