the mooch

1 1/2 oz Vodka (Vesica)
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Benedictine
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Mondays ago, my Instagram friend Tim Kirkland posted an interesting drink called The Mooch. The recipe was created by Josh Wulf of the Wulf Cocktail Den blog. This was Josh's first cocktail creation back in 2014 named after his tuxedo cat, and I can relate for I currently have a black and white cat named Josey (more akin to a cow cat) who is quite the mooch too. The combination reminded me of a more bitter version of the Gypsy Queen (vodka, Benedictine, Angostura Bitters), and the vodka elongating the flavors of Fernet without a drop of proof made me think of the Sputnik. Fernet and Benedictine worked together well in the 1903-1933 era Oldfield and in PDT's Montgomery Smith, and I used the combination inspired from the former in the Campo Viejo. In the glass, The Mooch opened up with a menthol, herbal, and clove bouquet. Next, a caramel-driven sip was usurped by gentian, minty, menthol, herbal, allspice, and clove flavors on the swallow.