Named after the song by Kendrick Lamar, this cocktail was created for a frequent guest at the Kimpton Gray Hotel. “We had a regular that stayed in the hotel for about two weeks a month,” explains Mony Bunni, former bar manager at the property, “since he’d come hang out at the bars, he made his way through the menu fairly quickly.” This blend of spicy rye, bitter Bonal and nutty oloroso, which gets an unexpected boost from a caramel pu-erh tea syrup, was a dealer’s choice creation that later became a fixture of the menu.
Poetic Justice
Mony Bunni, Prairie School | Chicago
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce rye, preferably Wild Turkey 101
- 1 ounce Bonal
- 1 ounce sherry, preferably Lustau Don Nuno Oloroso
- 1/4 ounce Caramel Pu-erh Syrup (see Editor's Note)
- 1 dash Scrappy’s Firewater Bitters
- 1 dash Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
Garnish: orange expression
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a cubed ice.
- Express orange peel and discard.
Editor's Note
Caramel Pu-erh Syrup:
1/2 tablespoon Rare Tea Cellars Vintage Dream Caramel Pu-erh Tea
300 grams brown sugar
150 milliliters hot water
Combine loose tea with hot water to brew a strong tea. Let steep for 10 minutes. Fine Strain the tea through chinois, being careful to not press to hard or pass loose tea through the strainer. Combine tea water, and brown sugar in a sauce pan on medium heat, until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.