the valdez

1 oz Gosling's Rum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Campari
1 oz Velvet Falernum

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Two Thursdays ago, I spotted an interesting drink recipe on the OnTheBar app web page called the Valdez. Since the drink was created at the Barrel in Washington DC, it was a bit harder to visit the bartender to have them make it for me and I decided to construct this one at home. Bartender Parker Girard described his Tiki-inspired drink as "equal parts Daiquiri, Jungle Bird, and Corn and Oil." Once mixed, it offered a dark rum aroma that was countered by bright notes from the lime and other ingredients. Next, a caramel and lime sip gave way to a rum swallow that ended with a clove and bitter herbal Campari finish. While the Valdez did leave out the pineapple juice that really makes the Jungle Bird sing, the drink came across more as a more complex Corn and Oil where the classic was was complemented by the Campari.