For the past few months I’ve been stuffing around with the concept and framework for a web app I’d dreamed up. This sort of thing requires a bit of competitor research and, in an unfortunate but (let’s face it) not unexpected turn of events, today I discovered that I’d been totally and utterly beaten to the mark by another startup. Hell, their UI even used the same colour scheme I was going for.

Now, if this was Fast Company or the Harvard Business Review that story would be the prelude to some uplifting crap about not giving up. This is a fucking drinks blog, however, and when life gets you down, we’re all about ditching shit and going to the pub. It’s a universal experience; you try, the universe politely tells you to get fucked, you recalibrate over a drink.

The question, then, is simple: what drink? Well, we’ve suffered said metaphorical latex fist, so I reckon something strong, and perhaps smoky and oaked. With this in mind I’ve opted for something along the lines of a Boulevardier (a negroni with bourbon rather than gin). I’ve sweetened and oaked it further by omitting the campari in favour of a traditional bitters, and by adding a pedro ximenez sherry rather than a sweet vermouth.

As a base I’ve opted for a Dickel 12, a Tennessee sour mash which has a distinct smoky finish not often found in American whiskeys. After toying with the sherry and bitters I felt the drink could use a herbal kick, so I’ve added some Dolin dry vermouth to the mix. The earl grey ice cube makes another appearance here, as I wanted a touch of bitter citrus to build through the drink as it dilutes, without using a peel garnish.

In place of an American whiskey, a lightly smoked island Scotch would work well here, (though perhaps not a full blooded Islay). Talisker would be an excellent choice, as would the pedro ximenez oaked Lagavulin Distillers Edition.

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The Chesterfield

45ml Dickel 12 Tennessee whiskey

15ml pedro ximenez sherry

15ml Dolin dry vermouth

1 Dash Fey Brothers Traditional Bitters

1 Large earl grey ice cube

Stir whiskey, sherry, vermouth and bitters with ice until well chilled, then pour into an old fashioned glass over the earl grey ice cube (refer here for cube instructions).

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