The following cocktail was one of the winning entries from our Catoctin Creek / CHILLED Magazine Bartender Competition in 2022!  We had over 50 submissions to the contest, and this was one of the best!

NEW YORK

Runner Up: Nicole Salicetti

Purcell’s Pick

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
  
• 1/2 oz blackberry sweet vermouth*
• 1/4 oz dill syrup
• 1 dash salt solution**
• 10 drops citric acid
• 2 drops grapefruit bitters
• Brioche toast with blackberry spread and dill (for garnish) 

Preparation: Add all ingredients except for garnish into stirring glass. Stir and strain over large rock in a rocks glass.
Spread a dollop of jam onto mini toast and top with dill. 

*Sweet Vermouth blackberry reduction: slow cooked 50g fresh whole blackberries with 75g of sweet vermouth and 25g of water on stove top in small saucepan for 30 minutes. Strain out blackberries and cool. Blackberry jam: use strained blackberries from vermouth reduction and mash with one teaspoon of sugar.

**Salt solution: 80ml water/20g salt