The Averna and Benedictine are friendly companions in this, which was not a guarantee given the complexity of each. Quite a nice sipper.
Steve Hotopp
Skews a little to the sour side for me. A 3-1-1 ratio is more to my taste.
From cabinet necessity, I subbed in Grand Marnier and have to say I was pleased by the result. It steered a bit closer to a Sidecar that way, which in my mind is not a bad thing.
I'm another without the vanilla bitters, but found that drops of regular vanilla and a dash of black walnut bitters served in good stead.
Following the great advice to cut back on the maple syrup and subbing in Bittermans Xocolatl Mole bitters for the tobacco bitters made for one of my new favorites. I also sprinkled a little ground clove onto the orange peel garnish to give my nose the intended experience.