poison arrow

1 1/2 oz Heaven Hill 6 Year Bonded Bourbon
3/4 oz Bigallet China-China
1/2 oz Campari
2 dash House Blood Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Sundays ago, I flew down to Louisville, KY, to help run the American Craft Spirits Association competition. For sustenance, I headed first down to the Against the Grain brewery and restaurant for some craft beer and food, but afterwards I needed a nightcap. A lot of Louisville's cocktail bars are closed on Sundays, but luckily I found one on my list of recommendations that was indeed open. Proof on Main was also between the brew pub and my hotel, so it made perfect sense. The bar there was set off from the main dining room by a wall which served as the bar's backbar. For my nightcap, I selected the Poison Arrow that was perhaps a Boulevardier cross with a Liberal that dropped the sweet vermouth akin to this Creole variation.
The Poison Arrow began with an orange and caramel aroma that preceded a caramel-driven sip. Next, the swallow offered a bit of complexity by pairing Bourbon and bitter orange flavors with a quinine-tinged finish. While I have had Campari-curaçao and Picon (or similar)-curaçao pairings, I think this was the first time that I had a drink that matched up the bitter Campari-Picon liqueurs and with great success.