Damn you, Stew! You made me go to Sur la Table to get that caramel syrup! Don't you know how easy it is to blow huge wads of cash in that place?... Seriously though, this sounds phenomenal; I can't wait to actually try it. And my mind is racing with other possibilities for the syrup!

Yup. Phenomenal. Rich and decadent, but not too sweet. A slice of Granny Smith as garnish might be nice, too.

Good idea re. apple! Glad you like.

Can't wait to try this one. Does the syrup taste particularly sea salty? I'd rather make my own than buy another bottle at the moment...

To me, it doesn't taste particularly salty at all. Just the perfect amount to keep the sweet caramel from being cloying. There is a hint of vanilla too... Also, thank you for giving me an excuse to eat a spoonful of caramel sauce.

I didn't pick up on much salt either. A little more might be nice, although the Averna might not be bitter enough to warrant it.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is meant with "down" in instructions?

Generally speaking, "down" means chilled and in a rocks/old fashioned glass. Thanks, Zachary

thx

If you really like the flavor of blanc agricole, then this is a nicely balanced drink, with the agricole front and center, and the other flavors accenting. If, like me, the smell of blanc agricole makes you gag and you need to tame it with some other strong players, this is not the drink you are looking for.

This is actually similar to a standard drink in the Boston area that originated at Chez Henri in Cambridge:

http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/shiver

The added chartreuse obviously makes a big difference, but interesting that you added a grapefruit peel - unless this was meant as a riff on that, of course!

I made it as a riff on the End of the Road, which I hoped to give a nod to via the name: http://www.kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/end-of-the-road

But you're right, it does share a lot with the Shiver! A drink that's very high on my to-try list. I wasn't thinking of it when I added a grapefruit twist, but the reasoning's the same: grapefruit has terpenes which highlight the woodsy qualities of the Doug Fir while drawing out the fruity notes of the Campari.

One advantage that the Shiver has over this drink is all that juice. This is a very intense drink, not for everybody, and benefits from a good stir or even shake.I I've found people enjoy it as written, but some might prefer it cut with grapefruit juice, or even, as Stew Ellington suggested to me elsewhere, sweet vermouth.

Increased dry vermouth to 1 oz to help sugar balance. This is a nice drink, but given the price of the ingredients, I think I prefer the Shiver. I'd like to try a mash-up, using tart grapefruit juice in lieu of dry vermouth.

Subbed Bruto Americano for Campari and it worked. Very Adirondacks’ winter lake vibe.