Jon Hamm’s Briefcase

A dark rum distilled in Guyana, with a more heavy bodied molasses flavor and darker color. This is a rare variety of rum, if a recipe calls for demerara rum it may only be referring to a dark colored rum, not specifically a Guyanan rum.

An Italian amaro distilled from a secret mix of caramelized sugar, gentian, bitter and sweet orange and natural herbs; 30% ABV. A notable substitute for Amer Picon.

The general term for the Carribean-based nonalcoholic syrup. Falernum is a sweet syrup commonly used in tropical drinks and usually flavored with almond, ginger, cloves, vanilla, allspice and lime. You can make it yourself, it takes a few days. Combine 1/3 cup toasted almonds with 1/2 cup for light rum. Seal and let sit for 2 days. Add the zest of 8 limes (no pith) and 30 whole cloves, stir and let sit for another day. Juice 4 limes and strain the juice into a sauce pot. Add 2/3 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool then combine it with the almond/rum infusion. Stir to combine then strain all through a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Add alcohol as a preservative and turn it into Velvet Falernum.

Peat is a dried soil from peatlands, bogs, mires, moors and muskegs. In Scotland, peat fires are used to dry the malted barley, giving the whiskey a smoky flavor.

An aromatic bitters made by The Bitter Truth, following Jerry Thomas' recipe from the early 19th century. Try it in a Manhattan.

An orange colored citrus fruit. Many types of orange make an appearance in cocktails. The peel and juice are equally valuable to diverse cocktails.