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 modern cocktail made with mezcal, ginger wort, lime juice, passion fruit purée, agave syrup, cucumber, candied ginger, and Tajín
A tiki cocktail made with dark rum, orange juice, lime juice, cinnamon syrup, vanilla syrup, allspice liqueur, aromatic bitters, orange, and cinnamon
A spring cocktail made with gin, lime juice, elderflower liqueur, mint, cucumber, and ginger beer
A tiki cocktail made with white rum, orange curaçao, dark rum, lime juice, orgeat syrup, and mint
A modern classic cocktail made with vanilla vodka, passion fruit purée, passion fruit liqueur, vanilla syrup, lime juice, and passion fruit
An autumn cocktail made with white rum, lime juice, fig syrup, and black mission fig
Embrace the winter spirit with these cozy cold-weather recipes.
Learn how to make homemade simple syrups, shrubs, and spreads to use in cocktails.
