diamonds & toads

1 1/2 oz Louis Royer Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840)
3/4 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
3/4 oz Suze
5 dash Absinthe (1/2 tsp Kübler)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I logged into ShakeStir to peruse their recipe database. There, I was lured in by Diamonds & Toads created by Nick Bennett circa 2013 while he was at Booker & Dax in Manhattan. He named his Cognac riff on a White Negroni after a French fairytale, and the combination of Cognac, Suze, and absinthe reminded me of Gary Regan's La Tour Eiffel. After mixing up this drink, it donated a lemon and herbal aroma to the nose. Next, white wine notes on the sip hopped into Cognac, gentian, and anise spice flavors on the swallow.