a sainted devil

3/4 oz Blanco Tequila or Mezcal (Piedra Azul Blanco Tequila)
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Orange Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
In thinking about how well Fernet Branca and Cherry Heering complement each other such as in Sahil Mehta's South End Sling, Misty Kalkofen's Darkness til Dawn, and the classic Pinto, I wondered how I could utilize this combination in other ways. My mind wandered to another Cherry Heering drink, the Blood and Sand, and I figured that a hybrid of these ideas might prove interesting. Keeping the cherry liqueur and orange juice constant, I swapped the original's sweet vermouth for Fernet Branca. For a spirit, I was thinking agave. While I might have reached for mezcal, the liquor fairy had delivered a bottle of Piedra Azul tequila that I was interested in trying out.

Piedra Azul Blanco Tequila
• Nose: citrus, a light pineapple note, mineral/briny aroma.
• Sip: Lots of body with light citrus flavors.
• Swallow: Agave with a hint of smoke.
• Price: around $19/750 mL.
• Overall Assessment: Not a showstopper, but definitely a solid blanco for the price point.

For a name, I searched for other Rudolph Valentino movies besides the Blood & Sand, and I picked his 1924 film A Sainted Devil. The drink began with tequila and Fernet Branca aromas with a hint of cherry. The cherry continued on into the sip where it paired with the orange. And the swallow rounded off the drink with agave and Fernet Branca flavors. Overall, the orange juice mellowed out the Fernet Branca and tequila and made for an easier drinking libation.