master's chair

2 oz Weller Bourbon (Larceny)
3/4 oz Krogstad Aquavit (Aalborg)
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Two Saturdays ago, I selected the Hawthorne bar bible for drink ideas. There, I spotted the Master's Chair which was "inspired by the design of the Kartell Masters Chair, one of the most recognizable pieces of furniture chosen by designer Alison Sheffield for the Hawthorne. The chair is a melding of 3 classic chairs designed by Finnish, Danish, and American designers; therefore the drink is a balanced melding of spirits from those countries." I have noted in the past that aquavit pairs rather well with rye whiskey such as in the Immigrant Song and Long Way Home, so I was wondering how it would do with a Bourbon especially since the recipe called for a wheated instead of a rye-containing Bourbon.The Master's Chair delivered a cherry and caraway bouquet to the nose. Next, a dark plum note on the sip cascaded into Bourbon, cherry, and caraway flavors on the swallow. Overall, I was impressed at how the aquavit's caraway and other botanicals broke up any cough syrup aspect of the Cherry Heering and gave the drink an elegant complexity.