[carrol ironwood]

2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
1 oz Mirto Liqueur
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

On Monday last week, Andrea and I went over to Eastern Standard for a late night dinner after my DJ set was over. We had to wait a few minutes for seats to open up at the bar, but when they did, bartender Hugh Fiore greeted us and soon began discussing drink options. When I mentioned that I had not had any rye in a while, Mr. Fiore already had a drink idea queued up.
Hugh selected Mirto, a bitter liqueur made from the myrtle berry plant, and a housemade cinnamon syrup to go with the whiskey. I was surprised at how well the Mirto and cinnamon notes not only complemented each other but paired with the spiciness of the rye whiskey. Moreover, I was impressed at how the liqueur and syrup balanced the rye for intensity, as Rittenhouse can often be pretty domineering. The drink had almost no aftertaste at first; however, after a few sips, the cinnamon notes began to build on the swallow.