spectacle island

3/4 oz Unaged Rhum Agricole (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
3/4 oz Aged Domestic Rum such as Thomas Tew (Thomas Tew)
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Madeira (Blandy's 5 Year Verdelho)
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse

Build in a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Garnish with mint sprigs, freshly grated nutmeg, and an ignited spent lime shell containing overproof rum (El Dorado 151).

Two Tuesdays ago, I wanted to make a recipe from my new purchase of Chloe Frechette's Easy Tiki book, and I stopped my page turning when I came across the Spectacle Island. The recipe was crafted by Chantal Tseng of Washington DC's Petworth Citizen & Reading Room where Chantal and the staff are known for creating literary-inspired drink menus. This one besides being named for a Boston Harbor landmark was from a line in Neal Stephenson's 1988 novel Zodiac. The combination of rum, pineapple, Madeira, and Chartreuse reminded me of the Reverend Mather so I was game.
The Spectacle Island circled the nose with mint and nutmeg aromas. Next, grape, lime, and pineapple notes sailed into a swallow featuring grassy rum funk melding into Chartreuse's herbal flavors.