Tuesday night cocktail hour(s)

After a slow start, I hosted another successful Tuesday Cocktail Hour(s).


Amanda showed up first and, newly armed with the recipe for the Trouble & Desire (thanks to Mike Yusko), I made her a T&D. Of course, I don't have all of the specialty ingredients (especially the Carpano Antica Formula vermouth), so I substituted for a less-sublime cocktail as below:

2 oz Flor de Cana 7 year rum
3/4 oz Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
1/2 oz Licor 43
1/2 oz Myers's Jamaican rum
Stir; rocks; orange twist.

The Flor de Cana is a bit less smooth than the originally intended El Dorado 5 year demarara rum, and the Martini & Rossi has a different flavor profile than the Carpano, so on the sip there was a little less character than the original, but still excellent and smooth. This was my first use of Licor 43, the flavor of which I lost in this rendition. In the end, my cheap T&D is a very good cocktail, but not nearly as excellent as Mike's version. Without the intended ingredients, I'd probably just as soon drink a Cruzan Single Barrel Old Fashioned/treacle, but try it for yourself and see what you think.