lock and key

1 1/2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Wild Turkey 81)
1/2 oz Strega (*)
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf and 3 drops of Fee Brothers' Whiskey Barrel Bitters.
(*) Recipe has been made with Yellow Chartreuse as well.
Two Fridays ago, we picked the Lock and Key from Gary Regan's Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011 for the cocktail hour. The drink was created by Summer Voelker from the Salt of the Earth bar in Pittsburgh. The Lock and Key offered up a mint aroma that was quite complementary to the herbal bouquet from the Strega.  Unfortunately, the bitters garnish sank and did not contribute cinnamon notes to the nose, so perhaps garnishing the mint leaf instead of trying to float the bitters would have worked better. Next, the sip was a spiced fruit flavor with lemon and grape notes, and the swallow offered up the Bourbon and Strega's savory herbal elements. Overall, the drink reminded me of a Sour and less bitter version of Evan Harrison's Nonantum Cocktail.