boulevard of broken dreams

1 oz Rittenhouse Bonded Rye
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Averna
1/2 oz Fidencio Mezcal
1 bsp Demerara Syrup (omit)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a flamed orange twist (unflamed).

Two Sundays ago, I spotted the Boulevard of Broken Dreams on Kindred Cocktails and was lured in by the name. It is a reference to the Gottfried Helnwein painting that was a remake of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting with Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Humphrey Bogart in place of the original characters. The drink itself was crafted by Kyle Martin in 2018 at the Grotto in Levenworth, Washington, and the combination of Campari, Averna, and mezcal reminded me of the rum-based Departed.In the glass, the Boulevard of Broken Dreams met the nose with orange oil over dark herbal aromas and smoke. Next, a caramel sip slid into rye, smoky mezcal, and dark bitter orange flavors on the swallow.