wheel in the sky

2 oz Chinaco Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters
10 drop St. George Absinthe

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass containing 2 oz soda water. Fill with ice, garnish with a rosemary sprig (optional, a thyme or similar herb garnish will work well here too), and add a straw.
One of the popular patio crushers at Loyal Nine's Yacht Rock Sunday is a tequila-based Highball called the Wheel in the Sky after the Journey song. For a starting idea, I focused in on our honey syrup and soon thought about the 1940 Juschu Cocktail, an embittered tequila Bee's Knees. Since that did not seem refreshing enough, I conjured up the honey-laden Air Mail, but instead of sparkling wine, I opted for club soda. To add to the spice quotient, I took a page from the Tiki manuals and carefully added a handful of drops of absinthe to the mix to add a bit of brightness and intrigue (albeit, a few more than the stock 6 drops).