benediction

2/3 Brandy (1 1/2 oz Camus VS Cognac)
1 dash Benedictine (1/4 oz)
1 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
1 dash Picon Bitters (1/4 oz Amer Picon)
2 dash Gancia Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry) (*)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry (omit).
(*) Gancia makes a sweet, dry, and blanc vermouth. Sweet is probably what they meant here, but I wanted to balance the liqueurs' sugar with the dry. Using 1/2 oz sweet vermouth (or Punt e Mes) would probably work well here too.

Two Sundays ago, my eyes wandered through the pages of Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for recipe inspiration. There, I spotted the Benediction which seemed like an interesting brandy drink that reminded me somewhat of the Creole with the vermouth, Benedictine, and Picon combination. The vermouth style was not specificed, and ordinarily I would have opted for sweet in that case; however, with the Maraschino and Picon in the mix, I opted for dry vermouth to style it after the Brooklyn. A brandy Brooklyn Creole mashup? I'm game!
The Benediction began with brandy aromas joined by dark herbal notes. Next, a complex caramel sip gave way to brandy, dark orange, nutty, and minty flavors on the swallow. Overall, it definitely satisfied the need for a flavorful nightcap.