Sunday, April 24, 2022

all of freud's beautiful women

3/4 oz Mezcal (Peloton de la Muerte)
3/4 oz Rhum Agricole (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with unseen Freudian symbolism.
After I awoke after a few scant hours of sleep after my Saturday bar shift followed by a nightcap, Andrea wanted to spend our one full day together by going to the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum to see the new exhibits. I was game despite really wanting to fall back into bed, so I got myself into a more positive mood with a coffee and a few Advils. Of all the new artists, I was struck by the pieces by Estefania Puerta, a Columbian born sculptor living in Vermont. Her style was coated in surrealism, biological touches, and palpable symbolism, and I found myself returning to that section of the museum after the first lingering pass. One of my favorite pieces from her was the 2020 All of Freud's Beautiful Women (a fraction of that piece below), and that night, I was inspired to craft a cocktail tribute to it especially given its name.
For a starting point, I focused in on an Amaro Montenegro for Campari riff on the Rose Gold that I had been making at Drink. Both the Bourbon and gin versions of this have been successes giving a touch of clementine and cinnamon complexity to the Gold Rush and Bee's Knees yet not as bitter as the Rose Gold. To that, the art made me think of the earthy and funky weirdness of the mezcal-rhum agricole combination that I have used in the Miracles Take Longer, Up Jumped the Devil, and other recipes. Despite the spirits leaning towards lime, I am glad that I stuck with lemon juice here akin to the Honey Bee. Once prepared, the All of Freud's Beautiful Women teased the nose with smoke, rhum funk, honey, and orange aromas. Next, lemon and honey notes swirled on the sip, and the swallow suggested honey smoothness, smoky vegetal, grassy, and clementine flavors.

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