Here's the gist:
The Golden Mean
How do you choose a “Cocktail of the Year”? You look for two things: first, the absolute perfect balance of all ingredients, nothing to excess, nothing missing, everything working in perfect harmony, a joining of aromas and flavors that allows each one to shine while combining to create an entirely new experience; and second, an almost electric current of excitement of the senses, a quick surge of sheer pleasure in finding this startling new combination of flavors.
The Golden Mean is a brilliant combination of aged Novo Fogo Cachaça from Brazil, the unique and delightful Pierre Ferrand Original Dry Curaçao (for which you should accept no substitutes as there are no other triple secs or curaçaos that can even come close to the spice mélange and cognac base of the Pierre Ferrand), Dolin Dry Vermouth Chambery, citrus, a home-made apricot butter that is somewhere between pure nectar and jam, and the crowning touch of smoke-kissed, pungent del Maguey Vida Mezcal.
It’s velvety smooth but packs a deceptive punch, and the delicious flavors mingle and meld with marvelous complexity that never tires, sip after sip. The golden richness and creamy texture of the apricot slightly dominate the drink, but the rich aged Brazilian rum, spicy curacao liqueur, vermouth and herbal-fruity-smoky del Maguey Vida Mezcal more than manage equilibrium and authority.
There are few drinks that provoke such immediate pleasure as The Golden Mean, or that maintain their intensity throughout each and every sip. Last year it was Angel Teta’s Ciudad Vieja at Ataula Restaurant that captured the spot; it was a boozy showstopper combination of Angel’s Envy bourbon, Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac, Yzaguirre vermut and Benedictine. This year it is The Golden Mean by Jopa Corvus at Levant.