penny reel

1 oz Drambuie
1 oz Brandy
1 oz El Dorado 12 Year Demerara Rum
1/2 oz Raspberry Purée
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1/4 oz Falernum
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime twist and 2 cherries, and add a straw.

On Sunday, Andrea had to go into work, so I decided to go on a bar crawl until I could meet up with her later. I started my afternoon at Stoddard's in Boston and asked bartender Eric Cross for the Penny Reel. With a name that evoked an image of early movie theaters and with classic ingredients like brandy, demerara rum, raspberry, and lime, I was expecting a turn of the century style of drink. I was not expecting a Tiki drink especially since the cinnamon syrup and falernum were left off of the ingredients list; however, I was not upset by the surprise. Eric explained that the drink was named after bar manager Jamie Walsh's new daughter Penelope, although he did not rule out the possibility of movie or music influences in the drink's naming. The 1964 Jamaican ska song "Penny Reel" by Eric Morris at least would support the tropical feel to the drink.
The Penny Reel greeted the nose with a raspberry and lime aroma. The lime and honey sip was followed by raspberry and rum notes on the swallow. Moreover, the swallow ended with cinnamon, clove, and other spice notes that grew over successive sips.