white lion (variation)

2 oz Añejo Rum
1/2 oz Housemade Falernum
1/2 oz Grenadine
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint and 2-3 dash of house aromatic bitters (sub Angostura), and add a straw.

Two Wednesdays ago, we traveled over to Allston to Deep Ellum for dinner. For a drink, I asked bartender Jen Salucci about the White Lion since the ingredient list was not the same as the one in Jerry Thomas from 1862:

White Lion
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Juice of 1/2 Lime (include rind in mixing glass)
• 1 wineglass Santa Cruz Rum (2 oz)
• 1 tsp Curaçao
• 1 tsp Raspberry Syrup
Mix well, chill with shaved ice, and garnish with berries in season.

Jen explained that it started out with bar own Max Toste trying to craft a Tiki-like drink for the winter to utilize the housemade falernum they had just created. As Max tinkered, he realized that his recipe was close to one that already existed -- the White Lion from Stan Jones' 1977 Complete Barguide:

White Lion
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 oz Rum
• 1/4 oz Grenadine or Falernum
• 2 dash Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Variation: serve in a Highball glass with crushed ice and soda water. Orange curaçao may be added.

Max decided to use the name to continue the lineage of variations, even if this one was unintentionally created as such. Since I had this drink at Deep Ellum, I revisited the Jerry Thomas recipe and will write about it in the next week or two.
The aromatic bitters' allspice and clove notes joined that of the mint on the nose. A lime and pomegranate sip led into a clovey rum swallow. Definitely different in flavor than the original raspberry syrup version and closer to the Stan Jones one; however, the presentation was more akin to the Thomas instructions.