ali-frazier

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Sazerac 6)
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Perhaps an orange or lemon twist would work well here.

Two weeks ago for Thursday Drink Night on Mixoloseum, the theme was "Bitter" and it might have been in the wake of the previous one entitled "Not Love, Just Lust." The event was described as, "Because you know, sometimes, you just have to say 'fuck the world' and drink something dreadfully bitter." For a starting point, I thought about the Fernet Branca-laden Alcazer and made it into a Sour. With Fernet putting up a fight, the drink got dubbed after one of the famous pugilistic match ups of the last century; it also helped that I thought the classic was spelled Alacazer.
The Ali-Frazier punched the nose with orange and menthol notes. While the sip was citrussy from the lemon juice and orange liqueur, the swallow was started with the rye and a big minty wave of flavor that ended with lingering menthol and lemon notes. Overall, it reminded me a lot of the Frisco Sour in how the liqueur was softened by the citrus component.