Bluegrass Cocktails: Old Home Place

By Sarah Probst

A cheerful melody and a speedy tempo belie the hangdog nature of this tune about leaving your homestead, only to return and find it long gone. Mourning the loss of home? Traveling the road alone? Merely looking for something different? Try this flask cocktail — similar to the Italian scaffa or a room-temperature cocktail — a boozy number meant to be enjoyed in contemplative sips rather than swigs. Here, the grapefruit oleo-saccharum (a citrus-oil syrup) plays off the nuttiness of the sherry and the brown-sugary notes from the aged rum, which altogether give the tipple a tropical feel. But don’t be mistaken: This is one heavy cocktail.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 oz good-quality aged rum (I prefer El Dorado 8-Year)
1 oz manzanilla sherry
1/2 oz grapefruit oleo-saccharum
1 oz water

DIRECTIONS
Add to rocks glass or flask and swirl to incorporate. Enjoy at room temperature. (If you prefer this drink cold, eliminate the ounce of water and stir over ice.)

Originally published at www.thebluegrasssituation.com on March 24, 2016.