Kevin's Cocktails 

The word “scofflaw” means “someone who scoffs at the law.” The term was coined during Prohibition, and, in an intentional ironic twist, became the name of a cocktail created in 1924, four years into the Noble Experiment, which within a week of its invention had become a sensation. That drink featured Rye Whiskey, French Vermouth, lemon juice, and Grenadine. (Maybe I’ll revisit this as a Retro Cocktail.)

 Now, almost a hundred years later, the circumstances are such as to require a new “Scofflaw” cocktail. And the play on the term “scaffa” was intended, as this is in the “scaffa style”… SCOFFLAW (2017) 1 part Hennessy V.S. Cognac
 1 part Bulleit Rye Whiskey 
½ part Averna ½ part Lique

The ethos of the punk rock movement: 1. Dinosaurs need to get extinct. 2. If you think you can do better, then do it. 3. If no one will let you, then do it anyway. 4. DIY, and fuck 'em. kevinkunundrum.com OUR FIRST YEAR IN REVIEW We now celebrate ONE YEAR ONLINE with KEVIN’S COCKTAILS! Since the website debuted in March of 2016, we’ve accomplished a lot, and things that NO OTHER cocktail website even attempts. (The sound of us patting ourselves on the back…) But hey, we HAVE done a lot. So let’s review… KEVIN’S COCKTAIL MINUTE Our signature cocktail VIDEOS, often goofy, sometimes serious, always informative, as your affable host and Doctor of Mixology, Kevin Postupack, M.D., takes us step

"Bienvenido a 'Kevin's Cocktail Minute'..." What do you do if you have a bunch of bottles on the shelf with only a little bit left in each bottle? This drink! Surprisingly deep and flavorful, considering its “everything but the kitchen sink” approach, this cocktail is crisp and clean with a lovely opalescent color, with LOTS of alcohol! Garnish with a twist of lime and say, “¡Viva la Revolución!” Click on the link below to watch the video in KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE: "AUGUSTO SANDINO RAIDS THE LIQUOR CABINET BEFORE THE CAPITALIST INVASION" El Exigente and the lovely, enigmatic Anna Escobar Finishing the rum before the Capitalistas arrive, beneath Anna's scrutinizing gaze. "They're coming! Dr

As a human being, a writer, and an artist, I'm interested in almost everything. And so, as a mixologist, I'm inspired by many things as well. Today's cocktail creation arose from Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness (which also inspired a movie I heard was pretty good). Another of my variations on a theme of the "Manhattan". But before the drink, some gorgeous, thought-provoking quotes from the novel itself. (Did you know that Conrad was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in what had been the Kingdom of Poland, and English was NOT his first language? Yes, the written word still has beauty, power, depth, and wonder, no matter the language...) “I should be loyal to the nightmare of my c

"Duck and Cover" is the perfect drink for the nuclear holocaust! Just make sure you stocked up the bomb shelter's bar well in advance, as these things usually happen without much notice. (See Hiroshima.) It's a strong, kickass cocktail, with three kinds of vodka, and other cool stuff like Chartreuse and Hpnotiq (which looks and tastes like it's radioactive), with a lingering bitterness, but in a good way, as it makes you want another. (And another.) And although you very well might envy the dead, it's much better to ponder the half-life of Plutonium-239 being 24,000 years with a drink like this in hand. And of course "the proportion of casualties caused by radioactivity is quite low, as most

Whatever your political leanings, here is a brand new cocktail created seven and a half minutes ago to commemorate this day when Donald Trump (yes, I'm not making that up) became our 45th President of the United States. (Yes, the Irony-Meter is way in the Red Zone. "Turn it off, before it blows!") A marvelously delicious drink to help you celebrate, or to help deaden the pain (and ease your way to that 51st state). And after three of these, things look pretty good! May God have mercy on our souls. THE 51st STATE 1 part Hennessy V.S. Cognac 1 part Yellow Chartreuse
 1 part Aperol
 ¼ part fresh-squeezed Lime juice
 dash of Hella Bitters Citrus bitters Shake everything over ice, then str

My improvement on the “Blue Motorcycle”, the "RED MOTORCYCLE" is subtler, more refined, with a finish like a dry red wine, yet still potent with lots of alcohol. Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila, and Pama Pomegranate Liqueur for its color and tangy taste. With Cranberry Ginger Ale, a Maraschino cherry, and a biker chick. Vrrooom! Click on the link below to watch the video in KEVIN'S COCKTAIL MINUTE! "Red Motorcycle" Born to be wild. Anna shaking it... then really shaking it! After three of these we become abstract. That is a LOT of alcohol! And check out the BLOG post from December 7, 2016 where this drink originated: "The Red Motorcycle"

The Sex Pistols famously declared that there’s “no future for you, no future for me.” Where are they now when we need them most? Which brings me to my newest signature cocktail: “The Future is Now”. The past is the road of our reality in the rearview mirror, as we speed towards the horizon of our hopes about to be realized. But consider the word “horizon”, this imaginary place at the end of our vision that recedes as we approach it. This is the only thing the future has going for it, much like Heaven (another imaginary place), the promise of endless possibilities. Yet, no matter how fast we race towards it, it remains just out of reach, and we clutch the air and bring back a handful of noth

Today’s cocktail is inspired by Charleston: the place, the dance, the state of mind. It’s a delicious drink to introduce you to bourbon, if you haven’t yet had the pleasure. A modest amount, balanced by the tart taste of fresh grapefruit juice and the sweetness of maple syrup, with hopped grapefruit bitters as the finishing touch. THE CHARLESTON 1½ parts Larceny Bourbon 2 parts fresh-squeezed Pink or Ruby Red Grapefruit juice 1 tablespoon of Vermont Maple Syrup dash of Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit bitters Shake everything over ice, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

In keeping with my recent love affair of "Scaffa style" (see BLOG entry for January 6, 2017: La Strada: A New Cocktail in the "Scaffa Style"), I offer a warming drink for this cold night. Cognac is the predominate player in this command performance. Hennessy, with Belle de Brillet (the cognac-based pear liqueur), plus Bénédictine. Add to this, the bitter yet flavorful bite of Campari (as well as its brilliant color), and grapefruit bitters, and you have a remarkably smooth, soothing drink to sip in front of the fire. ON A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT 1 part Hennessy V.S. Cognac 
 ¾ part Bénédictine
 ½ part Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur ½ part Campari
 dash of Fee Brothers Grapefruit bitters



I am really appreciating the artistry involved in the “Scaffa style” of cocktail creation.* No dilution with water from shaking or stirring over ice. No juices or sodas or other typical ingredients to transform the flavors of the alcohol. Just the alcohol itself at room temperature, direct from the shelf (or “cabinet”, as “scaffa” supposedly means cabinet. Although this is open to debate). The choice of liquor and liqueurs becomes paramount, as do the ratios of the ingredients used, since there is nothing to smooth out the flavors as in most cocktails. From the perspective of the Mixologist, this is the supreme challenge: to create a drink that is complete, balanced, smooth, surprising, and

Not often does a novel inspire the creation of a cocktail. Here now, a kickass, dark, and delicious cocktail inspired by my novel of violence in America... MUDVILLE, the recent novel by Kevin Postupack (Deep Kiss Press), is a book steeped in violence, and more specifically, violence in America, because Americans love violence. They love guns, big pickups, fast food, fist fights, and Jesus (although I’m not sure how Jesus fits into that group). Postupack explained that he wanted everything about the book to be violent. The subject matter, of course, from the most brutal and repellent acts (as hard to write as they were to read), down to the seemingly insignificant “casual” exchanges (the subt

This month’s Retro Cocktail, the “French 75”, dates back over a hundred years and has a colorful, storied past. Appearing in many of the cocktail books of the 1920s and 1930s (with different ingredients in each recipe), the original is said to have come about during The Great War. When French and American pilots of the famed Lafayette Escadrille had leave, they would dash off to Paris, to the bar at the Hôtel Chatham. Here, they celebrated still being alive, with copious amounts of champagne and cognac, both readily available. And their celebrations evolved into a cocktail (with lemon juice and sugar added) that became known as the “French 75”—named for the French army’s 75 millimeter guns,