green flash

1 1/2 oz Rhum JM 100 Proof Agricole Blanc (Depaz)
1/4 oz Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe (Butterfly)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz 2:1 Honey Syrup (3/4 oz 1:1)

Shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Top with champagne (Gruet Blanc de Blanc) and garnish with a brandied cherry (Luxardo cherry).
Two Wednesdays ago after making my drink for this week's Mixology Monday event, I turned to the Death & Co. Cocktail Book for inspiration. There, the Green Flash by bartender Brian Miller caught my attention for it reminded me of the classic Air Mail with a grassier rum, different citrus, and a bit of spice from the addition of absinthe. Once prepared, the Green Flash proffered a grassy and anise aroma. Next, carbonated honey and lemon on the sip led into grassy, herbal, floral, and anise flavors on the swallow. The absinthe was at the proper level for me in this drink and seemed like a better starting point for absinthe/pastis sparklers than the Death in the Afternoon early in my drink journey was.