amaro rusty nail

1 oz Scotch (3/4 oz Famous Grouse + 1/4 oz Laphroaig 10 Year)
1 oz Drambuie
1 oz Amaro Sfumato

At the bar, served from the freezer into a shot glass (served with a Budweiser for $10). Here, I stirred with ice, strained into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnished with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I was listening to the Speakeasy podcast where the hosts were interviewing Robby Dow of Bespoke in Wilmington, North Carolina. On the episode, Robby provided the recipe for the Amaro Rusty Nail which they serve undiluted from the freezer into a shot glass in a boilermaker pairing with a Budweiser. The concept fell into the class of bitter liqueur-tinged Rusty Nail riffs like the Tooth & Nail and the Bitter Nail, so I was intrigrued. Instead of building in a rocks glass and sticking it in the freezer for an hour, I decided to stir with ice and strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. With my addition of a lemon twist garnish, the Amaro Rusty Nail ushered in a lemon, roasty char, and smoke bouquet to the nose. Next, honey and roast notes on the sip emptied out into smoky Scotch and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.