Huntsman Cocktail

The Huntsman Cocktail is a big departure from the cherry brandy and bourbon drinks that make up the Hunter's/ Huntress cocktail group that also includes the Forrester.  

This is one of those interesting combinations of vodka and dark rum drinks that exist, I think, because dark rum tends to dominate a cocktail if used entirely as the spirit base. So vodka is used in the Huntsman Cocktail as a matter of balance of flavor. I used Aylesbury Duck vodka because I had exactly two ounces and because (I discovered when drinking it) of the winter wheat distillate that makes this vodka softer and slightly perfumed.

The rum that dominates the Duck is Lyon Bijou Batch dark rum. I got a bottle of this rum at its local distillery at St. Michaels, Maryland, and talked with the distiller, Ben Lyon. He makes a white lightning, dark rum, 100-proof sailor's reserve rum aged in bourbon barrels, and a corn whiskey. A batch of rye is forthcoming. Lyon says that the dark rum is the most difficult to make. All Lyon spirits are very small batches of about 100 bottles. For the dark rum, Lyon said he colored and flavored the rum by cooking caramel on his stove top to add to the batch.

2 oz. vodka (Aylesbury Duck used)
1 oz. dark rum (Lyon Bijou Batch dark rum used)
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 tsp. bar sugar

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass (coup glass shown).