eastern promise

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
1 oz Cocchi Barolo Chinato
1/2 oz Zucca
1 barspoon Jeppson's Malört

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass rinsed with Caol Ila Scotch.

Wednesday last week, Andrea and I paid a visit to Craigie on Main where bartenders Ted Gallagher and Jared Sadoian were behind the stick. When I asked Ted if he had any new drink ideas, he did not miss a beat and pulled out the bottle of Jeppson's Malört. I had completely forgotten than he had taunted me a week or two earlier with a photo of the stuff on Facebook. Malört is a bitter Swedish style of schnapps made domestically and sold in Chicago that is renowned for its bad taste and the faces people make when trying it. Ted gave me a taste, and I was surprised at how delicious it was with its gentian, minty, and wormwood notes. Ted surmised that people might not like it since it is low on the sugar content to balance the bitterness, but after tasting so many nonpotable bitters, I was unphased.
For a drink, Ted suggested the Eastern Promise named after the hope that his friend would bring him back a bottle of this European-styled spirit. The Eastern Promise's Scotch rinse paid dividends on the aroma for it contributed an alluring smokey note. The chinato's grape filled the sip, and the swallow began with the Cognac that led into the chinato and Zucca notes. The Malört worked quite well to impart a light, lingering bitter note to the aftertaste.