pressgang swizzle

1 oz Old Tom Gin (Ransom)
1 oz Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat (Ferrara Orzata)
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup (Ginger People)

Shake with ice and strain into a Pilsner glass full of crushed ice. Swizzle to mix until the glass is frosted over. Garnish with 6 dashes each of Angostura and Pechaud's Bitters floated on top, and add a straw.

Two Tuesdays ago, we decided to make the Pressgang Swizzle that was in the supplemental recipes to the July 2011 issue of Imbibe Magazine. The drink was created by Jeremy Ortel of Dram in Brooklyn, and he named the Swizzle after an old nautical term for forcing captured sailors into indentured servitude on your ship. With a little searching, I discovered that I used the same Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross, as Dram; however, they opt for the sweeter but less flavorful Hayman's Old Tom instead of the Ransom I used.

The Pressgang Swizzle donated a spice aroma from the bitters and a funky note from the rum. The rum's caramel paired with the citrus flavors on the sip, and the rum's strong flavor continued on into the swallow. The swallow also contained the Old Tom's spice, ginger, and almond flavors, and as the floated bitters began to integrate into the mix towards the end, the drink's balance became drier and gained allspice and anise notes.