the refuge

1 1/2 oz Herradura Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
1/2 oz Ron Miel (Zaya)
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.Two Mondays ago, I reopened the online recipe flashcards for the Paper Plane in Atlanta, and I spotted the tequila-rum stirred drink called the Refuge that dated back to 2014 via a mention in a Yelp review. Here, the Punt e Mes-orange liqueur modifier reminded me of No. 9 Park's Negroni variation the Patrician. I had previously skipped over this recipe for I lack the honey-tinged rum from the Canary Islands, but I figured that a caramel- and sugar-laden rum like Zaya might come close. Once mixed, the Refuge projected orange, grape, and vegetal aromas to the nose. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip slid into tequila, funky rum, caramel, and orange flavors on the swallow.