rude boy

2 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz S. Maria al Monte Amaro
3 drops Orange Blossom Water

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Drop the orange blossom water on top and garnish with a lime wedge.

Yesterday after the Dada performance at the Lily Pad was over, I walked to Rendezvous to say hello to Scott Holliday who was bartending that night. When I asked Scott what he had been tinkering with, he replied that he had been working on getting the balance of a new daiquiri-like drink using S. Maria al Monte amaro just right. I was game for some rum, so I gave the go ahead. Scott let me taste the amaro in a cordial glass. It was very minty and mentholly and similar to Fernet-Branca in some tasting notes although not the same beast. S. Maria al Monte turns out to be from a different part of Italy than Fernet-Branca so hence some of the difference. S. Maria al Monte is from the northern part and uses the local botanicals of the region which tend toward alpine and menthol notes.

The drink itself was rather dry and complex. The hints of orange blossoms on the nose led into an intriguing menthol-lime flavor which seemed to work well with the taste of the overproof rum. Scott described the concept behind the naming -- he thought the drink reminded him of the cologne a Rude Boy would wear. He did not specify whether it was a 1960's Jamaican version or the more modern ska take on it; however, given that Wray and Nephew is Jamaican, I am guessing the former.