red hook burning

2 oz Campari
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 bsp Luxardo Maraschino
1 bsp Laphroaig Scotch
9 drop Blood Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 pinch Salt

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a drink that I had spotted on Kindred Cocktails called the Red Hook Burning. The recipe was crafted by Maks Pazuniak for one of his Something Like This menus at the Counting Room in October of 2013, and given the whiskey, Punt e Mes, and Maraschino elements, the name was most likely a reference to his inspiration -- the Red Hook created at Milk & Honey. Here, his variation not only gained Campari, orange bitters, and a pinch of salt, but the recipe was inverted to become a Campari drink with the whisky being merely an accent. In addition, the large amount of Campari softened by a hint of salt was reminiscent of Maks' Campari "Martini" experiment from Beta Cocktails (that inspired my Camparipolitan).
The Red Hook Burning met the nose with peat smoke and a fruity aroma from the grape or orange elements. Next, grape with a hint of cherry on the sip turned the corner to smoky Scotch, bitter herbal, and orange flavors on the swallow with a nutty cherry finish.