straw dog

1 Strawberry
1 1/2 oz Compass Box Asyla Scotch (1 1/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 dash Bittermens Grapefruit Bitters (Regan's Orange)

Muddle the strawberry, add the rest of the ingredients and ice, shake, and double strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a half strawberry.
When I opened the refrigerator door two Mondays ago, I was reminded that we had purchased our season's first strawberries. My mind instantly turned to recipes that I had spotted in the Death & Co. Cocktail Book that called for them, and I ended up selecting Thomas Waugh's 2009 Straw Dog. A straw dog is both a sham creature made of straw as well as an argument or opponent set up so as to be easily refuted or defeated. In the glass, the fresh scent of strawberry mingled with floral notes from the blanc vermouth and smoky aromas from the Scotch. Next, a semi-dry lemon and white wine sip gave forth a vague berry note, and the swallow began with smoky Scotch that transitioned to an herbal strawberry flavor at the end.