mortimer stump

3/4 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
3/4 oz House Spirits Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz Powers Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz Cardamaro
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass containing a large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.

We spent Saturday, the day before Portland Cocktail Week sign-in, walking around shopping. Our wanderings took us across the river, and Andrea commented that we were close to Laurelhurst Market. I became excited because that is where Evan Zimmerman worked; I first experienced his mixology and love of hardcore music with his Minor Threat. Once seated at the bar of this restaurant, we discovered that Evan had moved elsewhere but the new bar manager Eric Nelson had continued Laurelhurst Market's proud tradition for good drinks; in fact, we stayed for two rounds.
Eric described how the Mortimer Stump was named after the first person who was murdered in Portland; Mortimer made the mistake of eloping with a girl whose parents did not approve. When the couple came back to Portland, the father, who could not take anymore of his "bewitched" wife's desire to have their daughter returned, took care of it with a double-barreled shotgun in 1858. The drink itself began with lemon oil and Swedish Punsch aromas along with a hint of darker notes from perhaps the coffee liqueur. The sip presented the coffee liqueur's dark roast flavors with grape notes from the Cardamaro; next, the Cardamaro, coffee, and Swedish Punsch flavors mingled in harmony on the swallow. As the ice melted, the drink became more spice driven on the swallow. The Irish whiskey was not as evident in the flavor profile here, but it was certainly not out of place.