sandy bottoms

1 1/2 oz White Rum (Santa Teresa Claro)
2 oz Watermelon Juice
1/2 oz Peychaud's Bitters
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 Simple Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with a watermelon slice, lime wheel (omit), and mint sprig.
Tuesday two weeks ago, I reached for Maggie Hoffman's Batched Cocktails and spied the Sandy Bottoms by Stephanie Andrews at Chicago's Billy Sunday. I had previously passed over this recipe since watermelon was out of season; however, I had just picked up a small one at the market the day before. Here, the watermelon juice was paired with a hefty slug of Peychaud's Bitters which seemed intriguing to me especially given how cucumber drinks such as 3185 and Not a Melon work well with bitters (cucumbers are in the same family as melons). Once prepared, the Sandy Bottoms welcomed the nose with a mint, watermelon, and anise bouquet. Next, watermelon and lime mingled on the sip, and the swallow came through with rum, watermelon, cherry, and anise flavors that came across in an almost strawberry-like way.