Our friend and bartender, Sean deAnda, is a master of layered cocktails. He’s done a few for Orasella (see our AC&T and Northwest Plunge). They are always crowd pleasers dramatic both in taste and appearance.
Layered cocktails are based upon the scientific principle of specific gravity (i.e. heavier ingredients sink while lighter ones float). Orasella’s cherry syrup makes an ideal companion for layered cocktails as it is dense with all its sugary goodness and, when paired with lighter spirits, like brandy, creates visible layers.
I hope you have fun experimenting with this cocktail. It’s a great intro into layered cocktails as it is as easy to create as it is beautiful. Cheers!
Loss for Words
1.5oz. Brandy
.5oz Strega (Italian liqueur). If you don’t have Strega you can substitute yellow chartreuse or benedictine to delicious effect.
.5oz Orasella cherry syrup*
.5oz lemon juice
.25oz honey simple syrup (dilute 1 part honey with 1 part warm water until combined)
1 dash of spicy bitters like, Scrappy’s Firewater tincture. Use a half a dash if you prefer milder flavors.
*Measure cherry syrup and set aside. Add remaining ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into a collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with 2 cherries. Finally, drizzle reserved cherry syrup over the top of your cocktail. Allow cherry syrup to cascade down through the ice and settle at the base of the glass creating layers of color.