darkside iced tea

1/2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
1/2 oz Zaya Rum
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Combier Orange Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice and pour into a highball glass (here a rocks glass). Garnish with a lemon wedge and add a straw.

Two Mondays ago was a Fernet Branca industry event at the Franklin Southie. While I sadly did not win the Fernet Branca beach cruiser bicycle that night, I did have some tasty Fernet and Carpano Antica drinks. One of the original recipes was created by Chad Arnholt of the Woodward and Citizen Public House and was his Fernet Branca-inspired tribute to the Long Island Iced Tea called the Darkside Iced Tea. Amusingly, the Long Island Iced Tea will also be honored at this year's Tales of the Cocktail. The original was voted to be buried after a jazz band leads its funeral procession in July to join the ranks with previous year's winners the Appletini, Red Headed Slut, and Sex on the Beach.
Chad's version started off with a caramel and menthol aroma from the Zaya rum and Fernet Branca, respectively. The Zaya then donated a richness to the sip that was balanced by the citrus notes of the lemon juice and orange liqueur. Next, the swallow was a combination of the Fernet Branca's herbal flavors and Rittenhouse Rye's barrel notes. The only thing that I felt the Darkside Iced Tea needed was the original's splash of Coca Cola for I felt that it would greatly complement both the rum and the Fernet.