Smooth sipping with a hard-hitting finish – for the Charlestown cocktail at Sydney’s Baxter Inn, the clues are in the name. “We were inspired by the Winter Hill gang, which ran a gambling ring out of the Boston industrial suburb in the 1960s,” says general manager Stuart Morrow. In the glass, Baxter whips out the big guns with silky 16-year-old Lagavulin and a sweet vermouth. “There’s a great smokiness that punches through at the end,” says Morrow. Word to the wise: approach with caution. Knocking over a couple could equal trouble.
Stir 50ml sweet vermouth and 20ml 16-year-old Lagavulin over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
The Baxter Inn, basement, 156 Clarence St, Sydney, NSW, thebaxterinn.com
