The Traveler - Monkey Shoulder, Suze, Vermouth Mata Bianco
Recipe: 1.5 oz Monkey Shoulder, 0.75 oz. Mata Vermouth Bianco, 0.25 oz. Suze
Build: Stir until preferred strength
Serve: up or on the rocks depending on preference
The Traveler is a creation by Advanced Sommelier Eric Taylor specifically for the Just A Taste cocktail club. The inspiration for this cocktail stemmed from the desire to create a perfect Rob Roy - rather, a Scotch Manhattan. However, as the cocktail took shape, it began progressing more towards a Negroni, or rather, a Boulevardier with Scotch, Campari, and Vermouth. The direction shifted into a “White Negroni” concept: Suze herbal liqueur replaced Campari, sweet Spanish white vermouth for the typical sweet Italian red, and Scotch whiskey as the base. This cocktail is designed to highlight two important concepts in cocktail theory: the rule of substitution and addressing the importance of personal taste over “perfect” recipes.