west indian summer

1 1/2 oz Gilka Kümmel (Helbing)
1 oz Old Raj Gin (Hayman's Navy Strength)
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 barspoon Maraschino Liqueur
1 barspoon Simple Syrup
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Thursdays ago for the cocktail hour, Andrea suggested that I look in Beta Cocktails for we had not had a recipe from there in a while. The one that called out to me was Rhiannon Enlil's West Indian Summer. Since we lacked Old Raj Gin, I figured that Hayman's Navy Strength would work as a substitute for the Old Raj's proof although perhaps not its herbal signature. For kümmel, I used our Helbing which worked rather well in another Beta Cocktails recipe, the Spice Trade.
The orange twist contributed to the drink's aroma along with the caraway from the kümmel. A sweet lemon and orange sip led into the botanical notes of the gin and kümmel on the swallow and a tart lemon note on the finish. Indeed, there was enough sugar in the kümmel to make the drink smooth, although the drink did get a little bit rougher as it warmed up.