murderer's cocktail

1/3 Calvados (3/4 oz Morin Selection)
1/3 Swedish Punsch (3/4 oz Kronan)
1/3 Rum (3/4 oz Plantation Barbados)
2 dash Absinthe (1/8 oz St. George)
1 dash Bitters (1 dash Angostura)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

On Saturday a week and half ago, I spied the Murderer's Cocktail from Harry McElhone's Barflies and Cocktails. The book provided a bit of history of how the recipe was created by Robert Coates, a detective novelist who wrote the Dada-esque The Eater of Darkness. The recipe provides the warning that "Exits should be plainly marked and fire-extinguishers provided at all times when this cocktail is served"; however, the recipe is not as boozy as some of the drinks in the collection and perhaps was an allusion to some of Coates' plot twists.
The Murderer's Cocktail provided a minty-anise aroma from the absinthe that coupled with the fruitiness of the Calvados. The sip showcased the brandy's apple and the rum's caramel flavors, and the swallow was full of richness, herbal notes, and spice. Of the three main ingredients, I was surprised that the Calvados was the most identifiable. Moreover, Andrea commented that the drink would probably make an excellent Autumnal cocktail with apple on the sip and the cinnamon-like notes on the swallow.