best in show

1 1/2 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
1 oz Combier Pamplemousse Grapefruit Liqueur
1/4 oz Aveze Gentian Liqueur

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass.

Two Sundays ago was my friend's surprise birthday held at Brick & Mortar. For a first drink, I asked bartender Cory Buono for the Best in Show. I had tried a predecessor of this when I asked Misty if she could come up with a Fix other than the Temporary Fix; to the combination of Old Tom gin, grapefruit liqueur, and gentian liqueur, Misty added in some lemon juice as well as crushed ice.
The Best in Show offered up a grapefruit aroma tempered by herbal notes from either the Aveze or the gin. The sip presented a grapefruit flavor that was less bright than juice but less rich than peel, and the grapefruit continued on into the swallow as a soft peel note. Finally, the swallow ended with the gin and gentian elements. Overall, the Best in Show came across like a grapefruit-instead-of-orange, caramel-free Amer Picon.