flowers of distinction

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal (Vida)
3/4 oz Lillet Rouge (Dubonnet)
3/4 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Float 1 dash absinthe (15 drops Kübler).

Two Fridays ago, Andrea was in the mood for an absinthe drink, so I opened up A Taste for Absinthe and found one that Jason Lograsso of Bourbon and Branch had submitted. As a smokey and flowery variation on the Corpse Reviver #2, the Flowers of Distinction seemed worth the try. Moreover, the St. Germain aspect did remind me a little of Sam Ross' Sunflower Cocktail that I had tried a few nights before.
Before I added the absinthe garnish, the drink had a strawberry-like aroma which did in fact return once the floated absinthe layer had been diminished with successive sips; in between, the drink had an absinthe aroma with hints of smokey mezcal poking through. The Flowers of Distinction's sip was citrusy with additional fruit elements from the St. Germain and Dubonnet, while the swallow was St. Germain's floral notes mixed with the mezcal. The drink did taste a bit different than expected for the swallow was much more full flavored than I had first anticipated.