loensky cocktail

2 oz Chivas Regal 12 Year Blended Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Combier Kummel (Helbing)
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

After dinner two Thursdays ago, I reached for Frank Caiafa's The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book that was their house adaptation of the Loensky from the 1930s Waldorf Astoria book. Frank described the Loensky as a Poussé-cafe of one part Scotch floated on top of two parts kümmel liqueur although the original book lacks specific directions. Here, things were made into a Bobby Burns riff by pairing dry vermouth with a touch of kümmel akin to what I did with my tequila-based El Mariachi Club.
The Loensky Cocktail proffered a lemon and apricot nose that preceded a malt and white wine sip. Next, the Scotch's orchard fruit and hint of smoke flavors joined the liqueur's caraway and cumin notes on the swallow.