A refreshing, summery riff on the modern classic Kentucky Buck that adds some additional smoke and bittersweet notes to the strawberry and ginger 🍹🍓 The baking spice notes in the bourbon and the black pepper notes in the rye pair very nicely with the bite of the ginger from the syrup and the berry notes from the ripe strawberry while the fresh lemon adds balancing acidity and splashes and dashes of the smoked Lapsang black tea liqueur and Jamaican bitters add touches of smoke and spice. A topper of Amaro soda adds effervescence and a bittersweet undertone that adds nuance Muddle 3 hulled and chopped ripe strawberries in .5 oz Ginger Syrup (juice one hand of ginger and measure volume; add 2 volumes granulated sugar and blend until combined) Add: 1.5 oz Bourbon (bonded options like Colonel EH Taylor, Tom’s Foolery, Old Grand-Dad bring some extra barrel flavor/baking spice oomph) .5 oz Rye (bottles like Rittenhouse or James E Pepper have nice spice and black pepper accents that shine with the strawberry and ginger) Fat .5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 1/2 Tsp St George Smoked Tea Liqueur (could also infuse a syrup with fresh brewed Lapsang tea) 1 dash Bittermens Jamaican Bitters #1 (ginger and black pepper notes) Shake with ice and strain into a chilled Collins glass with ice cubes. Top with 1.5 oz Amaro soda (Casamara Club Sera or Alta would be great; good seltzer or club soda can sub). Garnish with a hulled fresh strawberry #unclemoleyswort