laughing boy

1 1/2 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1 dash House Aromatic Bitters
1 dash House Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish the ice cube with a pinch of salt and garnish the drink with a lemon twist.

Two Mondays ago, we stopped into Deep Ellum for dinner. For a cocktail, I selected the Laughing Boy which just appeared on their menu. The pairing of Fernet Branca and Meletti stood out for it is one that bar owner Max Toste rather enjoys, and the drink did remind me of the one I dubbed the Brooklyn Roasting Company. Instead of coffee notes in that one, this one had sweet vermouth and utilized the salt on the ice cube trick made famous in the Little Giuseppe.
The Laughing Boy offered lemon oil aroma over that of aged rum notes. A caramel sip from the amaros gave way to the dark rum on the beginning of the swallow. Finally, the swallow finished with a medley of herbal, menthol, and floral notes that were softened as the ice melt brought salt into the mix.