rusty ringo

1 3/4 oz Boulard VSOP Calvados
1/4 oz Talisker 10 Year Scotch (Laphroaig 10 Year)
1/2 oz Drambuie

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a gold leaf (omit).

Two Wednesdays ago, I had spotted a drink called the Rusty Ringo on a friend's Instagram post early that day, and I soon found this drink served at Bar Goto in New York City in a 2022 Punch article. Forbes published the recipe the recipe a year earlier in 2021 and attributed the recipe to bar director Kenta Goto who explained, "I'm always a big fan of Scotch. And if you really like it, you have also probably heard of a Rusty Nail, which is traditionally made with Scotch and Drambuie. In this riff on the classic that we're serving on our new winter menu at Bar Goto's Brooklyn outpost, Bar Goto Niban, we add Calvados. The apple brandy adds a beautiful aroma that works very well with Drambuie, which is made from Scotch and honey. The resulting cocktail is velvety and luxurious and is perfect to sip after a big holiday meal." Indeed, the Calvados-Drambuie duo is one that I appreciated in Death & Co.'s Widow's Laurel and Trina's Starlite Lounge's Bonita Applebum. Moreover, the Scotch-apple brandy-Drambuie trio is one that I utilized in my Lost in the Supermarket and the 3:20 in the Morning, so I was curious to give this drink a try. Once built, the Rusty Ringo gave forth apple, honey, and smoke aromas to the nose. Next, honey and apple notes continued on into the sip where they were joined by apple, peat smoke, and herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, I wish that I had tried a different smoky Scotch such as Caol Ila or Ardbeg for Laphroaig's more medicinal notes that I usually enjoy came across as slightly off in this combination.