Bluegrass Grog

• 1.5 oz. Bourbon (Basil Hayden’s)
• 0.5 oz. Jamaican rum (Appleton’s Reserve)
• 0.5 oz. Benedictine
• 0.5 oz. Olorosa sherry (Lustau)
• 0.25 oz. Gran Classico

Stir with ice. Strain into coupe. Garnish with orange twist.

Here’s the first in a series of drinks that are not show or theme related, just me experimentng with flavors. I’m sure this one came from playing with sherry, since it’s not an ingredient I have on hand often. You get its nuttiness coming through on this one against the underlying sweetness in the other ingredients and the bitterness in the amaro. Originally this was bourbon only, but I needed something to round it out and I found the rum gave just the right depth.

I also discovered with this cocktail I am absolutely horrible at naming these if the name comes last (I would say 90% of my drinks have thus far started with the name). So I reached out on social media for suggestions. I got a ton of responses, and I have to thank Terry Hamilton for the chosen entry, Bluegrass Grog. Thanks, Terry!