Blood Orange Banger

The 1970's cocktail, The Harvey Wallbanger, is basically a Screwdriver (vodka and OJ) plus Galliano-- an Italian liqueur that's made from extracts of Anise, Juniper, Musk Yarrow, Star Anise, Lavender, Peppermint, Cinnamon and Vanilla. It's a very sweet, cloying drink (I think it's the Musk Yarrow that does it), best enjoyed in your avocado leisure suit. But the drink contains the kernel of deliciousness-- so I decided to play around with it a bit.

I swapped regular orange juice for the seasonal blood orange, and also greatly reduced it, so it's more of a "drop": mostly vodka with the juice and Galliano as more of an accent. Adding the fennel-orange sugar to the rim just classes it up a bit (and brings out the flavors of the Galliano), but isn't necessary.

INGREDIENTS

For the orange fennel sugar rim (makes enough drinks for your party):

1 tsp ground fennel
1/4 cup sugar (superfine if you got it)
1 tsp orange zest

For One Drink:

2 oz Hangar One Buddha's Hand vodka
1/2 oz Galliano
3/4 oz freshly squeezed blood orange juice

For the sugar rim:

Squeeze out excess moisture of the orange zest between paper towels, then mix with sugar and ground fennel.

For the drink:

Mix the vodka, Galliano and orange juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Pour strained liquor into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. NOTE: To create a sugar-rimmed glass, take an orange wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar.