dirt'n'diesel

2 oz Cruzan Blackstrap Rum
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Demerara Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Two Saturdays ago, I decided to peruse Gary Regan's Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011 for ideas. One that stood out was the Dirt'n'Diesel by Cale Green who bartends at Tavern Law (and the Needle & Thread located above Tavern Law) in Seattle. The recipe appeared like an embittered Corn'n'Oil, and the similarities of the two names seemed to support that. The drink was mention in a GQ article about 25 best cocktail bars in America; apparently, an organic farmer from Portland stepped into the bar and asked Cale to make him a drink that would honor spending all day on a tractor, and the Dirt'n'Diesel was the result.
The drink's aroma presented rich blackstrap molasses notes along with sharper ones from the lime and Fernet Branca. The sip matched up the molasses and lime, and the swallow showcased a tamed Fernet Branca that ended earthier instead of menthol-driven. Perhaps the Fernet-laden swallow was softened by the Cynar or perhaps the heaviness of the rum.