I’m Kendall, the cocktail historian and geeky drinks enthusiast behind Novel Nightcaps.
I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of curiosity and creativity—the places where history, science, and storytelling all collide. When I discovered craft cocktail-making several years back, I realized it was the perfect medium for all three. Every recipe tells a story, every ingredient has a lineage, and every modern riff is part experiment, part homage. Somewhere between reading about the origins of the Aviation and tinkering with custom Star Wars cocktails, I found my niche: geeky drinks with history.
What began as a hobby, photographing and sharing interesting drinks to Instagram, has since grown into a full-fledged creative pursuit where I taste-test my way through an ever-growing library of cocktail books, exploring everything from timeless classics and forgotten gems to pop-culture-inspired drinks and delightfully nerdy modern concoctions. Along the way, I’ve also experimented with homemade syrups, created original recipes, and connected with a wonderful community of fellow enthusiasts.
Though my bar and social channels have been quieter while I’ve been dealing with health issues since early 2024, Novel Nightcaps remains my living cocktail archive—a space for the geeky, the curious, and the classically inclined alike. Here, you’ll find deep dives into vintage recipes, clever modern twists, syrup experiments, and cocktail musings for anyone who loves a drink with a good story (and maybe a nerdy reference or two).
So pull up a chair, and let’s rediscover the stories behind the world’s best drinks together.
Each week, I invite you to step into the pages of Novel Nightcaps and discover a new cocktail story. Many come from the recipes found in my collection of cocktail books, while others are original tales I’ve dreamed up myself. Along with the background on each, I share the methods, ingredients, and tools that spark creativity, as well as glimpses of bars, distilleries, and wineries I’ve explored—little chapters that inspire your own home bartending adventures.
When I do craft original recipes, I aim to create cocktails that are approachable yet memorable. No obscure ingredients that collect dust after a single use—just thoughtfully composed drinks made with items you can find at your local store. I like to imagine each recipe as a character in its own story: simple enough to make at home, but striking enough to stand out at your favorite bar.
Photography is another way I tell these stories. Each cocktail is captured like a “headshot,” photographed from the same front angle for consistency, but styled differently depending on what inspires me most—the history of the drink, a standout ingredient, its name, or just the mood it evokes. The goal is to make every image as inviting as a chapter you can’t put down, tempting you to pick up your shaker and become part of the story too.
To help you decide whether or not you want to try a cocktail recipe I share, I’ve included star ratings and tasting notes with every post that denote how well I liked the taste of the recipe and whether I’d make it again.
Five Stars: I loved the cocktail and will be adding it to my rotation at my home bar.
Four Stars: I really liked the cocktail and am very likely to make it again.
Three Stars: I liked the cocktail and might make it again.
Two Stars: I respected the cocktail but probably will not make it again.
One Star: I didn’t like the cocktail and will not make it again.
