I’m going to flex a little now for a tribute to a fantastic box. Bartenders love to modify, elevate, and just play with classic cocktail templates and recipes, to make new drinks that remind you of the original but bring new flavors and surprises. Trends come and go for these cocktail “flexes”, so you’ve got to keep up with the times! Thinking about what I could pair up with a “hex” themed puzzle box led me in all sorts of directions, but not to any decent drinks for my own personal palate. Except one, a drink I created for another hex themed puzzle, which was rather joyous. That drink, which I named The Joy of Hex (in homage to the delightfully flexible puzzle of the same name), is a variation of the Boulevardier, a drink which classically combines whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari. If you’re ever in need of a little aphrodisiac, look no further.

I couldn’t just use the same drink over again, that’s simply not allowed here. So I thought, what the hex – let’s make a new version. A proper cocktail flex would need a few changes which take the drink in a subtle new direction. I swapped the Joy’s rum for a slightly smoky scotch blend that adds a cooler weather vibe and some anchoring depth. On the back end I modified the sweet port in the original with a complex sherry blend that has elements of both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez, balancing that with a delicious vermouth. I increased the Campari to offset all that sweetness, and finished it off with a nod to the inspiration, some wood bitters that evoke a subtle forest essence to the glass and complete the emotions. It’s not a bad flex, as they come, and it’s delicious. Cheers!

Hex Flex

1 oz bourbon

½ oz scotch blend

1 oz Campari

½ oz sweet vermouth

½ oz East India Solera sherry

2 dashes wood bitters

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