Saturday, March 28, 2020

it's a long, long way

1 1/2 oz Angel's Envy Bourbon
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1 bsp Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Lustau Amontillado Sherry
1 dash Fee's Black Walnut Bitters

Stir with ice and strain in rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish with a lemon and an orange twist and finish with smoke via a torched cedar disk.
In my final trip around town before sheltering inside, I stopped into Wit's End to order an Angel's Envy Bourbon drink. Bartender Harrison Snow was game to make a cocktail, and since Saint Paddy's Day was approaching, he was inspired to riff on the Tipperary. Besides switching the Irish whiskey to Bourbon, Harrison found the classic equal parts drink to be unbalanced, and he shifted the proportions. He also swapped to the more gentle Yellow Chartreuse and provided additional depth with small amounts of Amontillado sherry and walnut bitters to complement the Bourbon. For a name, I stuck with the Tipperary aspect and dubbed this one after a 1914 movie "It's A Long, Long Way to Tipperary."
The It's a Long, Long Way met the nose with cedar smoke that was brightened with lemon and orange oil aromas. Next, a grape-driven sip led into Bourbon and nutty flavors on the swallow. Overall, I was impressed at how the small amount of sherry provided a decent amount of complexity here and at how long the smoke note persisted into the experience.

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