Featured Winter Recipes

Embrace the winter spirit with these cozy cold-weather recipes.

Behind The Bar

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,

Favorite Recipes

Check out a few of my highest-rated cocktail recipes.

New York Sour Cocktail Recipe

New York Sour

The New York Sour is a whiskey and wine-based cocktail recipe that was created in the 1880s by a bartender in Chicago, Illinois. This variation

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Euphoric Stage Cocktail Recipe

Euphoric Stage

The Euphoric Stage is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts. It was inspired by the

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Fangorn Forest The Lord of the Rings Cocktail Recipe

Fangorn Forest

The Fangorn Forest is a gin and sherry-based cocktail recipe that was created by Kendall of Novel Nightcaps and Alex formerly of Sips From Scripts.

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Park Avenue Cocktail Recipe

Park Avenue

The Park Avenue is a sparkling wine and brandy-based cocktail recipe that was created by Nick Mautone. This variation was adapted from his book The

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Pompelmo Sour Cocktail Recipe

Pompelmo Sour

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

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Deep Cleanse Cocktail Recipe

Deep Cleanse

The Deep Cleanse is a gin-based cocktail recipe that was created at FIG in Santa Monica, California. This variation was adapted from an issue of

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