[headkick]

1 oz Willet Rye
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz Kümmel
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
1 dash Celery Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top.

Two Fridays ago, I stopped into Drink right after it opened and beat the post-work rush. For a first cocktail, I told bartender Jeff Grdinich that I was in the mood for whiskey. What he improvised was an herbal medley that shared some similarity with a classic drink called the High Kick which is equal parts rye, dry vermouth, and kümmel. Since Jeff did not have a name for his drink, I dubbed it the Headkick with perhaps Brick and Mortar's Flying Headlock in mind.
The cocktail offered a fresh lemon oil aroma that led into a sweet honey sip. Next, the complex swallow began with rye followed by kümmel's spice notes that finished with vegetal notes from perhaps the celery bitters.