Pumpernickel

 

Story

A Sother Teague cocktail is never boring, and that’s certainly the case with the Pumpernickel.  This cocktail answers the question, “Is it possible to lean all the way into a specific flavor and still have a drink that’s both balanced and complex?”  The answer is yes, and the flavor in this case is that of baking spice.  That term is used to refer to a collection of aromatic ingredients like nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.  They tend to evoke the fall and winter holidays, when gingerbread and mulled cider are just the thing for chilly evenings.  This recipe features a big hit of Angostura bitters.  Common wisdom is to reduce the amount of bitters used in a batch cocktail, since the aromatic and bitter compounds can intensify somewhat as the cocktail ages. But given the flavor profile of this particular cocktail, and the fact that the Angostura is balancing the bitter elements in both the amaro and the vermouth (Punt e Mes), I didn’t back off very much.  The lemon does a nice job of tying everything together, so don’t skip it.  Finally, the recipe as written is served “down” (in a rocks glass with no ice), and I think I prefer it that way, but I also tried it with ice and that’s good too.  Cheers!

 
Recipe

1.5 oz rye (Rittenhouse 100)
0.75 oz Amaro Ramazzotti (or Amaro Abano)
0.25 oz Punt e Mes
7 dashes Angostura bitters
-Stir the ingredients with ice.  Strain into rocks glass (ice optional). Express lemon twist, discard.