Medicine Show

Now the rainman gave me two cures
Then he said, “Jump right in”
The one was Texas medicine
The other was just railroad gin
—Bob Dylan, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again

My third Zirbenz cocktail and the most interesting so far. The pine combines well with Campari, bringing out its herbal notes. I liked the touch of peat smoke on the last one so I gave this one an Ardbeg rinse too.



Medicine Show

• 1 1/2 oz gold Barbados rum
• 1/2 oz Campari
• 1/4 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur
• Ardbeg (rinse)

Coat chilled cocktail glass with a small amount of Ardbeg or other Islay malt. Combine rum, Campari and Zirbenz with ice and shake. Strain into prepared glass.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Dan McGrew

An Old-Fashioned of sorts, but tough and mean with a bite on the finish. I’m still trying to get a feeling for how over-the-top I can go with the stone pine liqueur, but the housemate was favorable, describing this one as bracing and boozy.



Dan McGrew

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur
• 1 dash Fee Bros Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters
• Ardbeg rinse

Stir bourbon, Zirbenz and bitters with ice. Coat the sides of a chilled glass with a small amount of Ardbeg or other very peaty malt. Strain the bourbon mixture into the prepared glass. Small lemon twist.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Forest Murmurs: Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur

And now for some brown booze in something really boozy. A cocktail that’s really about that smack in the head. For inspiration I just bought a bottle of Zirbenz Stone Pine liquor, which I’ve had several times in rum and rye drinks to good effect. I’m trying to figure out what it goes in. I won’t kid you—it tastes like a tree. This seemed at first like a cool characteristic for a liqueur and still does. It’s just that I want to understand how to make it play nicely with other flavors so that my guests don’t think it’s weird.



Which it is, a bit. But I like it. I want to show it off in all its weirdness. So let’s see—a little rye, a little ginger beer... a little falernum and this would taste exactly like pine cleanser. And not that boozy really.

OK—how about this one?



Forest Murmurs

• 2 oz calvados
• 1/4 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur
• 1/4 oz pimento dram

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Sassafras tea and horehound candy. Boozy, woodsy, mellow.