Where Have You Gone, Audrey Fanning?

I don’t think “Audrey Fanning” actually refers to anyone in particular but it is a cocktail in Mr. Boston: five parts gin, two parts sweet vermouth, one part Cherry Heering and two dashes Peychaud’s bitters. It’s a good cocktail: someone online (just saw it on the Google result, and didn’t actually read the post itself — which happens like all the time, when you think about it) mentioned it’s like a modified Negroni, which is perceptive, in retrospect. It’s good; tastes like a cocktail. A few days later, I think it could even use a lemon twist.

Tonight, I substituted Dubonnet for the sweet vermouth; this tasted even better. Still think it could maybe use a lemon twist. Or an orange twist maybe.

On a somewhat related note, a drop of Peychaud’s landed on the counter and I thought to taste it on its own: it’s like an elderly man’s cheap cologne.

Remember The Maine

You can usually follow, to a certain extent, the backstory of cocktail names in the Mr. Boston guide. Remember The Maine (page 192) does not fall into that category. The cocktail is 2 ounces rye, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/2 ounce cherry Heering and 1/4 ounce pastis. What cherry Heering has to do with the USS Maine, I have no idea, but I was geeked to try this after coming across cherry Heering in all these recipes and never having it, then finally seeing it at one of the local liquor stores today. Full disclosure: I actually bypassed the cheery Heering luxe pack on sale (including two snifters) for a $12 bottle of some Polish stuff next to it called Nalewka Lwowecka. I guessed they were the same [checking] or apparently Heering is slightly more alcoholic.