cardo bendito

1 oz Siete Leguas Reposado Tequila
1 oz Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port
1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Two weeks ago on Superbowl Sunday, I popped into the Hawthorne for a drink for I wanted to give a television-less bar some love. From the current drinks menu, I asked bartender Nick Checchio for the Cardo Bendito. Later, bartender Daniel Lynch explained how it was Katie Emmerson's recipe that she created for a Wall Street Journal article on port cocktails. The name refers to the blessed thistle plant that gives Cardamaro its distinctive flavor, and the cocktail stood out in the article because it was the only one that was not a dessert libation.
The Cardo Bendito began with a mineral and tequila aroma. The grape sip was light but complex, and it led into a swallow that began with the tequila flavors. The end of the swallow featured the grape and herbal notes which played well with the tequila's mineral finish.