portly penguin

3/4 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Port (Sandeman Tawny)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
For Thursday Drink Night on Mixoloseum, the theme was "gin". After avoiding the Pegu Club as a starting point and leaving it for Doug, and after a few failed attempts trying to make a Cynar, port, and gin drink, I shifted gears and used the Penguin Cocktail (equal parts gin, Cherry Heering, and Benedictine) that we served at our International Migratory Bird Day party two years ago as a new starting point. Perhaps I was also heavily influence by the Blood and Sand-like Riccardo from the night before; I swapped out the Benedictine for lime juice and the port that was still on the counter from the previous round of tinkering akin to the Riccardo's orange juice and sweet vermouth. I kept the equal parts ratio, and the cocktail ended up being dubbed the Portly Penguin. The drink was rather rich from the cherry brandy and tawny port, and the sip started with a thick mouthfeel that was cut into at the end by the lime's crispness. The swallow also contained the complex herbal notes from the bitters, gin, and Cherry Heering and this helped to dry out the drink's balance as well. As the drink warmed up a little, the balance began to shift a little to the tart side, so perhaps people who favor sweeter drinks might want to add a barspooon of simple syrup to the mix.