the pinball racket

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Cynar
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.

Two Fridays ago, I was inspired by the rye-mezcal drink that I had in New York City as well as others like the Racketeer. I began tinkering, and after a few iterations over the course of two nights, I picked my favorite (see the first version below). The combination might still need a little work, but it was rather drinkable. For a name, I was inspired by the Racketeer which reminded me of something I found in my town's library's historic room: a folder on the Pinball Racket. This Winter Hill Gang ploy was to go into establishments and strong-arm offer to put a cigarette, candy, jukebox, or pinball machine in; moreover, they told the store and restaurant owners not to worry about its upkeep or finances. I learned a lot more about organized crime than I did about my intended goal, namely the rum distillery that existed in Somerville, MA, up until Prohibition.
The Pinball Racket donated a bitter orange, smoke, and caramel aroma to the nose. Next, malt and caramel on the sip slid into rye, smoke, vegetal notes, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with a chocolate finish.

The Pinball Racket (Version 1)
• 1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Mezcal
• 3/4 oz Campari
• 1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 2 dash Mole Bitters
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.

Post note 6/1/20: A few people wrote down the first iteration of this recipe before I changed it on Instagram a day later, and they rather enjoy it. So I figured that I would include my first experiment. I am much happier with the second or Cynar version of the Pinball Racket though, but your mileage may vary.