new sensation

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 barspoon Mint Simple Syrup
1 handful Mint Leaves

Muddle the mint, shake with ice, and double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.
After getting dinner at Trina's Starlite Lounge, Andrea and I headed up the street to Bergamot to catch a nightcap. When I asked bartender Kai Gagnon about the New Sensation on the menu, he described it as the Bols Genever version of a classic gin cocktail, the Sensation. Neglecting the malt content of the Genever, the recipe reminded me of a minty and Violette-less Aviation or perhaps a lemon for grapefruit Seventh Heaven, albeit one with even more of a mint signature. The New Sensation began with a mint- and maraschino-laden nose. While the sip was lemon and malty, the swallow was a funky and fresh combination of the Maraschino and mint elements. In the end, I do regret not asking whether Kai and bartender Paul Manzelli were big enough INXS fans to name the drink after one of their song titles.