Always Bet On Novelty Bottles

Obviously I don’t go liquor shopping with copies of cocktail recipe books in hand. This is why I end up buying shit like Frangelico, which I feel like I remember seeing a lot in recipes in these books but which after I get home and look at the books realize that I’m actually wrong about that. Anyway, Frangelico is that thing that comes in a bottle that looks like a stylized Mrs. Butterworth’s, but which is supposed to look like a friar or something. I don’t know — there’s a rope belt there or something.

Frangelico is hazelnut, which is a flavor that is sort of kind of gross tasting to me, but which I’m trying to appreciate. I actually didn’t know what the fuck flavor Frangelico was before I got it.

The first cocktail I tried with Frangelico was something I found using Amaretto (someone somewhere said you can substitute it; I took it at its word). It was OK. I don’t remember what it was.

Then I found something called a Dolce Vita in Mr. Boston that uses four parts bourbon, two parts sweet vermouth and two parts Hazelnut liqueur. A ha! The nut is cracked! Look for “hazelnut liqueur” recipes. I substituted Punt y Mes for the sweet vermouth and mixed that with the go-to everyday bourbon (Evan Williams green label). This drink is good.