le vieux italian

2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre 10 Year Old Cognac
1 1/2 oz Averna
1/2 oz Pernod Absinthe
2 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist orange peel over the top and discard.
The last drink at Russell House Tavern during the Pernod Absinthe Boston Bar Crawl was the most elegant of the whole evening. Bartender Aaron Butler took inspiration from the Manhattan, and he used Cognac and a rich Italian bitter liqueur, Averna, to create a dark, sultry atmosphere for the Pernod Absinthe to display herself. The Vieux Italian welcomed the nose with orange oil and cinnamon notes from the twist and bitters, respectively. Cognac's heat and Averna's syrupy bitterness paired well with the absinthe especially at the end of the sip. Lastly, the cinnamon notes from the barrel-aged bitters built up with each successive swallow and complemented the anise notes of the Pernod Absinthe and the herbal complexity of the Averna.