Want a signature cocktail program?  Government Executive Media Group, a corporate client, did for its recent customer event. Not only did I get to create the program, I got to mingle with guests and talk about the libations. Highlighting Government Executive Media Group's four publications, one of which was celebrating its golden jubilee (a fancy term for a 50th anniversary), guests sampled these cocktails:

Ginvention (inspired by Nextgov) -- For this cutting cutting edge spin on a traditional Martini, put 1.5 ounces gin, .75 ounces Cointreau, and .5 ounces dry vermouth in a mixing glass with ice, stir, strain into a martini glass, and top with a splash of seltzer water and lime peel garnish.

States of the Union (inspired by Route 50) -- To make this modified Jack Rose, combine 2 ounces Laird’s applejack (featured in drinks such as the Diamondback), .75 ounces Pama pomegranate liqueur, .5 ounces super simple syrup, and .25 ounces lemon juice in a shaker with ice, shake, strain into a couple glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

I never miss an opportunity to talk about cocktails.

Patriot (inspired by Defense One) -- This variation on an Old Fashioned calls for 1.5 ounces bourbon, .5 ounces Luxardo maraschino liqueur, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, and 2 dashes Bittermen's molé bitters.  Combine everything into a mixing glass with ice, stir, strain into a rocks glass over ice (either a large cube or a couple of smaller ones) with lemon peel garnish.

Golden Jubilee (inspired by GovExec) -- This is a modified Champagne Cocktail. Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute, add 1.5 ounces Licor 43 (an indispensable part of the 43 Up) and 2 dashes Angostura bitters, then top with sparkling wine.

Just as people had fun rocking the red carpet with Cognitio, people had a great time at the Government Executive Media Group event. The overall result?  Another happy client.  Cheers!

Imagine a sultry weekend in Savannah, Georgia, home of great bars such as Alley Cat Lounge and the fascinating American Prohibition Museum. In the summer of 1995 Ms. Cocktail Den and I discovered Chatham Artillery Punch, a flavorful and complex libation. Legend has it a local artillery unit (Savannah is in Chatham County) created it during the Revolutionary War. It's a great story. It's not true. Research from eminent cocktail historian David Wondrich indicates it was created in the 1850s and became more popular later that century.

.75 ounces brandy
.75 ounces dark rum
.75 ounces bourbon
.5 ounces super simple syrup
.25 ounces lemon juice (1/8 lemon)
.25 ounces sweet tea vodka
.25 ounces red wine
Sparkling wine

Combine everything except the sparkling wine in a shaker with ice, shake with explosive force, strain into a chilled glass, and top with sparkling wine.

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients in the Chatham Artillery Punch, more than every other cocktail in the Den. The result is worth the effort. For the red wine, you can use whatever varietal you prefer, or a fortified wine such as madeira or port. You can make a simpler version of the Chatham Artillery Punch if you forego the sweet tea vodka and red wine, but then you lose the main flavors of the original concoction. This cocktail gives the word "punch" a double entendre. Originally created in mass quantities, this punch packs quite a punch. It's more potent than the Brown Bomber (the cocktail but not the late boxing champion for whom it was named).

Are you tough enough to take a Chatham Artillery Punch or two?

How is a brown derby glamorous? The hat may not be, but the patrons at the original Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles were.  Hollywood celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s such as Mary Pickford made the restaurant a see and be seen sort of place.  Interestingly, the restaurant did not create the Brown Derby cocktail. An unknown bartender at the nearby Vendôme Club invented it in the 1930s.

2 ounces bourbon
.75 ounces honey syrup
 Juice from 1/8 grapefruit

Combine with ice in a shaker, shake with old fashioned Hollywood swagger, and strain into a chilled glass.  Grapefruit peel twist optional.

Although its name might make you think the Brown Derby is related to the Derby, another bourbon based cocktail, to me it actually bears more of a resemblance to the Blinker. Both drinks mix whiskey, fresh grapefruit juice, and a sweetener. Speaking of sweeteners, other recipes usually call for less honey syrup, but those recipes use richer syrups (2:1 or 3:1 honey to water) than the honey syrup I like (1:1). If you would to put a twist on the Brown Derby, use maple syrup instead of honey syrup. Of course, if you want to make the Brown Derby more tart, add a little more grapefruit juice or cut back on the honey syrup. If you don't like grapefruit but like the idea of mixing whiskey, honey, and citrus, try A Thief In The Night.

If the cocktail world had the Oscars, the Brown Derby would be a nominee. Become a cocktail celebrity and have one.

Chocolate, coffee, and whiskey. Most people like at least two of these things. The 43 Up puts all of these flavors together. This original creation is adapted from Bittered Sling's repost of the 5:00 P.M. Wake Up Call by Cheers to Happy Hour.

2 ounces whiskey (see below)
1 ounce Licor 43
2 dashes chocolate bitters (hello Bittered Sling)
2 dashes coffee bitters (hello again Bittered Sling)

Combine in a mixing glass or shaker with ice, stir with a jolt of excitement, and strain into a chilled glass. Lightly burned star anise float optional.

Licor 43 is a Spanish liqueur whose slight sweetness belies its strength. Its color is reminiscent of other liqueurs such as yellow Chartreuse (used in the Naked and Famous) and Benedictine DOM (used in the Good Cork). The name derives from the minimum number of ingredients in it. To me Licor 43 has a distinct vanilla flavor, so it complements the chocolate and coffee bitters quite nicely.  I'm a big fan of the Malagasy Chocolate and Arabica Coffee bitters from Bittered Sling. Other companies make good chocolate and coffee bitters, but they're not as exquisite and on point as the ones from Bittered Sling.

The whiskey is where things get fun and interesting with the 43 Up. I experimented using three different types of whiskey -- bourbon, rye, and wheat. Not surprisingly, the bourbon and wheat based versions of the 43 Up are a little sweeter than the rye based version. All of them work well, so which whiskey you use is a matter of your personal preference ... and whatever is in your liquor cabinet.

If you want to feel better, here's a two step solution -- 1. Get up. 2. Make yourself a 43 Up. Your mood only will go one way .... do I really need to say it?

E pluribus unum is Latin for "out of many one." It is the original national motto of the United States of America. These unfortunately politically polarizing times give me another reason to continue my tradition of creating a new cocktail for the new year. The E Pluribus Unum is my liquid hope of cherishing and preserving what unites us.

2 ounces bourbon
.75 ounces Grand Marnier
.25 ounces Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 dashes chocolate bitters (I recommend Embitterment)
1 dash aromatic or Angostura bitters

Combine in a mixing glass or shaker with ice, stir with harmonious blending (as opposed to the violent agitation of shaking; I deliberately wanted a stirred drink here), and strain into a chilled glass.  Luxardo or amarena cherry garnish optional.

Bourbon is legally an American spirit, so it is a natural base for the E Pluribus Unum.  Grand Marnier honors France's role in the creation of the United States. You can use other orange liqueurs such as Cointreau (a key component in the thematically related RWB and other drinks such as the Syncopation), but Grand Marnier does a better job of uniting (see what I did there?) everything.  Why is Luxardo maraschino liqueur in the mix?  Because it adds a hint of nutty sweetness to the E Pluribus Unum, and its Italian roots pay homage to the Latin phrase. Chocolate bitters put a nice touch on the drink, and they are easy to find online. Angostura or aromatic bitters are everywhere.  Unlike other drinks with the same name that seem way too sweet, my E Pluribus Unum is just sweet enough and is definitely strong enough to represent the United States.

Do you want to be a liquid patriot?  Then have a E Pluribus Unum.

In the superhero universe Tony Stark is Iron Man.  Played by Robert Downey, Jr. in the eponymous movies and the Avengers movies, Tony Stark combines technological genius with style and a devil may care attitude. The Stark cocktail has nothing to do with Iron Man, at least not that I've found. I discovered it on the Cocktail Detour site. Fortunately you don't need to be a genius to make it.

1.5 ounces bourbon
.75 ounces yellow Chartreuse
.5 ounces honey syrup
Juice from 1/4 lemon
Angostura bitters

Combine everything except the bitters in a shaker, shake like you're Iron Man hurtling through the sky (or you're competing in an Ironman triathlon), strain into a chilled glass, and add the bitters on top.

The Stark is a nice combination of boozy, sweet, and sour tastes.  The bourbon brings the booze, the yellow Chartreuse (which you'll see in drinks such as the Naked and Famous and the Renegade) brings the booze and a little bit of sweet, the honey syrup (which you'll see in drinks such as the Mexicillin and A Thief In The Night) adds a little more sweet, and the fresh lemon juice (you are using fresh juice, right?) brings just enough sour.

Even though I am not a big fan of comic book movies (Ms. Cocktail Den is), I do like many of them.  Similarly, even though Iron Man is not my favorite Avenger (Captain America is, see the Whiskey Smash), I do like his character. Like its unintended namesake, the Stark is a combination of cocktail genius, style, and attitude.

In celebration of National Amaretto Day, the Amaretto Sour pays homage to this ubiquitous liqueur. The Italian word roughly means "little bitter."  However, amaretto liqueur is quite sweet. Traditionally it's made from bitter almonds, but some versions also incorporate apricot pits. The history behind the Amaretto Sour is unknown.  The standard recipe (amaretto, lemon juice, and simple syrup, or God forbid some sour mix) is too sweet for me, so I prefer this very minor adaptation of an enhanced recipe from the renowned Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

1.5 ounces amaretto
.75 ounces bourbon (preferably at least 100 proof)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
.25 ounces super simple syrup
1 egg white

Combine everything except the egg white in a shaker with ice, reverse dry shake (see Shake, Shake, Shake your Egg Whites) with stereotypical Italian exuberance (you can put everything in the shaker all at once, but reverse dry shaking is worth the effort), and strain into a chilled glass.

As you might think, this Amaretto Sour is reminiscent of the Whiskey Sour and its variations such as the Midnight Train and the Icelandic Sour.  In some respects it also is reminiscent of the Stiletto. The bourbon keeps the Amaretto Sour from becoming overpoweringly sweet.  The egg white gives the Amaretto Sour a richer flavor and protein boost (Morgenthaler uses 1/2 of an egg white, but for me it's easier to use all of it), which makes the cocktail sort of ... healthy?

Despite it sweet base, this Amaretto Sour isn't all that sweet.  It's not bitter, it's buonissimo!

The Ides of March refers to March 15.  That's the day Roman senators stabbed and assassinated Julius Caesar.  In the eponymous play by William Shakespeare, Caesar does not heed the soothsayer who warns him to "beware the Ides of March." Shakespeare did not create the Ides of March.  That honor goes to my fellow cocktail enthusiast Michael Bounds.

Veni, vidi, bibi (I came, I saw, I drank).

1.5 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Aperol
.75 ounces blood orange syrup (see below)
Juice from 1/8 lemon

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake with the ferocity of stabbing your mortal enemy, and strain into a chilled glass. Lemon twist garnish optional.

The Ides of March is a nice mix of American (bourbon) and Italian (Aperol). Aperol is a lighter, orange flavored, and easily accessible amaro used in other drinks such as the Part-Time Lover.  The blood orange syrup can be trickier.  There are a number of ways to make it.  I must confess that when I was in the middle of making the syrup, I forgot how Bounds made it, so I improvised.  I used the same method as I use to make glorious grenadine. If you have to use processed blood orange juice for the syrup, see how sweet it is and adjust the proportions as needed.

Unlike Brutus, who betrays Caesar (his recognition of Brutus is what sparks the line "et tu, Brute" ("and you, Brutus?")), the Ides of March will not betray your taste buds or your liver. As Brits like James Bond might say (especially amusing because he has a license to kill -- get it?), cheers!

Sometimes the word renegade has a bad connotation, e.g. the wanted man in the classic Styx song.  Sometimes history ultimately vindicates renegades because they dared to be different.  The word comes from the Latin renegare, which means to deny or renounce.  A 2013 creation from Sara Rosales, the Renegade cocktail isn't nearly as old as the word.

1 ounce bourbon
1 ounce mezcal
.75 ounces yellow Chartreuse
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters

Combine in a shaker with ice, stir with the confidence that it takes to be a you know what, and strain into a chilled glass.  Orange twist garnish optional.

Like a true renegade, the Renegade stands out because of its high powered mix of bourbon and mezca, a key part of drinks such as the Naked and Famous).  The yellow Chartreuse, used in drinks such as the Diamondback, masks its strength with a slightly sweet taste. Be careful, as too many Renegades will make you face the same fate as the man in the Styx tune (he's about to hang on the gallows). If you want to be a renegade with a Renegade, change up the ratios of the spirits, or the bitters.

Does this combination of ingredients look a little weird?  Yes.  Just remember the motto of the elite British Special Air Service: who dares, wins. 

Renounce weak cocktails, dare to have a Renegade, and win.

Over the years I've consumed plenty of bourbon, but this month (which happens to be National Bourbon Heritage Month) was a first -- this time I got to bottle my own bourbon.  Falls Church Distillers, a new distillery located in Falls Church, Virginia, recently hosted a bourbon bottling party.  My wife (Ms. Cocktail Den) and I participated in all aspects of the bottling process from cleaning it, pouring bourbon into it, sealing it, and labeling it. It's a win win for everyone -- Falls Church Distillers gets some free labor, and you get a fun experience.

During the event we got to meet the father-son team behind the operation.  Michael (the father and CEO) and Lorenzo (the son and head distiller) Paluzzi are smart and engaging.  It's exciting to watch, and briefly be a small part of, a new business taking flight.  I use that term deliberately, as Michael is a U.S. Air Force veteran.

So what about the bourbon?  Forget about tasting notes (identifying flavors is not my forte) and let's cut to the chase -- it's smooth and will work well in cocktails.  It's a little over three years old, which it makes it relatively young by bourbon standards.  Some bourbon drinkers might find it a little too mellow, but that may be due to its youth. 

If you get a chance to BYOB, do it.