My version of the ‘Scotch Dram’ by Phil Ward, 2008 as found in Death & Co, Modern Classic Cocktails, by David Kaplan, 2014, Ten Speed Press.
The original recipe goes (with parentheses to explain what I did):
2 ounces Compass Box Asyla Scotch (note: I did not have Compass Box anything, let alone Asyla, so I used my own blended Scotch which consists of all the bottoms of random, almost empty Scotch bottles, single malts and blends, that I have around and can consolidate into one bottle. That is my scientific method for my own blended Scotch. I top off said bottle regularly 😉)
3/4 ounce Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
1/4 ounce Drambuie
1 dash Death & Co House Peychaud’s Bitters (which is a combo of Peychaud’s & Bitter Truth’s Creole Bitters. I, of course, only had Peychaud’s so I used 1 dash of that and 1 dash of Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters. I like it! I’ll do that again.)
Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a coupe. No garnish. (No garnish? Heresy! I proudly garnish. Go ahead and judge me. That’s Rosemary fresh from my herb garden that you see in that cocktail.)
Review: I have a couple friends I can’t wait to make this for! It’s a delicious refinement of my go-to drink, the ‘Rosemary Rusty Nail’. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you know about the Magic Second Drink that exists after you’ve mixed a cocktail? This drink is a secret only for the home mixologist as it doesn’t exist in the fast paced retail world of restaurants, bars, pubs and speakeasies. You may think that is only melted ice remaining in your mixing glass or shaker, that it is only water, but in this day and age of infused waters being offered everywhere you go, this is that on steroids! Okay, not steroids but alcohol. This is alcohol infused water and I always drink the Magic Second Drink. Because I can. It’s refreshing. It’s delicious. It’s a secret.
If you’ve been thoughtlessly ditching the contents of your mixing glass after straining out a cocktail. Stop! You are wasting a Magic Second Drink! Enjoy both!
Cheers!
