Richard A L'Orange A.K.A. Dick A L'Orange

Recently I had the good fortune of creating a drink for a longtime friend of mine, Richard, whom I hadn't seen in about 8 years. Recently he turned 21 and settled on Bombay Saphire and orange juice as one of his preferred cocktails. Remember, he's young, only recently 21. After introducing him to the idea behind the various notes of a cocktail (simply put, what you smell, initially taste, what that taste is accompanied by, and finally its aftertaste), I created this drink for him to illustrate how the taste of gin and orange can be enhanced to include more depth. Here is the result:

The Richard A L'Orange
A.K.A Dick A L'Orange

2oz of Bombay Saphire Gin
1oz Combier or other orange liquor

1/2 oz of fresh squeezed Orange juice
dash of Reagan's Orange Bitters No6
rinse of Orange Blossom Water
Orange rind for granish

Rinse the cocktail glass with a splash of orange blossom water and then throw the water out. Put the remaining ingredients (except orange rind) in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake about 15 times then strain into the waiting, rinsed cocktail glass. Hold the orange rind over the glass and bend it to release its oils (can be done in front of a flame for added effect and a carmelized taste) then drop into the drink (running it around the rim first is also not a bad idea).

The drink was definitely orange, but with many more notes than simply Gin and Juice. It smelled sweet, almost perfumey (thank you orange blossom water), but the first sip tapped into the roundedness of the Combier, and the bitters sealed the deal replacing the sweetness with a burnt orange bitterness that lingered on the tongue. I can still taste it.

Bombay Saphire in a one liter bottle: $30, Combier Liquor: $32, fresh squeezed O.J: $5, Reagan's Orange Bitters No6: $9, Orange Blossom water: $5, orange rind: $1... spending time with Richard: Priceless.