Monday, October 13, 2014

missing link

1 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Herbsaint
1/2 oz Water
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in rocks glass and stir to mix. Use no ice, this is a room temperature cocktail. Twist a lemon peel over the top.

Two Mondays ago, I was checking my social media and spotted that Backbar's drink of the day was a room temperature cocktail; I was intrigued by the concept and name "Missing Link" and headed over. There, I found a seat in front of bartender Greg Thornton who also happened to be the creator of the drink. He described the name as a tribute to the lost style of cocktails, the room temperature ones. When he first made this flavor combination using a standard stir with ice and strain technique, people thought it was better when it sat out for a bit and warmed up. Therefore, he kept a little of the symbolic ice melt through the addition of a half ounce of water in the room temperature version. While no longer a Scaffa at that point, it is a technique I have seen before in the Attitude Dancing, Miss Francine Kelly, and the Last Cold Night Before Spring.
The Missing Link began with a peaty smoke nose from the Scotch. A grape sip gave way to further smoke and whisky notes on the swallow with anise, chocolate, and spice on the finish.

3 comments:

Paul said...

This sounds like a very tasty drink and I would really like to try it. Herbasaint is not available on the European market, but do you think it could be replaced by Pernod or Absinth ( or maybe a combination of the two to get the sweetness )?

Paul said...

Or would an anisette liquore be just as good ?

frederic said...

Either Pernod/pastis or absinthe will work here. It's only a 1/4 oz, so sugar content won't matter tremendously.