When the Beloved and I went to Chicago back in September, we had a fantastic meal at the restaurant Blackbird. In addition to the great food, the restaurant also had a fantastic cocktail selection.
In their menu, they listed the components for each drink, but not the proportions. So when I returned, one of my goals was to recreate the drink that I had that night: The Blackbird Orange.
I think I got it.
Mix together in a cocktail shaker with ice:
1 oz brandy (or cognac/armagnac)
½ oz gin
¾ oz Averna*
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz orange juice
Shake the hell out of it –this produces a wonderful foamy texture. Strain into a martini glass.
*Averna is a spiced liqueur from Italy that adds a complex “autumn-like” flavor to this drink. You can find it at well-stocked liquor stores (I found ours at BevMo).
Stevil 
[this is…enough to make to fly to San Diego and gate-crash happy hour]
And I'm just drinking crappy old Corona here…
Send one eight hours north, please.
I'm amazed that you can remember the taste of it well enough to recreate it this far into the future! (Yeah, two months is forever to me.)
You know, someday when you get tired of what you're doing now, you should open up your own cocktail bar. You've come up with some good ones. Your take can be that you've travelled the world and recreated the best of the best of what's out there. (Just think, you can deduct all of your travel as a business expense!)
No need to crash — you're always welcome — and we don't actually have a gate.
I was about to say that having brunch when you were down here kept us from having cocktails together — but that's not correct… :)
Well — I started working on the recipe almost as soon as we got back — and of course, there's really only one or two variations you can try in a "mini"-martini before you get looped. I had the recipe where I wanted it several weeks ago, but hadn't gotten around to blogging it — thank you nablopomo.
I thought Steve would fit in well here:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/fashion/23boite.html?_r=1&ref=dining
I agree with Mello, it seems like second nature to you and your drinks always look so pretty! At the very least they should cast you on CSI as the bartender / secret chemist guy!! ;)
Oh my gosh, Averna is so super tasty! My boyfriend's family is super Italian and they're always having liqueurs shipped from Italy. You should look for Lemocello…it's a wonderfully sweet lemon liqueur that makes killer mixed drinks with. Sure my boyfriend's dad and godfather drink it straight, but there's something about having my entire face turned inward that's just not so appealing.
Salute!
You mean like this?? :D