Professional

1 1⁄2 oz Bourbon, Old Grand Dad 114
1⁄2 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross
1 oz Campari
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, rock, garnish.

Notes

The recipe does not specify which overproof Jamaican rum (Wray & Nephew White or Smith and Cross) but Smith and Cross works very well.

Cocktail summary
Created by
Benjamin Schwartz, Little Branch, NYC.
Year
2010
Is of
unknown authenticity
Reference

Bartender's Choice cocktail app for iOS by Sam Ross.

Curator
Not yet rated
Average
4 stars
(14 ratings)
YieldsDrink
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From other users
  • Used grapefruit juice in place of grapefruit peel
  • Made with Smith & Cross. I thought it was a touch sweet. Robin thought otherwise. — ★★★★
  • Made with S&C. Intense, but balance works well, assuming an audience game for bitter and funky and high-proof.
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Comments

<br />Two users made comments about Smith & Cross overproofed rum being satisfactory, but no comment about the bourbon used in the making of The Professional. That's too bad because I believe the taste of this drink will, to a great extent, also be determined by the bourbon used. Some bourbons can be mild and mellow (e.g., Makers' Mark), while other bourbons may have a stronger, heavier taste (e.g., Bulleit Bourbon). Then, too, one needs to consider the proof of the bourbon. With these thoughts in mind, I put together The Professional consisting of Smith & Cross rum (114 proof), Elijah Craig bourbon (114 proof), and Campari (48 proof).

The combination of rum and bourbon I used for my first-ever taste of The Professional, I rated as 4.0. I suspect that using a lighter and mellower bourbon, such as Makers' Mark, will result in a cocktail that will be rated differently. So my cautionary note is: Pick carefully BOTH the bourbon and the rum you will be using in this cocktail. Your choices may well make or break your liking of what I think is a very good cocktail.

The creator of this drink piped up in a Reddit thread in /r/cocktails a few months ago and clarified the recipe. He called out Smith and Cross rum, OGD 114 (said Elijah Craig 114 and Weller 107 were also good) and said he served it over a large rock with a grapefruit twist.