the jook sing

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1/4 oz Cynar (*)
1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass (stemmed rocks glass) with a large ice cube.
(*) Note: the Punt e Mes, two amaros, and the bitters were added as a batched 3/4 oz. Nick believed that all but the Angostura Bitters were equal parts.

A few Thursdays ago, I ventured down to Shojo in Chinatown for Nick Korn had mentioned on social media that he was doing a guest shift there. I had been meaning to make it down there for a while especially after Shojo bartender Markus Yao appeared in the Improper Bostonian article along with ten others and me. For a start, I requested from Nick the A.B.C. that was subtitled the Jook Sing; Nick mentioned that this was Markus' recipe. A jook sing according to Wikipedia is "a Cantonese term for an overseas Chinese person who was born in a Western environment and/or a Chinese person who more readily or strongly identifies with Western culture than traditional Chinese culture." In addition, the term stems from a measuring cup made from bamboo; since bamboo is a series of compartmentalized units, liquids in the cup do not connect with the other end and are kept separate. Perhaps this was a nod that this bar inside the Chinese restaurant had put a Manhattan variation on the menu.
The Jook Sing began with a rye aroma with a hint of grape and herbal aromas. A rye malt sip shared some of the amaros' caramel, and the rye continued on into the swallow that ended with a smooth bitter-herbal finish. Overall, the drink reminded me of the Independent's Autumn Sweater for both felt like spirits forward Old Fashioned-Manhattan hybrids.