"A lot of my drinks are based around a flavor combination of a dessert or dish I really enjoyed in the past. The Low End Theory is an old-fashioned riff based around the combination of banana and garam masala, two flavors I encountered in the form of a spiced banana muffin. My first thought was to use Transcontinental Rum Line Jamaican 2015 because it has tropical notes of banana and spices. To add some body to the drink, I added Knob Creek’s 9-year bourbon to pair with the rum (which is aged in ex-bourbon barrels) and some PX sherry to add a layer of nuttiness and velvety texture. And to introduce the flavor of garam masala, I decided to use Bitter End’s Moroccan bitters (which have prominent notes of cumin, cloves, black pepper, and cinnamon). The thing I like the most about this drink is the unexpected layers of flavors you get;  up front it’s tropical, then it’s nutty and spicy on the finish." —JR