old ironsides

2 oz Spiced Rum (Kraken)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a cherry (omitted).

After the Kangaroo, I switched speeds and picked up a newer book, Food & Wines: Cocktails 2013, for inspiration. The drink that called out to us was Sean Kenyon's Old Ironsides that he crafted at William & Graham in Denver. The combination of Cherry Heering and Cynar seemed appealing for it worked well in drinks like Not the First Cyn, and I felt their richness would pair well with Kraken spiced rum.
Old Ironsides shared a rich caramel, vanilla, and cherry aroma that led into a caramel sip. The swallow then offered a complex rum, cherry, vanilla, and spice medley. Overall, it was interesting how the cherry notes played hide and seek in this darkly flavored mix over successive sips.