martini robbins

1 1/4 oz Mister Katz's Rock & Rye (Hochstadter's Slow & Low)
1 oz Dorothy Parker Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth (Martini Gran Lusso)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

After the Drowned God, I sought out to find a use for my new bottle purchase of Hochstadter's Rock & Rye. The first recipe to catch my eye was Nate Dumas' Martini Robbins from Carey Jones' Brooklyn Bartender book; I met Nate recently as he was one of the people running my Wild Turkey: Behind the Barrel adventure last September. Here, the combination reminded me of a Martinez crossed with a Manhattan, although Rock & Rye is almost an Old Fashioned in itself. Rye and gin are not two spirits that appear in the same glass often, but I have had a few good examples like the Sharpie Mustache and the Double Standard and even crafted one myself named the Call of the Wild.
I did ponder whether the name was an alteration of Martin Robbins who was one of most successful country and western singers with a four-decade long career. Once prepared though, I considered more the orange and bitter herbal nose on the drink. Next, a sweet grape sip played into rye and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow with honey, grapefruit, orange, and cinnamon notes on the finish.