a new hope

3/4 oz Zacapa 23 Year Rum
3/4 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

After Clyde Commons, I headed south a few blocks to check out Teardrop. I was excited about visiting ever since trying their drinks at Tales of the Cocktail's Bar Room Brawl in 2011 and declaring the Thai Chi-Chi the best drink of the night. Even before that, we had tried and enjoyed their recipes like the Illuminations and the Ephemeral at home.
I asked bartender Daniel for the A New Hope as the rum, maple, and Benedictine combination seemed quite tempting. When I inquired about the name, Daniel described how the drink was created by bartender Tyler. It had originally named after his football jersey, but the staff renamed the drink as a Star Wars reference against his will. A New Hope led off with a nutmeg and citrus aroma. On the sip, the lime juice was countered by the full mouthfeel of the maple syrup. Finally, the aged rum and maple combined with the herbalness of the gin, Benedictine, and bitters on the swallow.