western front

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz Ramazzotti
1/2 oz Aperol
1/4 oz Grade B Maple Syrup
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain over a large ice cube in a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
For a nightcap two Wednesdays ago, I decided to make a drink I saw on the Bols Bartending Facebook page called the Western Front. The recipe was created by Adam Robinson of Portland's Rum Club, and the combination of Bols Genever and Ramazzotti was alluring for it worked so well in Eric Alperin's Skid Row. Once mixed, the Western Front provided a lemon and malty aroma. The malt continued on into the sip where it mingled with the maple and the Ramazzotti's caramel flavors. The rest of the Genever notes came through on the swallow, and they merged well with the bitter elements of the Ramazzotti amaro; finally, the swallow concluded with anise and spice notes from the bitters.