Nautical Recipes for the Night’s End

Christopher McIntosh & Melissa Ostrow

After last call comes the shift drink. Like the restaurant industry’s version of a nightcap, the shift drink – anything from a cold beer to a quick Fernet – signals the end of a (very long) workday for bartenders, servers and chefs alike. Here, Boston beverage talent share their recipes to elevate the ritual with a bottle of Nautical Gin in hand. Taking inspiration from their friends in the kitchen, Japanese tea ceremonies, Navy days and more, the barmen below shake up gin drinks to signal the end of the night.


bostonia-22Name: Ryan Mahoney
Bar: Bostonia Public House
Drink: Collins Punch

Mahoney pairs Nautical Gin with a shandy for a crushable citrus pick-me-up. “Punch cocktails are pretty hot right now, so we took what’s trending and really made it our own. I think this particular drink works well as a shift drink because it’s not a ton of ingredients that you might already have wrapped up.”
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lincoln-14Name: Kevin Mabry
Bar: Lincoln Tavern, Capo
Drink: Nauti Apple

Mabry picked up on the cinnamon and baking spices in the Nautical flavor profile. “I thought it would be great to incorporate it into a fall-style cocktail.” He matches the spirit with seasonal apples for an autumnal nightcap.
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cmcintoshphoto_bostonchefs_20160926_097Name: Joseph Gowland
Bar: Park
Drink: Nautical Cocktail

The former Navy man adds a pinch of sea salt to his shift drink to pull together the crisp, bold flavors. “Shift drinks–it’s all about the community and the bar as a team. So, at the end of the night, it has to be a shared drink because it’s a shared effort.
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tigermama-27Name: Will Isaza
Bar: Tiger Mama
Drink: Trinidad Time Out

“The most fun people to serve shift drinks to happen to be chefs because they usually drink the most harsh or obscure things.” Inspired by a back of house colleague’s gin-heavy shift drink, Isaza shakes up a shooter to finish the night on a frothy note.
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cm2_5989Name: Tenzin Samdo
Bar: Tavern Road
Drink: High Tide Tea for Two

Samdo taps in to the slow-down element of the last drink of the night, preparing a teapot of bubbles and gin, perfect for sharing. “Sometimes when you have a long day and you’ve been working so hard, you want to wind down with one of your favorite people.”
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