mergers & acquisitions

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1/2 oz Aquavit (Linie)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Benedictine
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Wednesdays ago, I was flipping through an online flashcard set when I spotted the Mergers & Acquisitions that called for the delightful rye-aquavit combination that I learned about in the Carra-Ryed Away and that I utilized in recipes like the Nude Descending a Staircase. I was able to pin the drink down to the Craft & Commerce speakeasy in San Diego circa 2016 via a post on The Drinking Life blog; the blog listed the sweet vermouth as merely 1/4 oz, but I trusted the flashcards' 3/4 oz and the fact that the name and recipe reminded me greatly of the Milk & Honey gem, Death & Taxes, that calls for the larger volume. Once built, the Mergers & Acquisitions schemed up an orange, caraway, and rye aroma. Next, a grape-driven sip was bought out by a rye, caraway, and herbal swallow.