One of my favorite sources of information to get me poking around the liquor store and then in the kitchen is Jamie Boudreau’s blog.

Recently, I came across an old post about a “Make Your Own” recipe for Amer Picon.

Now, I don’t know anything about Amer Picon but I’m decidedly curious about stuff I know nothing about so I read on.  I soon realized I knew a little more than I thought I did.  His recipe calls for Ramazzotti as a base ingredient plus a bunch of orange tincture and some Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters.  I love Ramazzotti so I got right to it.

I’m still waiting on the orange tincture (due end of Feb) so I can’t report on the Amer Picon yet (Update… click here for the Amer post).  Still, towards the end of Jamie’s post, he offered a cocktail recipe of his own concocting called the “Nirvana Cocktail”.  It sounded right up my alley so I got to thinking about how I might substitute my way to a something vaguely related.  I’ve called my version “Shades of Things to Come” and man is it tasty.  I can only hope the version with the Amer will be as good.

Here you go:

Shades of Things to Come:

• 2oz.   Rittenhouse Bonded Rye
• 1oz.    Ramazzotti
• .25oz. Maraschino Liqueur
• .25oz. B&B Liqueur
• 4 or 5 heavy dashes of Regan’s Orange Bitters

Stir and serve up in a coupe.  Add an amarino cherry if you wish.