Get geeky with these cocktail recipes inspired by fictional worlds.
Salut! I’m Kendall, the craft 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. And 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 histories, techniques, and tasting notes—all written for fellow imbibers who appreciate a well-crafted drink and the story behind it too.
Cheers,
Before narrowing my focus to geeky drinks, I tried hundreds of seasonal cocktails. Check out a few of my highest-rated recipes.
The Nui Nui is a rum-based tiki cocktail recipe that was created by Don the Beachcomber in the 1930s in Hollywood, California. This variation was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.
A beer-based cocktail recipe created by Jon and Lindsay Yeager in Nashville, Tennessee
A mezcal-based cocktail recipe created in 2019 by Mony Bunni in Chicago, Illinois
A St. Patrick’s Day cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, orange curaçao, orange bitters, and cherry
A mezcal-based cocktail recipe created in 2008 by Jim Meehan at PDT in New York City, New York
The Chartreuse Swizzle is a Green Chartreuse-based cocktail recipe that was created by Marco Dionysos at Smuggler’s Cover in San Francisco, 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.
