Anyone who reads this blog or follows my twitter with any degree of regularity knows I’m a huge fan of the cocktails at Copperwood Tavern in Shirlington (read my seasonal odes here and here).  Well, the weather is turning a bit cooler and the leaves are changing, so new drinks are available!  Last week I tried the two new additions to the menu which, not surprisingly, were excellent.  The first one up was the beautiful Reclaimed Nail, featuring, brace yourselves: Monkey Shoulder Scotch, sweet potato syrup, Dambuie, Absinthe, lemon, and sage.  You pick it up expecting a real roller coster of taste given those ingredients but the flavor is shockingly simple, direct, and very rich, perfect for a fall night.  The burn is even through and through and the sweet potato syrup lends it a really creative aura.  Just lovely.

Second up was the Pumpkin Flip — now, I’m an easy mark for anything with pumpkin in it, so this one had me at go.  Just a great, deep mix of Sailor Jerry spiced rum, pumpkin syrup, whole egg, and Port City Porter.  This drink is so relaxing and screams fall with a nice weight and easy drinkability; you just want to sit outside and watch the leaves drop as you sip. Finally, I was happy to see that they brought back the moonshine-based Catalyst, which is one my favorite cocktails of all time.  Give it, and all the others, a try.