angels' share

a) 6 Cranberries
1 Sugar Cube
1 splash Water

b) 2 oz Red Wine (Underwood Cellars Pinot Noir)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1/4 oz Campari

Muddle ingredients in (a). Add ingredients in (b) and ice, shake, and double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with 3 cranberries.

For my second drink at the Gallows two Sundays ago, I asked bartender Carl Donheiser for the Angels' Share. When I first visited the Gallows, the drink was on the menu with a more seasonal fruit, Concord grapes; the switching to cranberries tempted me into ordering this drink for I wanted to see how they paired with Campari. Moreover, I was curious to taste a modern wine-based cocktail, for most that I have tasted have been late 19th or early 20th century recipes or variations thereof. For a wine, the bar varies the selection, but it is always something low on tannins, and this drink was made with a Pinot Noir from Oregon's Underwood Cellars.
The wine in the Angels' Share came across strongly in the drink's aroma. A tart cranberry sip matched the red wine and citrus flavors. Surprisingly, the Campari was rather subtle in the drink and acted more as an accent to support the cranberry. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more of a Campari signature. When I mentioned this to Carl, he commented that when the drink was created with Concord grapes, the Campari rang out more, and that they did not readjust the proportions to compensate for the seasonal change in the fruit's identity. While some people might find this drink too tart, I quite enjoyed its refreshing balance.