Holocene

The theme of coming full circle is particularly perfect for this most spherical of all Stickman boxes, and I continue it on into the toast. The cocktail pairing is based on one I came up with a while ago as a seasonal variation on the theme of the Boulevardier. That is a classic cocktail variation itself, based on the Negroni, that beguiling combination of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. The Boulevardier exchanges the gin for bourbon, and was a favorite drink amongst the ex-patriot crowd living in Paris in the nineteen thirties. That’s when Erskine Gwynne invented it, and gave it the same name as the magazine she published for the avant garde artistic crowd of the era. I’ve written extensively about the Negroni template, which lends itself remarkably well to experimentation. The Boulevardier is a perfect example. By simply switching the base spirit to bourbon, an entirely different drink is created that is reminiscent but completely new.

Moody and evocative

It’s also easy enough to make bold or subtle changes to each component of the three part recipe. I came up with a drink a while back that I named the “Bon Iver”, after one of my favorite musicians. His songs are moody and evocative, and that’s how the drink made me feel. In it, I used apple brandy as the base spirit, Meletti amaro in place of the Campari, and a bold bitter vermouth called Barolo Chinato for that component. Finally I added extra depth with a few bitters made from charred cedar and sapele woods, to complete the feeling of a walk in the autumn countryside on a chilly evening. I paired this drink a few years ago with the Stickman Traditional Box. It seems appropriate that this new version is also paired with a Stickman Box. It has one subtle change, that the base of apple brandy is now split between apple brandy and reposado tequila. Subtle but wonderful, as these two spirits merge so well together and elevate the drink further. In homage to the original I named this one after a Bon Iver song, one that captures the theme for this pairing as well. Here’s to the circular journey – it will always lead you back to yourself. Cheers.

This round's on me

Holocene

¾ oz apple brandy

¾ oz reposado tequila

1 oz Meletti

1 oz Barolo Chinato

Dash Black Cloud Charred Cedar Bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Orange peel circle garnish.