colonial ties

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse Bonded)
1 oz Jamaican Rum (1/2 oz Smith & Cross + 1/2 oz Plantation Xaymaca)
1 Brown Sugar Cube (Demerara)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)
1 bsp Soda Water (1/2 oz Still Water)

Soak the sugar cube with bitters, add the soda water, and muddle into a paste. Add the spirits and ice, stir, strain into an absinthe-rinsed (St. George) whiskey glass, and garnish with a lemon twist on the edge of the glass.Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make a Sazerac-like drink created by Eric Alperin at Los Angeles' Varnish bar that he published in the recipe section of Unvarnished. With the spirit split between rye and Jamaican rum, it reminded me of the more common Sazerac crossed with the D Day Sazerac (with different bitters), so it seemed like a winner. Once prepared, the Colonial Ties proffered a lemon, anise, and pineapple-tropical fruit bouquet to the nose. Next, a caramel sip led into a rye, funky rum, and orange swallow with a hint of anise on the finish.