Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Analogue, Not Digital

Hello, and happy Friday one and all.  Good news! After much searching (OK not that much searching) I’ve finally acquired some allspice dram. Now I can finally mix up the Analogue. The drink that I’ve had on the forefront of my mind the last couple weeks. This one comes from the New York Cocktail book by Amanda Schuster. I’ve been wanting to try this one not just because I finally have all the necessary ingredients to make it, but more specifically, it comes from the book’s seasonal drinking chapter. As I’ve mentioned many, many times in this space, I like to keep my cocktails seasonally appropriate, and I’ve been looking for a new to me Fall and (possibly) Winter cocktail, and I think this one might fit the bill.  Hopefully I haven’t built this drink up too much in my head. Boy, would that suck huh?

Analogue:

1 oz. Four Roses Bourbon

1.5 oz. Dark rum

.5 oz. Velvet Falernum

.25 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

.25 St. Elizabeth Allspice dram

3 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into the rocks glass with a large format ice cube. Garnish with lemon twist

Yes, I forgot to include the book. To be fair, the bar was getting a little crowded.

Aroma is fairly neutral, with the lemon garnish contributing the most poignant scent. I do get slight hints of allspice and bitters coming through the citrus though. Overall, pleasant, and warming.

The flavor is very bold and strong up front. I get a mixture of the whiskey and the rum right off the bat. Of which is a nice combination, surprisingly. I would not have thought dark rum and bourbon would play together as well as they do.

Midway through the sip is where I really get the allspice dram coming through. It adds a nice bitterness to keep the flavor palate well balanced. I’m pleased with what this ingredient brings to the table. It is a nice bitter, but a few rungs below other bitter liqueurs I’ve used in the past like Aperol, Fernet, Campari etc. I’m looking forward to experimenting with it some more.

The finish is a balanced mixture of all the flavors. A little hint of bitters from the allspice lingers on the palate for a few seconds afterwards before fading away. Unlike the Old Pal from last week, once the aftertaste fades, you could have another sip  without any adverse effect on the overall taste of the drink. Mrs. Sharkbait summed it up best: “This tastes like fall in a glass”.

So was the wait worth it? Most definitely. Thankfully, I did not overhype this drink, and there is a strong chance this becomes my go drink of the fall and winter. I plan on playing a little bit more with the allspice as well. I’ll have to report back on my experimentations, but I’m thinking this will go nicely in some warm apple cider.

Have a good weekend everyone!

(Banner image found here)

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Sharkbait
Sharkbait has not actually been bitten by a shark, but has told people in bars that he was for free drinks. Married to a Giants fan, he enjoys whisk(e)y, cooking, the Rangers, and the Patriots.
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[…] I have a shit ton of pineapple juice due to Costco selling it by the pallet. And I have that All Spice Dram I bought on Sharky’s recommendation, so those are our anchor ingredients. Which means […]

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

THIS GUY RIKKI-TIKKI-DEADLY I CALL HIM BOOST MOBILE CAUSE HE IS VACCINE-ENHANCED AND READY TO DO SOME TRAVELING!

King Hippo

Is our Gooner contingent around for Friday Night Footy?

LemonJello

Fun Fact: “Fall in a Glass” is Andy Reid’s name for his Thanksgiving leftovers smoothie.

King Hippo

Name two classier drunks than Sharkbait and Dunstan YEEEWWWW CAN’T1!11

SonOfSpam

We should all sip Mad Dog 20/20 with our pinkies out.

Dunstan

I love this ingredient.

Some possibly helpful suggestions:

https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/allspice-dram-great-addition-your-holiday-liquor-cabinet

I find the Allspice Old Fashioned is pretty damn good, as well as variants on that theme.

It’s used in a bunch of tiki drinks too, of course, like Three Dots and a Dash, but that isn’t as seasonally appropriate right now.

Dunstan

Oh, a little splash of it in your holiday eggnog is not a bad idea, either.

King Hippo

I side with Dave Attell – eggnog = elf cum

Dunstan

I defer to your expertise on the flavor of elf cum.

King Hippo

I mean, we all gots to make our bank, chuh chuh

SonOfSpam

Eggnog or elf cum?

King Hippo

Seasonal Drinking is a delightful turn of phrase.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

A) There’s no way Balls pronounces this drink correctly
2) Where did you end up procuring the all spice dram?
&) How do you think this would play with other bitters, like maybe chocolate?