Jun 06 2026
RestaurantsSardineDear Friend Recipe

Dear Friend Recipe

Inspired by Sardine
Time8m
Serves1

Rum Blend, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, chocolate, orange, bitters, cinnamon

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Ingredients

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Cocktail

Method

Cocktail

  1. 1

    Chill glass

    Place a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

  2. 2

    Combine spirits and bitters

    In a mixing glass add aged rum (1.5 oz), Campari (0.75 oz), sweet vermouth (0.75 oz), and chocolate liqueur (0.25 oz).

  3. 3

    Add bitters

    Add 2 dashes of orange bitters and 1 dash of aromatic bitters to the mixing glass.

  4. 4

    Stir and dilute

    Fill the mixing glass with large ice and stir briskly for 20–30 seconds (about 15–20 full rotations) until the mixture is well-chilled, slightly viscous, and properly diluted (roughly 25–30% dilution).

Finish & Serve

  1. 5

    Prepare glass and express oils

    Discard ice or water from your chilled glass. Take the orange peel and hold it over the glass, skin-side down, about 3–4 inches above the surface. Give the peel a firm twist to express the citrus oils onto the surface of the cocktail.

  2. 6

    Strain

    Double-strain the stirred cocktail into the chilled coupe/Nick & Nora using a julep strainer and fine mesh strainer to remove any small ice shards.

  3. 7

    Garnish with chocolate and cinnamon

    Grate approximately 1 teaspoon of dark chocolate over the surface of the cocktail, then finish with a light pinch of ground cinnamon. Finally, drop the expressed orange peel into the glass as a garnish (or rest it on the rim).

  4. 8

    Serve

    Present immediately. Sip slowly to enjoy the layered interplay of warm rum, bitter Campari, sweet vermouth, chocolate notes and orange-cinnamon aromatics.

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