armchair sailor

1 1/2 oz Broadbent Rainwater Madeira
3/4 oz Crème Yvette
2 dash Scrappy's Celery Bitters

Pour the chilled ingredients (batched and kept in the refrigerator) into a flute glass. Top with ~3 oz of cava.

Two Tuesdays ago, Andrea and I went to dinner at Rendezvous. For a before dinner cocktail, I asked bartender Scott Holliday for the Armchair Sailor that recently appeared on their cocktail menu. When I inquired about the name, Scott explained that Madeira has a maritime history; however, the violet, berry, and celery notes did not seem like a real sailor's drink to him.  Scott also mentioned stirring the ingredients with ice made a drink that was too dilute, so he ended up batching everything but the cava and keeping it in the refrigerator.
The Armchair Sailor greeted me with a floral aroma that paired nicely with the green celery notes. The carbonated grape sip showcased the Crème Yvette's fruity flavors, and the swallow dried out with the sharper Madeira notes. Moreover, the swallow ended with celery and floral violet accents on the finish. Indeed, Scott's suggestion that the Armchair Sailor would make a great pre-prandial cocktail was spot on.