you'll shoot your eye out

2 oz Aged Rum (Old Monk)
1/2 oz Becherovka
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup (BG Reynolds)
3 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass or a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.

After the Expatriate two Fridays ago, I began to flip through the most recent issue of Imbibe Magazine and spotted some interesting recipes in their spiced drinks section. One that sounded appealing and did not require any kitchen time on our part seemed to be A Christmas Story reference, namely You'll Shoot Your Eye Out. The drink was created by Mathias Simonis of Distil in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and featured a bounty of spice notes from Becherovka, Benedictine, and cinnamon syrup. Since I opted for Old Monk Rum which is infused with vanilla, everything including the bitters contributed an herbal or spice element here.
The cocktail presented a bright orange oil aroma that was countered by dark rum notes. The rum's rich caramel aspect dominated the sip, and this gave way to a swallow containing cinnamon, vanilla, clove, and orange in addition to other herbal flavors. Andrea commented that this combination would make an excellent hot drink. I, however, found the drink a touch on the sweet side and wished I had gone the rocks glass with large cube for over time the ice melt's dilution would pleasantly cut the sweetness.