9001 Overload Recipe

Combine water, honey, and sliced fresh ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the honey dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes to infuse. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then strain out the ginger. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Chill glass

Place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, or fill with ice water while you prepare the drink to chill it thoroughly.

Rinse (optional)

If you want to intensify the orange note, swirl 1/8 oz orange curaçao in the chilled glass, pour out the excess and set the glass aside. (This step is optional; the recipe already includes curaçao in the drink.)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 2 oz overproof rum, 1 oz añejo tequila, 0.5 oz barrel-aged rye whiskey, 0.5 oz orange curaçao, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz fresh grapefruit juice, 0.75 oz honey-ginger syrup, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

Add a pinch of smoked salt to the shaker (or add to the rim briefly when salting). Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.

Discard the ice or water from the chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass using a fine-mesh strainer to remove any tiny ice chips and pulp.

Express the oils from a grapefruit twist over the drink by holding it skin-side down above the glass and giving it a quick twist, then run the twist around the rim and drop it into the drink. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger on a cocktail pick or skewered on the edge of the glass.

Serve immediately. The cocktail is potent — sip slowly. If desired, place the candied ginger in the drink for an extra sweet-ginger infusion as you drink.

This is a high-proof, high-impact cocktail (hence '9001 Overload'). Use caution with overproof rum; adjust amounts downward if you prefer a lighter drink. The honey-ginger syrup adds viscosity and balances heat — you can substitute simple syrup (1:1) if you don’t have honey, but adjust to taste.