The hardbound, 100-page book on the bar isn't an encyclopedia. Rather, it's the cocktail menu assembled by head barkeep Jamie Boudreau. Heavy on obscure classics and freewheeling new creations, it includes cerebral concoctions like the aged La Bicyclette, a gin-based drink aged in oak for 12 weeks and served in a flask. Boudreau's Italian Buck is an erudite nod to the mania for bitters--a fusion of artichoke-laced Cynar and citrusy Amaro Montenegro made bright and punchy with lime and ginger beer. Smart, in other words, but not too smart for its own good.

Ice
1 ounce Cynar
1 ounce Amaro Montenegro
½ ounce fresh lime juice
2 ounces chilled ginger beer

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the Cynar, amaro and lime juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with the ginger beer. Serve.