smokin' barrel

1 oz Blanco Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Islay Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1 bsp Benedictine (1/8 oz)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass (single old fashioned), and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.Two Sundays ago, I uncovered a Vieux Carré-style recipe on Kindred Cocktails called the Smokin' Barrel. The drink was crafted by Michael Shone at the Balthazar Champagne Bar in Denmark circa 2013 and features the blanco tequila-Scotch duo that I utilized in the Devil's Highway due to a guest's request for such. The only other recipes in this collection that pair tequila with Scotch are via a whisky rinse accent or spritz for garnish and not as a full ingredient in the mix. Therefore, I set to mixing the Smokin' Barrel which donated a smoke and woody spice aroma to the mix. Next, a grape-driven sip lifted into vegetal, wood smoke, herbal, and clove flavors on the swallow.