MxMO XC – Perfect Symmetry

mxmologoBecause I am a glutton for punishment, Southern Ash is hosting Mixology Monday once again! (Also, its my Birthday week, so I take this as the gift of the cocktailian blogosphere) Mixology Monday is the monthly on-line cocktail party where the rotating blog hosts challenge other cocktail bloggers and aficionados to come up with a drink that meets the month’s theme.

Perfect symmetry is your theme this month!  A “perfect” drink splits the liquor or liqueur evenly between two related ingredients.  The most common “perfect” drink is a Perfect Manhattan where the vermouth is split between sweet and dry to create an altogether different experience.  A perfect Old Fashioned splits the bourbon and rye are both used to create a singularly distinct experience. When done well, splitting the liquor lets each of the unique flavors and components of the shine through.  Because they share a background, they don’t war with each other but instead you get both the mellow sweetness of the bourbon with the spicy backbone of the rye in that Old Fashioned.  The dry vermouth can accentuate flavors in the Manhattan you might have missed. Why make a choice when you can have it all?!

PSM Mis en PLace

Your challenge is to create a new cocktail or explore an existing cocktail that splits the liquor or liqueur evenly in a “perfect” manner.  Perhaps you want to work with the bourbon-rye split in a drink other than an Old Fashioned.  Can you challenge yourself with gin and vodka in a light summer appropriate beverage?  Perhaps you’ll delve deep into splitting Sambuca and ouzo in an anise flavored digestive? Getting bored with tequila, maybe a perfect margarita with the backbone of mezcal will reawaken your appreciation? Campari too assertive for you?  Maybe make a Perfect Negroni with Aperol lightening the weight. Let you imagination run wild!

How to participate? As always:

  1. Find or create a recipe that has a “Perfect”, or split base spirit, component, then post the recipe, including a photo and your remarks, on your blog, tumblr, or website. If you lack one of those, feel free to post on eGullet’sSpirits and Cocktails forum.
  2. Include the MxMo logo in your post, plus links back to the Mixology Monday and Southern Ash sites. Once the roundup post is put up, updating your post to include a link to that one as well would be appreciated.
  3. Submit a link to the announcement post on Southern Ash, send an email to southernashblog (at) gmail (dot) com with Mixology Monday in the subject, or even tweet it in if you are coming down to the wire @Southerashblog. Do all this before midnight, Monday night the 20th of October.

Let your imagination run wild and we will see where you can take a split-spirit drink finding a way to achieve your personal “Perfection”

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