queens

2/3 Scotch (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig)
2 dash Dubonnet (1 oz Bonal)
2 dash Apricot Liqueur (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter)
1 dash Orange Bitters (2 dash Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Thursdays ago after my bar shift, I reached for Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 to uncover another gem. In the whiskey section, I spotted the Queens that I had skipped over before since there is a better known Queens that is a Perfect Martini with pineapple juice akin to the Bronx. Since very few people make the pineapple version anyways, I decided to give this recipe some attention. Once mixed, the Queens gave forth a peat smoke and apricot aroma. Next, grape and malt on the sip led into smoky whisky and bitter apricot on the swallow with an orange and quinine finish. Indeed, there was an elegance in the glass from the stone fruit complementing similar notes found in the Famous Grouse blend.