IN YOUR GLASS: The Cigar

The Cigar cocktail. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Our friend and cocktail expert Anders Erickson dropped by the office to offer up this surprisingly drinkable concoction based on peaty scotch. Perfect for when you need to warm up, but don’t crave the sugar of an old fashioned and can handle a smoke in your scotch. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Cochi sweet vermouth
• 1 oz peaty scotch (such as Laphroig 10)
• .5 oz Aperol
• Grapefruit peel

Pour scotch, vermouth, and Aperol in a shaker and add ice. Stir to chill, then pour into a coup or martini glass and serve up. Finish with a twist of grapefruit peel, then discard the peel – we’re just looking to express the oils from the peel here. 

“Cochi has a rich, chocolatey flavor that can balance the smoke of a peaty scotch,” Erickson says. “In a perfect world you could add a dash of mezcal, but that’s less common in many home bars. The heavy dose of vermouth sweetens the drink, but you get the bite of the scotch at the finish.”

Get more recipes from Anders Erickson by visiting AndersErickson.com, where he releases new videos each week (like the one below) teaching you how to impress your friends – or just yourself – by making great craft cocktails at home.