It was quite a bit cooler in Portland today than it has been for a while. The day started off pretty overcast and felt very much like the beginning of fall. I’ve seen quite a few trees this week with leaves that have turned their colors or have fallen off entirely.
Fall is my favorite time of year. When we go from wearing as little as possible to escape the heat, to layering on sweaters, jeans, and outerwear. There is a certain crispness in the air that is hinting at the fact that Autumn is not far off. That feeling of impending fall weather lingered with me, and it seemed appropriate to make a cocktail that blends more robust, fall-like flavors together in anticipation of the coming autumn.
I wanted to do a stirred cocktail, served up, since that’s normally what I go for when the weather cools down considerably. In summer I like lots of fruity flavors mixed with plenty of ice to make a refreshing, cool cocktail. In fall and winter, I tend to like things that have more body to them and are best sipped slowly with either a very large ice cube, or none at all.
I’m used to winters in NYC, where there is little reprieve from the frigid cold, and where you’d sooner curl up on the couch with a hot toddy than venture out onto the blustery, iced-over walkways for a cocktail. I’m sure that Portland winters will be a welcome change from that icy routine.
I have used allspice dram in a number of more tiki-oriented drinks, but never in a stirred cocktail. It can stand up to overproof rums and lots of ice quite well, but without the dilution factor of a tiki drink, I needed to really scale back the proportions of this spicy liqueur.
Rye and rum make for interesting bedfellows in the Smooth Sailing cocktail. The spice of the rye and the roundness of the rum really mesh well, and I think they create a very complex combination amongst the allspice and the flavors of the Montenegro. This is a drink that I plan to return to over and over this fall/winter. I hope you will too!
Smooth Sailing
1 oz Bourbon
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1 oz Aged Rum
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz Blackberry Liqueur*
1 barspoon St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
4 dashes Chocolate Bitters (these work beautifully)
Nutmeg for garnish
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for approximately 40 seconds and strain into a cocktail coupe. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top and serve.
*Blackberry Liqueur: I used this recipe to make my own at home since it’s blackberry season in the Northwest right now. I changed the ratios to 1 cup Brandy and 1 cup Vodka instead of 3/4 Brandy to 1 and 3/4 Vodka. I also really enjoy the Felipe II Brandy de Jerez, if you can find it where you live.
For more recipes like this, visit fernandshaker.com and follow @fernandshaker on Instagram.
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