five keys

1 1/3 oz Bourbon (1 3/4 oz Evan Williams Bonded)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
1/4 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with a cherry. Two Thursdays ago, I returned to another recipe that I had spotted on Difford's Guide called the Five Keys. The site did not provide attribution, but I was able to locate some on the Boxes & Booze blog that linked it to the Blade & Bow Whiskey company that has a Five Keys Club. The name refers to the 5 brass keys on the door of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery with each symbolizing the five steps of making a great Bourbon – namely, a focus on the grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation, and aging. The light accents in a whiskey drink of Maraschino and Cynar reminded me of the Artichoke Hold and Bensonhurst, so I was intrigued. In the glass, the Five Keys conjured up a Bourbon and cherry aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip with a hint of cherry unlocked a Bourbon, herbal, and cherry flavors on the swallow.