kaleidoscope

1 pony Absinthe (1 oz Obsello)
1 pony Vino Vermouth (1 oz Vya Sweet)
3 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
3 dash Benedictine (1/4 oz)
3 dash Curaçao (1/4 oz Senior Curaçao of Curaçao)
3 dash Crème de Cacao (1/4 oz Marie Brizard)

Shake with ice and strain into a wine glass.

Sunday, after the Boston Bartender Collaborative's speed trials event, I decided to make a nightcap. During the event, I spoke with Drink bartender Will Thompson about The Flowing Bowl, and I, therefore, decided to make one of Will's favorites from the book, The Kaleidoscope. For each of the four "3 dash" measurements, I assigned a 1/4 oz volume to make a final 3 oz size. Moreover, the recipe advised shaking, and I followed William Schmidt's instructions instead of stirring; in the end, I do not believe any damage was done by shaking this rich combination. Marconi, my co-pilot, was a little less sure though.
So what did this kaleidoscope of colorful bottles yield? The drink's nose smelled strongly of the absinthe's anise. The sip was an herbal chocolate flavor combined with a bit of grape; both the Obsello absinthe and Benedictine contain some chocolate notes that combined here surprisingly well with the crème de cacao. Finally, the anise and spice notes from the absinthe, Benedictine, and vermouth were joined by orange and Maraschino notes on the fruit finish. Definitely, the Kaleidoscope was a rather complexly flavored potation.