La Louisiane

We are rolling into the second Christmas season without my dad. I do not know why this cocktail reminds me of the holidays or him, because he wasn't a man who much enjoyed a cocktail, and he wasn't one to take a lot of responsibility for holiday celebrations, beyond the turkey, which even when he didn't much cook he tackled that twice a year. But somehow it does. The heart is funny that way, often not makingmuch sense. In any case, it is time to get serious about celebrating all the end of the year holidays with family and friends, and this cocktail is not a bad place to start. 2 oz. rye whiskey (Rittenhouse) 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth (Antica Formula) 1/2 oz. D.O.M. Bénédictine 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 3 dashes absinthe (we subbed Herbsaint) Stir with plenty of ice for 45 seconds and strain into a chilled stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with 1-3 cherries.