the curly-tailed lion

1 1/2 oz Genever (Bols)
1 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Grapefruit Liqueur (St. Elder)
2 dash Absinthe (2/3 bsp Kübler)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.Two Tuesdays ago, I wondered how Genever would pair with grapefruit liqueur since the spirit had worked well with grapefruit juice in drinks like the One-Armed French Hooker and the Genever Horse's Neck. To balance the drink, I felt that Cardamaro along with absinthe highlights would round out the profile. For a name, I returned back to the Wooden Shoe and dubbed this the Curly-Tailed Lion after another Dutch fairy tale. In the glass, the drink proffered a malt and grapefruit bouquet to the nose. Next, grape and grapefruit on the sip pawed at a Genever and fruity swallow with a grapefruit peel and anise finish. Overall, the combination made for a surprisingly bright drink especially with the absinthe.