Caveat: all measures approximate.

2 oz. Straight rye whiskey (MWND 49.3% abv)

.75 oz. Amaro Montenegro

.5 oz. Cherry Heering

4 dashes Aromatic bitters (The Bitter Truth)

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over a cube of block ice. No garnish.

I wasn’t in the mood for coffee liqueur and I had some of the other ingredients (minus Campari) out and ready to go. Hence the Crimson King reference.

Not a huge fan of Benedictine, so I thought I’d sub the Cherry Heering in with essentially the same ingredients as a Monte Carlo (minus the amaro). The Montenegro and Cherry Heering are both great partners to a good rye whiskey and this cocktail is no exception.