This French liqueur dates conclusively to 1863, and with less evidence to the sixteenth century. It has a biting, herbal, medicinal quality that can do a swing dance or quadrille with bourbon, depending on other ingredients and your mood. This drink by Paul Calvert of the Ticonderoga Club in Atlanta balances citrus with the herbal elements of amaro and Bénédictine, with the bourbon providing the steady bass drumbeat in the background.
The Counterfeit: Bourbon + Bénédictine
Ingredients
1 dash lemon bitters (may be omitted)
½ oz. amaro (Meletti or Montenegro recommended)
½ oz. Bénédictine
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
1½ oz. high-rye bourbon
Lemon peel, for garnish
Preparation
- Put all ingredients except lemon peel in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with lemon peel.