blackjack

1 1/2 oz Famous Grouse Scotch
1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
1/4 oz Ginger Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Fridays prior, I selected a recipe from The Rose in Jackson, Wyoming, called the Blackjack that I found in a set of online recipe flashcards. The name could be an allusion to how gambling was made illegal in Wisconsin in 1901 yet Jackson was "so far removed from the eyes of any federal law enforcement, it happened in the basements of several downtown drinking establishments" until mid-century. The duo of maple and ginger syrups appeared in the Mountain Man with Bourbon and peach liqueur instead of Scotch and apple brandy. Once dealt, the Blackjack showed a lemon, maple, and ginger bouquet to the nose. Lemon and an amber note on the sip revealed Scotch, apple, maple, ginger, and clove flavors on the swallow.