roots of rum

2 oz El Dorado 12 Year Rum
1/2 oz Root Liqueur
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Fee Brothers' Orgeat
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a floated lime wheel, dash Angostura Bitters to the top of the lime wheel, and add straws.

Two Sundays ago, we paid a visit to Backbar in Somerville where bartenders Sam Treadway and Bryn Tattan were behind the stick. For a start, Sam recommended a Tiki number they created called the Roots of Rum that featured Art in the Age's Root Liqueur. Root beer flavors have occasionally appeared in classic Tiki recipes such as Don the Beachcomber's 1937 Caribbean Punch, and Root Liqueur has appeared in a handful of modern ones such as Prince Farrington Punch and the Root of All Evil.
The spice aromas from the Angostura Bitters added to the freshly cut lime notes. The lime juice was joined by the aged rum's caramel notes on the sip, and the rum flavors continued on into the swallow where they blended well with the root beer elements from the liqueur. Finally, the finish offered almond and lingering ginger notes. Overall, the Root Liqueur was well balanced in this drink and did not overwhelm the flavor profile like it can in some drinks.