vieux chapeau

1 oz Armagnac (Larrissingle VSOP)
1 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Byrrh Grand Quinquina
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 pinch Salt

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass pre-rinsed with absinthe (Versinthe).
Two Tuesdays ago, I received my new issue of Imbibe Magazine and I was lured in by Amanda Schuster's article on Byrrh Grand Quinquina. At the end of the article were three recipes, and one of which was crafted by Heather Mojer of Café du Pays in Cambridge, MA. Her drink was a Vieux Carré riff called the Vieux Chapeau or "Old Hat." Once prepared, the drink gave forth a smoke and anise bouquet that led into a grape-forward sip. Next, brandy, vegetal agave, and herbal complexity filled the swallow that ended with quinine and hint of minerality on the finish.