columbia heights

1 1/4 oz Rye Whiskey (Rittenhouse)
1 1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 dash Absinthe (8 drop St. George)

Stir with ice, strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Sundays ago, I selected The Madrusan Cocktail Companion book and landed on the Columbia Heights by Rob Libecans at Melbourne's Caretaker's Cottage in 2022. Overall, the recipe read like an Improved Manhattan minus the Angostura Bitters which seemed like a great nightcap. I later found the Dirty Harry which is a bit more rye-driven version of this combination, and of course, the Lawhill as a dry vermouth and bitters variation that was a cult classic at Drink in Boston back in the day. In the glass, the Columbia Heights shared a lemon, dark grape, nutty cherry, and anise aroma. Next, grape and cherry notes on the sip evolved into rye, herbal, cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.