intrepid

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt)
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida (Montelobos)
3/4 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc)
1 dash Celery Bitters (Housemade)

Stir with ice and strain into a Nick & Nora glass (cocktail coupe).

Two Sundays ago, I reached for Emma Janzen's Mezcal book for drink inspiration. The recipe that called out to me was Eryn Reece's Intrepid that she crafted at Sons & Daughters in New York City. Eryn named her Manhattan riff after the WWII-era aircraft carrier that is berthed nearby on the Hudson River as the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
In the glass, the Intrepid offered a dark herbal aroma from the Cynar along with smoky agave notes. Next, sweet caramel and malt on the sip transitioned into rye and an agave-Cynar herbal combination on the swallow with a dry smoky and celery finish.