sling & arrow

1 oz Heaven Hill's Larceny Bourbon
1/2 oz Gran Classico
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass containing ice. Add a straw and garnish with mint sprigs and a dash or two of Angostura Bitters.

Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I traveled up to Woburn to get dinner at Ran Duan's bar at Sichuan Garden II. For a first drink, I selected a tall Bourbon number, the Sling & Arrow. I was drawn to it for the combination of Cherry Heering and Gran Classico reminded me of Maksym Pazuniak's delightful use of Cherry Heering and Campari in the Arbitrary Nature of Time and the Charlatan. And I had forgotten that I had made a variation of the Campari-laden Teresa from Gary Regan's book using Cherry Heering in place of the original's crème de cassis that I called Tiger Blood.
The Sling & Arrow's mint sprig and spicy Angostura Bitters garnish contributed greatly to the bouquet. A lemon and fruity sip gave way to a swallow containing Bourbon, pineapple, cherry, and bitter Gran Classico flavors. Finally, as the Angostura Bitters reached the bottom of the glass, the drink dried out and gained allspice and clove notes.