ward 2

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Amaro Braulio

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with lemon oil.
Tuesday last week, Andrea and I stopped into Backbar for drinks. I started with the Ward 2 off of their Tradesman section of the menu, and it was described as "It's where we live; cheers to Union Square with this perfect blend of strong, bitter, and smooth." The drink was created and served to me by bartender Kobie Ali, and instead of being a riff on a Ward 8, it was citrus-free and closer to a Toronto in feel. In the glass, the aroma offered lemon oil brightening that of dark herbal notes. Next, citrus, caramel, and malt on the sip led into rye and Braulio's alpine herbal elements on the swallow.