laura lee

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Cherry Heering
1 dash Fee's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

After the French Armada at Clio, bartender Todd Maul asked if I wanted another cocktail, and I decided that a nightcap was in order. I requested something not too boozy, and Todd selected the Laura Lee off of the aperitif section of the menu. While I did not get the specifics of whom the drink was named after, Todd mentioned that he developed this drink two years ago which would have put him behind the bar at Rialto.
The Laura Lee started with an apricot and rye aroma that led into much the same on the sip. The swallow, on the other hand, was the combination of the rich cherry flavors of the Heering, the cinnamon of the bitters, and crispness from the lemon. When I commented that it was like an apricot High Hat, Todd agreed but pointed out that the bitters donated some extra complexity that the High Hat lacked and thus accentuated the spice of the Cherry Heering.