The Handy Bird — Brandy and rye split under curacao, in an absinthe-rinsed glass

The Handy Bird

Brandy and rye split under curacao, in an absinthe-rinsed glass

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 ozBrandy
    The larger half of the split; a cognac in the original
  • 3/4 ozRye Whiskey
    A hundred proof rye, for the spine
  • 2 dashesHair of the Dog Bitters
    Ginger, fennel and a trace of wintergreen
    Substitute: Any ginger-led aromatic bitters
  • 1/2 ozDry Curacao
    A dry one; a sweet triple sec turns this cloying
  • rinseAbsinthe
    A rinse only; tip away what pools

Instructions

  1. Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe and tip away the excess

    A film, not a measure

  2. Add 1 1/4 oz brandy, 3/4 oz rye, 1/2 oz dry curacao and 2 dashes Hair of the Dog bitters to a mixing glass
  3. Fill with ice and stir until cold
  4. Strain into the rinsed glass
  5. Express a lemon twist over the surface and drop it in

Technique Notes

The rinse goes in first and most of it comes back out. Coat the inside of a chilled glass with absinthe, tip away what pools, and what stays is a film you smell before you taste anything. Poured in as a measured ingredient it would take the drink over.

Why the The Handy Bird Works

Absinthe and wintergreen are both cooling in the same way, which is what lets a rinse this faint read as part of the drink rather than as a smell over the top of it. The curacao is the only sweetness, so the bitters has ginger and fennel to put against dry brandy.