Get geeky with these cocktail recipes inspired by fictional worlds.
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 tiki cocktail made with white rum, pineapple rum, dark rum, triple sec, lime juice, lemon juice, Green Chartreuse, velvet falernum liqueur, cream of coconut, and mint
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 adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
A vintage cocktail made with dark rum, lime juice, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, peach bitters, and pineapple
The Rosemary Gin & Tonic is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by the editors of PUNCH. This variation was adapted from their book Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails.
A St. Patrick’s Day cocktail made with whiskey, honey ginger syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and gold flakes
The Brown Derby is a whiskey-based cocktail recipe that was created at the Vendome Club in Hollywood, California. This variation was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Embrace the winter spirit with these cozy cold-weather recipes.
Learn how to make homemade simple syrups, shrubs, and spreads to use in cocktails.
