love in the time of covid

1 1/2 oz Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
1 oz Lillet Blanc (Cocchi Americano)
1/4 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1/4 oz Giffard Menthe de Pastille (Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe)
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail (coupe) glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Mondays ago, I selected my copy of Neil Ratliff's 2022 Seattle Cocktails book for the night's libation. There, I was lured in by Love in the Time of Covid at The Doctor's Office. Bar director Keith Waldbauer described how it was created as a one-off for a charity during lockdown, and it was so successful that it became the bar's first original on a menu of classics. The concept of apricot and mint accents was something that I was familiar with from the Leap Frog and that I utilized in my Derby Julep, so I was curious to see how it would work here with Japanese whisky. Once this updated Gabriel García Márquez tribute drink was mixed, lemon, apricot, and mint aromas jumped out to the nose. Next, pear and grapefruit notes on the sip broadened into whisky, grapefruit, apricot, and mint flavors on the swallow. As the drink warmed up, the Peychaud's cherry and anise aspects started to come out on the back palate.