When David Wolowidnyk, bar manager at West restaurant in Vancouver, received a request for an Amaretto Sour with a modern twist, he was inspired to experiment with the original recipe, attributed to a protégé of Leonardo da Vinci.
The result: a version of the sweet-and-sour cocktail he could call his own.
Along with Disaronno amaretto, the almond-flavoured liqueur that has been produced in the Italian town of Saronno since about 1900, he added Bacardi eight-year-old rum and Falernum, a sweet and hazy Caribbean syrup with flavours of almond, clove, ginger and lime zest (it's available in most West Indian food stores). A dash of Moondog bitters gave the new drink its name.
"The Falernum syrup gives the drink a rich mouthfeel, while the Bacardi complements the acidity in the lemons," says Wolowidnyk, an award-winning mixologist who is co-founder and director of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association.
The Moondog Sour
1 egg white
1½ oz Bacardi eight-year-old rum
1 oz Disaronno Originale
1 oz lemon juice
½ oz Falernum syrup
1 dash Bittered Sling Moondog bitters
Method
To make the drink, separate the egg white into a shaker, then add the remaining ingredients.
Dry shake to emulsify, add ice and shake again to chill.
Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe glass and serve.