youthful expression

1 oz Bourbon (Old Grand-Dad Bonded)
1 oz London Dry Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Amaro Ramazzotti
2 dash Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters (Bittercube Most Imaginative Bartender Bitters)

Combine in a Collins glass, add ice, and stir to chill (combined and placed in the freezer for 30+ minutes). Pour seltzer down the spiral of a barspoon to fill (2-3 oz).
Two Wednesdays ago, I was in low energy mode, so I recalled the Youthful Expression in Sother Teague's I'm Just Here for the Drinks book that is built in the glass. Though time intensive, the effort to chill the combination in the freezer before adding the soda water was well worth it. Sother described the Ramazzotti in the mix as "the Dr. Pepper of the amaro world" with its cola, spice, and fruit notes, and the name implies that "This is the type of drink that, though sophisticated in flavor, harkens back to a simpler approach to drinking." Once prepared, the Youthful Expression greeted the nose with a pine, root beer, and Bourbon nose. Next, a carbonated caramel sip grew into pine and mint-root beer flavors on the swallow with American whiskey notes on the finish.