<br />I think a more apt name for "Unfinished Business" would be "Work in Progress." Maybe they mean the same. Regardless, the drink as presented I rate as 3.0. The taste was O.K., but there was no zip (please excuse the professional jargon). I added a dash of Burlesque bitters and a small amount of orange zest, and those two minor changes made a big difference, giving it the missing zip.

I'm going to make this cocktail again, but I'll use a different gin, either The Botanist or St. George's terroir gin. Both bring overtones that are lacking in Beefeater gin. I hope that as others try this cocktail, they'll offer their opinions on "Unfinished Business" and provide suggestions to improve it. It is a cocktail that truly has "Unfinished Business."

The second time around isn't always better. I made "Unfinished Business" once more, five months later, not realizing I had commented on this drink already. However, my thoughts about "Unfinished Business" remain unchanged. Consequently, I rated it 3.0 again.

Two thoughts came to mind the second time around: (1) Use less gin or more Bonal to balance out the taste of the ingredients. As is, the gin overwhelms the other ingredients. Perhaps using a smoother gin, such as Knickerbocker, might help. I added a tad more Boanal, and that resulted in a better tasting drink. (2) Using the previously mentioned bitters plus the orange zest definitely help. There may be a better bitters than Burlesque; suggestions, anybody? I think using Cocchi Vermouth di Torino instead of Cocchi Americano may help. The former has more depth and overtones than the latter--but experience will tell.

Complex and fruity at the same time. The grapefruit works well with Amaro Sibilla's profile and the Carpano broadens the character. The original recipe volume is 4.75 oz before mixing dilution, and the total alcohol content is rather high at ~1.34 oz, so I modded slightly: 1.5 oz gin, 1 Carpano Antica, 3/4 Sibilla, 1/2 Pamplemousse, 1/4 lemon juice.

Recipe seems to be missing the 1/2 oz cream.

Curated to correct the oversight. Thanks @yarm!

As I approached Avenue & Davenport (no pun intended!), I thought to myself, "Geez, what rye? what burbon?" The choice of each can make or break my liking or disliking of the cocktail. So, I played it safe and used Wild Turkey rye and Elijah Craig Bourbon. As it turned out, the choice was good: you want a pairing where the two complement each other, and avoid one overwhelming the other.

This pairing worked out nicely. After mixing, stiring with ice, blah, blah, blah, I took the first sip. Everything was in balance. Even the cherry notes were there, which surprised me somewhat, considering the amounts of rye and bourbon relative to the Maraschino Liqueur--and the Fernet-Branca. But...I thought as good as it was, it could be even better. Rummaging through my 20+ bottles of bitters, I knew what was needed. Tenatively, I added one, then two drops of Fees Bros. Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters.

Thankfully, those two little drops substantially improved the cocktail. I didn't add a third drop this time, but next time I will--maybe. The two were just right; hopefully three will not be too much. After all was said and done, I rated "Avenue & Davenport"
as a four. Try it and let others know what your thoughts are about this luscious before-dinner drink.