southern gentleman

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Averna
1/2 oz Gentian Liqueur (Suze)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with a lemon twist. Two Tuesdays ago, I received the new issue of Imbibe Magazine (September/October 2026), and I immediately picked out the Southern Gentleman as a Black Manhattan riff by Sean Skvarka and Matt Ross at Whisler's in Austin. It appeared like an Averna for sweet vermouth variation on Happiness Forgets' Harry Palmer, so I was game. Once stirred and strained, the Southern Gentleman greeted the senses with a lemon and earthy herbal aroma. Next, caramel from the Averna filled the sip that led into rye, gentian, and herbal flavors on the swallow.