Vexed Valencia

Today’s libation came to be as most of our favorites have. After midnight at the bar.

It was a fun Saturday night and the staff and a few good customers were hanging out after we locked up for the night. I had made a batch of Orangecello earlier that day and had a half dozen zested oranges left over. I needed to use ‘em up before they turned to the dark side (went bad).

My favorite dishwasher at work is a funny, hard working Crucian that works in a local school kitchen during the day. A total sweetheart to everyone and probably the hardest working Grandmother around. Ever stoic, if she’s had a bad day she doesn’t complain but you can read it in her face. All she’ll say is “dem kids, de vexing me, yah” So this conundrum of a cocktail is for her.

After a few trials and experiments here’s the beast that became the Vexed Valencia.

Vexed Valencia

2 oz Cruzan Dark Rum

1 1/2 oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

1/2 oz Hanschells Falernum

1/4 oz Fernet-Branca

1 egg white

Combine ingredients over ice in a tumbler. Shake vigorously.  Strain into a Riedel O glass or rocks glass. Garnish with a long orange twist.

The flavor is a developed contradiction. Sweetness from the OJ and Falernum. Depth and texture thanks to the Rum and Egg white. The Fernet adds a little twist of herbal bitterness that marries well with the other flavors, but still stands out on its own. It’s a delicate taste that hangs around with you and is hard to pin down. This drink, it be vexing me….