The other night at TDN: Fruit Brandy I came up with a drink that I’m quite proud of: the Rhumble. For those of you not familiar with Thursday Drink Night, it’s a weekly chat room gathering of cocktail folks inventing original drinks around a pre-chosen theme and awarding prizes to the one voted ‘best’. It’s put on collectively by the CSOWG.

I’ve always liked the apricot brandy and dry vermouth combo (ie Darb, Frankenjack from the Savoy Cocktail Book) and wanted to see if sherry could stand in if some bitters were added. Also, I really haven’t spent too much time with the Bitter Truth Celery Bitters (available here) so I fit them in there. I didn’t want to overcome the apricot fruit aroma with heavy spices, so they fit the bill quite well.

Rhumble

• 1 1/2 oz rhum agricole blanc (Saint Etienne)
• 3/4 oz dry sherry (Barbadillo Manzanilla)
• 3/4 oz apricot brandy (Rothman and Winter)
• 2 dashes celery bitters (Bitter Truth)

Stir, strain, up. Lemon twist.

I think that one really has good bones, and would be different but quite good with other bottlings. So far the Neisson blanc has proven a tasty alternative.

As a bonus recipe, I’ll leave you with my other drink that night, the Miss Haversham.

Miss Haversham

• 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
• 3/4 oz pear eau de vie
• 1/4 oz 2:1 demerara syrup
• 2 dashes Jerry Thomas bitters
• 1 dash Fees Barrel Aged bitters

Stir, strain, up.

This one is named after the Jasper Fforde character, who is a kind of an alter ego of Dicken’s Miss Havisham. I used Redbreast, but I’m sure something like Powers or Jameson would work as well.