Here’s an appropriately themed cocktail to toast with while sitting snug and cozy by the fireside. The creator is another inventive artist who busies himself in his spare time with making pretty cocktail pictures and sharing them on social media under the apropos handle, “artistwithacocktail”. Mark Adams is a painter and portraiture artist from Maryland with a long and successful career. He is also an excellent photographer and adept at the use of photoshop, which he uses to great effect to enhance his themes. He loves to make cocktails, and has a penchant for strong and bitter flavors. What a guy!

Mark is also the spitting image of Santa Claus, a coincidence he encourages and indulges each year with a lengthy seasonal homage to the Christmas spirit, which he documents in photographs with every manner of Christmas themed cocktails. This one, from 2021, which includes Fee Brother’s chocolate bitters and is featured on their website, caught my fancy for both its relevance to the Christmas Spirit puzzle and its ingredients. The cocktail is a delightfully tasty Boulevardier, with the added touch of smoke from peaty scotch. Mark muses, “I remember using High West Campfire Whiskey, a blend of rye, bourbon and blended scotch. That was gilding the lily since you get the smoke and peat from the scotch element. A good spicy rye like Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond or if you are flush, Basel Hayden’s Dark Rye would be great in this cocktail. Spicy, smokey, slightly sweet, and bitter with a chocolate finish, this is a great holiday cocktail.” Santa never had it so good! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Chimney Sweep by Mark Adams

1 oz rye

1 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz Cynar

¼ oz smokey peaty scotch

2 dashes chocolate bitters

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass with a large cube. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry or citrus wheel.

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