flor de jerez

1 1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau Dry)
1/2 oz Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
1/4 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cane Syrup or Rich Simple Syrup (2:1 Syrup)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Tuesday last week, I was flipping through Food & Wines: Cocktails 2011 when I spotted Joaquin Simo's Flor de Jerez. Since I had enjoyed his Punky Monkey and Day Bell, I was excited about giving this drink a try. Once mixed, Andrea smelled primarily the sherry whereas I sensed more of the Smith & Cross Rum and apricot liqueur aromas. The sherry's grape appeared on the sip along with the lemon; the sherry continued on in the swallow as a nuttiness that blended well with the rum, and this was chased by a slight apricot aftertaste. Indeed, the Smith & Cross and the sherry flavors elegantly melded, and at an one to three ratio, the Amontillado was not overwhelmed by this potent spirit. If I were to compare the Flor de Jerez to a drink I have had recently, I would probably say Crosby Gaige's Naked Lady which uses sweet vermouth instead of sherry.