the independent

1 1/2 oz Citizen's Miltonduff Single Barrel Scotch
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe glass.

Two Mondays ago after my DJing gig, we headed over to Tasty Burger for dinner followed by a nightcap at the Citizen Public House where bartenders Sean Frederick and Dave Delaney were busy slinging drinks. For my cocktail, I asked Sean for the Independent. In discussing the drink, Sean poured us a taste of the unique Scotch that serves as the recipe's base spirit. Their barrel of the Miltonduff single malt was surprisingly soft and gentle with cacao and grassy notes.
The Punt e Mes' grape and the Curaçao and perhaps Cocchi Americano's orange aromas filled the Independent's bouquet. The Scotch's malt joined the citrus and grape flavors on the sip. Next, the Scotch continued on into the swallow along with orange peel notes and the Punt e Mes' bitter elements.