Lion's Tail
Recipe:
- 60ml bourbon (something with volume & character, e.g. Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, etc.)
- 20ml fresh lime juice
- 20ml rich simple syrup
- 10ml pimento dram
- 1-2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Shake everything on ice until sufficiently chilled, fine strain into your prechilled cocktail glass, optional garnish: dried lemon/lime wheel.
Typical "classic from the second row" in my opinion. At least here in Europe/Germany.
I must admit, I have made one 1-2 times years ago and was rather a little disappointed. I love pimento dram, but for my taste in many recipes it is (at least if you use TBT) used in bigger quantities than it should and leaves kind of a dusty taste in the finish. I also had thought at the time that the drink does not do justice to some bourbons on the other hand, overpowering them with sharp lime an the allspice. But this time I have immediately decided on a strong character like Knob Creek, with a lot of nuts and volume behind it and was very pleased with the result. So my clear recommendation: Always use a strong, flavourful bourbon here that can go toe to toe with the pimento dram, WT 101 or Rare Breed I can also imagine well, Elijah Craig in barrel strentgh or something similar.
Notes of candied nuts, fresh citrus zest, resinous notes, allspice, clove, cinnamon and toffee on the nose, on the attack the resin again, fresh citrus notes, nice hazelnut and walnut, subtle black pepper and clove from bitters + pimento, leather, some toffee and toasted oak in between.
In the US and almost everywhere I can find it, it comes straight up in a coupe, no garnish, in the big German Mixology magazine it is served in a rocks glass on big ice and with a lime zest (though they also note that simply no style is noted in the original book), I find a dried lime wheel most fitting from the aroma and serving it straight up.
Source: "Café Royal Cocktail Book" (1937), William J. Tarling (L.A. Clarke is mentioned there as creator)
