the elephant in the room

3/4 oz Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition)
3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Wednesday ago, I had some ideas about a stirred drink that I wanted to try. While I was influenced by the Knife to a Gun Fight when I was considering a Sfumato/Zucca direction, I ended up latching on to its Aperol. With that, I made a hybrid of the Prospect Park, one of my favorite Manhattan riffs created in Boston, with the Negroni that Wasn't that I had earlier in the week. Between the political debates being that night as well as the Smith & Cross in the mix, I dubbed this one the Elephant in the Room.
The Elephant in the Room stomped in with an orange and smoky aroma. Next, orange notes with a hint of cherry on the sip trumpeted in smoke, funk, char, and bitter cherry flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.