the truth

2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Strega
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Fridays ago, I decided to make a low proof bitter number that I had spotted on the BarNotes app -- namely the Truth by Mike Steele of Dallas' Cedars Social. With Punt e Mes as the base along with two herbal modifiers, it reminded me of some of Maks Pazuniak's drinks like the Charlatan; moreover, the Strega aspect made me think of Chris Hannah's creations like the Rebennack. Once prepared, the Truth proffered orange oil with some dark notes from the Punt e Mes and Cynar poking through on the nose. Next, a sweet red grape sip with hints of orange on the sip led into bitter herbal flavors on the swallow that transitioned to Strega spice on the finish.