While we normally like to keep our drinks simple, I bring a lot of the same design ideas from other hobbies into my bartending, such as Cajun Cooking, homebrewing, and guitar playing.  The ideas are similar… complexity is king.  But complexity does not have to be difficult.  

 

Know your basics.  Know their real role in your creative process.  Don’t be afraid to experiment, and when it feels like it is slipping away, come back to basics. 

 

The Swinky Demon was inspired by “The Devils Soul”, a recipe we found when looking up recipes for Averna, an amaro we got to make Black Manhattans with.  We had been using Benedictine for a while, and I love the added complexity just a touch of it can bring.  So, I decided to really push that level of complexity, to see how much I can make lots of really small contributions of lots of different things come together into a cohesive whole.

 

We spent the evening making a few variations, passing one around to get opinions, then trying adjustments.  This is where we landed.  We went with Bourbon over our beloved Rum since it is already very sweet… but I still like the Rum version also!

 

The Swinky Demon on your shoulder will talk you into all manner of bad behavior if you let him, with his smooth sweet voice!  Will there be a Swinky Angel to save you?  Stay tuned…

 

 

In a shaker with ice, mix …

• 1.5 oz Bourbon
• 0.5 oz Mezcal
• 0.5 oz Averno
• 0.25 oz 43
• 0.25 oz Benedictine
• 1 dash Orange Bitters