Partner in Crime

Name: Partner in Crime
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Will Lee , The Grey Ghost , Detroit

Photo: John Valls

February 25, 2022

A nutty and bittersweet dessert cocktail.

Don’t be fooled by the dollop of whipped cream—this Partner in Crime cocktail packs a spirited punch. “The idea was to create a stirred, more spirit-driven, dessert-style cocktail,” says Will Lee, beverage director and proprietor at Grey Ghost in Detroit. Lee complements the blended scotch base with bittersweet amaro, a nutty sherry, and a hint of sweetness from a banana liqueur.

Ingredients

1 oz. blended Scotch whisky
3/4 oz. banana liqueur
1/2 oz. Averna
1/4 oz. amontillado sherry
2 dashes walnut bitters
2 dashes chocolate bitters

Tools:barspoon, strainer, saucepan, whisk
Glass:coupe
Garnish:cinnamon-demerara whipped cream

Preparation

Stir all of the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled glass and top with cinnamon-demerara whipped cream.

Cinnamon-Demerara Whipped Cream
Combine 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, and 2 cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and heat to a low simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour, then strain and bottle for use; keeps refrigerated for up to 1 week. To make the cream, use a whisk to whip four parts heavy whipping cream to one part syrup until thick and fluffy.