Recipe

• 1oz whiskey (I went with this really delicious gently-spiced whiskey from Cali Distillery)
• 1oz amaro (I chose Montenegro)

Stir the two ingredients together and strain (can be served up without ice, or in a rocks glass with ice). If you’re got it on hand, a citrus twist will work wonders to elevate it one more step.

About

A 2 ingredient cocktail that’s complexly satisfying and also not a highball, what? Even for those of us who self proclaim to have “complex palates,” I’m tellin ya, this can definitely hit the spot. Spirit forward and backed by rich and complex bittersweet herbalness…this is a winner for any lazy evening.

The recipe/concept couldn’t be any simpler. A 50/50 split of your base spirit of choice, combined with with your choice of amaro/bittersweet liqueur/aperitif. I’d heard of this concept applied as a 50/50 shot as a “bartender’s handshake” type of thing, but this actually translates perfectly to cocktail form, stirred with ice and served with a citrus twist (if ya got it).

So, choose your spirit, choose your bittersweet, and get to experimentin’! A few ideas to jumpstart your inspiration: rye&Meletti, bourbon&Montenegro, rum&Averna, gin&Suze, mezcal&Cynar…go wild. Try some out and please report back with your fav combos so I can mooch off your ideas.