I’ve been trying to develop (for gits and shiggles) cocktails that employ some lesser used ingredients I have in my home bar. This past weekend I tried out the specs below to… alright results. It’s good, but is missing the pop of a great cocktail. In its current state, it’s very rich, complex, but might lean a little more dessert-like than I was hoping for. The dry vermouth is hard to detect and it could maybe use some bitterness/zingy flavors to play with the cognac. I’d wager many people would totally dig this drink as a nightcap but I think it could be so much better.

Unnamed:

1.5 oz Maison Rouge Cognac VSOP

.75 oz Vecchio Amaro del Capo

.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth

2 dashes of Fee’s Broker’s Bitters

Twist of Orange (expressed over glass post stir)

Stirred in a mixing glass until chilled and diluted. Strained into a chilled rocks glass over a cube.

My initial response is to rework the specs, I was thinking maybe something along the lines of an Anders Erickson style Martinez to give the dry vermouth some more presence:

1.25 oz Maison Rouge Cognac VSOP

1.25 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth

.50 oz Vecchio Amaro del Capo

.25 oz Fee’s Broker’s Bitters

Twist of expressed lemon.

Lmk what you think and ideas you have! Or, if this is a pipe dream drink that’ll never work.