Barrel-Aged Black Rider - a Negroni-Style Drink Inspired by William S. Burroughs & Tom Waits
Here’s how to make the barrel-aged Black Rider, a brandy, mezcal and Cynar, Negroni-style cocktail named after the musical by William S. Burroughs and Tom Waits. It was created by Rhett Williams, bar manager of Dark Manor Inn and Shameful Tiki Room in Vancouver, BC.
Negroni riffs are always exciting to try. This one moved pretty far away, but it still has that comforting familiarity of home. When Williams came up with it in 2013, he was obsessed with coming up with ways to incorporate mezcal into familiar templates to create something unexpected. He would also try out different spirit combinations to see if they harmonized or clashed. He really liked the pairing of brandy and mezcal. He also, liked the earthy partnership of Cynar and mezcal. So, he put them all together using the Negroni as a sort of divining rod. It took some tinkering, but he found the perfect balance by lowering the Cynar a touch.
He needed a good name for it. The Black Rider is the name of a 1993 Tom Waits album, which is the soundtrack to a 1990 musical written by William S. Burroughs, that was inspired by the 1821 opera, Der Freischütz, which was based on German folklore. They all concern a marksman who makes a deal with the devil for some magic bullets to impress a girl. However, making such a deal never ends well and this is particularly true with the Burroughs play, where the protagonist, Wilhelm, ends up accidentally shooting and killing the woman he wanted to marry, which leads to his depression, despair, madness and eventually joining the devil’s carnival of the damned.
Crazy as it sounds, this twisted fairytale was an autobiographical story for Burroughs, who 40 years earlier, while strung out on drugs and alcohol in Mexico City, he accidentally shot and killed his common-law wife and baby mama, Joan Vollmer.
Burroughs claimed that this incident—murdering his wife—was what compelled him to become a full-time writer. He often wrote about his life with a thin veneer of fiction painted over top of it. And The Black Rider was no different. He even named the protagonist, Wilhelm, in case it wasn’t clear enough that he was talking about himself.
In terms of the drink, it’s pretty straightforward. The mezcal, should be smoky. In the barrel, the smoke will get stripped away, so I used a good earthy, vegetal, non-smoky mezcal. But when making it fresh, you’re going to want to use a smoky mezcal.
For the brandy, Rhett Williams recommends using Torres 5-year, as the Spanish brandy has the right amount of fruity body for the drink. I’m using Copper & Kings, which is an American brandy that spends time in Bourbon casks. It really has a good bit of that bourbon character to it, without letting you forget that it’s a brandy.
Cynar, if you’re unfamiliar with it, is an artichoke-based amaro. It’s dark and earthy, but doesn’t really taste as vegetal and artichoke-y as you’d imagine. It’s just a good, solid, amaro. There are two varieties out there the 33-proof original formula and a 70-proof formula. This recipe calls for the 33-proof.
This drink is dark, bitter, fruity and earthy. It’s a next-level Negroni riff. Barrel-aging it brings some exciting cocoa, cinnamon and woody notes out of the drink. But whether it’s fresh or aged, Williams recommends that you enjoy it head on. He serves it neat with no garnish. There’s nowhere for the ingredients to hide. It lays all of its cards out on the table for you, it’s up to you if you’re ready for the ride. Enjoy!
Recipe:
350 ml (12 oz) Brandy
350 ml (12 oz) Mezcal
300 ml (10 oz) Cynar
Combine all ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.
To make the drink, stir 3 oz (90 ml) of Barrel-Aged Black Rider with ice. Strain into chilled rocks glass. No ice. No garnish.
Music:
Ennui by Cody High
Chukou by Ambre Jaune
Revenge by Alec Slayne
via Epidemic Sound
Get the label here: http://bit.ly/2tCEE1d
Follow Us!
/ distinguishedspirits
/ distinguishedspirits
/ distinguishedspirits
/ distinguishedsp
/ distinguishedsp
Featured in This Episode:
Copper & Kings Brandy
http://bit.ly/2qD25E3
Banhez Mezcal
http://bit.ly/2SgoZ1T
Cynar
http://bit.ly/2pHKeeH
Bluegrass Barrels
http://bit.ly/2ocrqmK
http://amzn.to/2xCQify
Bar Tools:
Catamount 3 Oz Double Spouted Mini Measure
http://amzn.to/2h64pRw
Schott Zwiesel Old Fashioned, 9.6 oz
http://amzn.to/1N4nKJE
Cocktail Kingdom Skull Barspoon
http://amzn.to/2h5ZJLu
Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers
http://amzn.to/2muxWs8
Stainless Steel Funnels
http://amzn.to/2lAkYFt
Mixing Glass
http://amzn.to/2lilEC5
Julep Strainer
http://amzn.to/2lg4Coz
