dutch masters

2 1/4 oz Cognac
1 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 - 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Smoking Ban Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After departing Drink on Wednesday night, it was still somewhat early so I decided to stop off on the way home at Rendezvous to visit Scott Holliday. While looking over the cocktail menu, my eyes immediately spotted the Dutch Masters as the new drink on the menu. After just having something at Drink with my Abbott's bitters (I gave them a sample a few weeks back that was early in the oak aging process), I was amused that Scott was using my Smoking Ban Bitters on his menu. I assume that Scott named the cocktail to refer to the Dutch origin of the cherry liqueur in the recipe and perhaps to the well-known cigar brand (a nod to the bitters).

The Dutch Masters had a delightful sour cherry flavor similar to the rye-based High Hat. However, unlike the bitter-free High Hat, the Dutch Masters gained a spicy complexity from their inclusion. Besides the spiciness, these bitters also seemed to have a nice drying effect on the drink's balance.