These kind of brown drinks are often based on bourbons or ryes, but the Howl on the Hill is actually a rum cocktail. We used Angostura 1919, but most likely any good quality dark rum will work brilliantly in this cocktail.
There is a rich complexity to this cocktail. The sweet rum is of course very noticeable, but the added amaro fernet-branca and the yellow chartreuse both alters the flavour of the rum in a very nice way. And then there are those few drops of absint playing in the background . . . enough to be noticed but not too much to overwhelm.
The recipe is from Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails.
What’s in it
2 oz dark rum
0,75 oz antica formula vermouth
0,5 oz fernet-branca
0,25 oz yellow chartreuse
1 dash absint
Stir all ingredients over ice. Pour and strain into a cocktail glass.
Death & Co suggests to serve this cocktail in coupe glassware, but we decided to go with rock glasses instead. By adding a large piece of ice the cocktail stays cool for a long time, hence becoming an ultimate sipper cocktail. It’s a high on alcohol cocktail so you actually want to enjoy it one small sip at a time.