dealing despair

1 oz Bourbon (Evan Williams Bonded)
1 oz Armagnac (Marie Duffau Napoleon)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Giacomo Speroni)
1 tsp Giffard Crème de Peche (Mathilde)
1 tsp Averna
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Build in an old fashioned glass, add ice, stir to mix and chill, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Wednesdays ago, my copy of The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Michael and Zara Madrusan arrived (it came out the day before). As I flipped through the pages, I quickly latched on to the Dealing Despair by Trevor Shores at Death & Co. Denver in 2023 possibly named after a song by Billy Strings. I was able to find a Reddit post with photo from an imbiber at the bar who had this when it was on the menu. While I had not tried an Averna-peach drink before, Averna and apricot liqueur is a great combination that I first learned about at Green Street in 2008 with the Cocktail Miranda, and peach works well with other amari like Sfumato in the Amen Corner and Ciociaro in the Prodigal Son. In the glass, the Dealing Despair opened up with orange, dark herbal, and peach aromas. Next, grape and caramel notes on the sip welcomed Bourbon, brandy, peach, and herbal flavors on the swallow.