fort erie

2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Bigallet Viriana China China Liqueur
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Marasca cherry.

Two Sundays ago, we stopped into Bergamot for drink. For an idea, bartender Paul Manzelli said that he had a drink that utilized Bigallet's China China liqueur. I was pretty excited by this spirit when the Gifford rep brought by the new product line at work. As I was going downstairs to pick up a beer, I scanned the bottles and immediately honed in on that one for I enjoyed the Martini & Rossi China that I tasted at the Demystifying Vermouth talk at Portland Cocktail Week last fall (note: China is a liqueur and not a vermouth). The Gifford's Bigallet version is very dark orange peel driven besides the strong quinine notes, and I found it to be very Amer Picon-esque. Apparently, so did Paul, for he concocted a riff on the Brooklyn. Paul described how it was named the Fort Erie by his friend Tim who is from there.
The Fort Erie presented a cherry and orange peel aroma. A malt and dry cherry sip led into a rye, cherry, and orange swallow. I would have to say that the China helped to produce close enough to a Brooklyn-like libation to satisfy those without Amer Picon in their liquor cabinets.