Had the last couple days off work so I got to try out some new cocktails. Most of them were unimpressive, but one of them was surprisingly fantastic; it convinced my non-whiskey drinking friend he liked whiskey. It's called The Revolver, courtesy of
Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Bar Book (which I highly recommend for anyone interested in learning the technique behind great cocktails):
2 ounces dry, spicy bourbon (although I used Bulleit Rye and it worked great)
1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
2 dashes orange bitters (he includes a recipe for homemade orange bitters, but I just used Regan's)
Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a
flamed orange twist. It's an odd drink, in that it doesn't taste like the sum of its parts. No one guessed it had Kahlua, or whiskey for that matter. The nose is all orange, and the flavor has a light coffee sweetness, but it's not cloying. It's just a delightful cocktail all around.