A Jigger of Blog

Well, my entry to the Magnificent Bastard contest has made it through another round. It’s on to the Elite Eight, where I’ll be squaring off against Sean Zimmer. Here’s his cocktail:

Sean Zimmer’s Magnificent Bastard

2 parts Alberta Premium Rye Whiskey
2 parts Drambuie
1 part Cointreau
1.5 parts fresh lime juice

Stir with ice 10 times clockwise, 10 times counter-clockwise. Drain into chilled martini glass. Repeat until Bastardized.

It certainly sounds interesting, a very unique recipe for sure.

What I really like about my recipe is that it has its roots in a very old, classic recipe native to DC: the Hong Kong.

The Magnificent Bastard Cocktail

1 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey Chichicapa)*
.5 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin Dry)
.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin Rouge)
1.5 bar spoons Maraschino (Luxardo)

Stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Hong Kong is very similar – made with scotch instead of mezcal and with less maraschino. But the switch from whiskey to mezcal makes a huge difference in the flavors of the drink, while maintaining a great deal of complexity. The original Hong Kong reminds me a lot of the flavors and levels of a Martinez, while my recipe finds a similar citrus dimension with the fruity Chichicapa mezcal.

I expect the next round of judging in the contest to take place in the next couple weeks…stay tuned.