Conference
One night in 2008, Brian Miller received a bartender’s choice request for something “stirred and boozy,” upon which he plugged four of his favorite spirits—rye, bourbon, calvados, and cognac—into an old-fashioned. While blending rums was common in tiki-style drinks—in which Miller was well-versed—blending four distinct liquors was a revelation, and kicked off the practice of combining two or more base spirits—aka “splitting the base”—became one of our favorite creative tools.
Conference
½ ounce Rittenhouse 100 rye
½ ounce Buffalo Trace bourbon
½ ounce calvados
½ ounce Hine H Cognac
1 teaspoon Demerara Syrup (see Note)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters
Garnish: 1 lemon twist and 1 orange twist
Stir all the ingredients with ice, then strain into a double old-fashioned glass glass over 1 large ice cube. Garnish with the lemon and orange twists.
Note: To make demerara syrup, combine 2 parts demerara sugar and 1 part water in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 months.
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