shirley heights

1 oz English Harbor Rum (R.L. Seale 10 Year)
1 oz Lustau Fino Sherry
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 tsp Passion Fruit Syrup
1 Strawberry

Muddle the strawberry, add the rest of the ingredients, and shake with ice. Strain into a Belgian glass (Collins), top with crushed ice, and garnish with mint sprigs and a fresh strawberry.
Two Thursdays ago, I selected The NoMad Cocktail Book and spotted Julian Reingold's Shirley Heights that would make good use of the strawberries that we had bought at the market. The pairing of strawberry and orgeat in this multiple ingredient drink reminded me fondly of the Blanche DuBois at Bar Tonique as well as my Piedmont Cobbler that was inspired by Bar Tonique's gin-berry Mai Tai riff. In the glass, the Shirley Heights welcomed the nose with a mint and strawberry aroma. Next, a creamy, lime, and berry sip led into rum, passion fruit and strawberry flavors on the swallow with a nutty and vanilla finish.