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 Everything’s Coming Up Rosé is a rosé wine-based punch that was created by Natasha David at Nitecap in New York City, New York. This

The French 75 is a brandy or gin and sparkling wine-based cocktail recipe that was created by Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in

A gin-based cocktail recipe created by George Delgado at Libation in New York City, New York

The Second Serve is a sherry-based cocktail recipe that was created by Dan Greenbaum at Attaboy in New York City, New York. This variation was

The Mocha Rum Toddy is a coffee-flavored rum-based cocktail recipe that was created by Nick Mautone. This variation was adapted from his book The Artisanal

The Water Lily is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by Richard Boccato in 2007 at Little Branch in New York City, New York.
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.