country life #2

1 1/4 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
3/4 oz Jamaican Rum (3/8 oz Smith & Cross + 3/8 oz Coruba)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Lacuesta Rojo)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Fridays after work, I was thinking about various contributions that Sam Ross has made to the modern cocktail renaissance, and I decided to search Kindred Cocktails to uncover another of his creations. There, I found Country Life #2 that he created at Milk & Honey in 2009 that was a sweet vermouth for port riff of the Country Life that appeared in Crosby Gaige's 1945 Cocktail Guide and Ladies' Companion.

Country Life
• 1 jigger Bourbon
• 1/2 jigger Jamaican Rum
• 1/2 jigger Port Wine
• 3 dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 dash Orange Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

When I saw Gaige's recipe, I immediately recognized it as the Suburban and then recalled that he frequently renamed established drinks to fit the themes of his book's chapters such as the Seventh Heaven becoming the Southern Bride and the Darb becoming the Why Not Now. Regardless, Sam's Country Life #2 seemed like it would be an interesting Manhattan variation if made with the right rum(s). In the glass, the Country Life #2 showcased a caramel, rum funk, and orange aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow proffered Bourbon, rum funk, caramel, allspice, and clove flavors.