Villain & Saint Recipe

Chill glass

Place an old-fashioned glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to chill it.

Combine ingredients

In a mixing glass add 2 oz rye whiskey, 0.5 oz blood orange liqueur, 0.5 oz amaro, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.25 oz demerara syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, and 1 dash orange bitters.

Add ice and stir

Fill the mixing glass two-thirds full with large, cold ice cubes. Stir gently but thoroughly for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 full strokes) until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted—this integrates the spirits and softens the edges.

Prepare glass

Empty the chilled glass of any ice water. If using smoked sea salt, rub the blood orange wedge around a small section of the rim and dip lightly in the smoked sea salt to create a subtle salted accent (optional).

Strain and serve

Place a single large clear ice cube in the chilled old-fashioned glass. Using a julep or hawthorne strainer, double-strain the stirred cocktail into the glass over the ice cube to ensure a silky texture with no shards.

Express the oils of a blood orange twist over the drink by holding the peel about 3–4 inches above the surface and giving it a quick snap so the oils spray across the cocktail. Rub the twist lightly on the rim if you like more aroma, then drop the twist or a blood orange wheel into the glass as garnish.

Serve immediately while cold. Optionally, for a smoky aroma, briefly torch the expressed orange peel over the drink (hold peel over drink and use a kitchen torch to blister the oils for 1–2 seconds) before dropping it in.