sea dog

2 oz Sercial Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year Verdelho)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Mole Bitters
2 Orange Twists

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Wednesdays ago, I was flipping through Food & Wine: Cocktails 2013 and spotted the Sea Dog created by Kirk Estopinal of New Orleans' Cure and Bellocq. While I previously skipped over this simple recipe in the book's liqueurs and fortified wines section, my interest in Madeira has increased given my bar's Colonial focus on brandy, rum, and said fortified wine. I envisioned this drink more in Cobbler format as they would do at Bellocq, but I made it in a rocks glass as described instead of the more traditional Cobbler's tall glass and a straw. Once built, the Sea Dog's lemon twist brightened the drink's presentation and preceded the grape with orange-noted sip. Finally, the swallow was a bit more complex with dried fruit and chocolate aspects.