“Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered, weak and weary …” – Poe

The Raven - a brooding, melancholy drink

The “Raven” cocktail is my take on a recipe by Alison Walsh from “Alison’s Wonderland Recipes”, a delightful blog whose author’s creations are all based on works of literature.  I took the liberty of increasing the atmospheric melancholy and funk, if you will, by using an agricole rhum, which is made from pure sugarcane rather than molasses.  The resulting “rhum” is incredibly moody and delicious.  Plus a special dose of dark rum to really set the tone – Poe is rather dark, after all. Finally my version needed a little amaro, that bitter Italian herbal potion, to capture the bittersweet depths of despair evoked in the poem … fine, and the lock, too.  Thanks Shane, and cheers!

Locking at my chamber door

The Raven – adapted from Alison Walsh

1 ½ oz white rhum agricole

½ oz Plantation OFTD

1 oz fresh lime

½ oz pomegranate juice

½ oz simple syrup

¼ oz Averna

3 blackberries

Muddle the berries with the syrup and add the remaining ingredients.  Shake with ice and double strain into a favorite glass.  Garnish with something apro-Poe …