dear jane

1 oz Gin (Damrak)
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini Grand Lusso)
1/4 oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Elder)

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Fridays ago, I had spotted a drink on Instagram called the Dear Jane created by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin in 2015 at Attaboy in New York City. That led me to find the recipe on The Educated Barfly blog which provided little information on how they came about the cocktail spec or on the back story of the drink. The drink could be named after the 2014 song by the Madden Brothers which begins with the line "I met you down on the Lower East Side" which is the neighborhood that Attaboy resides. Regardless, Campari and elderflower liqueur have paired well in drinks like the Sweet Valley High and the Cell #34 so I was game to give this Negroni riff a try.
The Dear Jane welcomed the senses with lemon oil, floral, and bitter orange aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip gave way to gin's juniper and other botanicals along with Campari softened by elderflower flavors on the swallow with a grapefruit finish.