kirkwood

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Redemption)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Cynar
2 dash Grapefruit Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Two Tuesdays ago for the cocktail hour, I made the Kirkwood that Imbibe Magazine covered in their article on Georgia in the November 2010 issue. The Kirkwood was created by Miles Macquarrie of Leon's Full Service in Decatur. Miles modeled the drink after the Red Hook and named the recipe after one of the neighborhoods in Atlanta.
The Kirkwood's grapefruit twist dominated the aroma at first, but later grape notes from the Punt e Mes crept in. A malt and grape sip led into a rye swallow. The swallow also contained the St. Germain which came across in a grapefruity way and was balanced well by the Cynar and Punt e Mes' bitter notes.