Today I would like to actually not lose many words, but simply offer a stage to a cocktail, which I personally absolutely love, but which hardly anyone knows. In its simplicity, the drink is not only quick to make, it is above all also an absolute firework of intense, herbal, bitter and smoky flavors. It has it all. And it comes from a man to whom I basically owe my introduction to the world of cocktails.

That man’s name is Chris McMillian, New Orleans bartending legend, cocktail historian and museum founder – to him I owe not only my fervent love for the Mint Julep, but also the sparking of my first passion for the whole thing.

By the way, the drink also made it into the neoclassic beta.cocktails, a fantastic collection of recipes by Kirk Estopinal and Maksym Pazuniak, who are also worth mentioning…

Now that the rhetorical drum rolls have built up enough tension, let’s get to the drink: It’s called “The End of the Road” and consists of ten-year-old Laphroaig, Campari and Chartreuse verte – in equal proportions. All of the ingredients are intense bartender favorites and work fantastically in combination. The cocktail certainly has what it takes to overwhelm one or the other casual guest or “beginner”, but if you have a little experience with stirred all-alcohol drinks and crave expressive flavor fireworks, you’ll find fulfillment here.

Recipe “The End of the Road” (by Chris McMillian):

3 cl Laphroaig 10 Years
3 cl Campari
3 cl Chartreuse Verte

Preparation: Stir all ingredients cold on ice and strain into pre-chilled glass.

Glass: Coupette

Garnish: none

Buying sources: All ingredients can be found at specialized retailers or online.