gold drop

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Honey Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass rinsed with orange blossom water.Two Saturdays ago, I was perusing the online recipe collection for the menuless speakeasy Idlewild in Charlotte, North Carolina, when I spotted the Gold Drop. The drink had the same spirit, Cynar, honey, and lemon idea as the Michigander but with Bourbon instead of apple brandy. With Bourbon, it reminded me of embittered Gold Rush riffs like the Rose Gold with Campari, Golden Ticket with Montenegro, Without a Trace with Nonino, and Pull up to the Bumper with Abano. Once prepared, the Gold Drop proffered orange blossom water and caramel-vegetal aromas. Next, honey, lemon, and caramel notes on the sip opened up into Bourbon, vegetal, and floral flavors on the swallow.