the angelus

1 dash Gum Syrup (1/8 oz Jaggery)
1 dash Absinthe (1/8 oz Kübler)
A little Vermouth (1/2 oz Vya Sweet)
1 pony Old Tom Gin (1 oz Ransom)
2 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Regan's)
2 dash Curaçao (1/4 oz Senior Curaçao)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After having the Sunshine, I decided that we needed to try something a bit more old school and found the Angelus in William Schmidt's The Flowing Bowl. With Old Tom Gin and sweet vermouth, the drink reminded me of the Martinez Cocktail with a few alterations. For a gin, I opted for the more flavorful Ransom Old Tom but later remade it with Hayman's.
The Angelus when made with the Ransom presented an orange aroma from the Curaçao and bitters, a mint- and thyme-like aroma from the gin, and perhaps a hint of anise from the absinthe. The sip was rather simple with orange and grape notes, while the swallow showcased the spiciness of the gin. As the drink warmed up, the absinthe notes began to appear on the swallow as well. We could not believe how delicious this drink was, and I believed it was the Ransom Old Tom Gin tying the drink together. Therefore, I remade the drink with Hayman's. The drink lacked a lot of the savory herb notes in the nose and spice on the swallow; moreover, the drink was much more absinthe and orange forward. While the drink was decent with the Hayman's, it was nothing magical; with Ransom, it was worthy of the Angelus name.