notorious f.l.i.p.

1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Bonal Quinquina
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini (* Ramazzotti)
3/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 Egg

Shake once without ice and once with. Strain into a fizz glass (large coupe) and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Last Tuesday, I was in the mood for a nightcap flip and recalled the article on egg drinks that I had spotted in Details magazine a few days before. The one that called to me that night was Michael Rubel's The Notorious F.L.I.P. which he created at the Violet Hour in Chicago. As his tribute to the deceased east coast rap star, Michael chose the hefty Smith & Cross rum as the base spirit. I hesitated in making this flip for I lacked the Amaro Nardini that was called for in the recipe. Since I read that it was rather orange and caramel, I opted for Ramazzotti; however, the mint and other herbal components in descriptions I read made me wonder if I should have added a barspoon of Fernet Branca as well. Honestly, I was not overly concerned about the amaro's identity, for the idea of pairing Smith & Cross and Bonal was what excited me the most about this recipe.
The flip started with a nutmeg and vanilla aroma from the garnish and rum, respectively. The sip was a creamy caramel and rum flavor followed by bitter notes from the Bonal and amaro on the swallow. Of all the herbal flavors, the Bonal's gentian stood out the most on my palate. Overall, the Notorious F.L.I.P. was rather gentle for a Smith & Cross drink, but not even the egg could hide the rum's signature funkiness.