pliny the elder

1 oz Campari
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Genever
1/2 oz St. George's Absinthe

Muddle a sugar cube and 2 mint leaves in the Campari at the bottom of a small shaker tin or Julep cup. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and add a straw.

For a follow up drink at Sichuan Garden 2, bartender Ran Duan suggested a Julep he called Pliny the Elder. I neglected to ask Ran whether his drink was a homage to the Roman philosopher or the prized California-brewed IPA of the same name. With vermouth, gin, amaro, and absinthe in the mix, the Pliny the Elder reminded me slightly of the Pontarlier Julep that appeared in Imbibe magazine.
The Pliny the Elder led off with a mint aroma that transitioned to a malty and grape sip from the Genever and Puny e Mes, respectively. The swallow was a bitter herbal burst of the Campari, Punt e Mes, and absinthe with a lingering anise-fennel finish. Overall, it did have shades of a Negroni, but the absinthe and mint shifted the balance quite a bit.