This cocktail is one that has lots of things that I like in it, but when you first try it, it seems horribly out of balance. Even after a long stir over ice, and then serving it in a rocks glass over ice, it still needs some time to mellow out in the glass before everything comes into balance. At that point, it's a good - not great - cocktail. But all the same, an interesting one to try if only for it's eclectic composition.

This cocktail is good, but misses on two ingredients. Dry vermouth is ubiquitous, but the sharp/sweet combo of Cocchi Americano is much better. Cynar is popular right now, but it's the wrong Amaro for this balance. Averna is much better. And as for a garnish, I'm partial to an orange twist, which brings in a citrus bitter that adds so much more than cherry sweetness. So, my recipe is: 2 oz rye, 1 oz Cocchi Americano, 1/3 oz (2 tsp) Maraschino Liqueur, 1/6 oz (1 tsp) Averna. Stir, orange twist.

I worked hard this year to come up with my own shaken EggNog recipe, since I was tired of making batches of the drink only to find I was the only one who liked it. :) My recipe is similar to this, though I do a dry shake instead of this reverse dry shake you have here (6 in one...). My personal innovation, that adds flavor, and helps with the emulsification is to add a half whole cinnamon stick, and half whole nutmeg nut to the shaker - even for the dry shake. They can be reused too.

This is good, but not great. I too thought this would be something special based on the ingredients and proportions, but the calvados and sweet vermouth kind of work together to give this a "boozy" apple cider kind of back note, while the rest is a slightly harsher kind of alcohol presence in the sinuses that doesn't match up with the first part. It is a great autumnal flavor, that's for sure, but it's not one I think I'll be coming back to.