midnight runner

1 1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 dash Bitter Science Ras el Hanout Bitters (*)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the top.
(*) They had run out of these bitters, so they substituted 1 dash Bittermens Tiki, 2 drop clove tincture, 2 drop black pepper tincture. Ras el Hanout is a Moroccan spice mix, and most contain cardamom, clove, cinnamon, chili, coriander, peppercorn, turmeric, and cumin. Another spice-driven bitters such as Angostura or Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters would work well here.

For a second drink at No. 9 Park, bartender Tyler Wang wanted to make me one of Sam Olivari's recipes called the Midnight Runner. Sam later explained that he created this to fulfill a request for a really twisted Vieux Carré; the direction he went in was making a silky smooth rum drink.
The Midnight Runner offered up an orange oil aroma with barrel-aged caramel notes that blended into hints of the vanilla syrup. A dry grape and Cognac flavor on the sip led into Smith & Cross Rum and spice on the swallow. As the Midnight Runner began to warm up a little, vanilla also appeared on the finish.