gory guerrero

1 1/2 oz Tequila (Lunazul Reposado)
1/2 oz Drambuie
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

For Mixoloseum's Thursday Drink Night, the theme was "Tweaked - take a past TDN drink or one you've submitted and improve on it!" Two that came to mind were the Balmy Night which was a great drink with a somewhat lame name from the Allspice Dram event and the César Moro from the Cointreau night. The latter seemed more flexible of a recipe, so I decided to ponder variations that I could make. I remembered the lesson that bartender Misty Kalkofen shared that she learned from Charlotte Voisey -- that is how well tequila and Drambuie work together. So from the César Moro's Pisco Punch-esque form, the drink was quickly shifted in a very different direction by subbing the base spirit and liqueur. For a name, I abandoned the Surrealist theme since the only Mexican one I could think of honoring was Remedios Varo (and she was not even born there), and I switched gears to Mexican luchadors (professional wrestlers). Gory Guerrero became the obvious answer and I was tempted to name the drink after his signature finishing move, the Gory Special (although the move he is most famous for inventing is La de a Caballo which was later made famous in the 1980s as the Camel Clutch by the Iron Sheik). Gory was also the father of the recently departed WWE star, Eddie Guerrero.
The nose on the Gory Guerrero was rather complex. Aromas of the tequila and the Scotch in the Drambuie were dominant with floral notes from the vermouth and pineapple as an undercurrent. Flavorwise, the pineapple played a larger role in shaping the drink. The sip started with a dry booze flavor, had pineapple notes in the middle, and finished with honey, spice, and tequila on the swallow. In terms of tequila drinks, it was soft yet flavorful. I feel like visually the drink could use a garnish; however, none came to mind when making the drink. Perhaps a lime or lemon wheel might do the trick.