novecento

1 1/2 oz Cognac (Foret Brandy)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1 oz Campari
1/2 tsp Maraschino (1/4 oz Maraska)
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice (1/4 oz)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Tuesdays ago, I began to flip through the July/August 2015 Imbibe Magazine. There, I spotted a brandy Negroni from Leonardo Leuci of the Jerry Thomas Project in Rome. While it first reminded me of the René Barbier, the touches of sweetener and lemon juice made me recall recipes from James Maloney's 1900-vintage The Twentieth-Century Cocktail Guide for Mixing Fancy Drinks such as Manhattan Bell Ringer. Well, not the "bell ringer" a/k/a apricot liqueur rinsed-glass aspect, but even his regular Manhattan had dashes of lemon juice and syrup.
The Novecento began with a lemon oil aroma that colored the grape's fruitiness. The grape continued on into the sip along with hints of the Maraschino liqueur's cherry flavors. Finally, the swallow offered brandy and Campari bitter notes with chocolate earthiness, spice, and lemon crispness on the finish.