black hand society

3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Campari
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.I was inspired by the previous night's Ai Ono, and I looked to the Gilda and the Ferrari (Fernet-Campari shot or drink motif) to mashup into a riff. I named the combination the Black Hand Society after the crime syndicate that took the place of the mafia in New Orleans circa 1900 that I learned about in Herbert Asbury's The French Quarter book. They were known for blackmail and sending death threats that were embellished with images of black hands and crimson skulls and crossbones — perfect symbolism for the Fernet and Campari components that worked great with the pineapple, lime, and cinnamon structure. The black and red motifs reminded me of the Fernet-Campari-containing Trash Polka that I named after a German style of tattooing that combines images done in either black or red ink. I surmised that I had a winner for Fernet, pineapple, cinnamon, and lime have worked well in the gin-based Awkwardly Tongue Tied. The Black Hand Society began with a fruity, caramel, cinnamon, and menthol aroma. Next, caramel, pineapple, and lime notes on the sip tried to intimidate caramel, bitter herbal, orange, menthol, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.