i can't dance

2 1/4 oz Blandy's 5 Year Sercial Madeira
3/4 oz Averna
2 dash Bittermens Mole Bitters
3 slice Orange

Muddle orange slices, add rest of the ingredients and ice, shake, and double strain into a Collins glass. Fill with crushed ice, garnish with a fresh orange slice, and add a straw.

For the inaugural yacht rocktail menu at Loyal Nine, I wanted to do a Cobbler since we have an awesome Hoshizaki crushed ice maker at work. And of course it is a great style of 19th century drink, and one that is perfect to showcase fortified wines as base spirits. Since our spirits program at Loyal Nine focuses on spirits commonly found during the Colonial days, namely rum, brandy, and Madeira, it was not too hard to figure out which bottles I would be focusing on here. For inspiration, I turned to Bellocq's Sea Dog and changed around proportions, switched the demerara syrup to Averna, and orange peels to orange slices. The drink name came by way one of the servers, Gregorio, as his contribution to the drink list tapestry.
The drink has been so refreshing and delicious that it has become one of the shift drinks requested even on days other than Yacht Rock Sundays. Before the ice melts, the flavor profile is more dark and rich with a walnut undertone and a Madeira-driven balanced acid backbone to it. As the ice melts, the drink becomes more orange forward until the end which tastes mostly like fresh (but watery) orange. What works so well is that the dark notes of the amaro and bitters pair well with each other and complement the dried fruit notes of the Madeira (see tasting notes on Madeira types); moreover, the dried orange notes in the Madeira match elegantly with the fresh ones from the muddled fruit.