emoji swagger

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Allspice Dram (Hamilton's)
1/4 oz Bigallet China-China (Amaro Ciociaro)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Sundays ago, I uncovered a set of recipe flashcards from the now closed Shift Drinks in Portland, Oregon. The one that I latched onto first was the Emoji Swagger as an embittered and spiced tequila Liberal of sorts. I was able to date it to 2016 or before from a Willamet Week newspaper article that described how "it tastes like a bittersweet Manhattan combined with churros and lime." In the glass, the Emoji Swagger presented a roasted agave aroma. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip fled into vegetal, bitter orange, and allspice flavors on the swallow. The allspice was a bit much for me but that was perhaps due to having Hamilton's instead of St. Elizabeth on my shelf; I could see knocking that volume to 1/8 oz if I were making it again.