the messenger

1 1/2 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quina
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Calvados
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Two Thursdays ago, Andrea and I had dinner and beer at Cambridge Brewing Company in Kendall Square. Afterwards, we rounded the corner and paid a visit to bartender Ryan Connelly at Belly Wine Bar. For a first drink, I selected Ryan's The Messenger off of the "Let's Get Fortified: A Study in Vermouth-based Concoctions" section of the cocktail menu. Once mixed, the Messenger offered an orange peel aroma over a grape sip that shared a vague fruitiness perhaps from the apple brandy and orange liqueur. The apple and orange peel notes shined through on the swallow though, and the swallow gained more bitter gentian complexity over time as the drink warmed up.