With three different base spirits, bright citrus and oxidative sherry, the original Fog Cutter can often come off as disjointed, but Paul McGee brings it into relief by tilting the axis of the drink even more towards rum. “To me, it’s more of a rum drink than a gin or Cognac drink,” he says.
Where the original recipe calls simply on light rum, the Lost Lake version opts for Neisson Élevé Sous Bois, an agricole rhum aged for 18 months in French oak, which softens the edges of the drink and complements the Cognac. McGee also dials back the citrus knocking the lemon juice down from two ounces to one and subbing in a measure of dry Curaçao for orange juice.