pago pago

2/3 jigger Brandy (1 oz Pedro Domecq Fundador Solera Reserva)
1/3 jigger Dry Vermouth (1/2 oz Noilly Prat)
1/3 jigger Crème de Cassis (1/2 oz G.E. Massenez)
Juice 1/2 Lime (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Thursdays ago, I was flipping through the Chicago Bartenders 1945 Bar Guide and spotted the Pago Pago. It was not the Chartreuse-laden Pago Pago from the 1940 The How And When cocktail book, but a brandy and cassis one that seemed less tropical but just as solid.
This Pago Pago had a rich aroma with a hint of fruitiness from a combination of the brandy and cassis. The sweet cassis' berry contrasted the lime's crispness on the sip, and the swallow offered the brandy with the tartness of the cassis, lime, and dry vermouth. Overall, the drink's structure reminded me of the rum-based Sunshine from Paul Harrington's Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century.