otoño cocktail

1 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey (Knappogue Castle 1995)
3/4 oz Patxaran (Axta)
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur (Galliano Ristretto)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with freshly grated dark chocolate.

Two Wednesdays ago, I decided to use the bottle of Patxaran that I found for cheap in a liquor store outside of Inman Square. Patxaran (or Pacharán) is a sloe liqueur from the Basque region of Spain that differs from sloe gin by lacking a gin base as well as by having additional coffee, cinnamon, and anise flavors in the mix. The first drink that I wanted to recreate was a cocktail that Avery Glasser made for us at his apartment as thanks for helping him with a Bittermens bottling run cerca August 2010. Therefore, I wrote Avery and asked him for the recipe and a retelling of the backstory. Avery explained that the drink was created by Fernando del Diego at the Del Diego in Madrid back when the Glassers were living in Spain in 2007. Avery asked for something with Patxaran, and the rest is history.
The Otoño Cocktail began with chocolate, Irish whiskey, and medicinal fruitiness on the nose. Next, a caramel and fig sip gave way to soft whiskey on the swallow with a coffee and spice finish. Given that Patxaran is often drank as a digestif, it was not surprising that the cocktail was a perfect closure to our dinner that night.