Make This: Shruff's End a.k.a Smoked Apple Jacks
Inspired by a famous bar and an even more famous cereal, this drink is as potent to sip as it is easy to make.
My wife got me a cocktail book and some 15-year-old Irish Whiskey for Christmas.
If you visit me in Los Angeles and aspire to have an outstanding cocktail experience, I’d likely try to make a reservation at Death and Co. in the Arts District. D&C has three locations (LA, NYC and Denver) as they are pound-for-pound one of the best cocktail-making institutions on the planet. (Pro-tip: If you happen to go without me, order The Highway Man. It’s the best old fashioned I’ve ever had. You’re welcome.)
So when my wife and I decided to host a cocktail-making competition for New Year’s Eve, I knew I had the cheat code in my possession — Death and Co.’s cocktail book.
The drink I selected — Shruff’s End — was a perfect cocktail for yours truly. Smoky and sweet. Complex and fun. Neat and powerful.
Unfortunately, I failed to consider the participants in said competition, as our judges/competitors do not quite have the same palette as I. Namely, their tolerance for a “stiff cocktail” is a tad lower than mine.
“Damn, I think I just grew a chest full of hair.”
“That’s a good drink, unfortunately it might take a month for me to finish it.”
My drink did not win the competition.
Death and Co.’s “Shruff’s End” cocktail consists of four ingredients: Laphroaig, Laird’s Apple Brandy, Benedictine and Peychaud’s Bitters. It’s a bit of an “all gas, no brakes” cocktail. It’s very delicious, but I experimented with a more casual approach to the drink, and all I needed was ice.
This drink tastes like a liquid boozy Apple Jacks cereal that’s been toasted over an open flame. While the original asks for it to be served in a coupe glass, I decided to swap the stem glass for an old fashioned one.
After stirring the drink with ice, I strained it into a glass with a giant block ice cube waiting for it. A cold drink with a good ice cube will slow down the melting process, but the cube will also take the edge of a potent cocktail. I like this drink a lot, and it’s so easy to make. You deserve easy drinks to make that are delicious. Let’s go for it.
Recipe: Shruff’s End vs. Smoked Apple Jacks
Serve: In a coupe glass vs. in an old fashioned glass
Garnish: No garnish
Ingredients:
1 oz — Laphroaig 10-year scotch (any peaty scotch here will suffice)
1 oz — Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy
0.5 oz — Benedictine
Two dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
Make Shruff’s End: Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into a coupe glass.
Make Smoked Apple Jacks: Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with a block of ice. (If you don’t have an ice mold, regular ice is fine)
This cocktail was inspired by Death and Company’s “Modern Classic Cocktails” book. They’re not paying me for any promotion here, but the book is worth your time if you’re serious about upgrading your cocktail game. Thinking about making it? Let us know how it turned out and share in the comments section or hit me directly.