The Used Book Recipe

Prepare strawberry puree

Hull and roughly chop one medium ripe strawberry. Place in a small bowl or blender and mash thoroughly with a fork or blend briefly until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small container to remove seeds. Measure 0.5 oz of the puree. If you don't have fresh strawberries, use 0.5 oz good-quality strawberry syrup instead and reduce the simple syrup to 0.125 oz.

Build and shake

Add 2 oz Four Roses Yellow Label, 0.5 oz Averna, 0.25 oz Cynar, 0.5 oz fresh strawberry puree, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup). Dry shake (without ice) for 8–10 seconds first only if you used puree and want extra integration, then add ice and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well-chilled and slightly diluted.

Strain and serve

Double-strain the cocktail through a Hawthorne or fine mesh strainer into an old-fashioned glass over a single large ice cube or sphere. Double-straining removes strawberry solids for a silkier texture.

Garnish

Express the orange peel (optional) over the drink by pinching it skin-side down to release oils, then rub the peel around the glass rim and drop it in. Skewer or place a halved fresh strawberry on the rim or on a pick and set it atop the ice.

Serve

Serve immediately. The drink should balance the bourbon's warmth with Averna's dark, herbal sweetness, Cynar's artichoke bitterness, and a bright strawberry lift, finished by the spice of Angostura.