bittersweet serenade

1 oz Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado Sherry
1 oz Philippe Latourelle VS Calvados
1 oz Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
For my last drink at Estragon, bartender Sahil Mehta wanted to make for me the Bittersweet Serenade. Sahil described how this recipe was published in Stuff at Night a few months ago in an article about sherry drinks. Here, the sherry was matched with equal portions of Calvados and walnut liqueur. Despite it seeming more like an autumnal drink, it worked rather well with the rich chocolate dessert we had. The Bittersweet Serenade began with an orange oil aroma that contained a hint of the sherry's nuttiness poking through. The sherry's grape flavor appeared in the sip, and its nuttiness in the swallow where it complemented the walnut liqueur. As the drink warmed up, the brandy notes strengthened on the swallow to round out the drink.