dolly dagger

1 1/2 oz Dry Sack Sherry (Lustau Dry Oloroso)
1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cane Syrup (JM Sirup (2:1 simple will work))
1 tsp Vanilla Syrup (BG Reynolds)

Build in a Highball glass, top with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Add a straw and garnish with a dash of Angostura Bitters, a mint spring, and a spent half lime shell (fresh lime wheel).

Two Saturdays ago, I was in a rum mood, and searched Tom Sandham's World's Best Cocktails for a recipe. When I spotted the Dolly Dagger, Andrea seemed excited about the heavy sherry presence in the mix. Luckily, our mint patch is still going so I was able to properly garnish this one. The recipe itself was created by Alex Day, and perhaps this recipe was served when he was at The Varnish in Los Angeles.
The combination of the mint, lime, and Angostura spice from the garnishes filled the Dolly Dagger's bouquet. The aged rum's caramel mingled well with the lime juice and sherry's grape on the sip. On the swallow, the funky Smith & Cross rum complemented the nuttiness of the oloroso sherry and the hint of vanilla from the syrup.