undercover angel

2 oz Blandy's 5 Year Sercial Madeira
3/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash St. George Absinthe

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

For the final Yacht Rock Sunday at Loyal Nine a week and a half ago, I wondered if I could riff on the classic Chrysanthemum by replacing the dry vermouth with a dry Madeira. In wanting to add another touch to complement the switch, I considered Maraschino liqueur which works rather well with Madeira; moreover, it would work well with the absinthe to bring about a Jerry Thomas-era Improved Cocktail feel. Instead of taking a flower naming convention with a Chrysanthemum riff like the Calla Lily, I went to the Yacht Rock Sunday playlist and chose the Undercover Angel.
The Undercover Angel greeted the nose with lemon, Maraschino, and light absinthe aromas. Next, grape on the sip gave way to orange (from the Madeira), nutty cherry, and herbal notes. Since people were rather pleased with the flavor combinations here, I opted to swap the Madeira Bamboo's place on the regular menu's low octane section with this one.