christmas grouse

2 oz Famous Grouse Blended Scotch
1/2 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur
1/2 oz Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
For our second drink at Green Street, bartender Derric Crothers wanted to showcase one of his creations, the Christmas Grouse, that he developed for this past holiday season. The drink began with lemon oil and honey aromas, and the honey continued on into the swallow where it mingled with the Scotch's malt notes. The Scotch including its smoke notes appeared more in the swallow along with the Zirbenz's pine, and the honey reappeared as a pleasing aftertaste. Strangely, the Christmas Grouse had an intriguing pear flavor at first that we partially attributed to the Bärenjäger; later, the balance shifted to a more piney one as the drink warmed up. Overall, I was quite impressed at how well the Scotch and Zirbenz paired up; perhaps this is very similar to Craigie on Main's Northern Lights which paired Scotch with Clear Creek's Douglas Fir Eau de Vie.