the tax lawyer

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 tsp Fernet Branca (1/8 oz)
1/2 tsp Orange Juice (1/8 oz)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.

Two Saturdays ago, I delved into my Food & Wine: Cocktails collection and found the Tax Lawyer in the 2014 edition. The recipe was crafted by Washington DC bartender Derek Brown as a riff on the Income Tax cocktail (a Bronx with a dash of Angostura Bitters) and a tribute to a local restaurateur, Mark Kuller, who was also a successful tax lawyer. The combination reminded me of an older recipe with a dash of Fernet, namely the Zumbo which had curaçao and gin in place of this recipe's orange juice and Genever.The Tax Lawyer greeted the senses with an orange, malty, and herbal bouquet. Next, a semi-dry grape note on the sip litigated into a malty, herbal, and grape swallow with a hint of orange and menthol.