This cocktail comes to us from The Cocktail Artist, Christopher & Beth Cowie.  You can check out Christopher and Beth's work at their site thecocktailartist.blogspot.com or on Instagram @thecocktailartist.

Having received a lovely painting and card from them over the weekend, I wanted to share this delightful cocktail from their site:

The Chesapeake Bay is well known for its 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 since 1939. It is 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 whisky 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 far from the Chesapeake, so in addition to giving the cocktail the right flavor, it seems like a pretty good fit geographically.

2 oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
¾ oz Linie Aquavit
½ oz Old Bay simple syrup*
2 dashes orange bitters

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all the ingredients. Shake for 15 seconds, and strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.

*Old Bay simple syrup

Add ½ cup of water, ½ cup of honey, and 3 tsp of Old Bay seasoning to saucepan. Stir until syrup begins to boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer syrup to a jar and keep refrigerated for up to 2 months. Shake well before using.

Courtesy The Cocktail Artist, Christopher and Beth Cowie, links above.