death & taxes

1 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1 oz Gin (Barr Hill)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Sundays ago, I was intrigued by a recipe that I had spotted in Imbibe Magazine called Death & Taxes. It was crafted by Michael Madrusan of the Everleigh in Melbourne when he was at Milk & Honey in New York City. The combination reminded me of the classic Automobile Cocktail with Benedictine or the Butcher Cocktail with Benedictine and orange bitters, so it intrigued me. Here, the Death & Taxes offered up unavoidable lemon, malt, and grape aromas to the nose. Next, grape and plum notes led into juniper, Scotch, and herbal flavors on the swallow.