Taste mostly Montenegro. 

3 stars 

Really good equal parts cocktail. One of the best things at tamping down the cloying note of cognac that I tend to dislike and nice balance and interesting almost cola -like evolution.

I forgot that this one was "mine" -- I always attribute the initial idea to Paul Manzelli at Bergamot in Somerville, MA, who made me a 5 part Hoop La riff that I felt needed a little work. I went home and made it again but dropping the orange liqueur to what's published here.

Made with Smith & Cross and Stiggins'. Nice flavors. On the sweet side, even for a stirred drink.

Bit too sweet – really needs the acid. 

IMO much better with an added 0.75-1.5oz of brandy.

Exceptional.

Did not taste balanced to me as written. Maybe my lime was particularly bitter, but it overwhelmed the drink in a not-pleasant, pith-tasting kind of way. I ended up amending with more Heering and a tiny amount of Simple to make it palatable to me.

Excellent, but I slightly altered the recipe as I have learned that the equal parts drinks with lime or lemon are often too tart, particularly when they are at their coldest. I used 1/2+ ounce of lime as I thought that would be about right against the Cherry Heering. For me the Zucca is the right way to go here vs. Sfumato, as Zucca provides a gentler smokiness. The result was a savory mesquite BBQ flavor and nose. I was amazed by the transformation of this much Cherry Heering into a completely different essence. [Others wanting a drier or more assertive drink should try the called 3/4 oz of lime, and/or Sfumato.)