almost famous

3/4 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
3/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass.
After visiting Sahil Mehta at Estragon, I headed over to the Franklin Café where Jay Cool was working that night. For a first drink, I asked Jay for the Almost Famous. While the name suggested a riff on the Naked and Famous, it appeared more like a mezcal Culross on paper. In the glass, it offered a smoky aroma over orchard fruit notes. Next, the sip presented lemon with an almost orange-like flavor, and the swallow was full of smoky agave and apricot.

americano squeeze

2 oz Punt e Mes
1 oz Aperol

Build in a Collins glass, fill with ice, and top with 3-4 oz pink grapefruit juice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist and add a straw.
After Estragon, I made the best out of my South End excursion by stopping into the Franklin Café for one last drink. There, Kitty Amann and Jay Cool were mixing up drinks for a Fernet Branca-sponsored late-night brunch event named "Fernet Branca and Flapjacks." I wanted something on the lighter side, so I requested from Jay Cool the Americano Squeeze, a play on the Americano since Aperol and Punt e Mes have a similar flavor profile as Campari and sweet vermouth as well as being a riff on the Italian Greyhound (equal parts Punt e Mes and grapefruit juice, salted rim). I originally was not going to write up such a simple drink and only took a photo for an OnTheBar check-in; however, the flavor here was so delightful and refreshing! Grapefruit oil greeted the nose and prepared the mouth for the grapefruit complemented by the fruity notes of the Aperol and the bitter and grape aspects of the Punt e Mes. While I am not usually a fan of boozy brunch drinks (other than Ramos Gin Fizzes), I could definitely see myself making or ordering one of these.

french laundry

1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin
3/4 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
3 dash Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

A few Tuesdays ago, we had dinner at Myers & Chang, and afterwards we rounded the corner and visited Joy Richard at the Franklin Café. For a first drink, I asked Joy for the French Laundry for the collection of ingredients reminded me of Brick & Mortar's Time Traveler. Originally, I thought the drink was on St. Germain Industry Night menu at the Franklin back in 2009, but from the photo in this post, it obviously came later. The name is most likely a tribute to one of the top restaurants in the world found in Napa Valley.
The French Laundry began with a gin, cherry, and floral aroma. A fruity sip with lime and cherry notes led into a gin-driven swallow that ended with nutty and floral accents.

water wings

1 1/2 oz Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Highball glass filled with ice. Add a straw.
The libation I requested from bartender Sabrina Kershaw at the Franklin Café was the Water Wings. The idea of a Tiki drink seemed perfect for the warm summer evening, and the medley of ingredients seemed like it could do no wrong. Once mixed, the Water Wings floated a pineapple aroma by the nose. The sip was rather fruity from the pineapple and Curaçao, and the swallow began with the richly flavored rums and spice. Finally, the pineapple returned on the finish along with the falernum's clove notes.

cleansing tonic

1 1/2 oz Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
4 dash Celery Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
After Myers & Chang, Andrea and I went around the block to the Franklin Café where Sabrina Kershaw was tending bar. For a first drink, Andrea selected the Cleansing Tonic. With tequila, citrus, aromatized wine, and celery bitters, the drink reminded me a bit on paper of Phil Ward's Loop Tonic albeit a less herbal one. Once mixed, the Cleansing Tonic greeted the senses with an agave and lemon aroma. A citrus and wine sip then led into a tequila swallow with pleasing herbal notes.

sandpiper

2 oz Zaya Gran Reserva 12 Year Rum
1/2 oz Luxardo Espresso Liqueur
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Cream of Coconut

Shake with ice in a Highball glass. Add a straw.

Two Thursdays ago, I ventured over to the Franklin Southie to sit at Peter Cipriani's bar. For a drink, I asked Peter for the Sandpiper; while it seemed like a coffee-flavored riff on a classic Painkiller, the Sandpiper did reminded me of the Beach Cruiser from the Franklin's sister restaurant, the Citizen Public House, especially with the call for Zaya 12 Year Rum.
The Sandpiper shared a dark rum and coffee nose that led into a caramel sip with the espresso liqueur's roast notes and the coconut's smoothness. The coconut continued on into the swallow but it was taken over by the pineapple, coffee, and dark rum flavors, and the drink's finish alternated between lingering pineapple and coffee roast notes. Indeed, the combination of pineapple, coffee, and dark rum turned out to be an amazing combination.

:: drambuie's totc send off party ::

The Sunday before Tales of the Cocktail, Drambuie hosted a send off party at the Franklin Southie. Besides a punch crafted by Franklin/Citizen's Joy Richard and Chad Arnholt, there were three bartenders from across town presenting Drambuie libations. The first one I tried was from Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar's Bobby McCoy called the Skyeball.
The Skyeball was a delightful Highball with a mint and malt aroma. The carbonated sip offered up lemon and honey notes, and the swallow showcased the mint and the gin.

The Skyeball
• 3/4 oz Bombay Dry Gin
• 1 1/2 oz Drambuie
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 5-6 leaf Mint
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
Shake with ice and pour into a Highball glass. Top with soda water, garnish with mint, and add a straw.

The next one I tried was the Braveheart from Hawthorne's blender master Scott Marshall.
The Braveheart presented a spicy nutmeg aroma that led into a lime and honey sip. Next, the rum and Scotch notes combined with the orgeat's nuttiness and the Angostura's spice on the swallow.

The Braveheart
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi 8 Rum
• 3/4 oz Drambuie
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Orgeat
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters
Blend with a scoop of ice for 10 seconds. Pour into a Collins glass and add a straw. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a cocktail fan.

The final drink was from Brother Cleve who cracked out the acid phosphate and citrus juice for his Speyside Sour.
The Speyside Sour offered up citrus notes along with the Drambuie's Scotch aroma. A tart citrus sip was chased by a dry rum, whisky, and spice swallow. It seemed like the citrus' tartness was more on the sip with the acid phosphate's crispness more on the swallow.

Speyside Sour
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Select
• 1 oz Drambuie
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Orange Juice
• 2 dash Acid Phosphate
• 2 dash Bittermens Tiki Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Add a straw.

darkside iced tea

1/2 oz Rittenhouse 100 Rye
1/2 oz Zaya Rum
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Combier Orange Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup

Shake with ice and pour into a highball glass (here a rocks glass). Garnish with a lemon wedge and add a straw.

Two Mondays ago was a Fernet Branca industry event at the Franklin Southie. While I sadly did not win the Fernet Branca beach cruiser bicycle that night, I did have some tasty Fernet and Carpano Antica drinks. One of the original recipes was created by Chad Arnholt of the Woodward and Citizen Public House and was his Fernet Branca-inspired tribute to the Long Island Iced Tea called the Darkside Iced Tea. Amusingly, the Long Island Iced Tea will also be honored at this year's Tales of the Cocktail. The original was voted to be buried after a jazz band leads its funeral procession in July to join the ranks with previous year's winners the Appletini, Red Headed Slut, and Sex on the Beach.
Chad's version started off with a caramel and menthol aroma from the Zaya rum and Fernet Branca, respectively. The Zaya then donated a richness to the sip that was balanced by the citrus notes of the lemon juice and orange liqueur. Next, the swallow was a combination of the Fernet Branca's herbal flavors and Rittenhouse Rye's barrel notes. The only thing that I felt the Darkside Iced Tea needed was the original's splash of Coca Cola for I felt that it would greatly complement both the rum and the Fernet.

fecamp 500

2 oz Applejack
3/4 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
2 dash Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
On Sunday night, the Franklin Southie and LUPEC Boston teamed up to throw a birthday celebration for Benedictine which was created 500 years ago at the Fécamp Abbey. Benedictine graciously was donating money to one of LUPEC Boston's favorite charities, On the Rise, and providing free cocktails for the event. The drink I asked bartender Peter Cipriani to make me was the Fécamp 500. The drink was rather lemony from the aroma to the sip. Honey followed the fruit notes with the Benedictine complexity rounding off the drink on the swallow. The Fécamp 500 was a bit drier than I expected given the ingredients, and it had a nice crispness to it to match the evening's weather.

emma goldman

2 oz Bols Genever
3/4 oz St. Germain
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Last Thursday, Andrea and I went down to the Franklin Southie for the Women's Equality Day celebration. Ninety years ago, the 19th Amendment was passed and women were officially allowed to vote, and last week LUPEC Boston decided to celebrate this occasion with cocktails and punches sponsored by Bols Genever and St. Germain. It was rather hard to pick a drink off of their menu since they all seem so delightful; therefore, I chose by name. I selected the Emma Goldman cocktail for it paid homage to one of my favorite anarchists. During her activism, Emma had been arrested for everything from distributing information about birth control to empowering the unemployed. She is often remembered for the quote, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be in your revolution." While Emma may never have said or written that, it does sum up her goal to give all people the "right to beautiful, radiant things." Indeed, LUPEC Boston tried to symbolically honor that right by creating this cocktail with her namesake.
Bartender Peter Cipriani made me the Emma Goldman cocktail pictured above. A vibrant orange oil aroma coupled well with the malt and botanical notes of the Bols Genever. Moreover,the Genever paired rather well with the rich fruit and bitter notes of the Carpano Antica sweet vermouth on the sip, and the St. Germain appeared most prominently as a pleasant lingering aftertaste. The balance was not overly sweet although it did get sweeter once the drink warmed up a bit. Beside cocktails, the ladies of LUPEC had also assembled four punches. The one I tried, the Unsinkable Molly Brown, honored Molly's actions during the the Titanic tragedy where she tried to save additional passengers. This punch coupled St. Germain with Appleton Rum, lemon juice, demerara syrup, and Harpoon hard cider.

improved ping pong

1 oz Plymouth Gin
1 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
1/2 oz Crème Yvette
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

On Thursday night, Andrea and I traveled a ways down the Red Line to the Broadway stop to attend Franklin Southie's Plymouth Gin Industry Night. I was only expecting to see gin recipes on the menu, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few sloe gin ones as well. The one I was drawn to -- the Improved Ping Pong -- had both spirits, but what really drew my attention was that it contained Crème Yvette! This was my first sighting in a Boston bar (save for a prototype batch that was stashed away at Eastern Standard). Crème Yvette has a similar floral signature as Crème de Violette; however, Yvette also contains a rather delicious berry component for it contains blackberry, raspberry, cassis, and strawberry besides the violet flowers.
The drink was based off of the classic Ping Pong and was altered by adding gin and increasing the lemon juice to dry out the sweeter original. One of the recipes for the original can be found in Boothby's 1934 World Drinks And How To Mix Them:

Ping Pong #2
• 1/3 oz Sloe Gin
• 1/3 oz Crème Yvette
• 1 spoon Lemon Juice
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

The Improved Ping Pong's nose contained both lemon oil and floral elements. The sip was full of sweet fruit notes with a slightly bitter and floral swallow. When I gave Andrea a sip, she commented that the raspberry notes (from a combination of the slow gin and Yvette) strangely reminded her of a popsicle.

purkhart's peck

1 1/2 oz Eagle Rare Bourbon
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
2 dash Bitter Truth's Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
For my second drink at the Franklin Southie's Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare Industry Night, I chose the Purkhart's Peck while Andrea went off the menu with the Old Waldorf Astoria recipe for the Fanciulli Cocktail (2 parts Bourbon, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 part Fernet-Branca). Purkhart is the Austrian distillery that makes Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot as well as several other products that Haus Alpenz distributes. The drink started with an orange oil nose, and this complemented the apricot flavors in the sip rather well. The sip began with a slightly sweet fruit taste and was balanced by the spicy Bourbon's heat and the dry vermouth such that the swallow seemed rather dry. The apricot flavor lingered quite nicely throughout the sip and swallow without overpowering the drink. The Purkhart's Peck reminded me a lot of an apricot version of Joy Richard's Bourbon Belle.

kentucky royale

1 1/2 oz Eagle Rare Bourbon
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1 barspoon Luxardo Espresso Liqueur
2 dash Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
On Thursday night, Andrea and I traveled down to Franklin Southie for their Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare industry night event. On the menu were a half dozen Bourbon drinks and I picked two to sample that night. The first one I tried was the Kentucky Royale which bartender Joy Richard made for me. The drink started with a rich cherry nose with perhaps hints of chocolate and coffee aromas in the mix. The Kentucky Royale was rather spicy from the Bourbon which helped to dry out the sweetness from the Cherry Heering and sweet vermouth. Overall, it was a rather delightful cherryish Bourbon Manhattan with some interesting coffee and chocolate notes lingering on the swallow.

christmas goose

2 oz Bols Genever
1/2 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
1/2 oz Benedictine
3 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

For my third drink at the Bols Genever event last Thursday at the Franklin Southie, I ordered Franklin bartender Peter Cipriani's offering, the Christmas Goose. The drink started with a malty smell and I was quite surprised at how the drink was not too sweet given the other ingredients. The flavor was full of Christmas spice with berry notes on the sip, and herbal notes from the bitters, Benedictine, and Genever on the swallow. Despite the name, it is a drink that would work for any season.
Pictured behind my Christmas Goose cocktail is a bowl filled with the punch created by LUPEC Boston's own Pink Lady. In theory, the recipe reminded me a lot of a Hemingway Daiquiri, but my cup was a bit more intense than I remember Papa's Daiquiri recipe tasting. I did not have a chance to ask Ms. Pink Lady whether she modeled the recipe after the strawberry-flavored non-boozy Princess Punch that is often served at children's birthday parties.

La Principessa Punch
• 1 liter Bols Genever
• 2 cup Lime Juice
• 2 cup Grapefruit Juice
• 1 1/4 cup Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1 bag Frozen Strawberries
Pour all ingredients into a punch bowl. Add ice ring to chill.

the one-armed french hooker

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever
1 oz St. Germain
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Float prosecco (~1 oz) on top.
For our second round at the Franklin Southie's Bols Genever event on Thursday, both Andrea and I were drawn to the same cocktail. Entitled "Lady of the Night," it had the subtitle of "The One-Armed French Hooker." The latter name was the one that the drink's creator, Emma Hollander of Trina's Starlite Lounge, wanted to call it before it got semi-censored; moreover, the crowd that night definitely was drawn to ordering the drink by its more colorful name. The One-Armed French Hooker was an attractive pink color from the Peychaud's bitters, and the nose was strongly influenced by the St. Germain elderflower liqueur. The drink was crisp from the bubbles, and the sip contained St. Germain flavors followed by grapefruit. The malty Genever appeared on the swallow, and there was a lingering grapefruit and Peychaud's bitters signature at the end. Any time there is a pairing of St. Germain and grapefruit juice, the drink is almost guaranteed to be a success; one example that comes to mind is the Genever Horse's Neck that John Gertsen made for me a while back. Whatever the reason, Emma's drink did not disappoint, and she explained its popularity as, "[why of course], everyone loves a one-armed French hooker!"

zeeland

1 1/2 oz Bols Genever
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Last Thursday, we headed down to the Franklin Southie for their Bols Genever night. For this event, bar manager Joy Richard asked us a few weeks ago if we wanted to submit a Genever recipe and we gladly accepted the challenge. I say challenge because Genever is not the easiest spirit to mix with for it can easily be overwhelmed. Not that the drinks lack deliciousness when mixed like that, but a lot of the beauty in the spirit can be lost (and Genever is mighty tasty drank neat). After a round or two of failed tinkering, I decided to adapt a whiskey drink into a Genever drink, and for a starting point I used the Scofflaw. I cannot remember now which Scofflaw version I used -- the grenadine or the Chartreuse one -- but the format of spirit, aromatized wine, citrus, and sweetener morphed into a Genever, Lillet, lime juice, and apricot liqueur recipe. The end result turned out to be rather similar to a rum-based recipe, the Culross Cocktail variation. For a name, I wanted to pay tribute to a Dutch scofflaw like Bruinsma, but Andrea found the idea of naming it after a criminal or mafioso a little too dark. Instead, I named it after after a province in the Netherlands which had a quirky name -- Zeeland. Not quirky when it translates into Sealand, but strange in terms of A-to-Z-land or in the inevitable similarities to Zoolander.
The drink seemed to be a success at the event given the positive feedback and my overhearing people recommending it to their friends. Joy Richard made me my Zeeland that night and it started with a malty nose. The sip was full of a dry citrus and apricot flavor with Genever botanicals and lime on the swallow. Andrea commented that it was a dry drink that would be perfect for a Martini lover, and Ben Sandrof likened it to a Periodista on a light note.

For Andrea's first drink, she chose the Cravat created by Brayden C. Burroughs, Esq., and I was lucky enough to score a taste:

The Cravat
• 2 oz Bols Genever
• 1/2 oz Luxardo Amaretto
• 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 dash Peychaud's Bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.

The Cravat was surprisingly dry which is an attribute I rarely associate with amaretto cocktails. It contained a delicate amaretto flavor with a decent bitters signature on the finish. One of the most notable flavor observations about the recipe was how well the amaretto complemented the malt flavors in the Genever.

sine metu

1 1/2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
3 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
On Thursday night, Andrea and I went down to Franklin Southie for their Jameson St. Patty's Warm Up Party. While I have not been convinced in the past that Irish Whiskey is best served in cocktails for it is too easily overwhelmed by other flavors, I was willing to give the spirit another go. Joy Richard had assembled a list of Jameson recipes that she and Peter Cipirini were serving up that night. The one I chose first was the Sine Metu which translates as "Without Fear". Indeed, it was hard to fear a drink that combined whiskey with the citrus peel notes of Lillet and rich cherry flavors of the Heering. The Sine Metu started with a cherry nose and had a faint whiskey taste on the front. The Lillet which appeared in the middle of the sip was also rather light, with the bitters and cherry flavors forming a delightful and complex swallow. The Bitter Truth's Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters provided nutmeg and allspice notes which complemented the spicy Cherry Heering rather well. Perhaps the lighter nature of the Irish whiskey allowed the other flavors to shine through to make the Sine Metu a success.

maison leblon

1 1/2 oz Leblon Cachaça
3/4 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with 3 slivers of ginger.

For my second drink at the Leblon Cachaça Party at the Franklin Southie, I opted for the Maison Leblon which was almost the ginger liqueur instead yellow Chartreuse version of the drink Andrea had for her first beverage:

Grande Elixir
• 1 1/2 oz Leblon Cachaça
• 3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Maison Leblon that bartender Joy Richard made for me started with a very ginger- and cachaça-scented nose. I think the key to the success of this drink was how well the ginger's sting mixed with the cachaça's funk similar to how Campari's sharp notes functioned in the Lua Bonita. In addition, the lemon's crispness added to this delightful bite. The yellow Chartreuse in the Grande Elixir, on the other hand, brought out a more herbaceous side to the cachaça and might be a better choice for someone looking for a more mild yet interesting cocktail.

lua bonita

1 oz Leblon Cachaça
1 oz Campari
1 oz Cinzano Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Last night after going to the St. Germain event at the Boston Shaker's store, Andrea and I hopped on the Red Line and got off at the Broadway stop to go to the Franklin Southie's Leblon Cachaça event. Bartender Joy Richard assembled a list of seven cachaça drinks; I was greatly impressed that none of the ones on the list was the Caipirinha (although I was told that they would gladly make one if requested). All too often, cachaça gets pigeonholed as the spirit to make Caipirinhas. The second best known cachaça drink, the Batida, was on there though and was flavored with a combination of mango puree and cream of coconut, and the other six were a combination of variations and original creations. Hopefully, efforts like this to expose people to cachaça's functionality in a variety of cocktail recipes will broaden the spirit's appeal in this country.
The first cachaça cocktail I chose was the Lua Bonita (Beautiful Moon) which substituted the gin in a Negroni for cachaça. The drink started with a distinctive cachaça grassiness and an orange oil nose. Sweet vermouth flavors were rich at the beginning of the sip, while the cachaça's funk and Campari's bitter notes were evident on the swallow. The funk and bitter notes played extremely well together and took the drink in a very different and intriguing direction from gin's effect in the classic Negroni. Moreover, these two elements served to partially dry out the drink's sweetness at the swallow. The Lua Bonita had a nice amount of acid crispness and when combined with the Campari and vermouth colors, one could probably be tricked into thinking for a moment that the glass contained a good proportion of cranberry juice.
My Lua Bonita immortalized in 2/17/2010's Globe article on restaurant/bar industry events.

bourbon belle

2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
1/2 oz Mathilde Peches Liqueur
1/2 ounce Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass garnished with a brandied cherry. Recipe is a hybrid of the one from LUPEC Boston's Little Black Book of Cocktails and what I was served.
For my second drink last night at Joy Richard's "Whiskey-Infused Birthday Bash" was the cocktail Joy's LUPEC name is based on, the Bourbon Belle. The Bourbon Belle is one of her creations and she described its origins as a Manhattan variation in this LUPEC Boston blog post. With the addition of some peach flavor, her twist on the whiskey classic takes on an unique identity. The rich Carpano Antica sweet vermouth flavors were the first detected on the sip. Trailing that were the peach fruit and Angostura bitters on the aftertaste along with a slight burn from the whiskey. At times, the vermouth's grape and the liqueur's peach flavors seemlessly flowed together in the sip.