Into the Woods by Rafa Garcia Febles

“Nice is different than good.” - Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods

Stir with fir

One of my personal favorite Sondheim musicals is Into the Woods. This cocktail was created by New York bartender Rafa Garcia Febles, who got his start at Nomad and Death and Company, and now helms the bar at The Rookery in Brooklyn. With the coming of cool weather around the corner, it’s a perfect drink to add to your list of things to try. Fir tree eau de vie is like liquid forest, and adding it to anything will instantly transport a drink (and its drinker) into the woods. You can make your own serviceable version, as I did, by infusing a botanical heavy gin with fir fronds for a few hours. Chartreuse multiplies the herbal flavors, Campari layers in a little bitterness, which is a must for any Sondheim reference, and vermouth provides just the right balance to the proceedings. It’s a good drink, not a nice drink. It will make you feel things that you hadn’t before. Here’s to the woods, may we all stray from the path for a while, and find our way back. Cheers!

“Slotted spoons don’t hold much soup.” – Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods

Excited and scared but perfectly paired

Into the Woods by Rafa García Febles

¾ oz Eau de vie of Douglas Fir (or gin)

¾ oz Campari

¾ oz Green Chartreuse

¾ oz Dry vermouth

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Grapefruit peel garnish.