Old Boy’s Club Cocktail

The theme for this month’s Mixology Monday, hosted by Putney Farm, was “hometown hooch” (update: roundup post). I had two local spirits in my cabinet: Bully Boy Boston Rum and St. Elder Elderflower Liqueur which turned out to work together quite well. I also had a bottle of Bittermens Boston Bittahs which, while not made in Boston, was actually a pretty good flavor match.

2 oz New England rum (Bully Boy)
1 oz elderflower liqueur (St. Elder)
12 drops Boston Bittahs
1 ml green Chartreuse (optional)

Stir and strain

The flavor is sweet and floral with the elderflower providing the primary flavor, brightened by the citrus from the bitters. The apple/lychee notes from the St. Elder really come out here. This is sweeter than many of the cocktails I make, but there’s enough complexity to ground it and keep it from being cloying. The bitters-quantity of Chartreuse helps balance it out, though it is still drinkable without it and other things such as orange bitters could fill the role if you don’t have Chartreuse handy. A squeeze of lemon juice or lemon twist garnish might also be at home here, but I didn’t have a lemon handy to test with. Decidedly refreshing on a warm summer afternoon!