Chesapeake Bay Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces Rye (Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye)

3/4 ounce Aquavit (Linie)

1/2 ounce Old Bay Syrup

2 dashes orange bitters

orange rind for garnish

1/2 cup honey (for the Old Bay Syrup)

1/2 cup water (for the Old Bay Syrup)

3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (for the Old Bay Syrup)

Preparation

To make the Old Bay Syrup:

Place honey, water and Old Bay seasoning in a small saucepan.

Bring to a low boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Transfer syrup to a jar and refrigerate. Shake well before using.

To make cocktail:

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine Rye, Aquavit, Old Bay syrup, and bitters.

Shake for 15 seconds.

Strain into a low ball glass with a large ice cube

Garnish with an orange twist.

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About

The Chesapeake Bay is well known for it's seafood - particularly crabs. It's a summer ritual in Maryland to enjoy a bucket of steamed Chesapeake Bay crabs caked with Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay has been produced in Maryland by McCormick & Company since 1939. It's a spice blend with a very distinct flavor - which includes paprika, pepper and celery salt. Old Bay no longer seems limited to crabs and it has been showing up in some new and interesting places, in mayonnaise, beer, and in chocolate, among others. We decided to get on board this Old Bay renaissance and give it a try in a cocktail, and we were pretty pleased with the results. Our Chesapeake Bay cocktail uses rye whiskey and aquavit. We have tried it with several ryes, and particularly like how Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye works with the other ingredients. This rye is produced in Virginia, not that far from the Chesapeake, so in addition to giving the cocktail the right flavor, it seems like a good fit geographically.