juan madera

1 1/4 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Kümmel (Helbing)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a cherry.

Two Sundays ago, I was flipping through William Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them and I spotted the John Wood. I was intrigued but it seemed familiar; alas, I had made it over five years before, but the combination still caught my attention. Instead of continuing on in my literature search, I decided to riff on this obscure classic. The original was whisky and lemon; I opted for Scotch but Boothby grouped all Bourbons, ryes, and Scotches under the ingredient header "whisky," and the Savoy Cocktail Book had the John Wood as an Irish whiskey drink. Here, the kümmel made me think of mezcal for the liqueur pairs well with agave in drinks like the Island of Misfit Toys, Silver Surfer, and Mission Bell. I also changed the citrus to lime and dubbed this one the Juan Madera.
The Juan Madera met the nose with a smoke, agave, cumin, and cherry aroma. Next, grape and lime mingled on the sip akin to the Fig Leaf, and the swallow showcased the mezcal spiced by cumin, caraway, and clove rather well.