bring back the bear

1 1/2 oz Blended Scotch (Famous Grouse)
1/2 oz Ardbeg 10 Year Scotch
1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Fridays ago, I learned of Murray Stenson's passing, and in his honor, I made a drink from the Zig Zag Café in Seattle -- the bar he made famous with his discovery and trumpeting of the pre-Prohibition gem the Last Word. I first learned of Murray in 2009 when I made the Chas from Robert Hess' The Essential Bartender's Guide and the Porteño that Gary Regan wrote about in his SfGate column; sadly, however, our paths never intersected, so I never got to experience the magic often spoken about when he was bartending. From the Zig Zag online flashcards that I found, I decided to make the Bring Back the Bear that reminded me greatly of the Hoots Mons from the Savoy Cocktail Book; Yelp reviews mention this drink in Spring of 2017. Once prepared, the Bring Back the Bear began with lemon and peat smoke aromas. Next, grape and malt notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow pawed back with smoky Scotch, apricot, and allspice flavors.