mane of needles

2 oz Bulleit Rye (Rittenhouse)
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Campari
1/4 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Fernet Branca
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I spotted an interesting recipe on Difford's Guide called the Mane of Needles, and I tracked down the unadapted recipe to the Drinks & Drinking blog. There, Jason O'Bryan described how he created the drink at URBN in San Diego in 2012 after getting inspired by The Violet Hour's Autumn Negroni. His blog is where I found that 2011 Negroni riff, and I noted in my blog post how it bears resemblance to The Violet Hour's Eeyore's Requiem with the Fernet Branca. The Mane of Needles was named after a lyric in Cassandra Gemini's song Frances the Mule, and once assembled, it gave forth an orange, grape, and herbal bouquet. Next, grape and a hint of caramel on the sip led into rye whiskey, bitter orange, and menthol flavors on the swallow.