Tree Trim Part Two
Shake with ice and strain into a frozen coupe glass.
Lots more tree trimming today on the 60-yr-old ash tree out front.
- Blue and Yellow — Gin, Elderflower liqueur, Blueberry syrup, Lemon juice
- Blood Sage — Gin, Lime juice, Simple syrup, Egg white, Blood orange, Sage
- Nimble Penny — Gin, Kummel, Celery bitters, Soda water, Lemon juice, Lime juice, Demerara syrup, Lemon peel
- No Ka Oi — Gin, Passion fruit puree, Lime juice, Honey syrup, Egg white, Thai Basil
- Bitter Cucumber — Gin, Aperol, Rich simple syrup 2:1, Club soda, Lime juice, Cucumber
Okay, but it might benefit from some tweaks depending on one's preferences. I found it sweeter than expected, but with some spicy/bitter heat. The orange bitter essence seemed overly strong--I used Regan's, but the Calisaya has some orange bitter of its own and there is a lot of Calisaya in this, especially with the orange peel expressed and dropped into glass. Subbing Angostura Aromatic or another aromatic bitter might broaden the flavor. Or one might choose to back off on the Calisaya and/or vermouth to ~1/2 oz each and up the rye accordingly (e.g. 2 : 1/2 : 1/2.) I would rate the drink ~2.5 as is, but will bump it to 3 on the assumption that some tweaks would make it rotation worthy.
In all fairness to the originator of this cocktail, I have not had much success with the historical Calisaya recipes either, and am still looking for a compelling one. This recipe has some similarities to the "Good Fellow" from 1914 Straub and 1937 UKBG (50:50 Bourbon/sweet vermouth with dash each of Calisaya and Angostura.)