The Lush Chef

Frequent readers of my blog know my deep appreciation for bitters.  Not only do I have a blast occasionally making my Bitter Revenge bitters for friends and family, but I love trying all the different flavors by small-batch producers out there.  One of the best is LA-based Miracle Mile Bitters Co. by a very un-bitter man named Louis Anderman.  He was getting ticked off that all my postings and Instagram pictures had bottles of bitters...that weren't his.  And he had every right to be ticked off because his bitters are awesome.  I use his sour cherry flavor in my Old Fashioneds.  Not only does he make traditional flavors such as orange and celery, but more out-of-the-box, fun flavors like chocolate-chili, yuzu, bergamot, and an aromatic "Forbidden" flavor.  He even works closely with local bars and bartenders to create custom-lines of bitters based on the types of cocktails served or the personality of that particular mixologist. My lack of Miracle Mile bitters has since been rectified, and I'm going to make up for lost time.  I wrote it here!

So my first cocktail I made with his glorious bitters included three flavors — orange, celery and a barrel-aged version of his Forbidden bitters. The Fourth Regiment is an old, classic cocktail that is essentially a variation on a Manhattan. Its origin isn't clear, with some citing its first appearance in 1889's 282 Mixed Drinks from the Private Records of a Bartender of the Olden Days, Drinks by Jacques Straub from 1914, and a 1931 version of The Gentleman's Companion. Let's just praise the cocktail gods that the recipe has been tracked down and now shared widely amongst us nerds.  The celery bitters add a more vegetal and herbal note, and nicely offset the sweetness from the vermouth.  If you'd like to buy Louis' bitters in LA (which you should), you can find them locally at K&L Wine Merchants and Bar Keeper.

Fourth Regiment

• 1 1/2 oz rye whiskey (I used Templeton)
• 1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth (I used Punt é Mes)
• 2 dashes celery bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 dash aromatic bitters, such as Angostura or Peychaud's (I used Miracle Mile's Barrel-Aged Forbidden bitters)
• Lemon twist, for garnish

- In a mixing glass filled with ice, add all the ingredients and stir.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.