Diddlin' Dora
Build in a Highball glass, fill with crushed ice, add a straw, and garnish with an orange twist and freshly grated nutmeg.
Woody spice and orange oil nose. Grape and berry notes on sip. Swallow offered nuttiness from the sherry and Maraschino and a light menthol and herbal finish. Refreshingly light yet flavorful.
For the Women of the Wild West-themed night that Katie Emmerson (then of the Hawthorne) and I did for the Whiskey & Amari/Spaghetti Western series at the Blue Room in 2013, we needed a tall drink. I decided to take it in a Cobbler direction instead of Collins or Highball. For a name, I decided to honor Dora DuFran, or more specifically one of her four brothels.
- The nutty sherry note blends nicely into the fernet and cocchi di torinoa, particularly as it melts a little. Fernet is the overwhelming bully at the beginning and then falls off as you get used to it, still likely could handle a drop to 1/2 oz.
- Royal Flush (Ran Duan) — Sweet vermouth, Crème de Cacao, Fernet Branca, Absinthe, Cherry
- Amburoni — Sweet vermouth, Cachaça, Campari, Fernet Branca
- Ottovolante — Dry vermouth, Strega, Fernet Branca, Orange peel, Ginger ale
- No Stone Unturned — Sweet vermouth, Fernet Branca, Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Absinthe, Salt
- Appetizer a l'italienne (Revised) — Sweet vermouth, Fernet Branca, Pastis, Lemon