edisonian

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Note: for the Combustible Edison, shake the Campari and lemon juice with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Heat the brandy in a chafing dish and ignite; pour the flaming spirit into the cocktail glass.

Two Sundays ago, Andrea and I decided to visit Green Street for drinks and dessert. For my first cocktail, I asked bartender Derric Crothers for the Edisonian. I had first tried the Edisonian in early 2008 after DrinkBoston's Lauren Clark wrote about it in the LUPEC Boston column. While her post did not attribute the drink recipe to any source, she did give credit to Brother Cleve and the Combustible Edison band for teaching her the recipe. Both the Edisonian and the Blue Blazer take on it, the Combustible Edison, appear in Paul Harrington's Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century. Harrington glosses over the Edisonian but seems to attribute the Edisonian to Brother Cleve's band as well. At first, Harrington offers up the Edisonian in case one was not brave enough to do the flaming version; however, in the side bar, he suggests the Edisonian for the cocktail hour and the Combustible Edison for the "late evening."
The Edisonian greeted the senses with a Campari and lemon oil aroma. The tart lemon on the sip was joined by the non-bitter fruity flavors of the Campari. The more bitter aspect of the Campari then appeared on the swallow along with the Cognac. Indeed, the brandy really took the edge off of the Campari which did not seem as intense or bitter as it normally can.