belafonte

1 1/2 oz Plantation Dark Rum
1 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz House Coffee Cordial (Galliano Ristretto)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass.Two Thursdays ago, I returned to the Hawthorne bar bible where I spotted the Belafonte created by Nick Frank with the subtitle "island in the sun." The name reminded me of the Belafonte on the Russell House Tavern dessert menu circa 2015 consisting of black strap rum, banana liqueur, allspice dram, and coffee bitters, and this Belafonte shared the dark rum and coffee elements but took a more Manhattan direction with sweet vermouth, Cynar, and Angostura Bitters. Once prepared, the Belafonte greeted the senses with a molasses and coffee aroma. Next, grape and caramel harmonized on the sip, and the swallow proffered dark rum and funk herbal flavors with a chocolate and coffee finish.