pair of queens

1 1/2 oz Bulleit Rye
3/4 oz Ramazzotti Amaro
1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1/4 oz Fraise de Bois

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist-cherry flag.

A few Sundays ago, we made the trek up to Woburn to have dinner at Sichuan Garden II. There, bartenders Ran Duan and Vannaluck Hongthong welcomed us and found us a pair of seats at the end of the bar. When I spotted the Pair of Queens on the drink menu, I figured that if it was good enough to propel Ran into the Northeast regional finals for Diageo's World Class competition, it would be a good enough place to start. Wish Ran good luck for the next stage of the competition is April 23!
Once Ran made his drink, it greeted me with a orange oil aroma that brightened the darker notes from the Ramazzotti and Luxardo cherry. Next, the sherry and amaro provided a grape and caramel sip, and finally, the swallow shared the rye flavors, the sherry's nuttiness, and a dark fruit note from a combination of the sherry, Ramazzotti, and wild strawberry liqueur.